From the Dec. 11, 1993, Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

It will be megastar time again when the seventh Planet Hollywood opens tomorrow night — in a megamall in Bloomington, Minn. The restaurant chain with a movie and TV memorabilia motif will open its latest at the Mall of America, the nation’s largest mall and entertainment complex. Some of Planet Hollywood’s owners are scheduled to be there, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. Willis and his band, The Red Devils, will perform. On the guest list are Wesley Snipes, Evander Holyfield, Patrick Swayze, Whoopi Goldberg, Don Johnson, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Danny Glover, Luke Perry and Hammer.

From the Dec. 13, 1993, St. Paul, Minn., Pioneer Press:

From the sports world, there were Vikings Jim McMahon (who showed unsportsmanlike contact off the playing field by walking into Planet Hollywood without acknowledging the crowd) and Chris Doleman; Minnesota Twins Kent Hrbek; and Thurl Bailey, Christian Laettner, Mike Brown and Doug West from the Timberwolves. … Politicos attending were Attorney General Hubert Humphrey III, St. Paul Mayor-elect Norm Coleman, Bloomington Mayor Neil Peterson and Congressman Jim Ramstad, trying hard not to look starstruck.

The gathering of gawkers and paparazzi applauded politely at these invited guests, cooling their jets waiting for the real stars, who were greeted by fans with ear-splitting screams, especially when Bruce Willis and his “bluesabilly” band, the Red Devils, lept on a specially constructed stage overlooking Camp Snoopy to perform raucous covers of “Mustang Sally” and “Hey Junior, Behave Yourself.”

The introduction page of the April/May/June 1998 issue of Dutch blues magazine Block read, “Daarbij kwam het schokkende nieuws rond het overlijden van Lester Butler, een week na diens spirituele optreden in Ospel.” (“It came the shocking news about the death of Lester Butler, a week after his spiritual appearance in Ospel.”)

The magazine pages have come from our friend Feelgood. The translation — rough as it is — from Google Translate with some contextual editing. Some of the facts here are unverified by No Fightin’, and may be unclear or incorrect because of the translation. Any help with a better English version is appreciated.

In memoriam: Lester Butler

On Saturday, May 2nd the Moulin Blues festival closed with the most exciting and impressive jam that I experienced since North Sea ’83. Lester Butler ruled with a firm hand members of his group of 13, half the James Harman Band, ex-Red Devil Paul Size, Joe Louis Walker and Billy Branch. In addition, he sang and played like he was possessed by the devil.

It must have been Lester’s last performance, because in the night of Friday, May 8, Saturday, May 9, he is dead in his Los Angeles residence under rather dubious circumstances.

Butler had, when he was in Ospel, just had a rehab regimen of drugs behind him. Everyone who knew him knew he was a lover of drink and drugs, something he himself never has put under a bushel. After returning to Los Angeles he came into contact with some old “friends,” which in fact turned out to be his former heroin suppliers. They would have administered Lester, with or without his consent, a speedball (mix of heroin and cocaine), after which he has become unconscious. The friends, a couple, drove aimlessly around with him some time in Lester’s van and also served him some cocaine.

After his condition worsened he was dumped on the doorstep of ex-Red Devils and ex-Blasters drummer Bill Bateman. Because all parties had a drug past was fear of the police called an ambulance. Ultimately, a roadie brought him to the hospital where death was determined. (Those) Closely involved in the case report that Lester could have been saved by an emergency admission to hospital. Three persons in connection with the case are in custody. They were initially charged with murder. Lester Butler and his band formed in ’88 as a session and became known as Red Devils in their ’92 debut album “King King” was released. The band was more or less by chance from jamming in a club that was located in the former Chinese restaurant King King.

Besides Lester the brothers Jonny Ray Bartel and Dave Lee, drummer Bill Bateman played in it and the band was called The Blue Shadows. When Paul Size from Austin on bass guitar and switched Austin swapped Los Angeles for the band was complete and changed its name to The Red Devils. Butler wanted the old Chicago band sound, as in the music of Muddy and Wolf can be heard. That same year the band recorded with Mick Jagger a blues CD, which after much wrangling just as bootleg on the market. Johnny Cash recorded for Def American CD also never came from the vault. But the tone for success was put.

In ’93 the band toured extensively throughout Western Europe, she closed Moulin Blues and opened them Pinkpop. Exactly one year later the band, even after Billy Boy Arnold at North Sea ’94 had acted on her butt.

