The Red Devils – King King.

I am so grateful to Fritz for putting me on to the Red Devils. Just when I was beginning to give up on any hope of finding inspiring blues music post 1969 I was introduced to the Red Devils (active between 1988 and 1994). This very short six year lifespan only produced one album ‘King King’, a totally live album recorded over three nights at the King King club in LA. The Red Devils were the house band at King King and their reputation as live performers spread far and wide attracting the attention of the likes of Brian May and Mick Jagger. Also Bruce Willis (as a harp player) and members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers joined in jam sessions with the band. The release of the album in 1992 unleashed this modern take on the blues.

Photo of the last performance the Red Devils did at King King.

Front man Lester Butler produced a unique Chicago style harp sound and added a raw edge to some classics with a gutsy vocal style. Their origin compositions have great flair and give a hint of what may have been to come. However, the age-old story was played out and front man Butler imploded through drug abuse and the band split. Butler was to eventually die of an overdose at the age of 38. Interestingly Butler seems not to have administered the lethal cocktail of heroin and cocaine to himself; his family thus claim it was murder and not death by misadventure. But whatever it was the passing of Lester Butler was a huge loss to the world of music.

Lester Butler.

Here’s a neat Youtube vid of Lester Butler talking ever so briefly about Little Walter; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpjZFgbqPPo

The Red Devils also cut tracks with Mick Jagger on vocals, here’s ‘Checkin’ up on my baby’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3skWNeNrXE