GHOST RIDERS IN THE SKY (A COWBOY LEGEND)

Created on 25/06/2006
Latest update on 17/12/2023

Artist: Bob Geddins' Cavaliers
Author: Stan Jones
Label: Cava-Tone
Year: 1948

Childhood memory of author Stan Jones, inspired by a very dark sky before a storm in the Arizona Hills. True story. Tipped by eden ahbez (see: Nature Boy), who had heard the author's demo. A far cry of When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again's melody (1863).

Covers:

1949:

Burl Ives [as Riders In The Sky]

1949:

Vaughn Monroe [n°1 US]

1949:

Stan Jones [author for Mercury]

1949:

Gene Autry [in the movie by that name, originally to be called Beyond the Purple Hills; author Jones cameo-appears as a cowboy riding herd, singing along with Gene]

1949:

Nelson Eddy

1949:

Peggy Lee

1949:

Bing Crosby

1949:

Sons Of The Pioneers

1949:

Compagnons De La Chanson [as Les Chevaliers du ciel]

1949:

Spike Jones & His City Slickers

1950:

Armand Mestral [as Les Cavaliers du ciel]

1957:

Bob Wills

1959:

Kay Starr

1959:

Rod McKuen

1959:

Eddy Arnold

1960:

Ramrods

1960:

Brothers Four

1961:

Spotnicks

1961:

Ventures

1961:

Jumping Jewels

1963:

Frankie Laine

1963:

Dick Dale & The Del-Tones

1963:

Frank Ifield

1963:

Chantays

1964:

Al Caiola

1964:

Lorne Greene

1966:

Bobby Vinton

1967:

Tom Jones

1973:

Roy Clark

1976:

Sleepy LaBeef

1977:

Dennis Linde

1977:

Kaleidoscope

1978:

John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett

1979:

Johnny Cash [with members of the Carter Family; n°2 C&W]

1980:

Outlaws

1980:

Riders In The Sky

1981:

Suzy Bogguss

1983:

King Kurt

1984:

Marty Robbins

1990:

Trashmen

1990:

R.E.M.

1998:

Dan Aykroyd-John Goodman & The Blues Brothers Band [in film Blues Brothers 2000]

1998:

Deborah Harry [in film Three Businessmen]

1999:

Ned Sublette [cowboy rumba version]

2001:

Radio Birdman

2002:

Ghoultown

2003:

Brian Finch

2006:

Me First & the Gimme Gimmes

2006:

Brooks & Dunn

2010:

Judy Collins

2011:

Sjon & Sjeffrie [as Het Cowboy Lied Gaat Zo]

2016:

Charlie Daniels

The most covered song in the C&W genres since recordings began.

Contact


If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:

Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)

info@originals.be

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