 (1969) [ larger cover art ] |
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| Giselle62 (many bear, big rock, estuary California) | Posted: Apr 19, 2013 - 12:58 Glad to see Mr. Greenbaum. He looks healthy. |
| calypsus_1 (East of Eden) | Posted: Oct 24, 2012 - 16:58  Who Is This Man???....by skipgoforth Skip Goforth http://www.flickr.com/photos/shaman683/ No it's not me! This guy had a million-seller in 1970.(This is how he looks now.) What is his name and what was the name of his famous song? (hee hee!) |
| Giselle62 (many bear, big rock, estuary California) | Posted: Mar 31, 2011 - 19:35 ghcollins86 wrote: LOVE this song . . . always have!!!  Me too—-and loved when I found out his name was....Norman Greenbaum! (Very cool song/very nerdy name.) |
| Frater_Kork (Uppsala, Sweden) | Posted: Feb 18, 2009 - 03:19 This original is good, but the version performed by Doctor and the Medics is awsome. =)  |
| papaman (Downstate New Mexico) | Posted: Oct 14, 2008 - 17:41 Since I started listening to RP my old bong has been getting more action. |
| bokey (Up on the tightwire. One sides ice and one is fire.Mostly) | Posted: Sep 13, 2008 - 02:39 There are more songs based on this riff than anyone would ever know. To Bill- re: your comment about how it became a hit -Musicians(guitarists I mean, it's a natural hand position) have this riff ingrained from birth, he caught the lightning to get it out there at the right time in the right way.That's why it was a hit. I think I've mentioned elsewhere on RP that "La Grange " by ZZ Top is somewhat similar, it's just where your hands naturally go when you pick up a guitar, not influenced by any style of music, I mean the way your hands physically lay down on the fretboard. The "crotch" of your hand lays at the top of the guitar on the neck where the strings ground(OK-it's called the nut for any Beavis types), and your index or maybe your 3rd finger or maybe even your 4th if you're cool naturally lays on the 3rd and 4th(4th finger natural strength =gift from God,Mark Knopfler type stuff)strings at the 2nd fret and your pinkie is hangin out on 5th Fret and Bronze Street. |
| nigelr (Coffs Harbour, Australia) | Posted: Sep 13, 2008 - 02:38 Nice sea-holly, too. |
| jcioban (Between NYC and Boston) | Posted: Aug 12, 2008 - 11:55 Only one thing to say....  |
| hippiechick (Weekendland) | Posted: Aug 12, 2008 - 11:55 Greenbaum set out to write a religious rock song. He is Jewish, but instead of using a Jewish word for God, he used "Jesus" because he thought it would be more marketable. The original inspiration for this was a song about a preacher by Country singer Porter Waggoner. Greenbaum was also influenced by Folk revival music and traditional Southern Blues. It took months for Greenbaum to finish the music, but the lyrics came really quickly. (thanks to Norman for telling us about this song) Greenbaum began his musical career while a student at Boston University, playing area coffeehouses before relocating to the West Coast during the mid-'60s and forming Dr. West's Medicine Show and Jugband. The now-defunct band had one hit, "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago," and broke up in 1968. The group was characterized as a psychedelic jug band - "jugs" like Southern moonshiners used were blown to make sound. The band also used a washboard bass. (thanks, Stevie - louisville, KY) Greenbaum used to run a goat farm. This has been used in many TV shows and films, including Contact and Wayne's World II. It was also used in a popular American Express commercial. (thanks, Amy - Chicago, IL) |
| ghcollins86 (Santa Monica, CA (469.84 miles SSW of Paradise)) | Posted: Aug 12, 2008 - 11:55 LOVE this song . . . always have!!! |
| helene | Posted: Jun 10, 2008 - 08:40 macadavy wrote: The latter is my guess. If you don't like this you can always go listen to Bobby Bare singing "Drop Kick Me Jesus (Through the Goalposts of Life)" (the world's only Christian football waltz, and a 1976 Grammy nominee).  I think I agree with you. I really like almost all the gospel music I've heard (though I haven't made a study of it or anything), but I've never heard it be so self-congratulatory. That's what made me think this was a joke. |
| EssexTex (Eating a taco in Texas) | Posted: Jun 10, 2008 - 08:38 araujokrl wrote: I'm not so sure that's "his own"..looks more like a whacked out type of thistle  |
| macadavy (Cascadia's attic, eh?) | Posted: Jun 10, 2008 - 08:36 helene wrote: Is he a self-righteous jerk, or making fun of self-righteous jerks? Reminds me of the Austin Lounge Lizards classic, "Jesus Loves Me But He Can't Stand You."
"Interestingly, although his one hit "Spirit in the Sky" is considered by many to be a Jesus rock song with a heavily Christian theme, Greenbaum was and still is a practicing Jew. He was inspired to write the song after observing a country musician singing a song about a preacher on television. ~ Wikipedia"
So the latter is my guess. If you don't like this you can always listen to Bobby Bare singing "Drop Kick Me Jesus (Through the Goalposts of Life)" (the world's only Christian football waltz, and a 1976 Grammy nominee). |
| araujokrl (the county) | Posted: Jun 10, 2008 - 08:25 EssexTex wrote: Growing his own in a window box...explains a lot
I'm not so sure that's "his own"..looks more like a whacked out type of thistle |
| sunny_day (East Coast) | Posted: Jun 10, 2008 - 08:24 The photo on the LP cover is so 70s :) |
| helene | Posted: Jun 10, 2008 - 08:24 Is he a self-righteous jerk, or making fun of self-righteous jerks? Reminds me of the Austin Lounge Lizards classic, "Jesus Loves Me But He Can't Stand You." |
| philbertr (Hurricane Target Florida) | Posted: Jun 10, 2008 - 08:23 Acid-rock Gospel. Has there been anything quite like this since then?? I always liked this. and after a long time since hearing it last, still do. |
| 1wolfy (Mission Viejo California) | Posted: Jun 10, 2008 - 08:23 If only that guitar riff continued a bit longer at the end... |
| TanteJensen (one step ahead from my shoe shine, two steps away from the county line) | Posted: Jun 10, 2008 - 08:23 Musically a 10, but the self-righteousness is unbearable.  |
| mgkiwi (French Alps) | Posted: Jun 10, 2008 - 08:22 Blimey - no comments! Can't remember the last time I heard this - probably some sad party. Must admit, I do like Mike and the Mechanics version. |
| jameshay (Wokingham, UK) | Posted: Jun 10, 2008 - 08:21 happy memories |
| Loonytunas (Cincinnati) | Posted: Jun 10, 2008 - 08:21 Yeah, but it is a cool song. |
| EssexTex (Eating a taco in Texas) | Posted: Jun 10, 2008 - 08:21 Growing his own in a window box...explains a lot |
| californiatwin (Back in play) | Posted: Jun 10, 2008 - 08:20 Great song - great memories |
| TheLoneIguana (Central California) | Posted: Jun 10, 2008 - 08:20 A cool riff wasted on an otherwise goofy song. |
| mandolin (...drifting...) | Posted: Jun 10, 2008 - 08:20 ...that guitar distortion is just e p i c - nothing beats razor-slashed paper cones for unbridled rawness... |
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