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Spirit in the Sky

For other uses, see Spirit in the Sky (disambiguation).
For a deity associated with the sky, see Spirit of the sky.

"Spirit in the Sky" is a song by American singer-songwriter Norman Greenbaum, originally written and recorded by Greenbaum and released in late 1969 from his album Spirit in the Sky.[3] The single became a gold record in the United States, selling two million copies from 1969 to 1970, and reached No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100[5] where it lasted for 15 weeks in the Top 100. Billboard ranked the record as the No. 22 song of 1970.[6] It also climbed to No. 1 on the UK, Australian and Canadian charts in 1970.

"Spirit in the Sky"
side-A label by Eric Records
Side A of the 1989 US reissue
Single by Norman Greenbaum
from the album Spirit in the Sky
B-side"Milk Cow"
Released
  • December 1969 (UK)
  • January 1970 (US)
StudioCoast Recorders, San Francisco
Genre
Length4:02
LabelReprise
Songwriter(s)Norman Greenbaum
Producer(s)Erik Jacobsen
Official audio
"Spirit in the Sky" on YouTube
"Spirit in the Sky"
Song
A-side"Spirit in the Sky"
"Spirit in the Sky"
Song
B-side"Milk Cow"

Rolling Stone ranked "Spirit in the Sky" No. 333 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Cover versions by Doctor and the Medics and Gareth Gates have also made the No. 1 spot in the UK. The song was voted one of the top ten one-hit wonders in a Rolling Stone reader's poll.[7]

Original version by Norman Greenbaum

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"Spirit in the Sky" makes several religious references to Jesus, but Greenbaum himself is Jewish. In a 2006 interview with The New York Times, Greenbaum told a reporter he was inspired to write the song after watching Porter Wagoner singing a gospel song on TV. Greenbaum said: "I thought, 'Yeah, I could do that,' knowing nothing about gospel music, so I sat down and wrote my own gospel song. It came easy. I wrote the words in 15 minutes."[3] Greenbaum had previously been a member of psychedelic jug band Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band. When they split up, he won a solo contract with producer Erik Jacobsen for Reprise Records. Jacobsen had previously worked with the Lovin' Spoonful.[3]

Greenbaum first arranged the song for an acoustic jug band; then he tried a folk version and then a Delta blues style, but none of these were satisfactory. Under Jacobsen's direction, the song started to gel at Coast Recorders studio on Bush Street in San Francisco,[8] with Jacobsen's chosen session players Russell DaShiell on guitar, Doug Killmer from the band Crowfoot on bass, and drummer Norman Mayell from the band Sopwith Camel.[9] Greenbaum used a Fender Telecaster guitar with a fuzz-tone circuit built into the body to generate the song's characteristic guitar sound. Jacobsen finally brought in the Stovall Sisters (Joyce, Lillian, and Netta) from Oakland to support the song with gospel hand percussion and vocal stylings, joined by additional singers.[3]

The resulting sound was an "oddly good and compelling"[3] combination of boogie rock, blues,[8] gospel and hard rock music, with loud drums, distorted electric guitar, clapping hands, and tambourines. Because of the song's length and lyrics, the record company was initially reluctant to issue it, but it was finally released as a single after two other singles from the album had poor sales. "Spirit in the Sky" became a worldwide hit and was the best-selling single for the Reprise label.[3] In his famous 1970 Lennon Remembers interview for Rolling Stone, John Lennon stated that he liked the song.[10] Music historian Simon Reynolds has referred to the sound of "Spirit in the Sky" as "proto-glam".[11]

The song received criticism from some Christians for including the lines, "Never been a sinner/I've never sinned/I got a friend in Jesus", as most Christian views on sin state that "there is no one who has never sinned".[12] Greenbaum had explained that because he was not a Christian, he had been unaware of that when he wrote the song. In an interview with American Songwriter, he said, "I did flub it I guess, cause if I was a Christian and was writing from that mindset, I would have said, 'I've been a sinner' .... But since I didn't have that upbringing, it never occurred to me that it was wrong."[13][12] While some Christian artists have recorded the song using Greenbaum's original lyrics, others have changed those lines, such as DC Talk, who instead sang, "You know I've been a sinner/We've all sinned".[12]

Later albums and singles by Greenbaum were not embraced by the market. By the 1980s, Greenbaum had abandoned his music career and worked as a sous-chef and restaurant kitchen manager.[3]

