Spirit in the sky - Norman Greenbaum

'Spirit in the sky' was originally written and recorded by Norman Greenbaum. Released in 1969, the single sold over two million copies, reaching number 3 in the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, number 1 in the UK, Australia and Germany.

According to Greenbaum, he was inspired to write the song after watching Porter Wagoner on TV singing a gospel song. Greenbaum later 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." The lyric makes several references to Jesus, despite the fact that Greenbaum is in fact Jewish.

Several artists have covered 'Spirit in the sky', including Kim Wilde, who released her version of the song on a single, released on February 24, 2012 as a double A-side with a cover of the Buzzcocks' 'Ever fallen in love'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5653
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 23, 2014
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Spirit in the sky' / 'Tars of India'