It was on this day in 1973 that the song "Dueling Banjos" became one of the few instrumentals to be awarded a Gold record that decade. Thanks to its chilling use in the movie Deliverance, the song won a Grammy Award that year, and even went on to reach No. 2 for four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. (Weird.)
The track actually dates back to 1955, composed by Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith as "Feudin' Banjos," and was performed on The Andy Griffith Show in 1963 by bluegrass band The Dillards. But, sorry, Smith -- Opie and Barney Fife clearly can't compete with the eerie young country boy named Lonnie, whose version (arranged and performed by Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell) catapulted the song into pop culture lexicon. (It's okay; Smith later successfully sued Weissberg and Mandell for using his song without permission.) On this day, KEXP is taking back the banjo, spotlighting its less-ominous use in songs we love.
In honor of John Cusack's 52nd birthday today, KEXP is taking a cue from High Fidelity, and presenting the Top Five Music-Related Films of his career.
It's Leap Day, a strange overage of 24 hours that occurs in the Gregorian calendar every four years. Or, if you believe Tina Fey and the TV show 30 Rock, it's a day when a mythical gilled-man named "Leap Day William" trades candy for children's tears. Either way, KEXP has compiled this list of song…
