Killing Floor

Howlin Wolf recorded Killing Floor in Chicago in August 1964 with Hubert Sumlin on guitar, Buddy Guy on acoustic guitar, Arnold Rogers on tenor saxophone, Donald Hankins on baritone saxophone, Andrew McMahon on bass, and Sam Lay on drums. The Chess session placed Wolfs vocal over a tight riff-based arrangement driven by Sumlins guitar figure. Released by Chess in 1964, Killing Floor became one of Howlin Wolfs defining later singles. Its hard rhythmic drive and sharply written lyric made it a major Chicago blues record during the British blues boom. Killing Floor became a blues standard and was later recorded or adapted by artists including Electric Flag, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Albert King. The song remains one of the clearest examples of Wolfs influence on blues-rock guitar bands.