More than 21 years after “King King,” The Red Devils are ready for international exposure again. UK journalist Paul Rees has taken on the Devils for an article for an upcoming edition of Classic Rock magazine. Just finished writing a piece on #thereddevils – great lost band, cautionary story. Check 'em out here:http://t.co/PyYJSm0ek3 — PaulContinue reading “Red Devils coming to Classic Rock magazine”
Category Archives: red devils
‘King King’: There’s only one
I’ve been thinking a lot about “King King” the last few weeks, what makes it special in a way other albums — of any genre — rarely are. The success of The Red Devils and the “King King” album come down to three things, very simple but so elusive. It’s those five guys (plus one onContinue reading “‘King King’: There’s only one”
Dave Alvin remembers Butler and Red Devils
Dave Alvin posted his thoughts to Facebook Dec. 4: Got to thinking today about the late, talented Lester Butler and the short lived but tough little blues outfit, The Red Devils, so I found a good clip of the guys playing some European festival over a decade ago. Yeah, that’s Blaster Bill Bateman on drumsContinue reading “Dave Alvin remembers Butler and Red Devils”
2-in-1 Devils promo swag
Oddest piece of memorabilia? A Red Devils bottle opener/keychain combo. I picked this one up on eBay recently. I could not find any information about this keychain, which might either be a long-forgotten promo item or a one-off ordered by a fan from some marketing company. I’ve reached out to folks who might know. IfContinue reading “2-in-1 Devils promo swag”
And here it is … The Red Devils 2012 reunion
They started from a jam, so it makes sense they would return at a jam, under the cover of darkness, unannounced and just as powerful as when they burst on the national stage with “King King” in 1992. The surviving members of The Red Devils reunited May 27 at an afterparty for the Simi ValleyContinue reading “And here it is … The Red Devils 2012 reunion”
One-of-a-kind notebook gives peek into Red Devils, Butler’s creative process
A notebook belonging to Lester Butler, found in London in 1993, gives a rare glimpse into The Red Devils’ lyrics, setlists and creative process.
The death of Def, 1993
A couple of articles in the Los Angeles Times give a little detail of the “Ciao Def” party Aug. 27, 1993, which featured The Red Devils as entertainment at the “funeral.” And with the funeral, Rubin’s Def American became American Recordings . (“King King” was issued as Def American 9 26795-2 and American 65660.) [EDIT:Continue reading “The death of Def, 1993”
Blue Shadows gigs 1989-90
We are catching up with several Blue Shadows dates for the timeline section. We start with several great clippings from the Eddie Clark collection, snapshots of the late-’80s/early-’90s California blues scene. Included are an ad for the first blues hall of fame festival and a postcard for blues night at Spice, both organized by RandyContinue reading “Blue Shadows gigs 1989-90”
“Better Cut That Out” lyrics
While the closer “Better Cut That Out” is a favorite on the “King King” record, one question remains: Just what is Lester Butler singing? This song is a little rough — Butler sings the second verse twice — and even the album credits are confusing. On the first Def American pressings, the song is calledContinue reading ““Better Cut That Out” lyrics”
Lyrics: She’s Dynamite from European MTV performance
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 videoContinue reading “Lyrics: She’s Dynamite from European MTV performance”
No Fightin' 