NOBODY on Earth Has EVER Been Able to REPLICATE Iconic GUITAR Sound on 70s Classic-Professor of Rock
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
- Coming up, an interview with Norman Greenbaum. He is a rockstar that I’ve been trying to track down for almost 8 years to get the story of what I believe is the greatest one-hit wonder in the history of music... Spirit in the Sky. But I couldn’t find him. I had heard rumors that he had just disappeared and couldn’t be found. Then fate stepped in and I met him at a concert. To celebrate a million subscribers this is one of a few special episodes we’re doing. Norman started as a goat Farmer and then he developed a guitar effect on today’s classic hit that no one in the world has ever been able to repeat, not even him. A special interview is coming up next on Professor of Rock.
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#classicrock #70smusic #vinylstory #onehitwonder
Hey Music Junkies, Professor of Rock, always here to celebrate the greatest artists and songs of all time; if you remember laughing at the sheer cheesiness of the 80s after-school specials or serious teen commercials that never quite hit. You’ll dig this channel of deep musical nostalgia Make sure to subscribe below and make sure to hit the bell so you always get our daily features. Also, check out more content on our page on Patreon to become an insider.
I’m really excited to bring you a special edition of our series Revelations- where featured artists go deep on their greatest songs and albums. We’ve hit a million subs and in celebration of that we are going to be featuring some very special episodes over the next month or so starting with this one. WE really appreciate all of the support though the years so we are going get the story of what I believe is the greatest bottled lightning hit of them all.. the greatest one hit wonder in the history of music. This episode is a hybrid of revelations and bottled lightning… I told the story years ago and it became our first video to hit a million views. but I always wanted to track down the artist who wrote and sang it. so for about 7 years I tried to track him down but I came up empty every time, then I was touring with Kenny Loggins doing a live story and song even in San Franciso and I heard a yell from the side of the stage after the show was over and it walked right smack dab into Norman Greenbaum and so this interview has been a long time coming, I’m finally getting the story of SPIRIT in the Sky from the man who created it and I couldn’t be more excited. It’s such a compelling story and the get all new details from Norman So let’s get into it.
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Here’s Norman with the story.
Leave us a comment about this amazing song… Is it the greatest Bottle Lightning classic ever? I think Norman deserves entrance into the rock hall for this song alone. It will live forever. What is your take what are you memories of this classic song. Stay tuned for more special episodes to celebrate million subs. Let’s discuss in the comments. If you dig our content and our videos, make sure to subscribe below so you never miss out on our content. Make sure to look us up on Patreon for more content help us Keep the music alive my friends.
Poll: What is your pick for the GREATEST GUITAR SONG of the ROCK ERA?
Black Magic Woman
Frampton Comes Alive. Do you feel like we do
1950s: "Rebel Rouser" by Duane Eddy (R.I.P.)
1960s: "Bombora!" by The Original Surfaris (no, NOT the band that did "Wipe Out")
1970s: "Time" by Pink Floyd
1980s: "Surfing With the Alien" by Joe Satriani
Money for Nothing - Dire Straits
ooooh .... guitar song - BACK in BLACK !!!
My husband loved this song. He told me almost jokingly that he wanted it played at his funeral. He died in an accident in 2001. I made sure that this song was played at the very end of the service as the pallbearers carried him out. Everyone was on their feet, clapping to the beat. We rocked it out! It was awesome!
Most any funeral director will admit that this song is in the Top Five of requested songs at sometime during the service.
Awesome !!
🙏🙏💖💖
Awesome! What a wonderful way to end his service. Thanks for sharing.
Great story.
My mother casually mentioned to me (age 15) back in 1970 that she would like to have this song played at her funeral service... 2016 and her request was honored
Love you mom
RIP to your mom.
@@montyrayza7220
Thank you 🙏
Thank you for sharing, I believe your mother was smiling down at you.
@@butchjohnson40
Thank you
Very Kool.
That fuzzy guitar tone is absolutely EPIC.
If an artist is only going to have one hit in their lifetime, this is the quintessential one.
That's right!
He just struck GOLD.
Demands to be cranked up to “eleven.”
Black Betty also comes to mind.
Also..."Schleedleschlagle's Train Song...." Epic....
My uncle died back in December and he requested this song be played at his funeral. So it was.
My niece Lori requested before she succumbed to cancer that it be played at her wake, which it was. It was awkward because all of us just sat there listening, and to this day, I still regret not having started singing it aloud in hopes that everyone there would join in. She died in 2007 at the age of 33.