The song was reworked by Doctor and the Medics in June 1986, achieving chart success in the UK.[14] This cover version was heard in the 1987 film Maid to Order, catalyzing renewed media interest in the original song.[3] The original version is heard in the films Miami Blues (1990), Wayne's World 2 (1993), Apollo 13 (1995), Remember the Titans (2000), Ocean's Eleven (2001), The Sandlot 2 (2005), Katie and Orbie, Suicide Squad, and The Founder (2016). Kellogg's cereal tapped the song for a television advertisement in 1997,[14] and it was the highlight of a lengthy television commercial for Nike shoes in 2005.[3] Greenbaum reflected on the song in 2011, saying, "It sounds as fresh today as when it was recorded. I've gotten letters from funeral directors telling me that it's their second-most-requested song to play at memorial services, next to 'Danny Boy'."[15]

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[37] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[38] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Doctor and the Medics version

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"Spirit in the Sky"
 
Single by Doctor and the Medics
from the album Laughing at the Pieces
B-side"Laughing at the Pieces"
ReleasedApril 28, 1986 (1986-04-28)[39]
Genre
Length3:28
LabelI.R.S.
Songwriter(s)Norman Greenbaum
Producer(s)Craig Leon assisted by Cassell Webb
Doctor and the Medics singles chronology
"The Miracle of the Age"
(1985) 		"Spirit in the Sky"
(1986) 		"Burn"
(1986)

In June 1986, Doctor and the Medics reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart with their version of the song, spending three weeks at the top.[42] In New Zealand, the song reached No. 2 on the RIANZ Singles Chart, while in Canada, it peaked at No. 1 for a week and was the fifth-highest-selling single of 1986. The song has been certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA).

Charts

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Weekly charts

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Chart (1986) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[43] 3
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[44] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[45] 29
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[46] 1
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[47] 15
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[48] 2
Ireland (IRMA)[49] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[50] 2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[51] 16
UK Singles (OCC)[42] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[52] 69
US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard)[52] 27
West Germany (GfK)[53] 9

Year-end charts

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Chart (1986) Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[54] 28
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[55] 16
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[56] 5
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[57] 59
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[58] 48
UK Singles (OCC)[59] 15
West Germany (Official German Charts)[60] 60

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[61] Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[62] Silver 250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Gareth Gates (with the Kumars) version

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"Spirit in the Sky"
 
Single by Gareth Gates with the Kumars
from the album Go Your Own Way
B-side
ReleasedMarch 10, 2003 (2003-03-10)
Recorded2003
Length3:29
Label
Songwriter(s)Norman Greenbaum
Producer(s)Steve Mac
Gareth Gates singles chronology
"What My Heart Wants to Say"
(2002) 		"Spirit in the Sky"
(2003) 		"Sunshine"
(2003)
Music video
"Spirit in the Sky" by Gareth Gates featuring The Kumars on YouTube

"Spirit in the Sky" served as the first single from Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates's second studio album, Go Your Own Way. The single was released on March 10, 2003,[63] and was the official Comic Relief charity single for 2003. The song features guest vocals from the Kumars. The song peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Gates' fourth number-one single.[64] Gates' version has been certified platinum by BPI in the UK.

Track listings

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UK CD1[65]

  1. "Spirit in the Sky" (with the Kumars)
  2. "Dance Again"
  3. "Spirit in the Sky"
  4. "Spirit in the Sky" (video)

UK CD2[66]

  1. "Spirit in the Sky" (with the Kumars)
  2. "Will You Wait for Me?"
  3. Interview with Gareth Gates

UK cassette single[67]

  1. "Spirit in the Sky" (with the Kumars)
  2. "Dance Again"
  3. "Will You Wait for Me?"

UK DVD single[68]

  1. "Spirit in the Sky" (video)
  2. Making of "Spirit in the Sky" (video)
  3. "Dance Again" (video)
  4. Interview with the Kumars (video)

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[85] Platinum 600,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Other versions

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A version by Dorothy Combs Morrison reached No. 99 on Billboard's Hot 100 in October 1970,[86] and No. 47 in Canada during November of that same year.[87]

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Since the 1970s, Manchester United fans have used the song as the base for a chant to support George Best.[88]

