Foggy Mountain Breakdown - Earl Scruggs

[look4hiram]

I gave it a "thumbs up", BUT, I was dissappointed that one of my all time favorites never once stepped up to the mike! At the beginning (1:09) you can see Little Roy Lewis at the far left.....I waited and waited but he never stepped up, but at the end you can see him again clapping at 4:04. But, it sure was a good video anyways!

[huntermdp]

He picks a badass solo. Crowd cheers. His face after 1:35 says precisely this: for sure gettin some tonight...

[f100sCUSTOMSCLASSICS]

Love the 70's hair-dos!

[Banjomountain]

Today is Earl's 88th birthday, happy birthday Earl!

[olddvr]

Earl Scruggs is to banjo pickin' what Ted Williams was to hitting a baseball. An artist - the best!

[IamSMPL]

I love how there's like 25 banjo players and one guitarist.

[paininthe10]

Banjo Heaven ! Love it ....

[tacosurprise]

was that Sonny Osborne?

[redrumm101]

@tacosurprise yep



[redbull1767]

hi great music awesome .Noel

[puhigirl78]

Well I'm a pickin' -n- he's a grinnin'...

[kappa87]

gang-banjo

[debbie3835]

OH MY GOD! Does anyone have the names of all these guy. Just about ALL my banjo heros on one stage! AWESOME! thanks for sharing!

[heavymetalhippie180]

hawdidly!!!

[xxxasp666xxx]

This is theeeeee Blue Grass tune ever!

[renfroe1981]

"Whoops, we accidently ordered more banjos than we needed"

"Oh well, just let everbody play one, i am sure nobody will notice"

[banjoboy77a]

And, JD, Bill Emerson, and Alan Munde--all 3 were banjo players with Jimmy Martin----interesting oh and so was Sonny----way back in the 50's......

[banjoboy77a]

The banjo dream team-fine players all....notice Randy Scruggs playing a raised-head...Hmmmmmmmmm.

[AnalEvisceration]

random asian "Yeah, I can banjo shred too.."

[Johnnyfan1982]

@RickRiman there was so much electricity in the air that day! I wasn't born yet but it lingers on forty years later!! I'm so thankful that clips like this exist and I can be there in imagination. I envy you greatly sir for being able to say you were on that stage lol and am honored to be able to address you at the same time. Good day and god bless

[docwondernuts]

That was fan fuckin tastic

[CplJoebot]

Sonny Osborne in the back at 3:46 ! Ha

[dendride]

@CplJoebot haha great!

[rickwaanders1]

jiha

[magicman2001]

Humble AND a Genius

[countorlock100]

I could watch this all day and probably will ! God bless Earl

[metalabsynth]

props to the bearded banjo playing bandit for being the only one other than earl to change it up

[ncbloom]

@metalabsynth that bearded banjo bandit is bobby osbourne , one of the best

[metalabsynth]

@ncbloom i think you mean sonny osbourne, bobby was the mandolin player, but all the same, it sucks that he had a stroke that crippled his hand in 2005

[RickRiman]

@metalabsynth Please show those brothers the proper respect, and spell their name correctly: It's OSBORNE, not Osbourne. Don't confuse them with Ozzy Osbourne, the rocker who probably has no meaningful banjo or mandolin chops.

[metalabsynth]

@RickRiman woah woah woah, so i made a spelling mistake, i don't see you jumpin onto any of the other people who have spelled it wrong on here, and i do have respect for them, amazing playing and singing, spell check noted

[RickRiman]

@metalabsynth Actually, I did correct some others who made the same misspelling; not that it matters, since the point is that Sonny was (until his stroke) one of the old pros of banjo picking, and the Osborne Brothers in their heyday were arguably THE elite harmony in bluegrass.

And you misspelled "whoa"

[metalabsynth]

@RickRiman too true, in my opinion he was the 2nd best at the Scruggs style, after Earl of course

[PatrickJK32583]

That mexican guy at 1:48 can PICKKKK same with the younger white kid after him !! GREAT JOB an GREAT VVIDEo an GREAT SKILLS !!

