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1992: Sympathy for the Devils/Mike Flanigin debuts

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

Here are two important stories in Red Devils lore, both by Michael Corcoran from the Dallas Morning News. The first is the cleverly titled “Sympathy for the Devils” (Sept. 17 1992), with a strong Lester Butler interview. It gets deeper into the band’s history — and Butler’s drug use — than most by-the-numbers articles of the time.

It’s followed by “Red Devils have guitarist by the sleeve” (Sept. 19, 1992), and recaps how Texan Mike Flanigin ended up as the rhythm guitarist in the band for a short spell, replacing Dave Lee Bartel beginning with a show at Trees in Dallas. (Edited Aug. 13 to correct spelling of “Flanigin,” wrong in the original article.)

Sympathy for the Devils: The unlikely-looking Red Devils play some really wicked blues
By Michael Corcoran, Dallas Morning News
Sept. 17, 1992

The blues live on Monday, that bluest of blue-collar days. On Monday, you’re not talking with much enthusiasm and others aren’t really into listening, so you always have to repeat your first sentence twice. “I said, ‘They call it stormy Monday, but Tuesday’s just as bad.’”

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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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“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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Itinerary outlines 1997 13 Europe tour

Posted in 13 with tags , , , on May 9, 2011 by J.J.

We’ve been going through thousands of photos, videos, posters, documents and ephemera given to No Fightin’ by drummer Eddie Clark. Much of it focuses on his time with 13 or his many years with William Clarke.

Over the coming months, we’ll be posting more rare inventory from the Eddie Clark collection. First up: This faxed itinerary for 13′s 1997 European tour, which came in one long sheet, like a blues scroll. Plenty of notes in the margins, including the addition of several days at two separate Chesterfield Cafe clubs, in Moscow and Madrid.

It offers a little different look at life on the road for a touring musician.

Most of these dates are already in our timeline, and we’ve corrected others based on this first-hand information.

Follow @nofightin on Twitter as we give updates on our work on the Eddie Clark collection.

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13 reissue producer: “We want to carry on his legacy”

Posted in 13 with tags , , , on April 6, 2011 by J.J.

“13 featuring Lester Butler” reissue producer James Austin is obviously a big fan of the harmonica player. In a recent email Q&A with nofightin.com, Austin, vice president of A&R for RockBeat Records, talked about the project, his goals and his continuing amazement at Lester Butler.

Q: How were you brought aboard this reissue project? Were you a fan of Butler’s before you started working on this?

A: When we started RockBeat Records in November of 2010 we were looking to start with re-issuing CDs from the HighTone Records as we had access to that catalog through Richard Foos of Shout Factory. He made it possible for us to release CDs that Shout was not going to issue.
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Review: Bonus tracks, new packaging highlight 13 reissue

Posted in 13 with tags , , , , , , on April 3, 2011 by J.J.

“13 featuring Lester Butler” is available again. The reissue, out March 22 on RockBeat Records, features new art, new liner notes and three bonus tracks previously available only on bootleg.

We are on record with our love of “13,” so the quality of the music is not in doubt on this reissue. Instead, let’s look at what’s new here:

BONUS TRACKS: The three “new” live cuts will be of most interest to Butler fans — though they’ve been in circulation for years. The liner notes wrongly (and incompletely) claim the songs are from the “Tamines Festival, France, 1997.” In fact, “I Wish You Would,” “Boogie Disease” and “So Mean to Me” were actually recorded Aug. 29, 1997, at the 7th South Blues Festival in Tamines, Sambreville, Belgium.

The bonus cuts show the “other” 13 — the live unit of Alex Schultz, Eddie Clark and Mike Hightower that took Europe by storm in 1997-98 with its wild, expansive blues explorations. Amazingly, the three bonus tracks clock in at more than six minutes each, making them the three longest cuts on the reissue by far. The 19 additional minutes are literally half the length of the lean, mean original album.
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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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Lester Butler tributes in Netherlands, California

Posted in related music with tags , , , , , , , , on February 27, 2011 by J.J.

