Recordings (Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend

1 recordings

1.1 1948
1.2 1949
1.3 1950s
1.4 1960s
1.5 1970s
1.6 1980s
1.7 1990s
1.8 2000s
1.9 2010s
1.10 additional versions
1.11 non-english versions

1.11.1 finnish
1.11.2 french
1.11.3 german
1.11.4 italian
1.11.5 lithuanian
1.11.6 portuguese
1.11.7 spanish

recordings
1948

the original version stan jones recorded in late 1948, , composer eden ahbez sent song burl ives, recorded own version year later.

1949

burl ives recorded song on february 17, 1949, , song released columbia records catalog no. 38445. recording first appeared on billboard charts on april 22, 1949, lasting 6 weeks , peaking @ no. 21.
the version vaughn monroe , orchestra vaughn monroe , moon men on vocals, recorded on march 14, 1949, , released rca victor records catalog no. 20-3411 (in usa) , emi on master s voice label catalog no. bd 1247, hn 3014, hq 2071, im 1425 , gy 878. recording first appeared on billboard charts on april 15, 1949, lasting 22 weeks , reaching no. 1. billboard ranked no. 1 song 1949.
the bing crosby version recorded on march 22, 1949, , released decca records catalog no. 24618. recording first appeared on billboard charts on may 6, 1949, lasting 6 weeks , peaking @ no. 14.
the peggy lee version recorded on april 18, 1949, , released capitol records catalog no. 57-608. reached no. 2 on billboard s played disc jockeys listing without appearing in retail top 30.
spike jones recorded song on may 24, 1949, , released rca victor records catalog no. 20-3741. copies of original release, containing lyrics ridiculing rca stockholder vaughn monroe, rare. recording parodies original monroe recording, injecting of jones quintessential humor along way.

1950s

in 1953 goldtown ghost riders film starring gene autry. sang song ghost riders in sky .
it opening track of scatman crothers 1956 album, rock n roll scat man.
theodore bikel sang humorous version of song in actor s holiday album (1956).gene autry sang sing first time in 1950 film beyond purple hills edited include autry singing song after chance meeting stan jones in bought rights song.

1960s

the song recorded norman luboff choir , released on 1960 album, songs of cowboy.
lawrence welk , orchestra released instrumental version in 1961, featuring neil levang on guitar, spent 3 weeks on billboard hot 100 chart, reaching no. 87.
curtis lance (dick jensen) , uniques recorded instrumental version in 1961.
the brothers 4 recorded driven, up-tempo version. edited lyrics , truncated 3 stanzas, third lp, b.m.o.c.: best music on/off campus columbia records in 1961.
the sons of pioneers included song on album cool water put out rca records in 1961 under name riders in sky .
a twangy guitar instrumental version ramrods — featuring sounds of mooing cattle, bronco cheers, , sound of cracking whips — recorded in late 1960 , made billboard top 30 in 1961, uk top 10. covered uk band scorpions (not german rock band) on parlophone label.
the ventures made surf rock cover of song in 1961. live performance of tune, featuring surf rock band original surfaris appeared in 1962 compilation album titled surf s up! @ banzai pipeline. performance incorporates riff jørgen ingmann hit, apache .
bob james, recording bob james trio, included last track on first album bold conceptions released in 1962.
the spotnicks, swedish instrumental rock band, covered song on 1962 album, spotnicks in london, out-a space.
frankie laine recorded song on 1963 album, wanderlust.
frank ifield recorded song 1963 u.k. album, born free (columbia 33sx 1534).
dick dale recorded surf-rock version second album, king of surf guitar, released in 1963.
californian singer peter tevis recorded version orchestral , choral arrangements ennio morricone 1965 album, un pugno di...west.
baja marimba band recorded song on album, watch out, in 1966.
tom jones recorded song opening album, green, green grass of home, in 1967.
takeshi terauchi & bunnys recorded instrumental version of song on 1967 album, world waiting terry.
davie allan , arrows recorded 2 versions, 1 on 1967 blues theme album (tower records) , other on 2008 moving right along album (spinout records).
jimmy wakely, cowboy singer, recorded song on shasta records.
burl ives made second version of song 1969 album got world tail.

1970s

elvis presley recorded in june 1970 @ mgm s soundstage in culver city, california.
susan christie released version on 1970 album, paint lady.
roy clark recorded instrumental version 1973 album roy clark/superpicker, album of instrumentals. song reached no. 27 on hot country singles chart year.
former reo speedwagon guitarist gary richrath quoted melody of song during unaccompanied guitar solo on band s 1977 live album, live: play for.
riders in sky recorded song debut album, 3 on trail, in 1979 , on several of subsequent albums.
johnny cash made recording of song in 1979 album, silver, faithful original, , peaked @ no.2 on billboard hot country singles & tracks chart. johnny cash performs song in guest appearance on muppet show in 1980.