"I'm mixing this for the car because that's where everyone's going to hear it." So, it's the summer of 1970 and my wife at the time and I are just miserable, driving from Boston to Guadalajara Mexico, packed into a 1966 VW bus with everything we own after my parents talked me into going to medical school down there, against my better judgement and wishes. We had the AM radio going pretty much all the time, channel surfing from station to station as we moved south searching for something other than country music and farm reports. The trip had many, many low points, but the highlight each and every day of the trip was the fact that multiple times during the day, we would find a station we could listen to and without fail "Spirit in the Sky" would come on. We would smile at each other, sing along, and for a few miles, forget all our cares. The coolest part was hearing the DJs on Mexican stations with their great radio voices announce our spirit-saving summer song was about to be played one more time.
That is awesome
That is a great story! I could feel myself in it! I am 68 so I remember it being in the summertime.
So did you finish Mexican med school?
@@MegaSnakegirl Nope. Knew it was a mistake. Left after one semester. Came home and got a PhD in Biochemistry instead. Had a long, happy, and successful career in healthcare. 😊
@@tonylaudin3777good for you! Not everyone is meant to be a doctor!
30 years ago we had a 13 year old babysitter whose parents were extremely strict baptists and wouldn't let her listen to ANY rock music. They had never heard "Spirit in the Sky" and after I introduced them to it and the lyrics - they loosened their beliefs for her.
Ah yes, the religious extremist kinds unfortunately. Where racism was totally okay, but rock music was of the devil. Glad they loosened up a bit after hearing this song.
That doesn't even make sense. The song is explicitly UN-biblical:
"Never been a sinner, I never sinned
I got a friend in Jesus"
@@DashCrashCamthe abolitionists were religious extremists.
@@DashCrashCamWhy do you assume that they were racists? That's not really fair.
@@tomforsythe7024It’s assumed by certain people who believe others are the intolerant ones, when in reality it’s them that are the ones slapping a label on others they’ve never even met.
That was nice of him to say he saw your original show on this song and loved it. What a truly down to earth guy
So cool!
I think he was even fanboy-ing a little. I can't blame him.
(NG for PoR, I mean)
@@gojade3968 Mutual respect :)
He’s such a sweet guy.
When I die
And they lay me to rest
I hope someone plays this song.
Same!!
Make sure people know you want it played at your funeral.
This and "Speak to the Sky" by Rick Springfield, which came out two years later.
Self-professed pseudo-Christians turned me off years ago, so I call myself a follower of Yeshua rather than Christian, because I do my best to follow his actual teachings.
Life is wonderful!!!
@@Keyspoet27 John 16:12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now."
If you look at the context, there were spiritual truths that could not be revealed while Jesus was on Earth.
You are missing out.
We played this one at my Father in law's funeral, per his request. It was awesome!
I'm 70 and every time I hear this song, I crank it up (if I can). I love this song.
you got me beat by a few years but 100% agree
Me too! 68 here!
I’m 67, I still remember going to the music store and buying the 45 rpm vinyl record.
Here too in the house or car 👍🥰🥰👍
For you to be looking for Norman Greenbaum for 10 years and he finds you. That's the very definition of serendipity. When Spirit in the Sky comes on the radio (all too rarely these days) the volume will always go up. My family is well aware that this is the one song that must be played at my funeral.
Not serendipity, fate. That’s how God does things!
If there was ever a song that was in it's own genre, it's Spirit In The Sky. There was nothing like it before and hasn't been anything like it since.
Talking about hearing "Spirit in the Sky" at work... I'm a pastor and one day I was in a room in the nursing home keeping vigil with some of my members as their mother/MIL was dying. The hospice nurse came in and sat with us for a bit. Her phone rang, and her ringtone was "Spirit in the Sky"!
Wow! Such a cool story!
That’s amazing!
That is totally off the hook!
@@ProfessorofRockno,not really..
As Q has posted... there's no such things as coincidences!!
I was born in 1960 so my teenage years were the 70s. And I remember that we didn't realize that spirit in the sky and put your hand in the hand were religious songs. We just knew that we really loved them. So thank you Norman, for being part of my teenage years.
Wow - you must have had NO religious education at ALL!
@tomkeffer9861, me too! High school class of ‘78. Great time to grow up musically.
Came to comments to say pretty much exactly what you said even though I'm a few years older.
I didn't have a particularly religious upbringing, did go to church Sundays for several years but mainly because friend was vicars son (pastor?).