There appeared another with guest musicians mini-CD and Lester played with a hastily convened lineup — which included Kid Ramos — on-Bluesrock Tegelen ’94.

It was the swan song of The Red Devils. Start with Butler ’96 was ex-Mighty Flyer Alex Schultz (gtr) for the band 13. The Hightone CD “13 featuring Lester Butler” just brought a little more polished sound than we were accustomed The Devils. Except that new Butler compositions were played, the band expressed its stamp on classics by Wolf (“Smokestack Lightnin’”), Muddy (“Close To You”), Dr. Ross (“Boogie Disease”) and Big Joe Williams (“Baby Please Don’t Go”). The band seemed destined to become successful, but Lester’s death brought its existence to an abrupt end.

Lester Butler was 38, a year older than his idol Little Walter, and leaves a daughter aged six [EDIT: Needs better translation] and two wonderful CDs behind.

— Rien Wisse

Horwitz does a great job documenting the blues scene under the imprint David Horwitz Blues Images. These photos of Lester Butler, Alex Schultz, Eddie Clark and Mike Hightower are for sale. If you’d like to use them for your site, or would like to get your own copies or prints, email Horwitz.

When talking with Schultz at the Simi Valley Cajun and Blues Festival last year, he was open, engaging and honest. His experiences differ from some other musicians who worked with Butler over the years, as he fondly recalled the charismatic harp player and singer. And he was more than willing to talk about fleshing out the songs that would become “13 featuring Lester Butler,” his impressions of “Lester’s Legendary Last Gig” and his memories of someone who grew to be a close friend.

On that May day in 2011, Schultz had just gotten off stage where he performed several Butler songs with Pieter “Big Pete” van der Pluijm, Willie J. Campbell and Johnny Morgan. Schultz takes responsibility to be true to those songs and Butler’s memory.

“(The songs) were so unique, and they were so unique to this guy,” Schultz said. “The songs were Lester Butler, and he was such a unique person, unique character. So the songs and the music was kind of singular. They weren’t the type of tunes you would just say, ‘oh, let’s do a cover of that tune’.”

“We got very close as friends. And his approach to the music also was very, like, all-inclusive. You had to be like 110 percent into the music. That’s how he was … To play those songs was like very emotional. Imagine standing next to Lester Butler on stage every night. Some nights it was so incredible and he was so into the music and it was so real, and so I got drawn into it as well, and I played it that way.”

“So it became like an emotional experience to play that stuff. It’s not something you would casually do, and say, ‘oh yeah, let’s do ‘So Low Down.” If we’re going to do that, we’ve got to really feel it and go there.”

Listen to the Schultz interview here, edited for clarity and content:

MP3: Alex Schultz interview May 29, 2011 (26:01)

0:00-12:14: Playing songs from 13; the uniqueness of the music; working with Big Pete; contrasting Butler with William Clarke and Rod Piazza.
12:14-20:15: Writing the songs; demo sessions; “Plague of Madness”
20:15-26:01: How fans remember Butler; Schultz’s friendship with Butler; recovery; memories of Moulin 1998

All photos by Tina Hanagan except the one with Schultz, Perry and Hanagan.

“King King” is getting the deluxe packaging treatment for its 20th anniversary after all, thanks to Dutch boutique label Music On Vinyl.

This marks the first time The Red Devils’ “King King” has been released on vinyl and, apparently, Music On Vinyl is giving the record the reissue treatment it deserves.

From musiconvinyl.com:

Their only full length album, ‘King King’ is seen as a true Blues classic and Music On Vinyl is honoured to release this album on vinyl for the very first time.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, we decided to do something special: the first 1,000 copies of this double gatefold sleeve album are on bright red vinyl!

• 180 grams audiophile vinyl
• Twentieth anniversary, original released in 1992
• First time on vinyl !
• Gatefold sleeve
• Includes an insert
• First 1000 numbered copies on red vinyl

The official release date is Feb. 20, but the album is apparently available in some independent record stores in Holland.

Over at The Red Devils Facebook group, Patrick Struijker Boudier has already received his copy, posting a picture of the sleeve and the LP (the label noting that the record was licensed from This Way Up). His review, on the Music On Vinyl Facebook page: “Awesome release! Clearly there has been put a lot of thought in this release! Love the job you’ve done guys!”

Music On Vinyl also posted a pic of the limited edition red vinyl at the pressing plant.

Unfortunately, it appears Music on Vinyl does not sell individual orders, but rather distributes to record stores only.

The album does appear to be available for order at www.kroese-online.nl.

