August 1973, now 51 years ago, “Travelin’ Prayer” was released as the third single off the album whose title song is little known or appreciated in pop music, “Piano Man.” In all seriousness, while dwarfed by the massively successful career-defining song by Billy Joel, “Travelin’ Prayer” is one of my favorite little-known Joel songs. It features perhaps his best honkey-tonk piano work, fantastic banjo, and even some killer mouth harp 🤣. The song provides the theme for today’s playlist, rock and pop songs featuring banjo. Yes banjo in rock. It continues the series of playlists of instruments in rock previously highlighting acoustic guitar intros, bass guitar, piano, keyboard, accordion, saxophone, flute, harmonica, and most recently mandolin.
According to Wikipedia, with its origins from enslaved people taken from West and Central Africa:
Historically, the banjo occupied a central place in Black American traditional music and folk culture before entering the mainstream via the minstrel shows of the 19th century. Along with the fiddle, the banjo is a mainstay of American styles of music, such as bluegrass and old time music. It is also very frequently used in Dixiland jazz, as well as in Caribbean genres like beguine, calypso, mento, and troubadour.
Some rock and pop artists with songs on the list include The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Hollies, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, The Doobie Brothers, The Eagles, REM, Madonna, Matchbox Twenty, Dave Matthews Band, and Taylor Swift. Actor and comedian Steve Martin is featured solo as well as accompanying Edie Brickell of the New Bohemians fame.
There are 3 songs that list banjo in the song credits but were a real Where’s Waldo task. I had to listen several times to the songs to pick the banjo out. They include: The Beatles “All You Need Is Love,” Elton John’s “Honkey Cat,” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Say You Love Me.” It’s there, but barely (or maybe I need a better car stereo, headphones, or maybe hearing aides 🤣!). And once you hear it you can’t not hear it. Have fun in your Waldo search 😭.
So I did expand the genres of the playlist a bit beyond rock and pop, to include movie and TV themes, a just a touch of popular folk, country, and bluegrass. The TV themes of my mid-childhood with some great banjo that I watched usually with my cousins or grandparents, as they had cable TV and we didn’t, included The Beverley Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, and Green Acres. Some movie themes with banjo include such disparate movies as Deliverance, Stroker Ace, and Rainbow Connection.
I conclude this list with Bela Fleck, whose music crosses genres from bluegrass, to jazz, classical, rock, and world music. He was first drawn to the banjo at a young age after hearing the theme song for Beverly Hillbillies and “Dueling Banjos” from Deliverance. He is best known for his work with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.
Though I did let Dolly Parton close the show with her fantastic bluegrass cover of Billy Joel’s “Travelin’ Prayer,” which I only recently discovered.
Some great videos feature some of the aforementioned banjo songs include:
Billy Joel’s “Travelin’ Prayer” (1976):
And a not to the Doobie Brothers, who provided the name for my blog, “Listen To The Music” from a virtual concert performed live in isolation during the COVID lockdown (2020):
Or Flashback with the same song to 1972 with the Doobies (though no banjo in this performance):
Heart’s “Dreamboat Annie” (1977):
Mumford & Sons’ “I Will Wait”:
Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel” – I saw them at the Grand Ole Opry along with, over 2 consecutive nights, Charlie Daniels Band, Darius Rucker, Josh Turner, Crystal Gayle, Holly Williams (Hank Williams’ granddaughter), The Willis Clan, Connie Smith, Bill Anderson, The Browns, and Jeannie Seely. Just an amazing lineup!
And speaking of Charlie Daniels Band… here with “Stroker Ace”:
And a song featuring one of my favorite guitarists, Mark Knopfler in his post-Dire Straits days with the Notting Hillbillies, and yes, there’s banjo as well in “Railroad Worksong”:
The Pogues’ “Boys from the County Hell”:
Dropkick Murphys’ “Johnny I Hardley Knew Ya”:
To shift gears, a little Steve Martin banjo primer:
And Steve with Kermit offering a new take on “Dueling Banjos”:
Beverly Hillbillies theme:
Petticoat Junction theme:
Green Acres theme:
Kermit & The Muppets with “Rainbow Connection”:
So get ready to Listen to the Music, grooving along with some rockin’ banjo:
I hope that this music and my blog truly serve as a “revival: a new presentation of something old,” a springboard to return to the music of your youth, or perhaps to find artists you want to discover anew. Rediscover the passion of music in your life.
Live in the moment.
Enjoy the moment.
Love the moment.
Listen to the MUSIC!