Sang in choir for years as well but had no clue Spirit was religious until years later when I actually listened to ALL the words
"Spirit in the Sky" was a bit ambiguous -- but "Put Your Hand in the Hand of the Man From Galilee" didn't tip you off? Who did you think that was? (I HATED that song, by the way....)
@@stevecarson4162To Jesus, it was beautiful. Get right or get left. The soul lives forever.
I wasn't raised in a religious family, didn't have a church background, but Spirit in The Sky spoke to me on a deep level. To this day, I count 3 songs as planting seeds of faith, or maybe making me aware anyway of Jesus. They're not religious songs, Per se, yet something about them sparked faith in me that later impacted me: Mrs Robinson (Jesus loves you more could know), Spirit in the Sky (Gotta have a friend in Jesus), and Jesus is just Alright (Jesus, he's my friend..took me by the hand...). Norman is right. He was chosen. Norman, thank you for the song, it's still one of my favorites. Great to see and hear you share your story.
Isn't it great that a jewish man was among those who inspired you to look to Jesus?!? I love it. Doobie Brothers helped me along as well!!
@@73cgreenefantastic! 😁👍
You do realize it was hippies mocking religious beliefs, right?
Oh, and Jesus was at most a wacky preacher. At the least, a fictional character.
Great share!
Its tongue in cheek spoof on Christians right over everyone's head 😊
I'm 74 and I want to thank you for reintroducing me to Norman Greenbaum. Memories are past and past is memories. Thanks.
75 and totally agree.
It doesn't matter where you are, when this song comes on you can't listen to it at normal volume. It's gotta be loud enough they can hear it in heaven!!!❤️😘🇨🇦
So true. Maybe we could see an episode on songs that people turn up when they come on. It’s a legit category!!!
hell ya--I keep a list of songs that I HAVE to turn up to eleven when I hear them !
I'm 59 and I have heard Spirit in the Sky on AM radio a million times
over the years and I always wondered whatever happened to him
Thanks for the meet up with Norman Greenbaum.🎵🎶🎼🎼🎶🎵
Always puzzling why AM radio lasted so long for music... sound quality is terrible and laughable and only in mono. Great song though, and I remember older music was designed to sound better on AM so maybe that's why it was tolerable.
@@DashCrashCam If you went from a hand held Japanese transistor radio with a single speaker smaller than the palm of your hand... or worse yet, a crystal (piezoelectric) earpiece in only one ear.... on larger, sometimes multiple speakers in a car...it was glorious!! And, even an 8track on a car stereo really wasn't that much better.
@@DashCrashCam It's because of the range it can cover, has more bandwidth and the massive install base of radios.
I remember hearing "Spirit In The Sky" as a kid, two versions. I heard the original and later an 80s remake by a British band, "Doctor & The Medics." Their appearance was like Robert Smith of the Cure and the band Dead Or Alive.
I'm happy to learn that I share something with Norman Greenbaum, I'm a goat "farmer" (it's rancher, actually since goats don't grow out of the ground) and I live in S. California, leading a simple life off-grid.
I remained friends with my first boyfriend (since the late 80's), we became more like brother & sister to each other. I'm Christian, and he's Native American and worships Great Spirit.
One day, we were having a conversation, and I began to say to him, "I know that we dont worship the same God, but..." when he interrupted me and asked me, "What makes you think that we dont worship the same God?" He began to explain to me and went into great detail how that we do worship the same God, but that I as a Christian refer to Him as Holy Spirit and he refers to Him as Great Spirit, but that we are both referring to the same One.
He passed away in 2018, he had a seizure while he was asleep and never woke up, at least, not here in his earthly body.
I was utterly impacted by that conversation we had that one day. Probably one of my most favorite conversations I've ever had with anyone.
I'm certain that I'll see my "brother" again one day.
This song, has always reminded me of him and that significant conversation we had. ❤
I do believe that you will see your dear departed friend again.
@carlacook5181
Aww, thank you! We will all meet in everlasting joy!
So sorry for your loss and he seemed like a wonderful man.
Awesome story and thanks for sharing
I once heard a story about the first settlers in America sharing Christ with a certain tribe of natives. As they were sharing, the natives said, "Yes, we know already this."
When asked how, the natives said, "It is written in the sky."
The Gospel is written in the stars. God did that so every man could be saved without directly hearing from his prophets.
So when someone tries to discredit God by saying, "What about the people who had never heard of him?"
You can tell them, "All they had to do was look up."
Now many used the stars to gain power from Draco the dragon, aka Satan... but not all. Some got it.
