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{{distinguish|Riders on the Storm}}
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{{Infobox song <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Songs -->
| Name = (Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend'''
| Cover =
| Border = Yes
| Caption =
| Type =
| Artist =
| alt Artist =
| Album =
| Published = 1948, Edwin H. Morris & Co Inc
| Released = June 5, 1948
| track_no =
| Recorded =
| Genre = [[Country music|Country]], [[Western music (North America)|Western]]
| Language =
| Length =
| Writer =
| Composer = [[Stan Jones (songwriter)|Stan Jones]]
| Label =
| Producer =
| Tracks =
| prev =
| prev_no =
| next =
| next_no =
| Misc =
| Audio sample? =
}}

"'''(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend'''" is a [[Western music (North America)|cowboy-styled]] [[Country music|country/western]] song written in 1948 by noted [[United States|American]] songwriter, [[Stan Jones (songwriter)|Stan Jones]].<ref>[http://www.westernmusic.org/HallOfFamefiles/StanJones.html Stan Jones]</ref> A number of versions were [[crossover hit|crossover hits]] on the [[Popular music|pop]] charts in [[1949 in music|1949]]. The [[American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers|ASCAP]] database lists the song as "'''Riders in the Sky'''" (title code 480028324<ref>[http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?mode=search ascap.com/ace ASCAP search]</ref>), but the title has been written as "'''Ghost Riders'''", "'''Ghost Riders in the Sky'''", and "'''A Cowboy Legend'''".<!-- It has been called by many the "best country/western song ever". NEEDS CITE -->

==Overview==
The song tells a folk tale of a cowboy who has a vision of red-eyed, steel-hooved cattle thundering across the sky, being chased by the spirits of damned cowboys. One warns him that if he does not change his ways, he will be doomed to join them, forever "trying to catch the [[Devil]]'s herd across these endless skies". Jones said that he had been told the story when he was 12 years old by an old cowboy friend.<ref>{{cite web|title=Stan Jones - WMA Hall of Fame <!-- BOT GENERATED TITLE -->|url=http://www.westernmusic.com/performers/hof-jones-stan.html|work=|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5jzSih9jw|archivedate=2009-09-22|deadurl=no|accessdate=2009-09-20}}</ref> The story resembles the northern European mythic [[Wild Hunt]].<ref>See S.H. Houston, "Ghost Riders in the Sky" ''Western Folklore'', '''23'''.3 1964:153-162.</ref>

More than 50 performers have recorded versions of the song. Charting versions were recorded by [[Outlaws (band)|The Outlaws]], [[Vaughn Monroe]] ("Riders in the Sky" with orchestra and vocal quartet), by [[Bing Crosby]] (with the [[Ken Darby]] Singers), [[Frankie Laine]], Burl Ives (two different versions), [[Marty Robbins]], [[The Ramrods (instrumental group)|The Ramrods]] and [[Johnny Cash]]. Other recordings were made by [[Eddy Arnold]], [[Peggy Lee]] (with the Jud Conlon Singers) and [[Spike Jones]] and his City Slickers. [[Gene Autry]] sang it in the 1949 movie, ''Riders in the Sky''. Jones himself recorded it for his 1957 album ''Creakin' Leather''.<ref name="Creakin' Leather (1957) WDL-3015">''Creakin' Leather'' (1957). Disneyland Records WDL-3015. "Stan Jones sings his own compositions" Recorded by Walt Disney Music Co. Copyright Walt Disney Productions.</ref> [[Children of Bodom]], [[Impaled Nazarene]] and [[Die Apokalyptischen Reiter]] have also made covers.

The melody is based on the song "[[When Johnny Comes Marching Home]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=4918 |title=(Ghost) Riders In the Sky by The Outlaws Songfacts |publisher=Songfacts.com |date=1949-05-14 |accessdate=2012-02-17}}</ref>
According to [[Robby Krieger]], it inspired the classic [[The Doors|Doors]] song "[[Riders on the Storm]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=273 |title=Riders On The Storm by The Doors Songfacts |publisher=Songfacts.com |date=1950-12-30 |accessdate=2012-02-17}}</ref>

The song was also the inspiration for the Marvel Comics Western character "[[Phantom Rider|Ghost Rider]]" later renamed Phantom Rider (not to be confused with the later character named "[[Ghost Rider (comics)|Ghost Rider]]").{{fact|date=November 2013}}

