Larry Norman - Spirit In The Sky - [Norman Greenbaum Cover] video free download


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Duration: 03:54
Uploaded: 2012/07/16

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Larry Norman - Spirit In The Sky ~ (Cover) ~ Track 1

(Words and Music: Norman Greenbaum)

From the Album "Streams Of White Light Into Darkened Corners" ~ (Solid Rock Records 1977)

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Personnel:

• Larry Norman: Vocals, Guitar, Percussion, and Piano

• Randy Stonehill: Introduces each song as a West Coast DJ, The Surf Duke, Guitar, backing vocals

• Charles Norman: Guitars

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In the early 70's, frustrated by the music industry's intention to dilute the impact of Jesus rock through the many religious songs that mainstream artists chose to record and the fallacious rumors that celebrities like Clapton had been saved, Larry Norman wrote various hard hitting features that magazines and papers wouldn't print. As a second line of attack he decamped to his home with a pile of recording equipment and a few friends to record a series of tongue in cheek cover version. Randy Stonehill introduces the songs in the style of an OTT egotistical West Coast DJ, The Surf Duke, and frankly this has some hysterically funny moments! Their acoustic version of Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit In The Sky" is absolutely hilarious! Larry's imitation of Mick Jagger on the Stones' "Shine A Light" is outrageous and the segue of "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "Let It Be" and "My Sweet Lord" is suitably respectful . until we get to the disco break in the latter song and Larry again adopting Mick Jagger mode starts singing, "I'm So Bored". Call me iconoclastic but these songs deserve to be ripped apart! After the Clapton rumors of conversion which surface every five years or so, "Presence Of The Lord" is given a straight rendition although it's worth bearing in mind Larry reports that Clapton wrote it to express escaping from the police who wanted to bust him for drugs! This CD release closes with two bonus tracks which did not appear on the original vinyl release. This time they're introduced by Larry's Big Bomber DJ alter-ego on Radio K.R.A.P. and include another great Mick Jagger impersonation on "I Am Waiting". Mischievous yet making an important contribution cataloguing counterfeit "Christian" culture.

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Larry's Site: http://www.larrynorman.com/

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Comments

10 years ago

mercurywoodrose

I get the distinct impression that Mr Norman was a self righteous bully who tried to grandstand with his religious beliefs. If he cannot keep from mocking other songwriters who tried to add some spiritual content, doesnt say much for his so called christian values. I have found sustenance in many religious traditions, but the evangelical, bible thumping, hate filled christians can, and never will, do anything for me. I know jesus, in my heart, but that will never be enough for these people. they demand obesiance to their interpretation of the legacy of jesus, under penalty of eternal damnation. sorry he suffered so much. but im more sorry that people would criticize Mr Greenbaum for "being a jew to this day", and thus his aping real religion is forgivably ignorant. how paternalistically generous of you. I only hope i get to kiss your feet some day, and renounce my humanity for the sake of some alien sky god whose only purpose is to torture us for eternity if we dont get exactly right with him. bla bla bla...

10 years ago

Guinnification

For example - Claptons Presence of the Lord , is really Eric saying he's finally found a safe place away from the police (one officer in London in particular) to take his drugs . Again , this is all in the accompanying booklet . Bit disappointing you guys thought otherwise .

10 years ago

Guinnification

You guys need to read the liner notes & the booklet that came with the album . Both Larry & Randy (The Surf Duke) were upset that the world was simply jumping on the Jesus bandwagon to sell records . They covered these songs by secular artists , in exaggerated performances to highlight this fact & draw attention to the 'industry' & the real reason these guys were supposedly singing about Jesus . This is all explained in the booklet , even to the point of writing the real meaning behind the song

11 years ago

Jartsipeksi

True. "There ain't no sin, a sin no more/ I've got a friend in Jesus" would make it better. Don't know if that's good english as english is not my native language.

11 years ago

John Douglas Chitty

@AnimalsSuperCute There's simply no way to justify such language biblically, even after regeneration. Larry was probably bound by copyright laws, but it still ruins the song for me, which in every other way is very enjoyable. But I don't think Greenbaum was being irreverent, just ignorant. Being a Jew to this day, he was simply imitating American religious themes, and there's nothing wrong with that. See his Wikipedia entry under the heading "Career" for his explanation of the song.

11 years ago

AnimalsSuperCute

When I first saw the lyrics "I've never been a sinner/I never sin/I've got a friend in Jesus" I thought may be he was referring to his righteous state after being born again. Who knows what was going through his head.

11 years ago

John Douglas Chitty

"I've never been a sinner/I never sin/I've got a friend in Jesus" How disappointing! I hoped Larry would have fixed this unbiblical lyric. "If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us" (1 John 1:10 ESV)."

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