What a great and humble person! Wow, this guy is 82 now and vivid as a twen, just look at his face with barely no wrinkles and his hands without any age spots; he is a truely blessed person, may he live on healthy and long
Well, I can tell you one thing for sure. When I die and they lay me to rest I wanna go to the place that’s the best. Thank you, Norman for those immortal words.
My Mom, wanted this song played at her memorial. And I'm sure she got to meet the Spirit in the Sky! RIP Mom
Praise the Name of Jesus.
May she RIP.
My mom had one of Bob Seger's songs played at her service, the song Like A Rock, we tried to think of the best song to play and that came up cus my mom was our rock....the port in storm, the glue that held us together, my dad was the fire, the calamity that drove us away lol
I'm sure she did!
The #1 Lightning In A Bottle song of all-time !!!! How serendipitous you ran into Norman!
Right?
@surlechapeau And ran into him at such a milestone for the channel.
I would say it is Providence. Quite proper to call it #1.
It is the greatest because about Who the song is. 🕊
I remember when Spirit in the Sky” came out, and you couldn’t walk a block without hearing it blasting out of a store, car, or apartment window. One of my Top 3 One Hit Wonders, thanks Professor!
YES...Norman Greenbaum definitely needs to go to the Hall with this song. One of the most intense energetically fulfilling songs EVER. The best version is Mr. Greenbaum's...Favorite among the songs reminding of 'David' dancing in worship and thanks in God.
I remember loving that song when I was 16, driving to school. I’m 70 now and still love hearing it. Thanks for the insight.
I was 9 years old when Spirit in the Sky hit the airwaves and I was absolutely blown away when I heard it. I have been a raging fan ever since. I still crank my stereo to the max whenever it comes on my iPod/cellphone. Drives my wife nuts because I don’t want to talk, just sing my “Hippy Music”! It really takes me back. Thank you Norman!
Same here!!!
Man, don't know what is cooler... the interview or just how you finally were able to connect with him in the first place!
I was only 13 at the time and this was a HUGE hit on the radio. 54 years later and I've never heard anyone replicate this sound. Literal lightning in a bottle. Thanks for the wonderful childhood memories Mr. Greenbaum.
I grew up in Oak Park, IL and knew Erik Jacobsen the producer. He was older than me in our high school years but we shared a love for the American Folk scene in the early 60's. By 1970 I had hitchhiked to California. A benign hippy cult called Jews for Jesus discovered me on the beach at Bodega Bay and invited me to crash with them on a chicken farm in Petaluma. That farm turned out to belong to Norman Greenbaum bought with the money he made from the settlement with Jacobsen (a long story you probably already know). When we discovered we knew many mutual acquaintances I was overcome by the aura of serendipity that surrounds him. Now you have experienced that sense of predestination and the cyclical nature of the universe.
Peace
Norman was a cult leader?
Good question and I should clarify. Norman’s chicken farm was known as an open place to camp on the land if you were in the area. The cult was well known and would hold parties in the fields. Norman was the flip side to Manson sort of thing, chaotic good
@@dogstar7 Yeah there were a lot of cults back then. Moonies, Children of God, Hare Krishna. "Gotta have a friend in Jesus" lyric makes sense if he was with the Jews for Jesus. On the Mason note would you be suprised to find out Mason and his crew are crisis actors and to this day the whole thing was a fabricated psyop operation. Miles Mathis has a long 95 page document easily proving it. Search... Miles Mathis/ tate.
In 69 through 73 we lived in Cotati and my mom drove out to Norman's farm to buy eggs every week. End of the beginning was the little bar in town and the tunes were the regular Thursday night band, the dead did surprise shows, that place was magical back then
Lightning in a bottle.
It was meant to be.
Thank you for the interview.
And thank you Norman.
Love your song.
May it live forever.
It’s on my playlist and will be played at my funeral.
Thank you for writing what I feel too. :)
What a great way to celebrate a million! Thank you Professor!
Norman and his wife Bonita are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. It was an honor to play with them on the On The Blue cruise recently. I grew up listening to Spirit In The Sky and it has special meaning for me.
I used to be a serious Christian. This song was up there with Dust In the Wind, Jesus is Just Alright, and a few others that were rock songs that talked about religion.
I'm no longer Christian (I don't care if you are or not), but these songs still bring me joyful memories of my youth.
Some songs are priceless to me. This is among them.
Thank you Professor for keeping the music off my youth alive!!
JJ -South Alabama
JJ - Jesus will welcome his child back with open, loving arms. Prayers for you brother.
