Eric Weissberg
Encyclopedia
Eric Weissberg is an American
banjo
player, best known for the theme from the movie Deliverance
.
, then the Juilliard School of Music. He joined an early version of the Greenbriar Boys (1958–59), but left before they made any recordings. He then joined The Tarriers, replacing Erik Darling. The Tarriers had recently had a hit with "Banana Boat Song
", though Harry Belafonte
had the bigger hit soon afterwards. At first Weissberg was taken on as a string-bass player but the group soon made use of his multi-instrumental talents as banjo player, guitar
ist, mandolin
player and singer. At this time he was still a student at Juilliard. His first album with The Tarriers, Tell The World About This (1960) has a much rougher feel than the smoothly-produced sound of The Weavers
or The Kingston Trio
. In 1964 he had to do one year of duty with the National Guard
, but on returning, the group re-formed. In 1965 the group accompanied Judy Collins
on a tour of Poland
and Russia
, but disbanded soon after. Judy Collins was sufficiently impressed to use him as a session musician on Fifth Album (1965) and several later albums.
Commercially, interest in acoustic folk groups was waning, so Weissberg began his successful career as a session musician, playing on albums by The Clancy Brothers
, Doc Watson
, Melanie
, Billy Joel
, Bob Dylan
, Loudon Wainwright III
, Talking Heads
, Tom Paxton
, Jim Croce
, Art Garfunkel
, John Denver
and others. He is chiefly remembered for the hit single "Dueling Banjos
", the theme from the film Deliverance
, produced by Joe Boyd
and directed by John Boorman
. There was also a hit album called Dueling Banjos: From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 'Deliverance in 1973, but the album was not all it seemed to be. Back in 1963, Weissberg had recorded an album called New Dimensions in Banjo and Bluegrass with Marshall Brickman
(a writer who later received an Oscar
for Annie Hall
) and Clarence White
(who later joined The Byrds
.) The 1963 album was dragged out of the archives, and two tracks were removed. In their place was the hit single, and thus a new album was born. One of the original tracks, "Shuckin' The Corn" was later sampled by Beastie Boys
.
Weissberg still plays in folk festivals, and is almost as well known for his dobro
guitar as for his bluegrass
banjo playing. He has also recorded with jazz
musicians Herbie Mann
and Bob James
. In 1998, he joined Richard Thompson and dozens of other folk musicians on Nanci Griffith
's album Other Voices Too.
Nowadays, he often tours with Tom Paxton
. They often play a variant of "Dueling Banjos
" in the set, in addition to Paxton's material.
On February 12, 2009, Weissberg joined the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College orchestra and chorus, along with the Riverside Inspirational Choir and NYC Labor Choir, in honoring Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday at the Riverside Church in New York City
. Under the direction of Maurice Peress
, they performed Earl Robinson
's "The Lonesome Train: A Music Legend for Actors, Folk Singers, Choirs, and Orchestra" in which Weissberg was the banjo player.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
player, best known for the theme from the movie Deliverance
Deliverance
Deliverance is a 1972 American thriller film produced and directed by John Boorman. Principal cast members include Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ronny Cox and Ned Beatty in his film debut. The film is based on a 1970 novel of the same name by American author James Dickey, who has a small role in the...
.
Biography
Eric Weissberg went to the University of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, then the Juilliard School of Music. He joined an early version of the Greenbriar Boys (1958–59), but left before they made any recordings. He then joined The Tarriers, replacing Erik Darling. The Tarriers had recently had a hit with "Banana Boat Song
Banana Boat Song
"Day-O " is a traditional Jamaican mento folk song, the best-known version of which was sung by Harry Belafonte. Although it is really Jamaican mento, the song is widely known as an example of calypso music. It is a song from the point of view of dock workers working the night shift loading bananas...
", though Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte
Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
had the bigger hit soon afterwards. At first Weissberg was taken on as a string-bass player but the group soon made use of his multi-instrumental talents as banjo player, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist, mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
player and singer. At this time he was still a student at Juilliard. His first album with The Tarriers, Tell The World About This (1960) has a much rougher feel than the smoothly-produced sound of The Weavers
The Weavers
The Weavers were an American folk music quartet based in the Greenwich Village area of New York City. They sang traditional folk songs from around the world, as well as blues, gospel music, children's songs, labor songs, and American ballads, and selling millions of records at the height of their...
or The Kingston Trio
The Kingston Trio
The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds...
. In 1964 he had to do one year of duty with the National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
, but on returning, the group re-formed. In 1965 the group accompanied Judy Collins
Judy Collins
Judith Marjorie "Judy" Collins is an American singer and songwriter, known for her eclectic tastes in the material she records ; and for her social activism. She is an alumna of the University of Colorado.-Musical career:Collins was born and raised in Seattle, Washington...
on a tour of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, but disbanded soon after. Judy Collins was sufficiently impressed to use him as a session musician on Fifth Album (1965) and several later albums.