The campaign for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War opens with a cutscene featuring the song.[89]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Leeuwis, Jermy. "Jason Mraz – Spirit In The Sky". MusicRemedy. Archived from the original on November 3, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2013. "Jason Mraz's new song is a bluesy, gospel-influenced version of Norman Greenbaum's 1970 psychedelic rock anthem 'Spirit in the Sky.'"
  2. ^ Casalena, Em (November 1, 2024). "4 Hidden Gems From the World of One-Hit Rock Wonders". American Songwriter. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k McNichol, Tom (December 24, 2006). "A 'Spirit' From the '60s That Won't Die". The New York Times. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  4. ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Spirit in the Sky on Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 24, 2013. "The handclaps and riffs ... simmered down a little to allow Greenbaum to sing a tune which really did sound like a genuine gospel song ..."
  5. ^ "Spirit In The Sky by Norman Greenbaum | Billboard The Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  6. ^ Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1970
  7. ^ Greene, Andy (May 4, 2011). "Poll: Top 10 One-Hit Wonders". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  8. ^ a b Sarah Hill, ed. (2022). One-Hit Wonders: An Oblique History of Popular Music. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 40. ISBN 9781501368431.
  9. ^ Goldberg, Michael (September 10, 1987). "Sopwith Camel: Where Are They Now?". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  10. ^ Wenner, Jann (2000). Lennon Remembers: New Edition. London: Verso. p. 10. ISBN 978-1859846001.
  11. ^ Reynolds, Simon (2016). "Boogie Poet: Mark Bolan and T. Rex". Shock and Awe: Glam Rock and Its Legacy. London: Faber & Faber. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-571-30171-3.
  12. ^ a b c Philip Auslander, "Norman Greenbaum, 'Spirit in the Sky' (1969)", in Hill, Sarah, ed. (February 24, 2022). One-Hit Wonders: An Oblique History of Popular Music. New York: Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 44–45. ISBN 9781501368400. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  13. ^ Britt, Grant (2013). "Norman Greenbaum, "Spirit In The Sky"". American Songwriter. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Davis, Sharon (2012). "May 1970: Norman Greenbaum – Spirit in the Sky". Every Chart Topper Tells a Story: The Seventies. Random House. ISBN 9781780574103.
  15. ^ "Christian Order - Read - Editorials - February 2011". Christianorder.com. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  16. ^ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. July 18, 1970. p. 71. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  17. ^ "Australia n°1 Hits - 70's". Worldcharts.co.uk. Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
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  31. ^ "Norman Greenbaum Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  32. ^ "Norman Greenbaum Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
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  34. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca. July 17, 2013.
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  38. ^ "American single certifications – Norman Greenbaum – Spirit in the Sky". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  39. ^ "New Singles". Music Week. April 26, 1986. p. 21.
  40. ^ Mills, Ted. "Laughing at the Pieces review on Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
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  42. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  43. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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  47. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 30/31. August 2, 1986. p. 12.
  48. ^ "Top 3 in Europe". Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 30/31. August 2, 1986. p. 14.
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  52. ^ a b "Doctor & the Medics awards on Allmusic". Allmusic. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
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  54. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1986". Kent Music Report. No. 650. December 1986. Retrieved January 24, 2023 – via Imgur.
  55. ^ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1986" (in German). Retrieved June 23, 2022.
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  61. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Doctor and the Medics – Spirit in the Sky". Music Canada. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  62. ^ "British single certifications – Doctor & the Medics – Spirit in the Sky". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  63. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 10 March 2003: Singles". Music Week. March 8, 2003. p. 21.
  64. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  65. ^ Spirit in the Sky (UK CD1 liner notes). Gareth Gates, the Kumars. 19 Recordings, S Records, RCA Records, BMG. 2003. 82876 51119 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  66. ^ Spirit in the Sky (UK CD2 liner notes). Gareth Gates, the Kumars. 19 Recordings, S Records, RCA Records, BMG. 2003. 82876 511202.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  67. ^ Spirit in the Sky (UK cassette single sleeve). Gareth Gates, the Kumars. 19 Recordings, S Records, RCA Records, BMG. 2003. 82876 511194.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  68. ^ Spirit in the Sky (UK DVD single liner notes). Gareth Gates, the Kumars. 19 Recordings, S Records, RCA Records, BMG. 2003. 82876 50838 9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  69. ^ "Gareth Gates with the Kumars – Spirit in the Sky" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  70. ^ "Gareth Gates with the Kumars – Spirit in the Sky" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  71. ^ "Gareth Gates with the Kumars – Spirit in the Sky" (in French). Ultratip.
  72. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 21, no. 15. April 5, 2003. p. 13.
  73. ^ "Gareth Gates with the Kumars – Spirit in the Sky" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  74. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  75. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Spirit in the Sky". Irish Singles Chart.
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  87. ^ title RPM Magazine
  88. ^ On The Piss With Georgie Best! | Southampton 2-3 Manchester United | #RedArmyCam, September 20, 2015, retrieved November 29, 2023
  89. ^ Gibbons, Brodie (November 14, 2020). "Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Campaign Review - An Exciting New Lens". Press Start. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
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