So you no longer desire eternal life, but prefer destruction in the lake of fire? What convinced you to give up so great a salvation? Could anything bring you back? It's coming soon to this planet.
Generally, I find old hippies that have tried to keep their glory days hair to be a bad look. Norm, you've kept it glorious.
Hair? What hair? But seriously, I have just enough for the bad look...very bad.
One of the greatest songs of his era, and it's because it's unique.
For sure1
Of ANY era!
My eight year old niece loved this song in the early 70's. Mid-70's she was diagnosed with leukemia and passed away a couple years later, 12 years old I think. Very special kid. I still think of her when I hear this beautiful song.
Great interview. I always wondered what happened to Mr. Greenbaum, and he sounds like a very cool person.
Sorry 😞
There is nothing else like this song , definitely way ahead of it's time. So glad you finally got an interview with Norman, that guitar sound is just ear candy. Congrats on 1 mil by the way! Such an amazing accomplishment.
Thank you so much! He is such a great guy!
Not ahead of its time. Just timeless. That's better.
It’s just a cool sounding guitar.
Great song. Great guy. 81 years old. God bless him. Hope he's around for many more years.
I have a friend who tragically lost her son who suffered from addiction and mental health issues. He had a good heart. H3 wouldn't hurt a fly but was self destructive. She came to me for advice on music to play at his funeral. I didn't even have to think about it this song immediately came to mind.
N.G.: "I didn't write anything about the weather. I left that to the Turtles." LOL! I actually got that reference. (The line in "Happy Together's" outro: "And how is the weather?")
He is so witty. Really enjoyed this interview.
I caught that too! That was my mom & step-dad’s song “Happy Together!”
Yup, that was a great pun!
Wasn't he famous for a song about early morning rain?
1969 6 years old going on 7 still living on Oahu!! One of 20+ songs that takes me back there. A couple others; BAND ON THE RUN, BENNIE AND THE JETS, MY SWEET LORD, BLACK WATER!! Those were the days my friend!! Thanks Professor!! Peace 🕊️☮️♾️😎
I was born in late 1969 & I know every song you listed. 🤘
Music was so much better back then, in my humble opinion. 😉
Lived on Oahu (Hickam AFB) from 75 to 79.
That sounds like an amazing childhood! I've never been to Hawaii, but it was my parents' favorite place to go to rekindle their romance during their 40 years together, and Oahu was their favorite island.
I was 8 years old in 1969, and I love the music we grew up with.
What's it like to be in your early 60s like me?
@@bruceshaw-s8iThankful I can stand! ☮️
@@vixstert.5642 Cool!! I lived straight up from Barbers Point and Ewa Beach in Makakilo before the school was built.☮️
In '08 and '09 when I was deployed to Iraq with an MP Unit here in Indiana. I was a Driver and my TC (Truck Commander). would play, Spirit in The Sky, every morning before we started our mission for the day. Hearing this today, first brought a smile to my face and then made me emotional. Myself, the gunner, and the medic would occasionally ask the TC to play a different song. He wouldn't do it. We heard this song or no song at all. Thanks for this episode! 🥂BTW. I would like to see you do your own top 10 episode.
So cool! Thank you for sharing!
There is a great cover of the song from the 1980s as well. How ironic you had a medic listening to the song with you. The only person missing from your group was a doctor.
@80s-el
Thank you for your service!🫡
This is awesome!
Adam’s top 10 episode would be three hours long because I’ve kept track and he has named 87 songs to be in his top 10 or higher.
If only more celebrities were more like him….absolutely terrific interview!!
I certainly remember Spirit in the Sky well, but it's Norman's album "Petaluma" that really captured my attention back in about 1972 or so.. I was in college in Utah, and none of my friends knew who he was, or cared for this album, but I played it over and over again. Today I often put different songs on my Instagram posts, where you can add music. That goat farmer got my attention!
Agreed. He should be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
So glad, so glad you found Norman and got all this recorded for history. Such a humble gentleman ... ✝️🙏
What a great score. He was famously a recluse.
That's right!
@@ProfessorofRock It's a testament to the job you're doing in terms of covering these songs with dignity.
Not surprising at all!
20:39
Dignity and respect. And the full honor that they deserve for entertaining the world
I always wondered what Norman looked like, I loved that song I was one of the million buyers, I'm still listening to it now I'm 70, it reminds of my youth what a cool guy you are Norman thanks for the song. 😃😃
My dad's favorite song. Yes, I played it at his funeral. Thank you Norman. And Thank you Adam for bringing us this great interview.
The number of times he expressed gratitude
WHO doesn' love his "Masterpiece"?
