Video: Blue Shadows x Little Walter in 1989

For the fourth year, No Fightin’ publishes a never-before-seen video for Black Friday in the United States.

This year’s clips are the oldest and rarest we have been able to present so far: The Blue Shadows (pre-Red Devils), performing at the Hollywood Palace on Oct. 12, 1989 — opening for The Stray Cats.

The audio and video in this 8mm film — provided to No Fightin’ by a private collector — is rough, but the music does cut through.

Here’s the band performing Little Walter’s “Mellow Down Easy”:

In fact, Little Walter songs dominated the setlist on this night. Of the nine songs on the show, six were tunes associated with the harmonica genius.

Holding down the lead guitar spot (again, this is before Paul Size) is Greg “Smokey” Hormel, who at that time was also a Blaster with Bill Bateman. Hormel would become a sought-after guitarist, performing with acts as diverse as Tom Waits, Beck, Adele, Neil Diamond … and Lester Butler’s 13.

Butler during this era was playing harp through a 1952 Fender Pro guitar amp that had belonged to his mentor Hollywood Fats, according to the collector.

One other artifact from the film: Wonderful and rare backstage footage of the band and friends (including Gil T of Top Jimmy and the Rhythm Pigs; Gil would join the Shadows onstage to sing “Shake Your Hips”) before the show.

Here is fantastic video of Lester Butler warming up with a solo take on Little Walter’s “Off The Wall” … and someone even sings the famous Freddie Below drum break!

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Previous Black Friday videos:

Video: Red Devils’ ‘Backstroke’ in Scotland, 1993

Alex Schultz burns on ‘Devil Woman’ live video

Video: Ride With the Devils Tonight

More Smokey, Shadows and Walter:

• Eyewitness: Blue Shadows “deadly serious” at the King King
• Lester Butler talks Little Walter on VPRO’s “Lola Da Musica” 1998
• 7 rare photos of The Red Devils’ last gig at the original King King
• Blue Shadows 1991 on YouTube

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Setlist: The Blue Shadows at Hollywood Palace, Oct. 12, 1989

1. Off the Wall
2. Last Night
3. Mellow Down Easy
4. Okie Dokie Stomp
5. Everything Gonna Be Alright
6. I Wish You Would
7. Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)
8. Shake Your Hips (w/ Gil T)
9. Rocker

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