Doctor and the Medics are an English glam rock band formed in London in 1981. The group received their great success during the 1980s and are best known for their cover of Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky”, the group’s hit single which reached No. 1 in the UK singles charts. The band currently performs, with a different line-up, as a tribute act to various artists. The group’s musical style includes neo-psychedelia, glam rock, new wave, and pop rock. (More from Wikipedia)
The flamboyant look of Fuzzbox and their savvy meld of new wave and punk a la the Go-Go’s with fuzztone made the British band indie rock darlings for a time. Allmusic gripes that, if anything, they don’t use their fuzzbox enough; but I was always satisfied. We’ve Got a Fuzzbox and We’re Gonna Use It includes mostly cool original songs but also a cover of the fuzz classic “Spirit in the Sky”; the song was originally released by Norman Greenbaum in late 1969, reaching #1 on the British charts, and was a #1 hit in the UK by another British band Doctor and the Medics in 1986.
(February 2014)
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There have been several cover versions over the years; two that I have are by Doctor and the Medics – who also reached #1 on the U.K. charts with “Spirit in the Sky” (Gareth Gates is yet a third artist who reached Number One in the U.K. with “Spirit in the Sky”) – and by the all-female band Fuzzbox.
(July 2014)
