This battle was so much fun and an instant classic highlight.
Steve Vai actually battled himself as he played both parts of the duel except when their was slide guitar. Ry Cooder did the honors then.
Jimmy Page wanted the part but Cooder picked Vai.
Vai played the Devil’s guitarist up against Ralph Macchio.
So how did Vai end up in the film? Well, it almost didn’t happen. The film’s music composer Ry Cooder was the one to initially reach out to him, but as Vai recalls, he initially shot it down. “They needed a hot rod guitar player for this guitar-duel scene. I read the script, built a duel concept and we recorded it,” he explains. “After the director [Walter Hill] had met me and heard the recording, he asked me if I’d be interested in being in the film. I told him no at first, but then I read the script again and felt that a certain side of my personality could relate to the character of Jack Butler. Celluloid history.”
Open thread.