[Banjo40]

@PatrickJK32583

That's Saburo Watanabe Inoue from Japan

[PatrickJK32583]

@Banjo40 Wow really he is Japanese ?? it might have been the 70's look that threw me off !! Thanks for letting me know i appreciate it, is he someone i can look up to watch play ??

[RickRiman]

@PatrickJK32583 If you enter +"bluegrass 45" +"turkish march" in the youtube search bar, the first result links to a clip of Saburo's band giving Mozart a run for his money.

[DS3820]

and Earl said thats all good boys, but move over and i'll show you how its done. Earl's the man.

[moodoish]

earl is my hero!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mrwestern33]

Now this is what I call music!!!!!

[Mo13GoW]

BANJO-BUKKAKE!!! Do like it though..

[islandfunhouse]

I dug the guy at 1:57 and especially at 3:02...these guys did more improvisation away from the original melody

[TheMrgaztop]

My dad, played this stuff to us when I was a kid. I fell asleep, listening to Ramblin Jack Elliot singing those cowboy ballards. My kids fall asleep listening to crap. No wonder they wake up full of shit.

[jojoUK120]

@TheMrgaztop yeh, but I bet scruggs' parents said the same thing about him- twas ever thus!

[budensity]

@TheMrgaztop my dad would get a kick out of that comment

[BearyHairy]

Earl Scruggs, an amazing man from the hills; brings a universal choir of banjo picking souls from Korea, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Germany, France, Vietnam; all points north, west, east and south...all adoring this uniquely American form of art and music. Is the world getting smaller? Yep. Is the world getting better? Yep. Is brotherhood good for this planet? Yep. Brothers & Sisters, straighten it out in your minds. Peace. Bear

[yesyouam]

This is like banjo bukake.

[ominousinc]

@yesyouam LMFAO!!!!

[spinblackcircles]

@yesyouam hahaha that is one of the funniest comments i have ever read on youtube. hahahahhahaha

earl scruggs is so brilliant.

[nitrousn2o]

@yesyouam Win.

[TheDystopiaInside]

@yesyouam LMAO Oh my God

[mmmbrunommm3]

@yesyouam Am I whore to say that I love to be in there ? hahahaha

[masonrobin]

@yesyouam HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[bigjames42069]

@yesyouam come one, cum all to watch 40 banjos gangbang a microphone!!

[tadatoshi2326]

昔　ブルーグラスのバンドを思い出しました

[patriotUSA2007]

I'm a New York City girl who LOVES banjo pickin' music. Never get tired of playing this video! It fills MY heart with joy, Earl. Thanks for the music.

[LorenzoMoore1000]

Beutiful this has got to be one of the greatest version on U-tube.

[SpyderFXE1]

IF Eric Clapton is God....THIS is who made God.

[berrypossum]

I swear, when Earl comes back in to wrap it up, same vibe as Clapton. Pro. Uber-cool. Just great stuff.

[CanvasFalcon]

Anybody know the rest or any of the players names. I could watch this vid all the day long. EXCELLENT MUSIC !!!!

[RickRiman]

@CanvasFalcon (1) Earl Scruggs, (2) Sonny Osborne, (3) Bill Emerson, (4) JD Crowe, (5) Saburo Watanabe Inoue, (6) Eddie Hoyle, (7) Jimmy Arnold, (8) Don Stover, (9) Alan Munde, (10) John Farmer (from Del McCoury's band), 11=Rick Riman , (12) JD Crowe (Again), (13) Randy Scruggs, (14) Earl Scruggs (Again)

[CanvasFalcon]

@RickRiman Sir I thank you sincerely, not only all the fellas names but directly from a player !! I am beside my self in awe at your talent and courteousness. I'm 43 and play guitar and sing and just bought my first Banjo. (Deering Goodtime) You can see me sing and play rhythm guitar (and play Amazing Grace on bagpipes too), on my channel if your interested. Again, Thank You Very Much !!

[theandrogynousone]

Hooray for the bearded guy and Earl at the end; they at least played a

variation of the standard 16 measures.

[MrDhb1970]

Only my family and closest friends would and know the truth.....

[GovVance]

The Jimi Hendrix of bluegrass music

[CSSW44]

oh yeah, well my banjo is this big!