It’s iconic! 🤌
Hi POR❣️❣️❣️ I really needed this right now. Thank you for all the hard work you do🙏❤️🙏 I really appreciate you🥰🙏❤️ Norman is such a sweetheart❤️❤️❤️ We need more famous people like him in our world 🙏❤️🙏 I would love to sit with him and hear all his amazing stories ❣️❣️❣️
Norman is a beautiful soul! I love this interview, and I can see why Mr. Greenbaum chose Adam to do this interview. It sounds like he's a fan of POR for the same reasons I am. Adam is a gifted interviewer who doesn't ask cringey questions and always shows such respect to artists and true appreciation of their music. This is a special treat today!
Played the grooves right out of the Spirit in the Sky album. I grew up on a homestead in the wilderness outside a small rural town. There is so much on the album that I related to. Thank you, Norman. Hope life was good to you ... and Jethro's milk cow.
I want to thank you for doing this interview. With Norman. I remember when I heard the song it was that rock beat and it was singing about spirit of the Lord along with passing on to the other side of life, not death which are subjects that have always made me look at life serious. And then after becoming a believer in all things JESUS OF NAZARETH. RIGHT NOW IT'S 3:00 A.M. IN THE MORNING AND I JUST NEEDED TO SAY THAT THAT SONG EVEN TODAY IS AWESOME. THANK YOU MR GREENBAUM. At that time on the radio the whole generation of kids and people the radio was on someplace all the time. Including the liquor store where I live. I grew up near echo Park and at that time there was businesses the folks owned those businesses we're Hebrew. I've always felt that these folks to me more identifiable than I could understand at that time. I always have the special friendship one special gentleman there at that time was a survivor from the death camps with the numbers on his arm.
Finally, somebody who correctly refers to foods that are good for you as “healthful” as opposed to “healthy”. Thank you, sir.
I always stop to listen and respect that song, thank you Norman, a truly a masterpiece.
Great story and great song I loved Porter Wagoner and I'm a native Ute, Comanche and Apache North American 41% and am a born again Christian Love this song.
❤
Amen n halleluYah!
All glory to God for reaching you.
🙏✝️💞
@@randyman1739 Thank God for the white race for making America great and bringing Christianity,
@@randyman1739 Without the beauty of the JudeoChristian values we the American Native Americans would be pagans. The constitution is beautiful,
As a tribute I want this song used in my eulogy.
Great to see 1million Professeor! I have been with you for years and glad to be part of this gig!!!
Spirit in the Sky is one of the best & most fun songs to sing along with in the car. Thank you Mr Greenbaum for giving the world this song.
One of the greatest songs ever made. I love this song.
Amen to that statement!
Thank you for this interview with Norman Greenbaum. I loved this song when it came out (I'm 70 years old now) and he certainly is deserving to be the subject of your Million subscribers channel. PoR, you're our very own Kasey Kasem today. I'm so glad that your Dad was able to instill the love of music and the history and stories of the artists. I love the way you honor his memory.
John Beaudin from Rock History Music claims he's the new Casey Kasem. He's good, but I don't agree. Adam is CK.
I'm 69 and I've loved this song from the very first time I heard it!
Hold a Contest to award someone who gets the closest to the original sound. A Guitar with Norman's signature for the prize will probably bring out many hopefuls...
The coolest, most professorial, way to celebrate one million subscribers. Cheers to both of you!
During my high school rock band days, my dad always used to tell us we should play this tune. It was one of his favorites. When my dad passed away last month, the guitar player from that band reached out on Facebook & reminded me of this fact. I put together a playlist of some of my dad’s favorite music to play during the visitation. This was absolutely on it! Thanks for a great episode about an amazing classic song! 🙏💛😇 🎶🎸
My Great Aunt, who was a devout Catholic, passed away some years back. After the graveside ceremony, we got back in our car, and as soon as we started the car, this song started playing on the radio on the first note.
Isn't it special and memorable and life-affirming when the Great Spirit gives you your own personal movie scene for your life, like that? Thanks for sharing.
@robertcowan7610 Yes. Of all the people I've ever been blessed to know, she's the one that I'm most confident is in heaven.
You never forget it once you hear it.
OMG! I have always loved that song! Since it came out! Thank you so much for this conversation!
Classic one-hit wonder, timeless! ❤
Awesome song and great interview, Adam.
To be honest, I thought Norman had gone to his Spirit In The Sky!
Fantastic to see he's still alive and still so positive and enthusiastic about the song and Life...!
