Norman Greenbaum ~ Spirit In The Sky 1969 Pop Purrfection Version

There was some pretty groovy 70’s sounding tunes that started to come out in 1969 establishing a sound that was different from the explosively experimental sixties. It was time to mellow out, and take the advice of the hippie generation. In comes in Norman Greenbaum and his psychedelic and irreverent “Spirit In The Sky“ with a driving rock beat and the coolest use of fuzz guitar ever. The lyrics are honest to God proselytizing but the song beat a path to #3 on the Hot100 in the spring of 1969, presaging other religious themed songs like Ocean’s “Put Your Hand In The Hand“ from 1971, and the #1 Sister Janet Mead whose guitar rendering of the Lord’s Prayer (the Our Father who are in heaven) from 1974. The song is now considered a rock classic. Norman was born on November 20, 1942 in Malden, Massachusetts. While he was in high school he developed an interest in folk music and learned to play the guitar. His love of the old timey music and inspired by the Jim Kweskin