“SPIRIT IN THE SKY”

“Spirit in the Sky” celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, Norman Greenbaum’s sole Top 40 hit and gold single, which reached No. 3 nationally in 1970. Norman was first heard on the radio in the prior decade as a singer, guitarist and songwriter as a member of Dr. West’s Medicine Show and Junk Band. The quintet’s novelty song “The Eggplant That Ate Chicago” reached No. 52 in 1966, sounding like a Lovin’ Spoonful campy movie song. Norman told , “It is very campy. That was my first Top but I didn’t luck out on a movie script in my day.”