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Red Devils make Indiana debut

Posted in red devils with tags , , , , on July 7, 2011 by J.J.

We’ve covered The Red Devils’ October 1992 gig in Bloomington, Ind., extensively on No Fightin’. But here is yet another advance, a really good interview with Lester Butler by the Indianapolis Star.

Red Devils make Indiana debut
By Marc D. Allan, Indianapolis Star
Oct. 12, 1992

“You really don’t write blues tunes,” says Lester Butler, singer and harmonica player for The Red Devils. “There’s grooves and there’s shuffles. The lyric is what you make up on your own. And I’m having no problem doing that at all.”

jakes_flier1You could say that.

The Los Angeles-based blues band, which makes its Indiana debut Tuesday night in Bloomington, has developed a loyal following at home by playing fiery original and cover tunes every Monday night in a tiny, always-packed club called the King King. (They recorded their first album, “King King,” live at the club.)

Playing with Jagger

The Red Devils have been invited to open for the Allman Brothers, Little Feat, Dixie Dregs and Los Lobos. They’re so hot (and so good) that Mick Jagger invited them to play on his forthcoming solo album.

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Lyrics: She’s Dynamite from European MTV performance

Posted in red devils on June 20, 2011 by automatic32

These are the lyrics to “She’s Dynamite” as performed by the Red Devils in Europe for MTV’s Most Wanted in 1993. The date of the performance as far as can be determined at this point was April 11, 1993. Two songs were aired, “She’s Dynamite” and “Your Time to Cry” in that order. The video for both performances can be found in this post. The lyrics as they are presented below are the closest possible rendering of the words as sung by Lester on this date. Lyrics for “Your Time to Cry” are forthcoming in another post.

She’s Dynamite

I met a lot of women, livin’ in the city,
Nothin’ like [unintelligible], she’s all right
She’s dynamite, yeah
All right, all right
My baby’s so fine, call her dynamite
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“If they’re buying drinks, then you’re making money”

Posted in red devils with tags , , , on May 22, 2011 by J.J.

Thanks to Paul Brown of the UK for this clip from the May 1993 edition of Rock Compact Disc Magazine. Interesting for Lester Butler’s pulling back on the Mick Jagger stories by this point and laughing off the image of Jagger being “whisked away” from the Devils after the session.

Note also the alternate publicity shot: In color, with Bill Bateman obscured by Jonny Ray Bartel. (Click on the image to read the article.)

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Red Devils on MTV Europe

Posted in red devils with tags , , , , , on April 23, 2011 by J.J.

The Red Devils performing “She’s Dynamite” and “Time to Cry” (this time labeled as such on the lower third graphic) on MTV Europe. These videos have been floating around on VHS and torrent sites for years. It would make sense that they are from 1993, but we don’t have independent confirmation of that. When we get more info, we’ll post it here.

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River Valley Music fest preview, Kansas 1992

Posted in red devils with tags , , , on March 20, 2011 by J.J.

Just a quick little interview with Lester Butler in the Sept. 17, 1992, Lawrence, KS, Journal-World, in advance of the band’s Saturday gig at the River Valley Music Festival.

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Red Devils open Hollywood House of Blues 1994

Posted in red devils with tags , , , , on February 23, 2011 by J.J.

Jonny Ray Bartel sent this Daily Variety article on the opening night at the Hollywood House of Blues April 22, 1994, featuring Aerosmith and The Red Devils:

Bartel also shared his recollections from that show:

We were offered the warming slot for Aerosmith on the opening night of Hollywood’s House of Blues on Sunset Blvd. We’d already played at our good friend (and HOB investor) John Paul DeJoria’s wedding in Malibu the prior year (that’s a whole ‘nother story as Cher & Roger Daltry jammed with us). Anyway, we got the gig mostly because of John Paul and partly because Joe Perry had heard “King King” and liked us. It was a great night.  I remember playing fearlessly even though Aerosmith was up next. Sadly, I’ve never been able to track down any audio or video of it …

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Tickets to The Garage, 1993

Posted in red devils with tags , , , , , on February 15, 2011 by J.J.

Picked up a concert ticket from The Red Devils’ gig at The Garage in London Dec. 1, 1993 from an eBay auction recently (No. 18, below right). At the same time, UK Devils fan Paul Brown e-mailed us his own ticket from that show — signed by every member of the band! (No. 27 at right)

The eBay seller’s description said:

One of only a few available for this particular gig. Concert only sparcely (sic) attended due to poor advertising and poor knowledge on the public front about this stunning performer/band … RIP LESTER.BY THE WAY THE GIG WAS AWESOME,AND I TOOK MY DAD GOD REST HIM WHO WAS A HARMONICA PLAYER,AND HE WAS TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY !!!!! 

One thing to note: Paul Size had quit the band a few months earlier, so it was Zach Zunis on guitar for this stretch of shows, and represented in that autograph.

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Block magazine fills in 1993 calendar holes

Posted in red devils with tags , , , , on January 16, 2011 by J.J.

Our good friend Feelgood has sent us a number of magazine clippings that help fill in some of the dates on the Red Devils timeline.

Much of these come from the Agenda section of Block, a blues magazine based in The Netherlands. There are several clippings available, but we’ll start with 1993. The first two images are from the same edition of Block, though we don’t have publication dates for either magazine.


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Skelly praises Red Devils in NME list

Posted in red devils with tags , , , , , , , on January 9, 2011 by J.J.

The Coral’s James Skelly is quickly becoming one of The Red Devils’ most outspoken supporters.

First he calls “King King” the best thing he’s heard all year, now he adds them to NME’s list of the “100 Greatest Albums You’ve Never Heard.” His thoughts are a little more detailed and expansive than what appeared in Mojo:

Until last year I’d never even heard of this. Our producer John Leckie gave it to me while we were recording “Butterfly House” and it blew my head off. The Red Devils used to play live in L.A. in all these little clubs and Rick Rubin loved them. So he just recorded them live in this club called King King. The band — all amazing players — just sound like they’re on fire. There’s something about the way Rick Rubin’s done it too, it sounds really special. He could have done it in the studio but it wouldn’t have been as good. With “King King” you can hear the whole atmosphere of the club — you’re there, you’re with them, Read more »

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The Coral’s James Skelly on ‘King King’

Posted in red devils with tags , , , , , , on December 26, 2010 by J.J.

The January 2011 edition of Mojo magazine has a Red Devils mention, in the annual “The Best Thing I’ve Heard All Year” section.

James Skelly, singer and guitarist from the psych-folk band The Coral, describes his newfound love for “King King”:

John Leckie played me The Red Devils’ “King King” album when we were in the studio and I haven’t stopped playing it since. It’s from 1992 and was recorded live in Hollywood’s King King club where the group had a Monday night residency and Rick Rubin produced it, and it’s the best thing he’s ever done and it’s the best live album I’ve ever heard. It’s like early Fleetwood Mac crossed with Robert Johnson and Nirvana and they have such an aggressive sound, it goes down so hot to the tape, which really suits them. The singer, Lester Butler, he died in 1998 from an overdose but he’s one of the best harmonica players of all time.

If that’s not enough, check out the four-star review for ex-Blaster Gene Taylor’s disc “Let Me Ride In Your Automobile” on page 101.

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