Norman Greenbaum
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Norman Greenbaum (born November 20, 1942, Malden, Massachusetts, United States) is an American singer-songwriter. He was raised in a traditional Jewish household and attended Hebrew school. His initial interest in music was sparked by southern blues music and the folk music that was hugely popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He performed with various bands in high school and studied music at Boston University for two years. In college he performed at local coffeehouses but eventually dropped out and moved to Los Angeles in 1965.
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[edit] Career
Greenbaum is best known for his song "Spirit in the Sky". It sold two million copies across 1969 and 1970.[1] Sales for this song reached over one million by May 1970 alone, and received a gold disc awarded by the R.I.A.A..[1] The song, with its combination of 'heavy' guitar, hand-clapping, and spiritual lyrics, has been used in many films, advertisements, and television shows. Warner Bros. Records released "Spirit in the Sky" to tremendous response in 1970; a December 1970 survey of the top 100 songs of the decade, hosted by radio personality Robert W. Morgan, listed "Spirit in the Sky" at #7.
Although "Spirit in the Sky" has a clear Christian theme, Greenbaum was, and still is, a practicing Jew.[2][3] He was inspired to write the song after watching country singers Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner singing a religious song on television.
In a 12/06/2011 interview with classic-rock music journalist Ray Shasho of The Examiner, Greenbaum stated that western movies were the real inspiration for "Spirit In The Sky":
Norman Greenbaum: If you ask me what I based “Spirit In The Sky” on… What did we grow up watching? …Westerns! These mean and nasty varmints get shot and they wanted to die with their boots on. So to me that was spiritual, they wanted to die with their boots on.
Ray Shasho: So that was the trigger that got you to write the song?
Norman Greenbaum: Yes. The song itself was simple, when you’re writing a song you keep it simple of course. It wasn’t like a Christian song of praise it was just a simple song. I had to use Christianity because I had to use something. But more important it wasn’t the Jesus part, it was the spirit in the sky. Funny enough… I wanted to die with my boots on.
Though Greenbaum is generally regarded as a one-hit wonder;[2][3] several of his records placed prominently in the charts. In 1968, under the name Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band, he recorded the novelty hit "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago".
[edit] "Spirit in the Sky" remakes
Another group, Doctor and the Medics, became a one-hit wonder of sorts with their version of "Spirit in the Sky" in 1986 (they had a minor hit with the follow-up "Burn", and a hit album Laughing at the Pieces). Also in 1986, an all-girl punk band called Fuzzbox had a hit with the song. British television stars The Kumars also became one-hit wonders in the UK, when they and Gareth Gates reached #1 with the same song in 2003. "Spirit in the Sky" is featured on the video game Rock Band 2. The song was also remade by the Christian band Stellar Kart and debuted in their 2010 album, Everything Is Different Now. The Kentucky Headhunters recorded it, including it on their 1991 album, Electric Barnyard.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 280. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ a b McNichol, Tom (2006-12-24), "A ‘Spirit’ From the ’60s That Won’t Die", The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/24/fashion/24norman.htm?pagewanted=all, retrieved 2009-12-22
- ^ a b Benarde, Scott R. (2003). Stars of David: rock'n'roll's Jewish stories. UPNE. pp. 186. ISBN 1584653035. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=XI4-VnSrEcAC.
