I am surprised to have never seen anything about Lester Butler or the Red Devils on any of these forums. I think he had the greatest tone and some of the greasiest low down blues I have ever heard. Mick Jagger even asked to record an album with them. He only recorded a couple albums and I think they were live but you can find them on You Tube. My favorite was The Red Devils Live from King King. He died way too young but his music can still be found. Check him out and let me know what you think.
Last Edited by beachwolf on Mar 04, 2021 1:04 AM
I think we have had Lester Butler discussions at times over the last decade. As you said, he died young so there isn't a big body of work. I tried to interest my band mates a couple years ago, but I could tell they weren't really into it. I first encountered him on Billy Boy Arnold's "back where I belong" album, on which he played the harp for "shake your hips". I think he played Billy's "I wish you would" on the King King album, and it interests me that Billy plays it with similar phrasing on his "Back where I belong" record, which is different to every other record I've heard him make of it. I've wondered whether Billy had heard Lester play it that way and decided he liked it. King King was recorded in 91, Back where I belong came out in 93. It's just a thought. Billy might have been playing it that way all along and I just never heard it. Anyway, when I play Shake your hips, that record Lester played on is the one I think about. I always use that device he used in his solo to turn it around back to the verse and lift the intensity for the rest of the song.
Lester and the King King album were a game changer for me. Incredible backup band and Lester was indeed a style/tone icon. In an early band, mid 90's, we tried to do justice to a couple of songs off King King. I lamented his passing but when you chase the dragon it sometimes turns on you. The price of huge creative freedom is a life cut short in some cases.
Lester was truly a breath of fresh air into blues and blues rock. I have to wonder how he could have topped some of the stuff he was doing. I think he also did the harp on R.L Burnside's remix project, on "It's Bad You Know". Worth looking up. ---------- Music and travel destroy prejudice.
dont have guitar or harps around, so i put this in "Mixed in Key" it said key of A------D harp around 200 bpm, that seems to fast _trying this program out.
Anyway I'm goona learn this 12 bar and add it to my jumps swing collection and make variations
I'm glad to see some others have heard his work. I think his tone was incredible. He usually played through two bassman amps. I saw him in an interview in Europe where he was asked if it was difficult to play to such a huge outdoor crowd. He said no what's difficult is trying to play through two bassman amps in a small club.
He was great. Not a showy player. Had great tone. Great voice. The whole King King album is great. There is an album of the whole band backing Mick Jagger on You Tube.
King King is a big favorite of mine. Automatic is my favorite track.There was a Red Devils CD that was released in Europe a few years ago that was pretty good. The harp player held his own. Return Of The Red Devils was the title, all the original players except for Lester Butler.
Yet another artist who was bigger in Europe than the States. Butler died from a heroin OD.
Also of note, Mike Flanigan played rhythm guitar for the Red Devils. Just one tour I believe. Flanigan lives in Austin and is primarily a Hammond player, although, along with guitar also plays bass. He performs frequently with Jimmie Vaughn, is besties with Billy Gibbons and has toured with both ZZ Top and Gibbon's solo project. He currently has a Sunday residency at a local Austin club with his significant other, Sue Foley, and Chris "Whipper" Layton on drums. Vaughn has shown up several times as a guest along with Gibbons and others of note.
Flanigan's recent solo release, "West Texas Blues" is receiving rave reviews. Recorded live in the studio with minimal technology between player and tape.
Check out www.nofightin.com, the Red Devils fansite, lots of great stuff over there. I also just found out from that site that Icepick James Harman is ailing, that's hard to hear. It's not hard to imagine that Lester and James may have crossed paths in southern California a few times...
LB was a great frontman and the Red Devils were a hot band. Ditto for James and his many collaborators.
Check out www.nofightin.com, the Red Devils fansite, lots of great stuff over there. I also just found out from that site that Icepick James Harman is ailing, that's hard to hear. It's not hard to imagine that Lester and James may have crossed paths in southern California a few times...
LB was a great frontman and the Red Devils were a hot band. Ditto for James and his many collaborators.
Been a Lester Butler fan since the King King release. And, yes, Lester Butler and 13 was without the Red Devils and is a fine studio album. There are two live volumes from the 1997 Tamines Blues Festival that are superb and without the Red Devils, but most of the "13" band with Alex Schultz. ---------- Ricky B http://www.bushdogblues.blogspot.com RIVER BOTTOM BLUES--crime novel for blues fans available at Amazon/B&N, iTunes, iBook THE DEVIL'S BLUES--ditto THE OAXACAN KID--available now HOWLING MOUNTAIN BLUES--Ditto too, now available