The chorus lines of this song are and have been since the 1960s a terrace song of the [[Aston Villa Football Club]] of England. The words have been modified to include the line "''Holte Enders in the Sky''", a reference to the occupants of the vast stand behind the goal at the southern end of the Villa Park stadium.{{fact|date=November 2013}}

==Recordings==
===1949===
*The original version by [[Burl Ives]] was recorded on February 17, 1949, and released by [[Columbia Records]] as catalog No. 38445. The recording first appeared on the ''Billboard'' charts on April 22, 1949, lasting 6 weeks and peaking at No. 21.<ref name=Whitburn/>
*The version by [[Vaughn Monroe]] and His Orchestra with Vaughn Monroe and The Moon Men on vocals, was recorded on March 14, 1949, and released by [[RCA Victor Records]] as catalog No. 20-3411 (in USA) and by [[EMI]] on the [[His Master's Voice]] label as catalog No. BD&nbsp;1247, HN&nbsp;3014, HQ&nbsp;2071, IM&nbsp;1425 and GY&nbsp;878. The recording first appeared on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' charts on April 15, 1949, lasting 22 weeks and reaching No. 1.<ref name=Whitburn>{{cite book | last=Whitburn | first=Joel | authorlink=Joel Whitburn | title=Top Pop Records 1940-1955 | publisher=Record Research | year=1973}}</ref>
*The [[Bing Crosby]] version was recorded on March 22, 1949, and released by [[Decca Records]] as catalog No. 24618. The recording first appeared on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' charts on May 6, 1949, lasting 6 weeks and peaking at No. 14.<ref name=Whitburn/>
*The [[Peggy Lee]] version was recorded on April 18, 1949, and released by [[Capitol Records]] as catalog No. 57-608. It reached No. 2 on ''Billboard's'' Most Played By Disc Jockeys listing without appearing in the retail Top 30.
*[[Spike Jones]] recorded the song on May 24, 1949, and it was released by [[RCA Victor Records]] as catalog No. 20-3741. Copies of the original release, containing lyrics ridiculing RCA stockholder Vaughn Monroe, are rare. The recording parodies the original Monroe recording, injecting much of Jones' quintessential humor along the way.

===1960s===
*The song was recorded by the [[Norman Luboff Choir]] and released on their 1960 album,''Songs of the Cowboy''.
*The [[Brothers Four]] recorded a driven, up-tempo version. with edited lyrics and truncated to three stanzas, for their third LP, ''B.M.O.C.: Best Music On/Off Campus'' for Columbia Records in 1961.
*A twangy guitar instrumental version by [[The Ramrods (instrumental group)|The Ramrods]] ‒ featuring the sounds of mooing cattle, bronco cheers, and sound of whips ‒ made the ''Billboard'' Top 30 in 1961 as well as the UK Top 10. This was covered by UK band [[The Scorpions (London band)|The Scorpions]] (not the German rock band) on the "[[Parlophone]]" Label.
*[[The Ventures]] made a [[surf rock]] [[Cover version|cover]] of the song in 1961. A live performance of the tune, featuring [[surf rock]] band [[The Original Surfaris]] appeared in the 1962 [[compilation album]] entitled ''Surfs Up! At Banzai Pipeline''. The performance incorporates the riff from [[The Shadows|The Shadows']] hit, "[[Apache (song)|Apache]]".
*[[Bob James (musician)|Bob James]], recording as The Bob James Trio, included it as the last track on his very first album ''[[Bold Conceptions]]'' released in 1962.
*[[The Spotnicks]], a [[Sweden|Swedish]] instrumental rock band, covered this song on their 1962 album, ''The Spotnicks in London, Out-a space''.
*[[Frankie Laine]] recorded the song on his 1963 album, ''[[Wanderlust (Frankie Laine album)|Wanderlust]]''.
*[[Dick Dale]] recorded a surf-rock version for his second album, ''[[King of the Surf Guitar]]'', released in 1963. For a time, this version accompanied a NASA montage as part of the preshow video on [[Space Mountain (Disneyland)|Space Mountain]] at [[Disneyland]].
*[[California|Californian]] singer [[Peter Tevis]] recorded a version with orchestral and choral arrangements by [[Ennio Morricone]] for the 1965 album, ''Un pugno di...West''.
*[[Baja Marimba Band]] recorded this song on the album, ''Watch Out'', in 1966.
*[[Davie Allan and the Arrows]] recorded two versions, one on the 1967 ''Blues' Theme'' album (Tower Records) and the other on the 2008 ''Moving Right Along'' album (Spinout Records).

