The David Johansen Group Live was originally a promotional-only LP released by David Johansen to help promote his solo career away from the New York Dolls. The nine tracks from the promotional LP were recorded on July 21, 1978 at the New York's Bottom Line. In 1993, a CD was released of the full 18 songs from the 1978 concert. Sylvain Sylvain and Johnny Thunders (Johansen's bandmates from the New York Dolls) appear as a guest performers on the album.