B.B. King

Live at the Regal

First released1965

Live at the Regal was recorded on November 21, 1964, at the Regal Theater in Chicago, capturing B.B. King's live performance before an enthusiastic audience. The album was produced by Don Law for Columbia Records, utilizing the theater's existing sound system and single-track recording equipment available at the time. The recording was engineered to preserve the energy and spontaneity of King's live performance, with particular attention to capturing the responsiveness between King and his audience, which was essential to the blues experience. The album became historically significant as one of the definitive live blues recordings of the 1960s, documenting King's guitar virtuosity and his influential call-and-response style with fans. Released in 1965, it showcased King at the height of his career and helped establish him as a major figure in American music during the folk and blues revival period.