THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

116-Norman Greenbaum-Spirit in the Sky.

1970-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 3.19. Probably the most famous ‘One Hit Wonder’ of them all.

A ‘One Hit Wonder’ (in my opinion) is an artist or group who have a Number 1 single, and never reach the top 40 again. The act may have hits in other countries, but as long as they never chart again in that said territory, then the rule applies. On this ‘1000 Best Songs’ countdown there are six qualifiers, the other five are are, best songs 990-698-496-467 and 101.

Norman Joel Greenbaum was born on November 20th, 1942, in Maiden, Massachusetts, United States, he was raised in an Orthodox Jewish household, and attended Hebrew school at the local synagogue. Prior to his solo career he had been a member of the American Psychedelic Rock band ‘Dr. West’s Medicine Show and Junk Band,’ who released one studio Album in 1967, and four singles between 1967-1968, which included their novelty song ‘The Eggplant That Ate Chicago,’ which was written by Greenbaum, and reached Number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 in America in 1967. After the split of ‘Dr. West’s Medicine Show and Junk Band’ Greenbaum pursued a solo career as a Folk artist, which was when he submitted his original first version of ‘Spirit in the Sky’ to Erik Jacobsen who was producing for ‘Reprise Records’ at that time. Greenbaum was signed by ‘Reprise Records’ and went on to release three solo studio Albums between 1969-1972, and nine singles in the same time period.

‘Spirit in the Sky’ was written by Norman Greenbaum, and produced by Erik Jacobsen, who radically rearranged the acoustic ‘Folk’ rendition Greenbaum had initially sent him, adding electric guitar, synthesised effects, and Gospel styled backing singers. Prior to working with Greenbaum, Jacobsen had great success as the producer of three Albums for ‘The Lovin’ Spoonful,’ which included seven Billboard top 10 singles, one of which was the 1966 Number 1 ‘Summer on the City.’ Jacobsen is also remembered for producing the Folk singer Tim Hardin, (1941-1980) and also for producing nine Albums for Chris Isaak between 1985-2006.

Norman Greenbaum has explained the meaning of ‘Spirit in the Sky,’ ‘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. 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.’ Greenbaum has also gone on to say,’I’m just some Jewish musician who really dug gospel music. I decided there was a larger Jesus gospel market out there than a Jehovah one.’

‘Spirit in the Sky’ became a UK Number 1 single in 1970, and peaked at Number 3 on Billboard in America, and has sold in excess of 2 million copies worldwide to date. In the UK the song has also been to Number 1 for two other acts as well. In June 1986 the British Rock band ‘Doctor and the Medics’ spent three weeks at Number 1 with their version, and then in March 2003 the English singer Gareth Gates teamed up with comedy act the ‘Kumars’ to record the song for that years British ‘Comic Relief’ charity single.

‘When I die and they lay me to rest, gonna go to the place that’s the best. when I lay me down to die, goin’ up to the spirit in the sky,’