Johnny Winter ‘Live At The Fillmore East, 1970’ Set To Release On September 26

Johnny Winter ‘Live At The Fillmore East, 1970’ Set To Release On September 26

​In 1970, at just 26 and at the height of his powers, iconic Texan guitarist Johnny Winter delivered a blistering live performance at New York’s Fillmore East. Backed by his powerhouse band—guitarist Rick Derringer and bassist Randy Jo Hobbs (both former members of '60s pop-rock outfit The McCoys), along with drummer Bobby Caldwell—Winter cemented his place in blues-rock history that night.

On September 26, Floating World Records will release Live at the Fillmore East, 1970 on vinyl LP and CD, featuring five previously unreleased tracks from this legendary concert. The release includes detailed liner notes by acclaimed music writer Alan Robinson.

This collection revisits two standout tracks from Winter’s 1971 live album Live Johnny Winter And—“Good Morning Little School Girl” and “It’s My Own Fault”—and adds five unearthed gems from the same performance. Among them is Rick Derringer’s raucous “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo,” later immortalized on his 1973 solo debut All American Boy. The fiery interplay between Winter and Derringer—whose contrasting guitar styles pushed each other to thrilling heights—makes this release a poignant tribute to Derringer, who passed away in May 2025 at the age of 77.

By the following year, Winter’s escalating heroin addiction forced a hiatus from music, and he wouldn’t return with new material until 1973’s Still Alive and Well, produced by Derringer and now considered a blues-rock classic.

Born in Beaumont, Texas in 1944 and living with albinism, Johnny Winter became renowned for his electrifying blues-rock performances, searing guitar work, and soulful vocals. Beyond his own music, he produced three Grammy-winning albums for blues legend Muddy Waters. In 1988, he was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame, and in 2003, Rolling Stone ranked him 63rd on its list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

Winter passed away in Zurich on July 16, 2014, from complications related to emphysema and pneumonia. Reflecting on his legacy, Rolling Stone’s David Marchese wrote: “Winter was one of the first blues rock guitar virtuosos… [he] made an iconic life for himself by playing the blues.”
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Live at the Fillmore East, 1970 is more than a live album—it’s a time capsule of Winter’s explosive talent, marked by passion, virtuosity, and a deep connection to the blues. A must-have for fans, and a powerful reminder of a legacy that still resonates.
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JOHNNY WINTER: ‘LIVE AT THE FILLMORE EAST, 1970’
01 Guess I’ll Go Away – Live (J. Winter)
02 Good Morning Little School Girl – Live (Bob Love / Don Level)
03 It’s My Own Fault – Live (McKinley Morganfield)
04 Highway 61 Revisited – Live (Bob Dylan)
05 Mean Town Blues – Live (Johnny Winter)
06 Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo – Live (R. Derringer)
07 Rollin’ and Tumblin’ – Live (McKinley Morganfield)