Dueling Banjos – The Deliverance Soundtrack

“Squeal piggy,” squeal like a pig! Who knew camping could be so dangerous? Before I reinforce any more negative stereotypes about American rural dwellers (my only negative experience was picking up a very racist hitch-hiker on a Virginia back road many years ago), I’d like to call for the reconciliation of urban and rural dwellers everywhere. I’d say it is prudent to a progressive future – especially in America. Class, race, gender, all these are recognized areas for change, is it such a big jump to recognize that the urbanization of civilization is causing great strife for rural-dwellers all over the world?

Imagine how it must have felt for Billy Redden to know that he had been chosen for Deliverance because he fit the description of an “inbred and mentally retarded banjo boy”. Redden was only sixteen at the time. Whatever the psychological cost, you have to admit he fit the role.

The opening “duel” scene creates a psychological backdrop for the rest of the film, which of course is a white-knuckle, white-water thrill ride, all the way through.

Dueling Banjos was actually written and recorded as “Feudin’ Banjos” by Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith and Don Reno in 1955. The 1972 version in Deliverance was played by Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandel. Not given credit, Smith had to proceed with legal action that eventually gave him songwriting credit and back royalties.

There’s no citation, but according to wikipedia, director “John Boorman’s gold record for the ‘Dueling Banjos’ hit single was later stolen from his house by the Dublin gangster Martin Cahill, a scene Boorman recreated in The General (1998), his biographical film about Cahill.”

From ericweissberg.com:

Considered by aficionados to be one of the best five-string banjo players ever, Eric Weissberg has been a major force on the folk scene and a ubiquitous prescence on the studio scene for more than four decades. He attended The Little Red School House in Greenwich Village, where he started playing banjo and guitar at the age of seven and violin at ten. Then to the High School of Music and Art as a string bass major, continuing at the University of Wisconsin and The Juilliard School of Music. He taught himself bluegrass style banjo at the age of eleven by slowing down 78rpm records, and in 1958 he was a founding father of the New York bluegrass trio “The Greenbriar Boys”. He joined the folk group “The Tarriers” in 1959, recording and touring worldwide for six years.

I don’t have any info on Steve Mandell or Marshall Brickman, who also performed on the Deliverance soundtrack. If you have any info, feel free to register and post a comment. Be sure to check out this wacky flash animated version of Dueling Banjos.

Track List:

1) Dueling Banjos
2) Little Maggie
3) Shuckin’ The Corn
4) Pony Express
5) Old Joe Clark
6) Eight More Miles To Louisville
7) Farewell Blues
Earl’s Breakdown
9) End Of A Dream
10) Buffalo Gals
11) Reuben’s Train
12) Riding The Waves
13) Fire On The Mountain
14) Eighth Of January
15) Bugle Call Rag
16) Hard, Ain’t It Hard
17) Mountain Dew
18) Rawhide