From '' Ghost Skankers ''
Label: Bongo Boy – BB005
Format: CDr, Album
Country: US
Released: 1998
Tracklist
01. Ghost Skankers / Riders In The Sky
02. Miami Skyline
03. Ska Slaughter
04. Think About Your Life
05. Surfinfast Ska
06. Wagon Train Ska
07. Phoenix City (Voice – Luc LaRochelle)
08. Mojuba
09. Botyana
10. Skankers Island
Trumpet – Louis Fasman
Trombone – Wayne Wallace
Saxophone [Sax] – Melecio Magdaluyo
Percussion, Vocals – Joni Haastrup
Guitar, Keyboards [Keys], Concertina – Jimmy Foot
Drums – Jimmy Sage
Bass – Robin Sylvester
Arranged By [Horn Arrangements By] – Wayne Wallace
Engineer – Ashley Brigdale, Jimmy Foot, Susie Foot
Mixed By – Jimmy Foot, Susie Foot
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\"(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend\" is a country and cowboy-style song.
It was written on June 5, 1948 by Stan Jones.
A number of versions were crossover hits on the pop charts in 1949.
More than 50 performers have recorded versions of the song.
Charting versions were recorded by The Outlaws, Vaughn Monroe, by Bing Crosby (with the Ken Darby Singers), Frankie Laine, Burl Ives (two different versions), Marty Robbins, The Ramrods and Johnny Cash.
Other recordings were made by 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.
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.\"
According to Robby Krieger, it inspired the classic Doors song \"Riders on the Storm.\"
The song was also the inspiration for the Marvel Comics Western character \"Ghost Rider\" later renamed Phantom Rider.
Recordings
The original version by Stan Jones was recorded in 1948
The version, by Burl Ives, was recorded on February 17, 1949
Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra. Vocalists: Vaughn Monroe and The Moon Men
The Bing Crosby version was recorded on March 22, 1949
The Peggy Lee version was recorded on April 18, 1949
The Spike Jones version was recorded on May 24, 1949
Another popular early version was recorded by the Sons of the Pioneers
By the Norman Luboff Choir in their album, \"Songs of the Cowboy\" in 1960
The Brothers Four recorded a driven, up-tempo version in 1961.
A twangy guitar instrumental version by The Ramrods in 1961. This was covered by UK band The Scorpions.
Bob James Trio in 1962
Frankie Laine in 1963
Daniel Amos
Dick Dale recorded a version in the surf style and released it on his second album, King of the Surf Guitar, in 1963
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.\"
Recorded by Elvis Presley in June 1970.
Recorded by Susan Christie in 1970
Riders in the Sky in 1979
Johnny Cash in 1979. He also recorded it live with Willie Nelson for 1998's VH1 Storytellers.
Outlaws in 1980
The Shadows in 1980
Milton Nascimento in Portuguese as \"Cavaleiros Do Céu\" in 1981
There is also a Sesame Street version called \"The Dirtiest Town in The West\" with alternated lyrics. It was first aired in 1982
Impaled Nazarene recorded in 1993 (black metal version)
Captain Tractor in 1994
Ned Sublette in 1999
The Blues Brothers in Blues Brothers 2000 movie
Dolan Ellis in 2000
Die Apokalyptischen Reiter in 2006 \"Friede Sei Mit Dir\"
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes in 2006
Deborah Harry
The Ventures
Terry Scott Taylor and Daniel Amos in 1990
Gill Dougherty in 1990
Pedro Vargas \"Jinetes en el Cielo\" in Spanish.
Raphael a Spanish singer
Buckethead during his tour as \"Giant Robot\" (bub version)
Spiderbait , during the credits of the 2007 movie Ghost Rider
Concrete Blonde in 2004
Los Baby's \"Jinetes en el Cielo\"
Gary Richrath
Dezperadoz in 2000
Ghoultown
The Spotnicks
Children of Bodom in 2008
The Fabulaires
Baja Marimba Band in 1966
Christopher Lee
Art Greenhaw in 2006
Judy Collins in 2010
The Space Lady
Recordings have also been made by Mary McCaslin, The Tubes, Roy Clark, Marty Robbins, Dean Martin, Boston Pops, Lawrence Welk, R.E.M., Dixie Chicks, Kaleidoscope, (Guy Vanderhoof), and Scary Bitches.
There is a German language version of the song called \"Geisterreiter\" which, as early as 1949, was recorded by 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.
There is a cover by the surf-punk-electro-band Mikrowelle as well as in 2008 by German TV-entertainer Götz Alsmann feat. Bela B (from Die Ärzte).
