UPDATED JULY 18 with Willie Nix number.
The Red Devils’ backstory includes classic blues, arty punk and the best of California rock ‘n’ roll.
Nofightin.com presents this curated mix of “The Roots of The Red Devils.”
Some of the songs will be obvious, and others are “in the spirit of” the original Red Devils.
Listen up, and let us know what songs you would include. And turn it up!
For ZZ Top fans and those just discovering The Red Devils for the first time, we’re glad you could make it to nofightin.com. What took you so long?
We’ve been here since 2009, cataloging the music and stories of The Red Devils and the late, great Lester Butler.
Wander around and find rare music, videos and reviews from the Devils’ heyday, and meet other fans — and some of the musicians who made the records we love so much. Later this month, we will be in Europe for several Red Devils shows, so watch for nofightin.com exclusives.
Start here with some of the most popular and essential posts and pages on nofightin.com:
Reunion tour: Keep up with the 2017 reunion tour here.
Lyrics: You will want to start a band. Learn the lyrics to “Automatic,” “She’s Dangerous,” “Devil Woman” and everything on “King King,” most of “13,” live stuff and more.
2 Meter Sessies: In lieu of a second Red Devils record, this live radio set from 1993 can fill the void.
“Lester’s Legendary Last Gig”: Full coverage of the DVD release of 13’s classic 1998 Moulin Blues performance.
“Lousiana Blues”: The story behind one of the most rare songs in the Devils’ discography, released on a promo tape before “King King” came out in ’92.
Continue reading
One of the treats hanging out with Mike Flanigin last year was watching vintage Red Devils video live from the King King more than two decades earlier.
We watched half of the Nov. 30, 1992, video in his Austin living room. Essentially, we got the DVD commentary from one of the members of The Red Devils himself.
Flanigin held the guitar he played in the Devils as he watched a younger version of himself, sparking many more memories and stories.
Two things stuck out: That Flanigin wasn’t entirely impressed with the King King mystique, which even in 1992 was thick around the band. Watching the video, the band in living color under stage lights, is surreal. How many of us have listened to the “King King” record and imagined the whole night in grainy black and white, dimly lit and gritty?
Photo by Tina Hanagan
This is video of the Devils in their prime, road-tested and ready. Sure there are festival videos out there, scattered TV appearances. But this is three sets of classic Red Devils with their prototype setlist of the time (“Who Do You Love,” “She’s Dangerous,” “Blues in the Morning,” “Blackwater Roll,” “Checkin’ Up On My Baby,” plus Hook Herrera sits in, too).
The other thing was his sense of belonging in the band. As he mentioned, his kids never knew him as a guitar player, and certainly not as a member of one of the hottest blues acts of the second half on ’92. Many Red Devils fans don’t even know his role in the band; this video proves it.
Mike: But I do have this videotape from the King King. You probably never saw it?
Interviewer: No.
Mike: Well, this was the King King and I don’t know if anyone has any video of us playing like that whole American tour. In the video the quality is not that great. But this is when we got back and they were like, “Man, we’re going to play the King King!” Well this was the night. Like this was our first night back from being on the road and Billy Gibbons was there and Rick Rubin was there and that’s the night. And so the guy had taped it , they had the camera, so they run that tape. And then when we got down with the gig, he had the VHS tape and Lester was just like, “Hey Mikey, you take this,” and gave it to me and I hung on to it … I would feel like everybody else had just went by the wayside at some point …
I held on to like little scrapbook or little things that it might got lost. And so this videotape is — I had to dig it out man. I knew I had it. …
And that’s a whole night, like it’s not just 30 minutes. I mean it’s like all night, all the whole thing. …
And so, it gives you an idea of like where we were and what the band sounded like that you remembered from like when you saw us. Because it’s the only thing that really exists. There’s no live recordings and all that or like anything professionally done or see the band. I never have seen anything with me in it. Even though I was in the group a long time really. I mean of the working life with that band.
Tina: It’s got to be out there though, right?
Mike: Well, what’s funny is that he took this tape out of the machine and gave it to Lester and Lester gave it to me. I think it’s the only existing copy.
And I’ve never given it to anybody, like I never show it really and I hadn’t seen it years. I just pulled this out because I knew you were coming.
Interviewer: Yes, yes. That’s very kind of you.
Mike: We’ll see what’s up with it. I mean it might be a complete mess.
Since 1992, I have kept a copy of “King King” somewhere near me at all times.
For a long while, I had several burned CDs of “King King” that were left in various cars and desks in my life.
If I bought a spare copy of the record, I might buy two, to give it away as a gift or for “just in case” — before digital downloads, I was sure the disc would go out of print and I would never be able to get it again!
Now, I can call up the rarest Red Devils or coolest bootlegs with just a couple of swipes on my iPhone.
From satellite radio and Spotify to a cassette found on eBay to the fantastic limited edition 20th anniversary 180 gram red vinyl edition, “King King” is a must-have never more than a few feet away.
How do you listen to “King King”? What format is preferred? Where is your prime listening space? Let us know in the comments.
The standing joke about blues music is that to play it you only have to learn three chords and be able to play in a corresponding number of keys. At your average blues jam on a random night in Anywhere, USA, one would expect to run into a whole boatload of songs in E, A and G with few tunes straying from this trio. On the cuts that made “King King” The Red Devils certainly leaned on some from that lot, but the variations are quite interesting.
As follows in order of appearance (all songs listed are in the keys of the stringed instruments, all harmonica keys should be assumed to be in “second position” or “cross harp” unless otherwise noted):
1. Automatic — E
2. Goin’ to the Church — E
3. She’s Dangerous — E
4. I Wish You Would — A
5. Cross Your Heart — B-flat, harmonica in key of B-flat/first position
6. Taildragger — E
7. Devil Woman — D
8. No Fightin’ — B
9. Mr. Highway Man — E
10. I’m Ready — E
11. Quarter to Twelve — E
12. Cut That Out — B
Continue reading
For those coming to this site for the first time, welcome to nofightin.com.
We have been here since 2009, cataloging the short but stellar career of The Red Devils and Lester Butler.
Wander around and find rare music, videos and reviews, and meet other fans — and some of the musicians who made the records we love so much.
To get you started, here are some of the most popular and essential posts and pages on nofightin.com.
Lyrics: Everything on “King King,” most of “13,” live stuff and more.
2 Meter Sessies: In lieu of a second Red Devils record, this live radio set from 1993 can fill the void.
“Lester’s Legendary Last Gig”: Full coverage of the DVD release of 13’s classic 1998 Moulin Blues performance.
“Lousiana Blues”: The story behind one of the most rare songs in the Devils’ discography, released on a promo tape before “King King” came out in ’92.
“Blues in the Morning”: Hear The Red Devils rock KCRW in 1992, including their rare take on “Shake ‘Em On Down.”
VPRO: Famous & rare Lester Butler TV appearance, blowing a little acoustic harp, talking Little Walter and jamming with G. Love.
Inside King King: Pictures from what is believed to be The Red Devils’ last King King gig.
MTV Europe: The band shuffles through a pair of tunes on the music video channel.
Finally, a pair of ruminations on the band we love: Memories of hearing the record for the first time in 1992, and a more recent take on just what makes “King King” so special.
Thanks to Paul Rees for the mention in Classic Rock Magazine.