[megasuperfuzz]

GRANDIOSO !!!!! one of the reason why I like American music !!!!!

[TruegrassBoy]

Dang! Right at the beginning when Earl is talking - there's a kid behind him holding a mandolin. That has to be TIM O'BRIAN.........

[drafthorselover]

What a great day that must have been to be able to play with the master. Earl's humility is what made him great. His genius of his background fill-in runs and licks gave us all inspiration to follow in his footsteps and keep practicing and learn from each other. I wish I could have been there.

[hjb103055]

It's just a kid at 2:00.

[LordPadraig]

There was some serious talent there, and the playing was stellar, but... Is it just me or did it remind anyone else of a bunch of guys standing in line outside a mens room waiting for their turn to go in? All shuffling nervously back and forth in line before jumping in to take their turn at the mic, then jumping out of the way of the next guy? Still a great clip.

[TheTomBombadill]

@LordPadraig kind of like a banjo gangbang

[DS3820]

No one has ever picked a banjo like Earl, Just wished I could have been there personaly. It's so much talent on that stage.

[hybs18]

he is not young J.D.crowe??

[RickRiman]

@prescomp He probably did take a break, and it probably got edited out of the clip. This video is a clip from the movie "Bluegrass: Country Soul", and the segment in the movie was edited down from the complete filming. I'll need to check my audio tapes of the event, but I'm pretty sure that this performance was longer; I seem to remember taking a second break on this tune.

[prescomp]

@RickRiman i`m sorry to come down on Roy, i met him at a festival already and i like him very much. i apologize for the slur. I removed it, thanks for the reply.

[MrBanjoman32]

the country gentlmen are there lol cool

[drafthorselover]

What marvelous fun that must have been to have been able to play with the master - Earl Scruggs! He was so humble and yet so great! I wish I could have been there.

[bradsmells]

hank jr can pick the fuck out a banjo



[SnarlyCharly44]

Holy shit, this is like the all time Banjo all star lineup going one after another... most epic video ever!

[rocmaven]

ricky skaggs and kentucky thunder aug 26 watseka theatre watseka illinois

[cotexas]

Amazing that no one choked! How many banjo players does it take to play Foggy Mountain Breakdown?

[xraycortina]

The best tune ever if you're being chased out of town by hillbillies.

[pegcage]

Anybody notice Randy Scruggs, Earl's son, plays last, right before Earl ended it? That is why that broad smile on Earl's face. Proud Papa!

[pegcage]

Hey, somebody said in these comments only one musician up there. I disagree. If that is Sonny Osborne, he is one great banjo player.

[pegcage]

Is that Sonny Osborne? Looks like him, however Earl calls him, "Ernest."

[tyme4mike]

What does the fellow say to Earl at 00:33? BTW, the bearded fellow that plays a really different version and is followed by J.D.Crowe on his 2nd time is a man named Rick Riman who has this video up in YouTube too. There's some interesting comments he makes on that one you'd likely enjoy.

[Pickinbuddy]

This is Earl...and ALL his children!

[davekeays]

"theyre all playing the same theme"- Like in Jazz, a riff in rock, or a canon in classical?

"players all line up and take turns on the microphone" - I think you just described a "breakdown". Big Band did something similar.

[dawoool]

Earl comes in at the end and shows 'em who's boss!

[pegcage]

@dawoool And everybody around him, even the little Japanese guy, was thinking, "Man, I got to learn that lick!"

[FABTECH1958]

Amen to that..... Scruggs is the MAN! ! ! ! ! there were a lot of banjo players up there.......and only one musician....

[mcshivenhook]

country james hatfield at 1:04!

[spiff195]

And so Earl came down from the Foggy Mountain after consumed the burning nectar of the still, and picked up the instrument, with strings numbering five. A sweet song was drawn from his mystical finger tips and the angels did weep because of the beauty bestowed upon them. After a short time, disciples followed Earl and plucked as he plucked. Soon every man, woman, and child played the banjo, and peace was brought to the Earth.

[arkee71]

@spiff195 what a beautiful world that would be..count me in

[hillcat2008]

These guys have more talent than any rapper alive. Take notes, THESE are artist!