And, of course, the album is seeing a reissue on CD as well — also as an import-only.

Here are some other notes on the vinyl version:

Catalog # : MOVLP509
Barcode : 0600753375877
Format : LP, 180 gram
Sleeve : Gatefold
Releasedate : 2012-02-20

Tracklisting:
A1 Automatic 03:26
A2 Goin’ To The Church 04:07
A3 She’s Dangerous 05:02

B1 I Wish You Would03:01
B2 Cross Your Heart 04:28
B3 Tail Dragger 05:24

C1 Devil Woman 06:57
C2 No Fightin’ 05:56
C3 Mr Highway Man 03:35

D1 I’m Ready 03:46
D2 Quarter To Twelve 07:03
D3 Cut That Out 04:59

Let me close with you baby like white on rice
Close with you darlin’ like cold is to ice
Close with you darlin’ like hair on your head
Close with you baby, now, believe what I said

Let me close with you baby, oh yeah now
Let me close with you baby
I wanna get close with you baby
‘Til you don’t know what to say or do

I want you close with me baby like sight to your eye
Close with me darlin’ like heat to a fire
Close with me darlin’ like egg to a hen
Close with me baby like Siamese twins

Let me close with you baby
I wanna get close with you darlin’, aw yeah now
Let me close with you baby
‘Til you don’t know what to say or do, aw yeah baby!

I said closer and closer baby
I say closer and closer baby
I said closer and closer darlin’
I said closer and closer baby
I said closer and closer baby
I got to get you next to me
Oh yeah baby

(harp solo)

Oh yeah baby

Closer and closer darlin’
I say closer and closer baby
I said closer and closer darlin’
I said closer and closer baby
I say closer and closer darlin’
‘Til you don’t know what to say or do
Transcribed by nofightin.com. More 13 and Red Devils lyrics here.

Paul Size was a prime source for Chapter 19, “The Red Devils’ Blues,” which once again tells the tale of the Devils, the King King, Jagger’s blues mojo and the ill-fated Jagger/Devils album that never really came to be.

In this clip, Size talks about playing Jagger’s birthday party in London — and getting robbed for his troubles. The elusive Dave Lee Bartel makes a cameo in the story to save the day in ultimate rhythm guitar fashion.

Spitz next draws comparisons to The Red Devils to two other blues-based “color” bands: The White Stripes and The Black Keys, then Size gives his take on the Jagger sessions, and if he’d like to see them released officially.

Paul Size fans will get a chance to see him in action as he joins Big Pete as special guest at the Simi Valley Cajun and Blues Music Festival May 27.

For instance, the U.S. amazon.com website lists “King King” as an import at $29.50, with a Tuesday release date.

We’ve not been able to find any information about this release. From our vantage point, it looks like a straight reissue, but we’ll know more when we get our hands on the disc in a couple of days.

Without facts in the way, let’s speculate a little:

• Not surprising to see a reissue this year, the 20th anniversary of the “King King” record.
• Unfortunately, that likely means there is no true anniversary reissue coming later in the year. We wish this was a dry run for a bigger product release, but we can’t imagine a company spending so much time and so many resources on putting out “King King” twice.
• There is no indication of any bonus tracks — but there is really no useful product description at all.

Maybe its just wishful thinking, but we’ve heard “Automatic” on Bluesville on Sirius XM two times last week. Seems odd to play a 20-year-old one-off disc like that — unless the station has a fresh promo copy.

We’ll all find out on Tuesday.

We have lots of plans for the blog this year, the 20th anniversary of The Red Devils’ “King King.”

Keep watching this space for some new Red Devils and Lester Butler goodies. You can also follow us on Twitter or watch a bunch of cool videos on our YouTube channel.

This review of the the 1993 Moulin Blues Festival comes courtesy of Feelgood. We’ve done our best to do a translation of The Red Devils’ mention — if you have a better translation, put it in the comments.

Also included: A Block ad for the festival.

Finally — I think — the only other act with a magnetic force field of over 100 km: the Red Devils (because: Mick Jagger!) with their busy and fat-accentuated party hardy clichéd blues. No trace of white and yet not heavy. The band consisted of five top strengths, though star parts were played by drummer Bill Bateman (Blasters) and never-stagnant singer/harper Lester Butler, one of the few to handle Muddy’s “Louisiana Blues.” Butler spontaneously fulfilled a request for one of the slow songs to a fan who was killed earlier that week, though hopefully no one outside of those involved had been in the painful mistake still in his ready-made text. No, of course there is a festival for people like us to get back to. And we were.