On http://www.koreapopwars.com/2009/03/devils-are-in-details.html I found :

"Devils were a six-man band founded in 1969, and started playing in Itaewon bars like 007 Club and American Club, or sometimes played in Paju at the Paradise Club. They released their first album in 1971 and went on to record three more albums by 1977. The CD re-release that I bought includes the first two albums, along with a couple of bonus tunes.

There is not much information available about the band, though, and until the GO GO 70'S film, I think they were not really well known (even by the forgotten standards of Korean classic rock). You can read a bit about them in Korea here.

To be honest, this is not my favorite band from the era. They have some good songs, but nothing that really blows me away like Shin Joong-hyun's best stuff can. There is not any crazy guitars or heavy drums solos. No, most of the Devils songs were more straightforward rock, with the layering you would expect from a six-man band. I am not bashing them -- they certainly have some solid songs. I am just saying they are a little more sedate and modest than my favorite bands from the 1970s.

Also, there are a couple of cover tunes on the albums, such as a cover of Proud Mary. Strangely, one song is described as "Theme Sound From Shaft," but I hear few similarities between the song on the Devils album and the famous Isaac Hayes tune.

So call this an interesting album. Not a must-buy, but worth your time if you like listening to old Korean music.

Posted by Mark Russell

On http://interasiapop.org/?p=176 I found :

That the movie Gogo 70 "was inspired, -of course partly, form my book (Joon) called An Archaelogy of Korean pop music 1960s/1970 (2 volumes) published in 2005. I met the director (Choi Ho ??) and the producer of the film last year and exchanged the view about the concept of the film. Although I was not involved in film making and still don’t know what the film is about, I thought it lucky that the band (fictional) in the film was based on soul group called the Devils which had existed in the 1970s. You can see teaser and music video clip at youtube: Trailor, Teaser and Music Video : "

GOGO 70 poster    GOGO 70 trailer with tribute band to this "soul-pop" period

"The review about the film does not seem to be good and one comment by a female film critic was that “does the film want to enlighten decadence?.” Moreover, it is said that there are some controversies going on in South Korea about the “correct representation” of different personalities in the film." Joon

Korean late 60s/early 70s pop/rock:

DEVILS

introduction by the label Rhythm-On for the double CD box : "This album is bounding album of the first album and the second album, the representative album, "The Devils", the originator of GO GO, who showed their powerful energy and originality og Korean group sound based on the soul, in the early 70s, the limlited edition including inserts, posters ands stickers."

Rhythm-OnDevils : First Album (KO,1971)**°°

Starting the album with slightly mainstream songs (especially the songs themselves, the way of singing and the easy rhythms) this is softly rocking pop music with influences of post-rock'n roll (especially for the sax arrangements, somewhat in the relaxed guitar playing), pop-psych (the organ use, some wahwah) and 60s pop influences (amateurish drums, some harmony vocals). There are also some not too convincing covers involved, like a rather tame "Proud Mary" (Credence Clearwater) with however some good wahwah guitar and sax. The Korean songs I think are more entertaining and original, like the last two tracks which add some extra originality to the album.

Info on Devils : http://www.maniadb.com/artist.asp?p=103307

Rhythm-OnDevils : (Second Album) (KO,1974)**°'

The first track sounds first from a later style of development (late 60s/early 70s inspired) a psych pop-rock style, with rock band (including organ) with some brass arrangement too and some harmony vocals, hanging just slightly in more mainstream pop area. This mainstream nostalgic pop aspect remains more dominating elsewhere (for instance some soulful relaxed pop with kitschy vibrating organ, some melodic hang with-me-brass arrangements), or shows an attractive mix of both worlds (which means a mix of mainstream soulpop and psychpop/rock) The ninth track is a fine funky soul-rock instrumental with a good use of rhythm.

Audio : "Theme from Shaft (inst.)", "don’t_know, don’t_know", "The Song of my Love"

Info on Devils : http://www.maniadb.com/artist.asp?p=103307

Korean review : http://www.weiv.co.kr/review_view.html?code=album&num=1804

Korean interview : http://www.weiv.co.kr/view_detail.html?code=interview&num=1799

(PS CDs are from double CD set with poster, booklet and stickers : limited to 500 copies)

go back to Korean folkpop/psych radio show

or see menu of Korean music webpages

If anyone knows more about this band, please inform me