Commercially, interest in acoustic folk groups was waning, so Weissberg began his successful career as a session musician, playing on albums by The Clancy Brothers
The Clancy Brothers
The Clancy Brothers were an influential Irish folk music singing group, most popular in the 1960s, they were famed for their woolly Aran jumpers and are widely credited with popularizing Irish traditional music in the United States. The brothers were Patrick "Paddy" Clancy, Tom Clancy, Bobby Clancy...
, Doc Watson
Doc Watson
Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson is an American guitar player, songwriter and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues and gospel music. He has won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Watson's flatpicking skills and knowledge of traditional American music are highly regarded...
, Melanie
Melanie Safka
Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk is an American singer-songwriter. Known professionally as simply Melanie, she is best known for her hits "Brand New Key", "Ruby Tuesday" and "Lay Down ".-Early career:...
, Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Snowden Wainwright III is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, folk singer, humorist, and actor. He is the father of musicians Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche, brother of Sloan Wainwright, and the former husband of the late folk singer Kate McGarrigle.To...
, Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
, Tom Paxton
Tom Paxton
Thomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...
, Jim Croce
Jim Croce
James Joseph "Jim" Croce January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles...
, Art Garfunkel
Art Garfunkel
Arthur Ira "Art" Garfunkel is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and actor, best known as being a member of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel...
, John Denver
John Denver
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success...
and others. He is chiefly remembered for the hit single "Dueling Banjos
Dueling Banjos
"Dueling Banjos" is an instrumental composition by Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith. The song was composed in 1955 by Smith as a banjo instrumental he called "Feudin' Banjos", which contained riffs from "Yankee Doodle". Smith recorded it playing a four-string plectrum banjo and accompanied by...
", the theme from the film Deliverance
Deliverance
Deliverance is a 1972 American thriller film produced and directed by John Boorman. Principal cast members include Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ronny Cox and Ned Beatty in his film debut. The film is based on a 1970 novel of the same name by American author James Dickey, who has a small role in the...
, produced by Joe Boyd
Joe Boyd
Joe Boyd is an American record producer and former owner of the Witchseason production company. Boyd was instrumental in launching the careers of Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, and The Incredible String Band.-Career:...
and directed by John Boorman
John Boorman
John Boorman is a British filmmaker who is a long time resident of Ireland and is best known for his feature films such as Point Blank, Deliverance, Zardoz, Excalibur, The Emerald Forest, Hope and Glory, The General and The Tailor of Panama.-Early life:Boorman was born in Shepperton, Surrey,...
. There was also a hit album called Dueling Banjos: From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 'Deliverance in 1973, but the album was not all it seemed to be. Back in 1963, Weissberg had recorded an album called New Dimensions in Banjo and Bluegrass with Marshall Brickman
Marshall Brickman
Marshall Brickman is a screenwriter, best known for his collaborations with Woody Allen. He is also known for playing the banjo with Eric Weissberg in the 1960s, and for a series of comical parodies published in The New Yorker.-Biography:After attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison, he...
(a writer who later received an Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Annie Hall
Annie Hall
Annie Hall is a 1977 American romantic comedy directed by Woody Allen from a screenplay co-written with Marshall Brickman and co-starring Diane Keaton. One of Allen's most popular and most honored films, it won four Academy Awards including Best Picture...
) and Clarence White
Clarence White
Clarence White was a guitar player for Nashville West, The Byrds, Muleskinner, and the Kentucky Colonels. His parents were Acadians from New Brunswick, Canada...
(who later joined The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
.) The 1963 album was dragged out of the archives, and two tracks were removed. In their place was the hit single, and thus a new album was born. One of the original tracks, "Shuckin' The Corn" was later sampled by Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
.
Weissberg still plays in folk festivals, and is almost as well known for his dobro
Dobro
Dobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
guitar as for his bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
banjo playing. He has also recorded with jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musicians Herbie Mann
Herbie Mann
Herbert Jay Solomon , better known as Herbie Mann, was a Jewish American jazz flutist and important early practitioner of world music...
and Bob James
Bob James (musician)
Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...
. In 1998, he joined Richard Thompson and dozens of other folk musicians on Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith, is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter from Austin, Texas.-Biography:...
's album Other Voices Too.
Nowadays, he often tours with Tom Paxton
Tom Paxton
Thomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...