[smcaulliff]

Its kind of like the musical re-enactment of a pornographic gang bang. The bango players all line up and take turns on the microphone.

[Eduard1788]

@smcaulliff haha i was kinda thinking the same thing especially cuz theyre all playing the same theme

[buchananstreet]

earl looks a tiny little bit like the poet charles  bukowski here - which is meant as a huge compliment as these 2 are the real heavyweights of modern american culture !

[1039sflem]

Scruggs and Crowe had the best tone. That's something you can't buy or teach. Either you got it or you ain't. I ain't got it.

[Austinmaharg]

I shook this guys hand and got my hat sighned

[AcousticFingerstyle7]

this song is what made me learn the banjo.

[knyqjee12]

I can't figure out why that weird looking guy comes up for a second time at 3:18....

[RickRiman]

@knyqjee12 The "weird looking guy" is J D Crowe, still active and strong at age 73, and the reason that he takes a second break is that the festival promoter (Carlton Haney, in black shirt and pants) selects him to play next; look closely just to right of the picker displaying abysmal fashion sense (that's me) starting around 3:10, and you'll see Carlton choosing J D to come up to the microphone.

[knyqjee12]

@RickRiman Ahh, thanks. Makes sense.

[vcp430]

I love seeing Sonny's facial expression @ 3:46!

[BluezBro604]

3:44 to the end equal pure inspirational brilliance.

[LEOPARDTWO]

America! I love it.

[isterlings]

How about that guy at 3:00? Fantastic!

[neon854]

@isterlings Yeah, he also looks like a bit of a finding from the past. I really like this crowd. :)

[YouSayTomayto]

Geezers titfer at 2.30 is the dogs bollocks !!!!!!!!

[neon854]

These guys really are much better than the others playing this song on Youtube...

[dotsondrew]

@neon854 Steve Martin can give him a good run for his money though.

[MsJollycholly]

Great clip! I wish that each picker had a sign telling us what banjo he is playing! I'm always curious. And of course, with FMB every player makes it his/her own. It's the Happiest tune EVER!

[MsJollycholly]

Great clip! I wish that each picker had a sign telling us what banjo he is playing! I'm always curious. And of course, with FMB every player makes it his/her own.

[MsJollycholly]

Great clip! I wish that each picker had a sign telling us what banjo he is playing! I'm always curious.

[muzzlemask]

Banjo gangbang... interesting

[neon854]

@muzzlemask Not funny more than once.. sorry

[douglasnesbitt]

problems with vidos starting and stoping

[neon854]

I'm sure that this was shot quite recently, considering the very fashionable clothes of the guy who approaches the microphone at 1:33! :)

[Rev1981]

@neon854 That my friend is the one and only JD Crowe.

[neon854]

@Rev1981 Ok, pardon my ignorance - but who is he?! Love this clip btw...

[Rev1981]

@neon854 JD Crowe is a banjo hero. He played with bluegrass legend Jimmy Martin. Last year he recorded a album with Doyle Lawson a Paul Williams. Search for those guys on YouTube with the song(s) "Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me & Shuckin' The Corn".

[neon854]

@neon854 Ok, pardon my ignorance - but who is he?! Love this clip btw...

[xxTheGhilliedGhostxx]

GREAT stuff, guys!!

[wdeatonjr]

Amazing and 3 folks have no iidea of what Talent is

[wdeatonjr]

Amazing

[woodscrew4u]

They run the train on that mic with those banjos.

[tyme4mike]

40 years later and Earl can still tool on this awesome instrument. He's the best banjo player there was, the best there is, and the best that ever will be. I could listen to him play 24/7.

[MisterHermanMudget]

banjo gangbang

[pat9784]

was JD Crow there? the red headed dude looked like him

[boblackey1]

@pat9784 Yeah that is J. D. J. D. was a HUGE Earl Scruggs fan when he was growing up and would be at the Flatt and Scruggs concerts very often. J. D. said he was so into Earl that he thought having the banjo strap over his right shoulder had something to do with getting that sound then later found out Earl only did it to keep from messing up his hair or having to take off his hat when taking the banjo off or switching to guitar:-)

[Rev1981]

@pat9784 That was him alright.

