Winter Essentials 1960-1967

• Artist: Johnny Winter
• Rating:
• Release Date: June 17, 2003
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Rock

Review

These are the earliest recordings of blues guitarist Johnny Winter recorded in the '60s before he was signed by Columbia in 1968. Most of the material is comprised of doo wop, R&B, and twist instrumentals, all gritty enough not to be relegated as generic after the first listen. Winter also covers several songs he obviously was fond of by Chuck Berry, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Ray Charles, Mose Allison, Lowell Fulson, and Danny White's "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye," a song that would also show up on his first Alligator release from 1984, Guitar Slinger. The only misstep here is an attempt at the burgeoning psychedelic movement on "Birds Can't Row Boats," which is as silly as the title, but somehow, compared to everything else on the disc, comes off as a charming abnormally in his discography. ~ Al Campbell, All Music Guide

Tracks

CD 1

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Ice Cube	Johnny Winter	Johnny Winter	(2:05)
School Day Blues	Johnny Winter	Johnny Winter	(1:57)
You Know I Love You	Johnny Winter	Johnny Winter	(2:51)
Geisha Rock	B.B. King	Johnny Winter	(2:38)
Oh My Darling	Johnny Winter	Johnny Winter	(2:10)
Creepy	Johnny Winter	Johnny Winter	(2:09)
One Night of Love	Johnny Winter	Johnny Winter	(2:15)
Hey Hey Hey Hey	Johnny Winter	Johnny Winter	(2:10)
That's What Love Does	Johnny Winter	Johnny Winter	(2:18)
Shed So Many Tears	Eddie Shuler, Elton Anderson	Johnny Winter	(2:16)
Voo Doo Twist	Johnny Winter	Johnny Winter	(2:21)
Ease My Pain	Johnny Winter	Johnny Winter	(3:06)
By the Light of the Silvery Moon	Edward Madden, Gus Edwards	Johnny Winter	(2:11)
Road Runner	Ellas McDaniel	Johnny Winter	(2:03)
The Guy You Left Behind	Johnny Winter	Johnny Winter	(2:29)
Five After Four A.M.	Johnny Winter	Johnny Winter	(3:01)
Stay By My Side	Hank Ballard, Cal Green	Johnny Winter	(2:15)
Broke and Lonely	Johnny Otis, Johnny "Guitar" Watson	Johnny Winter	(2:24)
Crying in My Heart	Johnny Winter	Johnny Winter	(2:38)
Crazy Baby	Buck Rogers	Johnny Winter	(1:58)

CD 2

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Reeling and Rocking	Chuck Berry	Johnny Winter	(2:02)
Can't Believe You Wanna Leave	Lloyd Price	Johnny Winter	(2:27)
Gangster of Love	Johnny "Guitar" Watson	Johnny Winter	(2:27)
Eternally	Johnny Winter	Johnny Winter	(2:30)
You'll Be the Death of Me	Johnny Winter	Johnny Winter	(2:35)
Leave My Woman Alone	Ray Charles	Johnny Winter	(2:41)
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye	Alfred Reed	Johnny Winter	(2:39)
Hello My Lover	Clarence Reggie Toussaint	Johnny Winter	(2:17)
I Had to Cry	Roy C. Ames	Johnny Winter	(1:54)
I Won't Believe It	Bobby Mizzell	Johnny Winter	(2:02)
Gone for Bad	Johnny Winter, Roy C. Ames	Johnny Winter	(2:21)
Bad News	John D. Loudermilk	Johnny Winter	(2:43)
Out of Sight	James Brown	Johnny Winter	(2:18)
Parchman Farm	Mose Allison	Johnny Winter	(2:41)
Tramp	Lowell Fulson, Jimmy McCracklin	Johnny Winter	(2:57)
Don't Hide It	Johnny Winter, Amos Boynton	Johnny Winter	(2:36)
Avocado Green	Robbie J. Leff	Johnny Winter	(2:28)
Easy Lovin' Girl	Dennis Collins	Johnny Winter	(2:48)
Birds Can't Row Boats	Johnny Winter	Johnny Winter	(2:56)
Leavin' Blues	Johnny Winter	Johnny Winter	(2:47)

Credits

Johnny Winter (Main Performer), Bill Dahl (Liner Notes), Kate Moss (Package Design)