. They often play a variant of "Dueling Banjos
Dueling Banjos
"Dueling Banjos" is an instrumental composition by Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith. The song was composed in 1955 by Smith as a banjo instrumental he called "Feudin' Banjos", which contained riffs from "Yankee Doodle". Smith recorded it playing a four-string plectrum banjo and accompanied by...
" in the set, in addition to Paxton's material.
On February 12, 2009, Weissberg joined the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College orchestra and chorus, along with the Riverside Inspirational Choir and NYC Labor Choir, in honoring Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday at the Riverside Church in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Under the direction of Maurice Peress
Maurice Peress
Maurice Peress is an American orchestra conductor, educator and author. After serving as assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein beginning in 1961, Peress went on to stand as leader of the orchestra in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1962. In 1970, he also became leader...
, they performed Earl Robinson
Earl Robinson
Earl Hawley Robinson was a singer-songwriter and composer from Seattle, Washington. Robinson is probably as well remembered for his left-leaning political views as he is for his music, including the songs "Joe Hill", "Black and White", and the cantata "Ballad for Americans"...
's "The Lonesome Train: A Music Legend for Actors, Folk Singers, Choirs, and Orchestra" in which Weissberg was the banjo player.
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | R.I.A.A. Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
CAN | ||||
| 1963 | New Dimensions in Banjo and Bluegrass | — | — | — | — | Elektra |
| 1973 | Dueling Banjos | 1 | 1 | 1 | Gold | Warner Bros. |
| Rural Free Delivery | — | 196 | — | — | ||
| 1996 | Banjo Jamboree: Tradition Series | — | — | — | — | Rykodisc |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | R.I.A.A. Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US AC Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
CAN AC | CAN Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
CAN Country | ||||
| 1973 | "Dueling Banjos Dueling Banjos "Dueling Banjos" is an instrumental composition by Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith. The song was composed in 1955 by Smith as a banjo instrumental he called "Feudin' Banjos", which contained riffs from "Yankee Doodle". Smith recorded it playing a four-string plectrum banjo and accompanied by... " (with Steve Mandell) |
1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 9 | Gold | Dueling Banjos |
| "Reuben's Train" | — | — | — | 69 | — | 71 | — | ||
| 1975 | "Yakety Yak Yakety Yak "Yakety Yak" is a song written, produced, and arranged by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for The Coasters and released on Atlantic Records in 1958, spending seven weeks as number one on the R&B charts and a week as number one on the Hot 100 pop list... " (with Deliverance) |
— | — | 91 | — | — | — | — | single only |
Session recordings
- The Boys Won't Leave the Girls AloneThe Boys Won't Leave the Girls AloneThe Boys Won't Leave the Girls Alone is a collection of mostly traditional Irish folk songs performed by The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. It was their third album for Columbia Records and was released in 1962. It was also their first studio album for Columbia. Its title is taken from the song,...
(The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Maken, 1962) - Fifth Album (Judy Collins, 1965)
- Live At Newport (1959–1966) (Judy Collins)
- Ballads From Deep Gap (Doc and Merle Watson, 1967)
- The Good Book (Melanie, 1971)
- Poems, Prayers & Promises (John Denver, 1971)
- Portfolio (Richie Havens, 1973)
- Rocky Mountain High (John Denver, 1973)
- True Stories and Other Dreams (Judy Collins, 1973)
- John Denver's Greatest HitsJohn Denver's Greatest HitsJohn Denver's Greatest Hits was American singer-songwriter John Denver's first compilation album, released in late 1973 for the holiday shopping season...
(John Denver, 1973) - Piano ManPiano Man (album)Piano Man is a rock album by Billy Joel, released in 1973. Piano Man, Joel's second album and his first with Columbia Records, emerged out of legal difficulties with his former label, Family Productions, and became his breakthrough album...
(Billy Joel, 1973) - Blood on the TracksBlood on the TracksBlood on the Tracks is Bob Dylan's 15th studio album, released by Columbia Records in January 1975. The album marked Dylan's return to Columbia after a two-album stint with Asylum Records....
(Bob Dylan, 1974) - Judith (Judy Collins, 1975)
- Sing Children Sing: Songs of the United States of America (UNICEF, 1977)
- Final Exam (Loudon Wainwright III, 1978)
- Little Creatures (Talking Heads, 1985)
- Album III (Loudon Wainwright III, 1990)
- Heroes (Tom Paxton, 1992)
- Judy Sings Dylan ... Just Like a Woman (Judy Collins, 1993)
- Shameless (Judy Collins, 1994)
- Take The Fifth (compilation; Bridget St John, 1995)
- Other Voices Too (Nanci Griffith, 1998)
- Live For The Record (Tom Paxton, 1999)
- Times Like These (Rick Danko, 2000)
- Live at Wolf Trap (Judy Collins, 2002)