1980s

country singer , rodeo cowboy chris ledoux recorded version of song 1980 album old cowboy heroes. ledoux s version swaps placements of yippie yi yay , yippie yi oh , , refers cowboy instead cowpoke .
a version shadows reached no. 12 on uk singles chart in 1980. version semitone higher original.
australian band, fabulaires adelaide did cover version on apocalypso 12 e.p. circa 1980.
rock band outlaws made recording on 1980 album ghost riders left out last verse. released live version of song, recorded in 1982 @ king biscuit flower hour radio show, appeared on greatest hits of outlaws... high tides forever.
dean red elvis reed recorded song on album country in 1982 in east germany , czechoslovakia.
a sesame street version titled dirtiest town in west altered lyrics first aired in 1982.
vic damone recorded version on 1982 album on rainbow.
psychobilly band king kurt released version in 1983 on album ooh wallah wallah.
the danish cowpunk band disneyland after dark (later d-a-d) recorded song riding sue in 1986 album call of wild riffs melody used in intermezzo.

1990s

the chaps released scottish parody version called rawhide in 1982.
peter, paul & mary recorded parody of song titled yuppies in sky on 1990 album flowers , stones.
terry scott taylor , daniel amos recorded version in 1990 appeared on miracle faith telethon compilation album.
impaled nazarene recorded black metal version of song, released on sadogoat ep in 1993. subsequently included in cd version of bonus album, tol cormpt norz norz norz.
the alberta celtic rock group captain tractor recorded unusual version 1994 album land. new lyrics describe frenzy of corruption in prairie town @ climax of real estate bubble. rather fire-and-brimstone christian imagery, warning takes form of vaguely zen lamentations: winds still blow/the rains still fall/the trees don t seem care @ all!
buckethead played dub style version of song during giant robot album tour in 1994.
dick dale once again covered song 1994 album, unknown territory. time, version accompanied nasa montage part of preshow video on space mountain @ disneyland , magic kingdom.
duane eddy brought electrified twangy guitar sound along sax edition jim horn 1996 version on curb album ghost rider.
on 1997 album, vh1 storytellers, song recorded live johnny cash , willie nelson. in performance, willie nelson misses start of third verse because forgets text, , ends switching third , fourth verses.
deborah harry, lead singer of blondie, recorded trance version of song, features on soundtrack film 3 businessmen (1998). song (produced , arranged dan wool , pray rain) available free on website.
christopher lee recorded version of song on album devils, rogues & other villains, released nikolas schreck in 1998 on wolfslair label.
the blues brothers performed song in 1998 movie blues brothers 2000. version appeared on both movie s soundtrack , compilation album blues brothers greatest hits of time. similar rawhide scene in first movie, band mistakenly booked @ bluegrass festival (announced crowd bluegrass brothers ). buster blues (j. evan bonifant) harmonica parts film recorded john popper of blues traveler.
in 1999, ned sublette included merengue rendition on album, cowboy rumba.

2000s

the german western metal band dezperadoz (featuring member of sodom) covered song on 2000 album, dawn of dying.
dolan ellis, arizona s official state balladeer since 1966, included cover on cd, tall tales, lost trails & heroes, released in 2000. has sung song throughout nation , in 20 foreign countries, solo , member of new christy minstrels, telling folk tale of stan jones, cochise county cowboy.
the texas band, ghoultown, recorded version of song on album tales dead west (2000).
concrete blonde recorded version last album, 2004 s mojave.
john frusciante, michael rother, , josh klinghoffer performed short instrumental version of song live in 2004.
german heavy metal band, die apokalyptischen reiter, released version titled ghostriders in sky on 2006 4-track ep, friede sei mit dir.
california-based me first , gimme gimmes covered song on 2006 album love country cover later used in 2017 in racing video game forza horizon 3 s trailer hot wheels expansion.
art greenhaw, grammy award-winning guitarist, producer , leader of light crust doughboys, recorded world music fusion version of song on album lone star sitar , released in 2006 on greenhaw records label.
during credits of 2007 movie ghost rider, rock cover band spiderbait played. instrumental version heard @ points in film.
finnish melodic death metal band children of bodom covered song under title ghostriders in sky , have released on special edition of 2008 album, blooddrunk.