===1970s===
*[[Elvis Presley]] recorded it in June 1970 at MGM's soundstage in [[Culver City, California]].
*[[Susan Christie]] released a version on her 1970 album, ''Paint a Lady''.
*Former [[REO Speedwagon]] guitarist [[Gary Richrath]] quoted the melody of the song during his unaccompanied guitar solo on the band's 1977 live album, ''Live: You Get What You Play For''.
*[[Riders in the Sky (band)|Riders in the Sky]] recorded this song for their debut album, ''[[Three on the Trail]]'', in 1979 and on several of subsequent albums.
*[[Johnny Cash]] made a recording of the song in 1979 for his album, ''[[Silver (Johnny Cash album)|Silver]]'', which was faithful to the original.

===1980s===
*Country singer and rodeo cowboy [[Chris LeDoux]] recorded a version of the song for his 1980 album ''Old Cowboy Heroes''. LeDoux's version swaps the placements of "yippie yi yay" and "yippie yi oh", and refers to the cowboy instead as a "cowpoke".
*A version by [[The Shadows]] reached No. 12 on the [[UK Singles Chart]] in 1980. This version was a semitone higher than the original.
*[[Australia|Australian]] band The Fabulaires from Adelaide did a cover version on their Apocalypso 12" E.P. circa 1980.
*Rock band [[Outlaws (band)|Outlaws]] made a recording on their 1980 album ''[[Ghost Riders (album)|Ghost Riders]]'' that left out the last verse. They also released a live version of the song, recorded in 1982 at the [[King Biscuit Flower Hour]] radio show, which appeared on ''[[Greatest Hits of The Outlaws... High Tides Forever]]''
*[[Dean Reed|Dean "Red Elvis" Reed]] recorded the song on the album "Country" in 1982 in [[East Germany]] and [[Czechoslovak Socialist Republic|Czechoslovakia]].<ref>[http://www.deanreed.de/platten/ddr04.html DDR Amiga 8 55 957/1982]</ref><ref>[http://www.deanreed.de/platten/cssr05.html ČSSR Supraphon 1113 3067 ZA/1982]</ref>
*A [[Sesame Street]] version entitled "The Dirtiest Town In The West" with altered lyrics first aired in 1982.

===1990s===
*The Chaps released a Scottish parody version called "Rawhide" in 1982.
*[[Peter, Paul & Mary]] recorded a parody of the song entitled "Yuppies in the Sky" on their 1990 album ''Flowers and Stones''.
*[[Terry Scott Taylor]] and [[Daniel Amos]] recorded a version in 1990 that appeared on ''The Miracle Faith Telethon'' compilation album.
*[[Impaled Nazarene]] recorded a [[black metal]] version of the song, which was released on the ''Sadogoat'' EP in 1993. It was subsequently included in the CD version of their bonus album, ''Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz''.
*The Alberta Celtic rock group [[Captain Tractor]] recorded an unusual version for their 1994 album ''Land''. New lyrics describe the frenzy of corruption in a prairie town at the climax of a [[real estate bubble]]. Rather than fire-and-brimstone Christian imagery, the warning takes the form of vaguely [[Zen]] lamentations: "The winds still blow/The rains still fall/The trees don't seem to care at all!"
*[[Buckethead]] played a dub style version of the song during his ''[[Giant Robot (Buckethead album)|Giant Robot]]'' album tour in 1994.
*[[Duane Eddy]] brought his electrified "twangy guitar" sound along with a sax edition by [[Jim Horn]] to a 1996 version on an Curb Album ''Ghost Rider''<ref>{{cite web|last=Collar |first=Matt |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/ghostrider-great-guitar-hits-r247446 |title=Ghostrider: Great Guitar Hits - Duane Eddy |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=2012-02-17}}</ref>
*On the 1997 album, ''[[VH1 Storytellers]]'', the song was recorded live with [[Johnny Cash]] and [[Willie Nelson]]. In that performance, [[Willie Nelson]] misses the start of the third verse because he forgets the text, and ends up switching the third and fourth verses.
*[[Debbie Harry|Deborah Harry]], lead singer of [[Blondie (band)|Blondie]], recorded a trance version of the song, which features on the soundtrack to the film ''[[Three Businessmen]]'' (1998). The song (produced and arranged by [[Dan Wool]] and [[Pray for Rain (band)|Pray for Rain]]) is available free on her website [http://www.deborahharry.com/music/ghostridersinthesky.mp3 deborahharry.com].
*[[Christopher Lee]] recorded a version of this song on the album ''Devils, Rogues & Other Villains'', released by Nikolas Schreck in 1998 on his Wolfslair label.
*In 1999, [[Ned Sublette]] included a [[Merengue music|merengue]] rendition on his album, ''Cowboy Rumba''.

