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”
Category Archives: 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”
Red Devils open Hollywood House of Blues 1994
Jonny Ray Bartel sent this Daily Variety article on the opening night at the Hollywood House of Blues April 22, 1994, featuring Aerosmith and The Red Devils: Bartel also shared his recollections from that show: We were offered the warming slot for Aerosmith on the opening night of Hollywood’s House of Blues on Sunset Blvd.Continue reading “Red Devils open Hollywood House of Blues 1994”
Hard-to-find Devils & 13 T-shirts
There is no better way to show your devotion to a band than a concert T-shirt. Unfortunately, there are very few options for The Red Devils or 13; when we saw 13 on tour in the Midwest in 1997, they really had no merch to speak of (and unfortunately, the Devils’ 1992 tour is somethingContinue reading “Hard-to-find Devils & 13 T-shirts”
No Fightin' 