B.B. King’s previously unheard “The Thrill Is Gone” performance released
A previously unreleased live performance of B.B. King’s signature song “The Thrill Is Gone” has been released by BMG and the Montreux Jazz Festival. Recorded at Casino Montreux during the 1990 Montreux Jazz Festival, the track is the latest single from the upcoming album B.B. King: The Montreux Years, due November 20.
Originally written by Roy Hawkins and Rick Darnell in 1951, “The Thrill Is Gone” became King’s biggest crossover hit after he recorded his version for the 1969 album Completely Well. The song reached No. 3 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, introducing King to a wider audience.
The recording earned King a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 1970 and has since become one of the most recognizable songs in blues history. In June 2026, CBS Sunday Morning included the song in its list of 250 essential American songs.
The newly released 1990 performance has been restored and remastered from the original tapes. It follows the previously released singles “Early in the Mornin'” and “You Know I Love You.”
B.B. King: The Montreux Years features recordings from nine of King’s 23 appearances at the Montreux Jazz Festival, spanning performances between 1982 and 2000. The collection documents nearly two decades of the blues legend’s live performances at the festival.
All recordings were restored and remastered by Tony Cousins at Metropolis Studios. The project was developed in collaboration with the B.B. King Estate and the Montreux Jazz Festival team, under license from Montreux Sounds.
The album also includes rare and previously unseen photographs, new artwork, and liner notes by B.B. King biographer Daniel de Visé, with assistance from King’s longtime bassist Michael Doster.
B.B. King: The Montreux Years will be available November 20 on double vinyl, double CD, and digital formats.