===2000s===
*[[The Blues Brothers]] performed the song in the movie ''[[Blues Brothers 2000]]'' as well as the movie's soundtrack & again on the [[The Blues Brothers|The Blues Brothers' Greatest Hits of all Time]] CD. Similar to the "[[Rawhide (song)|Rawhide]]" scene in the first movie, the band is mistakenly booked at a [[Bluegrass music|bluegrass]] festival (announced to the crowd as "The Bluegrass Brothers"). Buster Blues' ([[J. Evan Bonifant]]) harmonica parts for the film were recorded by [[John Popper]] of [[Blues Traveler]].
*The German "Western Metal" band [[Dezperadoz]] (featuring a member of [[Sodom (band)|Sodom]]) covered the song on their 2000 album, ''The Dawn Of Dying''.
*[[Dolan Ellis]], [[Arizona|Arizona's]] Official State Balladeer since 1966, included this as the only cover on his CD, ''Tall Tales, Lost Trails & Heroes'', released in 2000. He has sung the song throughout the nation and in 20 foreign countries, solo and as a member of [[the New Christy Minstrels]], always telling the folk tale of Stan Jones, the Cochise County cowboy.
*The [[Texas]] band, [[Ghoultown]], recorded a version of this song on their album ''[[Tales from the Dead West]]'' (2000).
*[[Concrete Blonde]] recorded a version for their last album, 2004's ''[[Mojave (album)|Mojave]]''.
*[[John Frusciante]], [[Michael Rother]], and [[Josh Klinghoffer]] performed a short instrumental version of the song live in 2004.
*German heavy metal band, [[Die Apokalyptischen Reiter]], released a version titled "Ghostriders in the Sky" on their 2006 4-track EP, ''Friede Sei Mit Dir''.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=2116070 | title="Ghostriders in the Sky" on the 2006 Die Apokalyptischen Reiter EP, ''Friede Sei Mit Dir'' | publisher=discogs.com | accessdate=24 November 2013}}</ref>
*[[Me First and the Gimme Gimmes]] covered the song on their 2006 album ''[[Love Their Country]]''.
*[[Art Greenhaw]], Grammy Award-Winning guitarist, producer and leader of The [[Light Crust Doughboys]], recorded a world music fusion version of this song on the album "Lone Star Sitar" and released in 2006 on the Greenhaw Records label.<ref>[http://www.theconnextion.com/artgreenhaw catalog and song samples]</ref>
*During the credits of the 2007 movie ''[[Ghost Rider (film)|Ghost Rider]]'', a rock cover by the band [[Spiderbait]] is played. An instrumental version is also heard at points in the film.
*[[Greg Ryder]], a country-western singer-musician in [[Durango, Colorado|Durango]], [[Colorado]], included "Ghost Riders" in his CD entitled "American Western" in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://music.ovi.com/za/en/nm/Artist/Greg-Ryder/1218691|title=Greg Ryder|publisher=music.ovi.com|accessdate=June 30, 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6HsRwKVKy|archivedate=2013-07-05|deadurl=no}}</ref>
*Finnish melodic death metal band [[Children of Bodom]] covered this song under the title 'Ghostriders in the Sky' and have released it on the special edition of their 2008 album, ''[[Blooddrunk]]''.

===2010s===
*Judy Collins, featuring the [[Muscle Shoals Sound Studio|Nashville Rhythm Section]] and Ghost Riders Chorus, covered ”Ghost Riders in the Sky” on her 2010 album ''Paradise''.
*[[Florida]]/[[Utah]] death metal band, Gorlock, covered it on their 2011 EP entitled ''Despair is My Mistress''.
*The song is the opening track on [[Roswell Rudd|Roswell Rudd's]] album, ''Trombone For Lovers''.