[akaweedman]

wikid....Hey anyone know who that Asian looking guy was? He starts his lick at 1:46 ish??

[bigcitybill100]

@akaweedman  John Redcorn?

[RickRiman]

@akaweedman According to Fred Bartenstein, who was one of the MC’s at the festival, and was also the narrator of the DVD from which this clip was taken, it was Saburo Watanabe Inoue, from the Japanese band "Bluegrass 45"; however, according to quilltape and willowmarian (see comments below), it’s her father, Robert Carter, who won a contest to be in this performance.

[manathehouse]

Is it impossible to play the banjo without a slouch?

[reidskatehhi]

3:45 the guy in the back has a seizure

[PHJimY]

@reidskatehhi Sonny Osborne havin' a good time.

[grassman20]

Kid at 1:58 is awesome.

[eince03]

nice

[liliodine]

2 tards didn't like this. :P

[greggg0259]

That's "Little Roy" Lewis of the Lewis family in the first few seconds of the video.

[blkfir]

I do believe I saw a young Dan Akroid.

[niltomega]

I that "every one gets a turn" jam session.

[nigriv147]

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREAT

GREAT

[Splivins]

As a true music fan, this is as talented a musician as has ever played. Earl mastered his instrument just as Slash mastered his, John Bonham and his, and Les Claypool and his. How fortunate for us TRUE fans of music to have such a wide variety of wonderful to choose from!

[JC7689]

my guess would be 6 or 7 banjos at least haha. gotta give em credit for rockin that shit though

[elmerlandon]

@Gants27 That's Sonny, one of the Osbourne Brothers who played banjo. Easy to tell he's got a great sense of humer huh? lol

[elmerlandon]

Can anyone count how many banjos are up on stage? lol

[givingitashot1]

This is just brilliant:)

[unkown331]

3:10 was the best

[banjoman5424]

@Gants27 That would be ge GREAT Sonny Osborne

[ArksGir]

all i can say i simply FUCK YEAH! i love this song im a hard ass metalhead but i simply love those banjos..fuck i will kill for a banjo...well, for play banjo like that those guys are masters

[willowmarian]

And he still makes that face when he plays Foggy Mountain Breakdown!

[ilikezappa]

Nice one America ! You may not know much about cheese , but you are ok !

[46r11]

Fantastic - thanks

[willowmarian]

My daddy is in this video! He was 17 years old!

[MrSimonGirty]

Banjocalypse!!

[MyMoppet52]

This is just too cool!!!! REALLY!!!! I've never seen that many banjos on a stage at once. Loved each change in the picking for each one! Thanks so much for posting.

[Zendegley]

Music is music, and this is the best it gets!

[daddygreenjeens]

this dude IS the banjo! is the breakdown song the one in which other banjo songs are measured by? Either way it is kick ass!

[RippyMcTarded]

One person has a banjo stuck up his butt.

[RippyMcTarded]

The only reason the one person disliked this is because the morning after watching this they took a crap and a banjo squeezed out.

[jindra1111111111]

Foggy mountain breakdown over the world

[RCMerchant]

Thats great! Looks like ol boys had a good time.

[MegaDave001]

Back when the banjo would get you laid.Those were the days.

[banjoRod]

I bet you're right.....I should have watched it again. It was pretty cool.

[banjoRod]

Looks like everybody got a break 'cept Little Roy and Jimmy Arnold.

[RickRiman]

@banjoRod Jimmy Arnold's break starts at 2:13. Little Roy (and others) probably got a break that was edited out by the film crew; from my memory, the fmb segment was longer. I'll need to check the audiotapes of the event (somewhere in my garage). Amazing that I remember anything from the Nixon adminstration....

[taisyouizuo]

サブさんがんば～！

[tyme4mike]

I could listen to this all day. I have 'air-played' this so often I do believe I could pick it up on the banjo in no time. Man these fellas can whoop a banjo like no other group I've ever heard! One more thing...YYYYEEEEEeeeeehhHHHHAA­WWWWWWWwww!

[whipsnade13]

Fantastic. I like how Earl comes in at the end and shows who's boss.

[HeyDufus]

@whipsnade13 No shit! Earl, you da man!!