Saturday Night Attitude Dance Stompin’ the Blues at the 2025 Birthday of Howlin’ Wolf

by Robert Wilkinson

June 10 would have been the 115th birthday of blues legend Chester Arthur Burnett, a.k.a. “Howlin’ Wolf.” Today we have fantastic videos of the Blues Master and a bunch of greats performing his blues canon!

Howlin’ Wolf (June 10, 1910 – January 10, 1976), was one of the greatest blues writers, singers, guitarists, and harmonica players in history. A contemporary of Muddy Waters, his performances were legend, and his songs have been covered countless times by the greatest in history. At 6’6” and 300 pounds he was a formidable presence. From Wikipedia:

With a booming voice and looming physical presence, Burnett is commonly ranked among the leading performers in electric blues; musician and critic Bub Koda declared, "no one could match Howlin' Wolf for the singular ability to rock the house down to the foundation while simultaneously scaring its patrons out of its wits." A number of songs written or popularized by Burnett—such as “Smokestack Lightnin’,” “Back Door Man,” “Killing Floor,” and “Spoonful” - have become blues and blues rock standards.

So today we celebrate the original "Big Man," the legendary blues shouter Howlin' Wolf!

Here’s a great studio version by Howlin’ Wolf of “Killing floor”

This is THE classic performance of the song against which all others are measured! This was literally the first song Jimi played in the US, so this is how he introduced himself. Wow. Here’s Jimi’s incredible launch at Monterey Pop complete with boa and serious chops delivering “Killing floor”

Here’s a great b/w video clip of the guitar Master in 1969 in Stockholm doing “Killing Floor”

I found this live performance by a blues legend on German television for “The American Folk and Blues Festival” in 1967! Skip James performing “Killing Floor Blues”

Three more recent ones! First, from 2007, the White Stripes live on Rock am Ring performing “Killing Floor,” which we’ll follow with the 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival featuring Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Hubert Sumlin, and Jimmie Vaughan offering their two hundred years of blues experience in “Killing Floor,” and finish the trifecta with guitar ace Samantha Fish doing her 2014 version of “Killing Floor”

We’ll close this song with the studio version by the legendary Albert King of “Killing Floor”

Live in 1964, here’s a great video performance by Howlin’ Wolf of his classic “Smokestack Lightnin’.”

Here’s the original 1956 Chess studio release by Howlin’ Wolf of “Smokestack Lightnin’”

From Five Live Yardbirds, here’s a great live performance in 1964 by the Yardbirds (with Eric Clapton buried in the mix) cranking out “Smokestack Lightnin’”

Here’s the studio version by the original Animals of “Smokestack Lightnin’”

From 1966, Howlin’ Wolf performing “How Many More Years”

From mid-60s England, Howlin’ Wolf live with the Rolling Stones in the audience! Here’s the Master taking us to town with “How Many More Years”

We have three excellent versions of this tune by Led Zeppelin! First, from a live Swedish television performance in 1969, here is Led Zeppelin in a 12 minute performance of “How Many More Times.” From Led Zeppelin’s first album in 1968, the 8+ minute studio version of “How Many More Times.” And from the BBC sessions, and amazing 11+ minute version of “How Many More Times.”

These were written by Willie Dixon, often based in pre-existing blues standards, and made famous by Howlin’ Wolf.

From his 1969 Chess studio experiment in "psychedelic blues," The Howlin' Wolf Album, with Rotary Connection as the backing band, here's Howlin' Wolf doing “Back Door Man”

Here’s a 6 minute video clip from a 1969 Doors concert in Europe, very live and out there, of “Back Door Man”

Here’s the original Howlin' Wolf studio version of “Little Red Rooster,” and here’s his updated 1969 electric psychedelic blues versions of “Little Red Rooster” and “Spoonful.”

Here’s a great live video clip from 1964 of the VERY young Rolling Stones performing “Little Red Rooster.” This year I found their complete set on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1965 with a live performance of the tune! ”The Last Time,” “Little Red Rooster,” “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love,” and “2120 South Michigan Avenue.”

Continuing our Stones sets, they went on Shivaree in 1965 and performed ”Down the Road Apiece,” “Little Red Rooster,” “Play With Fire,” and “The Last Time.” For our final Stones offering of this song, from 1965 on the Oz tv show Big Beat ’65, Mick and the boys in a subdued performance of “Little Red Rooster.”

Here’s the original studio version by Howlin’ Wolf of “Wang Dang Doodle”

For your enjoyment, Jerry Garcia, Neil Young, and Bob Wier live and cranking in 1988 at the Bridge School Benefit giving up “Wang Dang Doodle”

Here’s the Grateful Dead with John Popper very live in Golden Gate Park in late 1991 doing “Wang Dang Doodle”

Here’s a great studio version by Koko Taylor of “Wang Dang Doodle”

From their 1971 album, here’s the Savoy Brown Blues Band studio version of “Wang Dang Doodle”

From the 1970 The Howlin’ Wolf London Sessions album featuring Eric Clapton, Stevie Winwood, and the rhythm section of the Rolling Stones, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts (with Ian Stewart on keyboards), the studio version of “Wang Dang Doodle” and “I Ain’t Superstitious”

Here's the original Howlin' Wolf studio version of "I Ain't Superstitious"

Here’s the Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart live in 1968 set to stills, cranking out “I Ain’t Superstitious”

Here’s Jeff and Rod in a recent live video performance in LA of “I Ain’t Superstitious”

For our closing number, here’s the original Howlin' Wolf studio version of “Spoonful”

A reprise from his 1969 "psychedelic blues" The Howlin' Wolf Album. Even though I gave it to you with "Little Red Rooster," here's the alternate version of “Spoonful”

Here’s the original studio version by Cream of “Spoonful” and from 1967, a 22 minute very live and very psychedelic offering by Cream performing “Spoonful” with an amazing solo by Eric Clapton!

Here’s an awesome rare 8+ minute live video performance from 1967 in London’s Revolution Club by Cream doing a very heavy version of “Spoonful” (If you don’t check out any other clip, this is the one to see. Wow!)

Our final Cream performance of this tune comes from the live 1968 BBC television broadcast of their farewell tour. This is 12 minutes of awesome! “Spoonful”

Here’s a live video clip from the 2012 Howlin’ for Hubert concert at the legendary Apollo Theater featuring Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and James Cotton cranking out “Spoonful”

And finally, from the 2005 Crèam reunion at the Royal Albert Hall, a fantastic live video performance of “Spoonful”

For our encores,

From 1959, this album blew minds! Moanin’ In The Moonlight

From 1967, I have this in my collection! Awesome album! Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters & Bo Diddley – The Super Super Blues Band

Live in 1966, Howlin’ Wolf shouting out the Elmore James classic “Dust My Broom”

From 1970, accompanied by Eddie Shaw, 7 minutes and 42 of pure gold! Howlin’ Wolf live giving us “Sittin’ On Top Of The World”

From 1970, 10 minutes of “Highway 49 – Live in Concert 1970”

Also from 1970, 3 hours and 35 of great live blues! Howlin’ Wolf Live At Big Dukes – 1970

There are big men, and great men. You were both. Thanks for the get-down. You are a legend. RIP, Blues Brother.

© Copyright 2025 Robert Wilkinson

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