===Additional versions===
Versions in various genres have also been made by the following artists:
*[[All-American Boys Chorus]]
*[[Boston Pops Orchestra]]
*[[Dean Martin]]
*[[Dixie Chicks]]
*[[Frank Ifield]]
*[[Kaleidoscope (US band)|Kaleidoscope]]
*[[Lawrence Welk]]
*[[Marty Robbins]]
*[[Mary McCaslin]]
*[[R.E.M.]]
*[[Roy Clark]]
*Scary Bitches (UK goth rock)
*[[The Tubes]] (under the track title, "Cowboy Fee & The Heifer's Dream")

===Non-English versions===
====French====
*A [[French (language)|French-language]] version entitled "Les Cavaliers du Ciel" was released by [[Les Compagnons de la chanson]] in 1949.
*French guitarist and singer, [[Gill Dougherty]], also released a French version of the song under the title, "Les Cavaliers du Ciel", on his 1990 album, ''Live In Bourges''.

====German====
*In 1949, a [[German (language)|German-language]] version entitled "Geisterreiter" was recorded and released by [[East Germany|East German]] entertainer, Rita Paul & Her Cornel-Trio. In the same year, a version was released by Gerhard Wendland. More than 20 versions of the German version are known, most notably by Howard Carpendale and Karel Gott.
*Additional German-language versions have been released by surf-punk-electro band, Mikrowelle, and television entertainer, Götz Alsmann featuring Bela B of [[Die Ärzte]].

====Lithuanian====
*A [[Lithuanian (language)|Lithuanian-language]] version of the song etitled "Jupi Ja Je" was recorded by Adolfas Jarulis ir Estradinės melodijos in 1971.

====Portuguese====
*[[Brazil|Brazilian]] artist [[Milton Nascimento]] recorded a [[Portuguese (language)|Portuguese-language]] version under the title "Cavaleiros do céu" released on his 1981 album, ''[[Caçador de Mim]]''.

====Spanish====
*In 1966, a [[Spanish (language)|Spanish-language]] version entitled "Jinetes en el cielo" was recorded and released by the [[Mexico|Mexican]] group, [[Los Baby's]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.popsike.com/1966-LOS-BABYS-Ghost-Riders-in-the-Sky-MEXICO-EP-Garage/150415830055.html | title="Jinetes en el cielo" by Mexican group, Los Baby's | publisher=popsike.com | accessdate=24 November 2013}}</ref>
*Mexican singer [[Pedro Vargas]] also recorded a Spanish version in the 1970s entitled "Jinetes en el cielo".
*The popular singer from [[Spain]], [[Raphael (singer)|Raphael]], also released a Spanish version in the 1970s. The lyrical subject was changed to reflect a cowboy doomed to ride for eternity for breaking a young girl's heart. The song ends happily when the girl saves him from that horrible destiny by crying and praying for him then letting a rose fall on his grave.

==See also==
*[[Johnny Comes Marching Home]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
<!--
*[http://ingeb.org/songs/anoldcow.html Lyrics] of original Stan Jones version.
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5HRSmLlaiA Johnny Cash singing Ghost Riders on the Muppets Show]
-->

{{s-start}}
{{succession box
| before = "[[Shadows in the Moonlight (song)|Shadows in the Moonlight]]"<br />by [[Anne Murray]]
| title = ''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'' Country Tracks<br />number-one single<br />([[Johnny Cash]] version)
| years = August 11, 1979
| after = "[[You're the Only One (song)|You're the Only One]]"<br />by [[Dolly Parton]]
}}
{{succession box
| before = "[[Cruising Down the River]]" by [[Russ Morgan]]
| title = U.S. ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Best Sellers in Stores]] [[List of number-one hits (United States)|number-one single]]
| years = May 14, 1949–July 23, 1949 ([[Vaughn Monroe]])
| after = "[[Some Enchanted Evening (song)|Some Enchanted Evening]]" by [[Perry Como]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Billboard Year-End number one singles 1946–1959}}
{{The Shadows}}
{{Johnny Cash}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghost Riders In The Sky A Cowboy Legend}}
[[Category:Western music (North America)]]
[[Category:1948 songs]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in the United States]]
[[Category:Burl Ives songs]]
[[Category:Bing Crosby songs]]
[[Category:Gene Autry songs]]
[[Category:Johnny Cash songs]]
[[Category:Peggy Lee songs]]
[[Category:RPM Country Tracks number-one singles]]
[[Category:The Outlaws songs]]

Revision as of 02:03, 19 December 2013

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