The Red Devils: The Tragic Story of the Band & Death of Lester Butler
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- Опубліковано 2 тра 2023
- The Red Devils: The Tragic story of the band.
Thanks to nofightin.com who had some great old articles on the band.
7:39 photo credited to Tom Harold for Nofightin.com
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#lesterbutler #thereddevils #rickrubin
I cite my sources and they may differ than other people's accounts, so I don't guarantee the actual accuracy of my videos
Red Devils
While the Red Devils may not have been hugely successful, they had a lot of industry heavyweights in their corner including ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Mick Jagger, Johnny Cash and Rick Rubin. With only one album to their name the Red Devils history would be full of, drugs, in-fighting, betrayal and death, Today let’s take a look at the history of legendary blues act the Red Devils.
The Red Devil’s history can be traced back to a mid 80’s band a roots/punk rock group The Blasters that included drummer Bill Bateman.. But Bateman grew tired of the Blasters inactivity and soon put together a loose collective of blues musicians in 1988. They’d go through a few name changes including the stumblebums and subsequently blue shadows with Bateman telling the LA Times he wanted to make a rowdy presentation of the blues.
One of the musicians who started playing with Bateman’s new band would be future Red Devils frontman and harmonica player Lester Butler who had been playing music since he was 6. Butler, who once referred to himself as “Spicolli’ sean penn’s character from fast times at ridgement high used to play for crowds in parking lots and took inspiration from musicians like howlin wolf, muddy waters, ccr, aerosmith and jimi hendrix. Butler would tell the LA Times in 1992 “I always loved music,” “And ever since I was a 6-year-old kid, I used to play harmonica. I heard blues one night, like everybody does, late in the evening on the radio, and I loved it. I played a lot in high school, but I quit for a while.”
If there was any foreshadowing of what trouble butler would get himself into he would tell a journalist according to loudersound “Remember in the seventies when they said cocaine wasn’t that addictive? I was a good argument against that bullshit further elaborating to the indianpolis star in 1992 “During the ’80s, the reason I didn’t play music was I was severely addicted to heroin and cocaine. I had to learn to get off that, you know?” I think people who come to near-death experiences do learn a little bit from that. Hopefully, I can pass a little of that on through my music to everybody else who’s either at that point or might be going to that point in their life.
By 1988 Blue Shadows would get a weekly monday night residency at a former chinese restaurant turned bar in west hollywood named King King where they’d play a dozen or so blues covers. The gig paid $200 per musician. Rounding out the lineup was Bateman’s roommate bassist Jonny Ray Bartel, his elder brother Dave Lee Bartel and a variety of lead guitar players who sat in with the group. Soon enough news spread about how good the performances were and even the LA Times were writing about the group. Their shows soon attracted sold out crowds and famous musicians and celebrities including bruce willis, members of motorhead, red hot chili peppers, zz top, black crowes,lenny kravitz, ac/dc. Billy Gibbons would tell Loudersound about the band. “Oh man, they were quite an outfit to be reckoned with,” “I was running hard at the time with one of the ZZ Top dancing girls - they called her the Alley Cat because she was always crawling about. She lived close by the King King, and I became a regular there on a Monday night. And who should I make friends with in those days but Rick Rubin. He was hanging out and took an interest in the band.”
Rubin had split from his New York based label Def Jam in 1988 with whom he had famously signed Slayer and Run DMC to and headed out west. Where he stablished new label called Def American. The band would sign several high profile acts including the black crowes and Danzig, and soon enough the Red Devils would join the list.
Rubin would end up seeing the band upwards of 60 times before signing the group, but his offer of a recording contract came with two conditions: they had to change their name (it wasn’t commercial enough) and they’d have to find a permanent lead guitarist. The bartel brothers took the name Red Devils from a bnd they had previously played in when they were kids and Rubin thought it would be commercial enough
My friend Liz called me one day and said I had to go with her to the King King, where her friend's band was playing. We lived in Huntington Beach and it being a Monday, I wasn't keen to make the long trek but she badgered me and so we drove up there that evening. I remember it being very dark with lots of people clad in black leather. The Red Devils were great but as a little twee young folkie singer-songwriter nerdgirl, I felt intimidated by this scene. I ran into Mick Jagger at the bar, said hi and we chatted. He was a perfectly sweet gentleman, clad in white from head to toe. A fun memory.
I ran into Lester on the Venice boardwalk about a month before he passed. He seemed in good spirits. I used to catch the band a lot at the original King King on La Brea and Cafe Boogaloo in Hermosa Beach. He and his band 13 were great too. Killer bands, albums, and a good guy. Miss you man. RIP
Man I remember going to see the paladins at the boogaloo!!
I just put on my strat and fired up the cd to jam to. Boy it's the best. Legendary band to me.
This cd is a must for any musician...
I remember walking up to the King King, and hearing a ROAR come from inside like it was a stadium. I pay my five bucks, go inside and Mick Jagger is singing with the Red Devils. Nice. I was there for 1 of the 3 nights the live LP was recorded. Having been there at the time, I commend this video, as it's spot on. It was well researched.
Thanks for making this. I’ve been a fan for over 20 years, and King King gets better w each listen. I live here in LA, sad I missed them in their heyday, but the new version also sound amazing. And the work w Jagger ( which can be found here on UA-cam) is also great
These guys are incredible musicians, and deserve this attention. Thanks again
When that album came out my local music paper gave it their highest ranking and that whose 5 fists, so checked it out and have purchased it twice in cassette and 3 on CD. Sooo good
I've owned this album on cassette twice and had to buy it as a CD off ebay twice. This is an amazing album start to finish
LOVED that band!!! Thank you, great video
Very cool video. In the late 90s I made my way to California and was living on Cabrillo. I would frequent Killian's a lot and I saw these guys a couple of times and met Lester 2 weeks before he died. I was also there at the party when Killian's celebrated his memory. Even though his friends were quite grieving they managed to tell me where I could buy the music. I bought both CD's - King King & 13 and still have them to this day. Such a good sound on every track, I'll never forget hearing Automatic live.
Hey rock and roll true stories, whatever happened to the band the meat puppets
I play the hell out of that cd. True Chicago blues.
R.I.P. ❤
The Live at PinkPoP on here is a great show. Dude could wail, tight band.
I like 👍 red devils music 🎼 & songs too !
Amazing Band. I used to Love seeing them on Monday night.
just shows how hanging out with Stones will fuck up ya and live the Blues
Great video.
FABULOUS Blues band.
Wolfsbane was another band Rick was trying to launch. He dumped them as soon as the first record didnt catch on sadly, great band though. The singer went on to replace Bruce Dickinson in Iron Maiden in the 90's
No better a live small club blues band recording then KING KING.
my brother was in this band for a time
❤❤❤❤
❤️
I never crawled about….
The Red Devils are a footnote in Rock history. The Blasters are legendary
Both great bands to me.
Not being disrespectful and I know what she meant to convey but you can't build up a low tolerance to drugs.
No you lose your tolerance after weeks and months of not using.
@@AndrewLemmings Absolutely. And the fatal mistake a LOT of people make is, on returning to Smack they have a hit that is the same size they last had and....lights out.
They were a big deal for a short time in fad-conscious LA.
Not talking crap or anything but I found this little parallel very funny.
This entire video script reads like a parody documentary on a band appearing in the show Metalocalypse.
The Red Devils??? Like Manchester United???
And the Blasters loved the Red Devils~~
They’re mediocre at best.
after 90 use the timeout principle! 12stepsmasher