harmonica – No Fightin'

Obscure Papa Lightfoot energized Lester Butler’s sound

Papa Lightfoot recorded only a handful of singles, and missed out on the blues revival era. But this obscure bluesman’s slashing style made an impression on Lester Butler. #KingKingXXX

The rare and collectible Red Devils

There isn’t much in the way of merchandise for The Red Devils or 13. Beyond the records, here is some of the swag that has been coveted by fans.

Keys to the Kingdom: Solving musical mysteries from ‘King King’

A deep dive into the keys to all 12 songs on “King King”

Blow like a Devil

There is some funky-weird Red Devils merch out there in the world. If you have 60 Euros you could be the proud owner of a promo Red Devils harmonica, of dubious origin. Pasi Rytkönen found this harp in a European store. From the pic, it’s hard to tell the make and model of the harmonica,Continue reading “Blow like a Devil”

Lyrics: “She’s Dangerous” at Pinkpop 1993

Here’s a different take on the story “’bout a girl I know and my best friend.” The live version of “She’s Dangerous” is an insistent rocker, much more aggressive than the stop-time swagger of the definitive “King King” version. In concert, Lester Butler plays with the lyrics, an ever-shifting narrative of who is catching whoContinue reading “Lyrics: “She’s Dangerous” at Pinkpop 1993″

River Valley Music fest preview, Kansas 1992

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.

Lester Butler & G. Love on VPRO’s “Lola Da Musica” 1998

Certainly one of Lester Butler’s last televised appearances was made on the March 6, 1998, edition of VPRO’s “Lola Da Musica” program in The Netherlands. Just two months later, Butler would die in L.A. The program — featuring Butler co-billed with folk-hop jammer G. Love — has been widely distributed by fans of both forContinue reading “Lester Butler & G. Love on VPRO’s “Lola Da Musica” 1998″

Lyrics: “The Backstreet Crawler” (“Time to Cry”) at Pinkpop 1993

Alternately called “Time to Cry” or “Your Turn to Cry” by fans, this Red Devils boogie at Pinkpop 1993 is actually titled “The Backstreet Crawler” on its only official release on the “Blackwater Roll” EP. The lyrics of the song are just as confusing as the title. The Pinkpop lyrics are different than the “BlackwaterContinue reading “Lyrics: “The Backstreet Crawler” (“Time to Cry”) at Pinkpop 1993″

Show souvenirs

Christmas came a little early here at nofightin.com, thanks to some cool memorabilia shared by Andrew Rackauskas. Rackauskas, who tells us he ran a ’90s fanzine called Spinal Column (his 13 review can be found on Jasper Heikens’ site), sent us an e-mail, relating stories about seeing the Devils every week at Jack’s Sugar ShackContinue reading “Show souvenirs”

DVD review: Red Devils at Moulin 1993

By the 1993 Moulin Blues Festival, the Red Devils had been touring for several months on end, and the wear and tear can be seen — but not heard — in the three bonus tracks on the DVD. While the band looks beat up, they are as tight a musical unit as one could hopeContinue reading “DVD review: Red Devils at Moulin 1993”