![]() I had to use Christianity because I had to use something. It wasn't like a Christian song of praise it was just a simple song. The song itself was simple, when you're writing a song you keep it simple of course. Ray Shasho: So that was the trigger that got you to write the song? So to me that was spiritual, they wanted to die with their boots on. what did we grow up watching? Westerns! These mean and nasty varmints get shot and they wanted to die with their boots on. Norman Greenbaum: If you ask me what I based "Spirit in the Sky" on . In an interview Greenbaum stated that Western movies were the real inspiration for "Spirit in the Sky": Greenbaum says he was inspired to write the song after watching country singers singing a song on television. Īlthough "Spirit in the Sky" has a clear Christian theme, Greenbaum was and remains an observant Jew. It has subsequently been used in many films, advertisements, and television shows. It sold two million copies in 19, and received a gold disc from the RIAA. Reprise released the record in late 1969, and it skyrocketed to #1 in almost all worldwide markets. The updated version now had pulsing electric guitar, synthesized effects, gospel-styled backup singers, and an insistent rhythm accompanying Greenbaum, whose vocal was now double-tracked. Reprise handed Greenbaum to staff producer Erik Jacobsen, who radically rearranged the song for a new recording session. His demonstration recording was a simple folk rendition, with Greenbaum accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. Greenbaum went solo as a folk artist and submitted an original song, " Spirit in the Sky", to Reprise Records. The group's psychedelic approach was too eccentric for mainstream show business the group's name suggested a novelty or comedy act incorporating music. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band, which recorded the novelty hit " The Eggplant That Ate Chicago". In the late 1960s Norman Greenbaum was the leader and composer for Dr. In college he performed at local coffeehouses but eventually dropped out and moved to Los Angeles in 1965. He performed with various bands in high school and studied music at Boston University for two years. His initial interest in music was sparked by Southern blues music and the folk music that was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He was raised in an Orthodox Jewish household and attended Hebrew school at Congregation Beth Israel. Greenbaum was born in Malden, Massachusetts. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |