Craft Recordings Announces Vinyl Reissue of Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky”

For more than half a century, Norman Greenbaum’s 1969 anthem “Spirit in the Sky” has captivated listeners of all generations with its euphoric energy and bold, genre-bending sound. Now, Craft Recordings celebrates the song’s era-defying legacy with two special releases: a brand-new Dolby Atmos® mix of the single available to stream/download today, and a vinyl reissue of Greenbaum’s kaleidoscopic debut album, Spirit in the Sky, arriving June 13th.

Long out-of-print, Greenbaum’s 1969 debut returns to vinyl in a replica tip-on jacket with lacquers cut from the original tapes (AAA) by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Anchored by its beloved, iconic title track, “Spirit in the Sky,” the album fuses rock, gospel, and psychedelia, featuring hidden gems like “ Marcy,” “Tars Of India,” and “Skyline” that highlight Greenbaum’s distinctive songwriting style. Meanwhile, the Dolby Atmos single gives fans an opportunity to experience “Spirit in the Sky” in transcendent spatial audio.

Fueled by one of the most unforgettable guitar hooks in music history, the single “Spirit in the Sky” premiered in December 1969 and soon reached the No. 1 spot on charts across the globe, including the U.S., Australia, Canada, Ireland, the U.K., and Germany. Eventually selling over two million copies worldwide, the gold-certified track marked a major commercial and creative breakthrough for Greenbaum, fusing elements of rock n’ roll, gospel, pop, and psychedelia with a daring originality way ahead of its time.

Released via Reprise Records, “Spirit in the Sky” was initially met with apprehension from the label, due to its potentially controversial religious references as well as its unconventional length (the track clocks in at just over four minutes, at a time when pop hits averaged two minutes and 30 seconds). Despite that resistance, the song emerged as a global smash and gave Greenbaum his first hit on the Top 40 charts, where it held strong for 14 weeks.

A largely undiscovered gem released in October 1969, Spirit in the Sky shows the tremendous depth and scope of Greenbaum’s musicality, opening on the horn-driven R&B-funk of “Junior Cadillac” and closing out with the spacey psych-pop of “Marcy” (a sublimely loopy number hailed as a “great lost album track” by legendary rock critic Robert Christgau in a glowing review of the LP). Encompassing everything from groove-heavy country rock to soul-soothing AM pop, the ten-song powerhouse ultimately serves as an alluring first entry in an eclectic solo catalogue that also includes 1970’s Back Home Again and 1972’s Petaluma.

Norman Greenbaum reflects:

“I’m humbled and deeply grateful that ‘Spirit in the Sky’ continues to connect with people. It means so much that people have taken the song to heart, and I’m excited to see its journey continue.”

Spirit in the Sky Track Listing:

Side A:

1. Junior Cadillac
2. Spirit in the Sky
3. Skyline
4. Jubilee
5. Alice Bodine

Side B:

1. Tars Of India
2. The Power
3. Good Lookin’ Woman
4. Milk Cow

Norman Greenbaum “Spirit in the Sky” vinyl reissue album artwork