Synopsis

Swervedriver's "Duel" exists in two video versions. The first follows the band on a loose, self-made excursion around Mount Hood, Oregon, combining snowboarding footage, driving, and performance imagery with a deliberately rough visual texture. A&M Records considered that treatment too degraded for MTV and commissioned a second, more expensive clip in downtown Los Angeles. That version places the band and new bassist Steve George in a polished urban setting, matching the song's forceful guitar attack with a larger-scale presentation.

Factoids & Trivia

• The original video was made independently by the band and filmed at Mount Hood after they traveled to Oregon with a professional snowboarder known through their management.

• Adam Franklin later recalled that the footage was intentionally processed to look worn and damaged. A&M Records disliked that appearance and requested a replacement video aimed more directly at MTV.

• The second production took place in downtown Los Angeles and involved a substantially larger crew, lighting setup, and catering operation. Franklin described the scale of the shoot as a strange contrast with the band's earlier garage-band experience.

• The Los Angeles version included bassist Steve George, who had joined Swervedriver before the North American campaign for Mezcal Head.

• "Duel" was released as a promotional video in November 1993 and accompanied the first single from Mezcal Head.

• The single reached No. 60 on the UK singles chart, at the time Swervedriver's highest-charting single.

• Both NME and Melody Maker named "Duel" their Single of the Week.

• The song later appeared in the 3DO version of Road Rash, alongside "Last Train to Satansville" and tracks by other A&M artists.