It seems we’re heading into a little Lester Butler renaissance. Not only is “13 featuring Lester Butler” being reissued on March 22, but two tribute shows are set up featuring many of the musicians heard on that record.

First up is Lester Butler Tribute Night March 25, 2011, with the Lester Butler Tribute Band at Raodhoes, Blerick in The Netherlands. The Lester Butler Tribute Band — this time Pieter “Big Pete” van der Pluijm on vocals and harp (below), Alex Schultz on guitar, Rick Reed on bass and Johnny Morgan on drums — will headline, with openers The Nines (as best we can tell; we still haven’t learned Dutch here at No Fightin’).

Johnny Morgan tells us there will also be a Lester Butler tribute set at the 22nd Annual Simi Valley Cajun Festival in Simi Valley, Calif., Memorial Day weekend, May 28 and 29. It’s the same band as on March 25, but adding ANTI- Records head Andy Kaulkin, presumably on keyboards as he was on the “13″ record.

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3 live bonus tracks on 13 reissue

Posted in 13 with tags , , , , , on February 22, 2011 by J.J.

The “13 featuring Lester Butler” reissue will include three live bonus cuts from the Tamines Festival in 1997.

The tracklist for the disc, out March 22, was revealed today in a news release and e-mail exchange with RockBeat Records, a division of S’More Entertainment:

13 FEATURING LESTER BUTLER

There are very few white blues bands that have been able to take the blues to a new level without compromising the integrity of the sound.  Lester Butler seemed to understand the blues structure and he performed with an attitude and an edge that stands him apart from his contemporaries.  He was able to shape his sound by bringing the blues harp more upfront and not take a back seat to the lead guitar.  His playing reflects the passion and love for the blues that remain long after his active career. Butler worked with some great musicians, including Bill Bateman, Paul “the kid” Size, Jonny Ray and Dave Lee Bartel during his stint with The Red Devils. In both bands, Lester was clearly the star, but he always had topnotch support with musicians that propelled his sound to fever pitch intensity. In America the scene was pretty jaded, but it was in Europe where Lester really gained popularity playing at festivals such as Tamines in France.  He passed away tragically in May 1998.
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Hightone Announcement for New Signings, 1997

Posted in 13, lester butler with tags , , , , on February 20, 2011 by automatic32

In light of the recent announcement that Lester Butler’s 13 album is being rereleased by RockBeat records, we here at Nofightin.com felt it was only appropriate to take a look back at the original debut.

It was December 12th of 1996 when Hightone Records sent out info “for immediate release” on some new acts that has just been added to the roster. Included in their lineup of scheduled recordings for 1997 was 13, Lester’s first and only solo recording.

Here is what Hightone had to say:

HIGHTONE ANNOUNCES NEW SIGNINGS FOR 1997; ALBUMS DUE FROM 13 / THE SKELETONS / JULIE MILLER

OAKLAND, CA — HighTone Records, distributed by Rhino, has announced the signing of 13 (featuring Lester Butler), The Skeletons, and Julie Miller, and will release new albums by all three acts in early 1997.

13 (featuring Lester Butler) evolved from the L.A.-based group The Red Devils, who recorded albums backing Mick Jagger and Johnny Cash as well as their own critically acclaimed Live At The King King CD for American Recordings. Fueled by Butler’s incendiary vocals and harmonica work, coupled with his legendary near manic stage presence, 13′s powerhouse lineup also includes James Intveld (The Blasters) on bass, Steven Hodges (Tom Waits) on drums, Alex Schultz (The Mighty Flyers) on guitar, and Andy Kaulkin on keyboards. The band’s eponymous debut album, set for release on March 18, careens out of the speakers with a vengeance, with a nod to the gritty Chicago blues sound, but powered by a rock energy that places 13 in a league all its own. Material includes nine originals, plus covers of classic songs by Howlin’ Wolf, Big Joe Williams, and Dr. Ross.

The label was obviously pretty stoked about the whole affair, and why not? Butler was an exciting new artist, and with such a stellar lineup of accompanists on the project, how could it not promise to be anything other than outstanding?

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