2010s

judy collins, featuring nashville rhythm section , ghost riders chorus, covered ”ghost riders in sky” on 2010 album paradise.
florida/utah death metal band, gorlock, covered on 2011 ep titled despair mistress.
the song opening track on roswell rudd s album, trombone lovers.
the character of granddad brown in irish comedy series mrs brown s boys briefly covered ghost riders in sky in 2011 christmas special episode mammy s ass . scene involves granddad singing song whilst agnes hits him on head metal tray, testing crash helmet (which granddad s wearing) friend winnie meant testing.
a track on drop lime s 2012 album enter night used instrumental of (ghost) riders in sky .
outsider music star, space lady, featured on greatest hits lp. (2013, night school records)
screaming orphans covered on album lonely boy. (2011)
in 2015, lower tempo version of johnny cash s cover used on announcement trailer forthcoming space-opera rpg, mass effect: andromeda.
monster truck black stallion uses theme song.
country artist ray scott (singer) covered johnny cash s version of song on ep, roots sessions, vol. 1 released in 2015.
chrome division covered johnny cash s version of song on 2011 3rd round knockout album.

additional versions

versions in various genres have been made following artists:

carlos malcolm
all-american boys chorus
boston pops orchestra
chrome division
dean martin
dixie chicks
fred penner
kaleidoscope
marty robbins
mary mccaslin
r.e.m.
scary bitches (uk goth rock)
shebeen (north ireland underground music, ooh ah ra, or sam song )
the tubes (under track title, cowboy fee & heifer s dream )
youn sun nah (on album lento)
vocal majority

non-english versions

estonian

estonian-canadian musician jüri lipp translated , recorded surf rock version in estonian in 1968.

finnish

a finnish version titled aaveratsastajat written kullervo (born tapio kullervo lahtinen) , has been recorded several popular artists including henry theel ja metro-tytöt, kari tapio, danny, tapani kansa, reijo taipale, , ismo alanko.
juha vainio wrote alternative, humoristic version titled hirvenmetsästys (the moose hunt). pertti metsärinteen yhtye recorded in 1970.
an instrumental jazz version kalle kalima on album high noon released in 2016.

french

a french-language version titled les cavaliers du ciel released les compagnons de la chanson in 1949.
french guitarist , singer, gill dougherty, released version on 1990 album, live in bourges.
in 1992, french language version titled où tu iras released les naufragés, on album contre-courant.

german

in 1949, german-language version titled geisterreiter recorded , released east german entertainer, rita paul & cornel-trio. in same year, version released gerhard wendland.
additional german-language versions have been released surf-punk-electro band, mikrowelle, , television entertainer, götz alsmann featuring bela b of die Ärzte.
an instrumental version done austrian band da blechhauf`n in 2012.

italian

an italian-language version of song, titled cavalieri del cielo recorded famous italian singer gino latilla in 1952.

lithuanian

a lithuanian-language version of song titled jupi ja je recorded adolfas jarulis ir estradinės melodijos in 1971.

portuguese

brazilian artist milton nascimento recorded portuguese-language version under title cavaleiros céu released on 1981 album, caçador de mim.

spanish

in 1966, spanish-language version, jinetes en el cielo , recorded , released mexican group, los baby s.
mexican singer pedro vargas recorded version.
the popular singer spain, raphael, released spanish version in 1970s. lyrical subject changed reflect cowboy doomed ride eternity breaking young girl s heart. song ends happily when girl saves him horrible destiny crying , praying him letting rose fall on grave.
mexican singers (and actors) manolín , shilinsky (find them in wikipedia in spanish) recorded comic version.




^ whitburn, joel (1973). top pop records 1940-1955. record research. 
^ number 1 song of year: 1946-2013, bob borst website
^ bing crosby discography . bing magazine. international club crosby. retrieved september 20, 2016. 
^ billboard music week hot 100 , billboard, october 9, 1961. accessed july 28, 2016.
^ dick jensen - discography . stereo candies. 
^ frank ifield born free . 45worlds.com.  retrieved 31-03-2017.
^ ddr amiga 8 55 957/1982
^ Čssr supraphon 1113 3067 za/1982
^ collar, matt. ghostrider: great guitar hits - duane eddy . allmusic. retrieved 2012-02-17. 
^ ghost riders in sky (mp3). debora harry. retrieved 2015-03-18. 
^ ghostriders in sky on 2006 die apokalyptischen reiter ep, friede sei mit dir . discogs.com. retrieved 24 november 2013. 
^ catalog , song samples
^ video on youtube
^ neder, alvaro. caçador de mim . allmusic. retrieved 10 february 2010. 
^ jinetes en el cielo mexican group, los baby s . popsike.com. retrieved 24 november 2013. 
^ el bueyecito mexican singers, manolín , shilinsky . youtube.com. retrieved 5 may 2017.