SPIRIT IN THE SKY (Fuzzbox)
“Spirit in the Sky” is a song written and originally recorded by Norman Greenbaum and released in late 1969. The single became a gold record, selling two million copies from 1969 to 1970 and reached number three in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart (April 18, 1970), where it lasted for 15 weeks in the Top 100. In 1986, Doctor and the Medics reached No. 1 in the UK singles chart with their version of the song, while the same year punk band Fuzzbox released their own less successful version. (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)
