It’s Black Friday in the United States today, but No Fightin’ brings you some rare, unheard Red Devils for free. “Ridin’ in the Moonlight,” “Ride With Your Daddy Tonight,” “Pretty Baby” … whatever you call it, it’s The Red Devils Live at the King King club in Hollywood, California, 28 years ago, Nov. 30, 1992. (Video courtesy Mike Flanigin)
WATCH THIS: “Dangerous” at the King King 1992 AND THAT: Video: Red Devils live at King King Nov. 30, 1992
With the recent reissue of Mick Jagger’s four solo albums on 180 gram vinyl, it’s time again for everyone to lament that the Mick Jagger/Red Devils 1992 blues sessions have still not been issued officially.
Everyone including Jagger’s producer.
“It’s incredible, (but) it’s up to Mick,” Rick Rubin said in an Ultimate Classic Rock story from 2016. “He’s the artist. … He gets to do what he wants to do. But it’s great, and I hope it comes out.”
Legendary producer Rubin had success with everyone from the Beastie Boys to Johnny Cash to Slayer to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But outside of “King King,” it seemed he was snakebit when it came to the Red Devils (the band’s aborted second Def American album, unreleased Cash sessions, and the often-bootlegged Jagger recordings were all helmed by Rubin).
The blues session was recorded in June 1992 during the making of Jagger’s third solo record, 1993’s “Wandering Spirit.” Since then, just one song, “Checkin’ Up On My Baby,” has been officially released from those tapes.
And while the Red Devils session has taken on mythic proportions in Jagger lore, the forgettable “Wandering Spirit” is out again 27 years later, on two 180 gram LPs, with no bonus tracks.
“Can you believe we are really here?”
That was our theme throughout our European adventure.
“Can you believe we are in this hotel room with Paul Size?” “Can you believe we are watching ZZ Top in this tennis area?” “Can you believe we are in the middle-of-nowhere, England?” “Can you believe we are in the Borderline?”
Can you believe The Red Devils are back?
There was a moment, watching The Red Devils from the side of the stage in Dublin’s 3Arena, performing to thousands of music fans, that it really hit home: I have been listening to this band for 25 years.
Would “young J.J.,” at 20 years old on July 28, 1992, hearing The Red Devils for the first time, immediately buying the disc, and putting it on heavy rotation all that summer, really believe he would be here in Ireland with the band? And 25 years to the day, no less — 28 Jul 2017.
We are still unpacking suitcases (and our brains, a little bit) a week after seeing The Red Devils for the first time in 25 years.
Here are some of the scraps and souvenirs we brought back.
Nofightin.com is following The Red Devils on tour through Europe, whether they like it or not. Come here for our dispatches from every show as we go. Words and others by J.J. Perry; tour photography by Tina Hanagan
I wrote about The Red Devils show earlier. But here is what didn’t happen onstage.
Hundreds and hundreds of fans (an organizer told us capacity is 5,000) crammed into the old marketplace square, an intersection of several streets where the stage was set. Stimmen is a several-week festival, with an eclectic lineup (the day after ZZ was a performance by Grace Jones).
After the Devils’ set, we muscled through an elbow-to-ass crowd to a hotel bar for beers. We met Paul Size when he came down for a refill and he invited us up to his room where, from two large open windows, we could watch ZZ Top’s set.
On this day in 1992, The Red Devils’ debut album, “King King,” was released on Def American Records.
The party will be on tonight as the reunited Red Devils open for ZZ Top at 3 Arena, Dublin, Ireland.
Back in 1992, bands still sent out hardcopy press kits with black-and-white 8-by-10 band photos.
There were no “event pages,” “likes and shares,” text alerts or even cellphones or the internet for most of us.
Without a record label, marketing team or management, The Red Devils have been putting together their 2017 tour and promotion through their own social media and web presence under the brand “Red Devils Music,” ostensibly managed by Big Pete:
REDDEVILSMUSIC.COM: The band’s URL redirects to Big Pete’s own site, which has a lot of backstage stuff, tour dates and merch news.
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We are in the last week of Red Devils reunion shows, and everything winds down with two club dates.
These will be can’t-miss shows for hardcore fans: Not only will the band be able to stretch out in longer sets, but they will certainly be amped up for their return to clubs. Besides, who knows when this group might get together again, if ever?
Nofightin.com will be at these two shows — will you?
We have heard nothing but cool things about this little club, and are excited to be down there. The place is in the little “provincial” town of Poynton, according to Garry White, who operates the club.
Poynton is about 15 miles south of the O2 Apollo in Manchester, where The Red Devils opened for ZZ Top Tuesday, just a few days earlier. Locals for sure will want to attend the ZZ show, but don’t overlook the Devils on their own — they made their rep in clubs like the Bluefunk. Downhome and righteous.
Garry tells us that DVL — featuring Guy Forsyth and Robin Davey and other members of The Hoax — sold out the club last year. Time to do it again!
DETAILS: Bluefunk Rhythm and Blues Club, Poynton Legion, SK12 1JY Poynton. Showtime is 8-11:30 p.m. Tickets: bluefunkclub.wixsite.com
When is a CD review not a CD review? When you don’t have a CD player on your European trip.
That’s us with the new tour disc “Return of The Red Devils” (BPRDCD1-2017). We have the album, but nothing to play it on. That technicality won’t stop this first-look review from happening.
The disc was recorded live at De Bosuil, Weert, NL on June 3, with one track, “Wish You Would,” coming from the June 2 gig at Fluor, Amersfoort, NL, the first gig of this summer reunion. Good strategy to have this product recorded and out by the time the ZZ Top tour rolled around in July.
Track-by-track observations from the sleeve:
1. “Time to Cry.” Credited to the original lineup, it seems that a name has been agreed upon, as this song has been credited in various places at “Time to Cry,” “Your Turn to Cry” and “The Backstreet Crawler” on 1994’s “Blackwater Roll” EP. In fact, on tour, Big Pete has been singing “backstreet crawler” on the first verse, and then switching it up to “your time to cry” after that.
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[words: J.J. Perry; all photographs by Tina Hanagan]
An evening rain Friday cooled and soaked the thousands waiting in line for the Stimmen Festival in Lorrach, Germany. The crowd was patient under ponchos and umbrellas and canopies on Lorrach’s historic streets, waiting in line to get into the marketplace stage area.
But we couldn’t help but wonder, as heavy raindrops rolled down our heads and into our eyes: Did we fly to Germany only to have our first Red Devils concert in 25 years be rained out?
Pushing forward through the crowd in the Lorrach square, we took our spots. As if on cue, the rain trickled to a stop moments before The Red Devils took the stage at 8 p.m. Big Pete stomped his feet and the band launched into a pounding “Mr. Highway Man.” I jumped in my spot yelling, taken back to 1992, when I saw this band for the first time.
This was exactly where I wanted to be.
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