Thank you, Norman! 🙏
“Even though it’s a song about dying”…. yep but it’s about dying and not ending. There’s hopefulness in that, so it’s a hopeful song. “Death is only the beginning”….
Another great background song from my youth.
Thank the Spirit in the sky for Norman Greenbaum and this wonderful song.
This is one of the few songs that really gives me chills every time I hear it.
You hear people say they want to have a positive influence on the world, this certainly is!
Yeah, "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum and "Driver's Seat" by Sniff 'n' the Tears are tied for #1 in my list of greatest one-hit wonders.
Two great ones!
I’d add Black Betty by Ram Jam to your list. Great music.
The reason that the buzz and the beat is so infectious is that it is primal. It is buried deep down in our evolution. It is comparable to the Australian didgeridoo, the simple drum and clap.
One of the best interviews I have seen. I really like how you let him talk. Thanks!!!
I worked with a lady whose mother had that played at her funeral, what a better song to have telling everyone there she was going to a better place.
Thanks!
It’s a perfect funeral song.
Words cannot describe finding a person like Norman Greenbaum while just doing whatever you love and getting a chance to talk to him. And the song is like a 3-minute interview with anyone contemplating what happens after life. Maybe the subject matter makes it to where that song tone is unique and only touchable by those who understand.
One of the most iconic guitar riffs ever created and it can't be reduplicated because the parts aren't made anymore!!?? I know I have never heard that sound before or since! So mind-blowing Norm found you because of my favorite channel, Norman is great, tons of personality and I'm glad I got to hear his story behind the song the spirits gave him. One of a kind episode, Mr. Greenbaum looks great and is a blast to listen to. ❤
That's probably going to be more common over time. There's a lot of retro things that have their own characteristics based on old time technology. And it's really a range, from technical devices to just simple things like twinkle christmas lights.
I love his description of how the song gives the listener chills from the first note. That's my experience too, makes my scalp tingle and gives me goosebumps.
About 28 years ago, my boyfriend and I had gone camping at the Red River in Texas when some ugly dark clouds came rolling in. We quickly packed up our stuff in his van and headed for home near Dallas, 60 miles South of that campground. We each had a son
, both 4 year old little boys, and didn't want them to be frightened. We saw a funnel cloud behind us, and the reports on the radio were dire. There were several tornadoes that had hit Southern Oklahoma. We were idiots to try to outrun a tornado, but we did!
I changed the radio from the scary reports to an oldies station, and this song came on!
To this day, when I see a storm front moving in, I hear this song in my head. It has such power, and seemed to both illustrate the drama of the moment while giving us a sense that we were going to be okay.
That campground we left was wrecked, trees uprooted everywhere.
@@LazyIRanch wow! What a wild and amazing story, it could not be more fitting of someone or something watching over you all that day!
@@SmallSpoonBrigade very true but will they ever be able to capture the feel of it
He really had a competitive advantage with this song. A HUGE one.
I'm 77 and I love this song, the riff, the lead, the vocals, all of it. It will be what people hear when they come to my funeral.
Truly one of my all time favorite songs
Such humility is refreshing to see. What a great person and song. Thanks
I remember my born again church singing this song as a kid growing up in the 80s.
Good ole Norm
Awesome!
It isn't a Christian song though. "I've never been a sinner; I've never sinned" pretty much does away with that notion entirely.
@@em7dim9...you're wrong.
@@em7dim9 I noticed that and I can't seem to come up with an alternative to that, except maybe "I used to be a sinner, I used to sin..." Yes, we are ALL sinners but forgiven.
@@robchit1 Whenever I've played it I changed it to "I'm just a sinner whose been forgiven" or "I'm just a sinner, I've been forgiven."
From late 1968 through 1972, I was working at Woody's Smorgasburger in Westwood Village and going to Santa Monica College. By 1970, I was a shift supervisor and had the job of 'opening' the restaurant on Sunday mornings. Now the radio stations in LA frequently used Sunday mornings to meet their 'public service' requirements mandated then by the F.C.C. One rock station in particular had a fairly cool 'talk guy' who would intersperse his interviews and/or 'sermons' if you will, with some appropriate songs. It was driving into work on Sunday mornings when I discovered 'Spirit In The Sky'. I had been brought up in the Lutheran church but had drifted away as so many youth had done, but those thoughts and ideas about God and Jesus were still in my head, and years later when I returned to faith, I think listening to 'Spirit In The Sky' so much back when had something to do with that. Thanks, Norman.
Divine intervention......thank you .....i love this song!!!
One of my all time favorites. God bless Norman and crew for bringing us this classic.
Even today if I hear it it gets cranked up! It's a great song!
💯
Same here, I'm 65 now and my Hearing is almost gone, But when This song comes on Everyone Else Better Cover their ears Because "I'm Gonna HEAR IT" !😉
I was living in Novato, just 15 miles south of Petaluma, and he was indeed known as a Petaluma goat farmer. I live in Petaluma now. A truly classic song, always great to hear. They don't make songs like that anymore. Congratulations on reaching 1MM subs. As a long-time subscriber, you deserve it.
That is wonderful that you found him Looking forward to watching this!
Timeless song!!! As relevant today as the day it first hit the airwaves!
Another wonderful interview Professor. 👍I’m so glad to see Mr. Greenbaum doing well. I’ve loved this song since I was 9 when it was released. I’ll never forget my older brother playing this for my 66 year old grandmother, because she loved spiritually-tinged songs, and she loved it! Thanks for sharing the interview and bringing back great memories.
Oh my gosh you found him!! Man i have never been able to find anything on him! Thanks Professor! T.C.B. ⚡ 🤟
I love Norman, he seems content with his life❤
This great song, Ma Belle Amie, by Tee Set, Ride Captain Ride, by Blues Image, and so many others. These were all part of the soundtrack of 1970.
Such a great time!
And Where do you do to, my lovely? Je t'aime... moi non plus. We radiated mour music.
You got that right! Throw in The Rapper by Jaggerz, Instant Karma by John Lennon, In The Summertime by Mongo Jerry, Spill the Wine by Eric Burden and War, and Maybe I’m Amazed by Paul McCartney and it was a great year for the radio
My Senior year. Throw in Tighter, Tighter and
Galveston
@@stevecrescini2081"Go Back", Crabby Appleton, "Indiana Wants Me", R. Dean Taylor, "Long, Long Time", Linda Ronstadt, "Joanne", Michael Nesmith & the First National Band, "1900 Yesterday", Liz Damon & the Orient Express, "Looking Out My Back Door", Credence Clearwater Revival, "What's Going On"/"Mercy Mercy Me", Marvin Gaye, "Your Song", Elton John, "One Man Band", Three Dog Night, "Hang On To Your Life", the Guess Who, "Soul Shake", Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, "Who Needs Ya", Steppenwolf, "Our House", CSNY; 1970 was/is very near and dear to me. I was 13; my transistor radio was my best friend.
Okay, now even beyond the Billy Vera episode, THIS ONE BEATS IT BY FAR!
I read years ago from a musician friend that Norman Greenbaum was severely injured in a car wreck and it was touch and go if he would make it. My musician friend passed away so I wasn’t able to find out about how Norman Greenbaum was doing. Seeing this episode of Professor of Rock made me happy because I see that he’s alive and well. My musician friend, whose last name was Norman, did what Norman Greenbaum’s song says. He had a friend in Jesus so he went on up to the Spirit in the Sky.
YOUR BEST EPISODE EVER, ADAM!
It's one of my most favorite songs when I was young! I remember one of my friends had a slumber party and we played that 45 ALL night long. God, I still have to get up and sing it every time I hear it! Norman Greenbaum was the "bomb"!
PROFESSOR!!!!! YOU get an A+ A+ A+ to INFINITY AND BEYOND on this report!!! Jiminy Crickets! I was 14 years old when this song was released! It was (and still does) gets my gotcha! Thank you and THANKS to Norman Greenbaum for keeping it REAL!! ❤💯👌👍✌👏
Thank you kindly!
@@ProfessorofRock My pleasure!!
Another great interview Prof!
And congratulations on one million subscribers. Couldn't have happened to a nicer TH-camr with great musical content. ❤️ 🎶
Congratulations!!! I'm so happy you hit this milestone.
Thank you dearly!
This is amazing!
" Your Welcome " and q9uit calling me Dearly .😂
@@mikeglasgow9618 He called ME Dearly. 😅
CONGRATULATIONS on going platinum and thank you for choosing Norman Greenbaum's 'Spirit in the Sky' story to celebrate your exceptional milestone. You couldn't have picked a better song. My parents loved this song when it came out, used to play it all the time while I was growing up & I always loved it (it always made me happy, still does), I used to sing & dance with my kids & now I get to do the same with my grandkids, who also love the song cause it just makes them feel good. Thanks you, Mr. Greenbaum and thank you, Adam.
🥂🥳🎉🎈Now let's go get you to double platinum 🥂🥳🎉🎈