I can’t find a version of this song that is what I really want to hear. The version by The Outlaws has great country-rock instrumentals but their yippi-yi-aying leaves much to be desired. Johnny Cash’s vocals are, as ever, perfect, but he says “yippi-yi-oh, yippi-yi-ay” and it’s so totally supposed to be the other way around, plus his background music is crap.
What’s the best version of this song? And is the actual title Ghost Riders in the Sky, or just Riders in the Sky?
The best? Lorne Greene sings it. On the same album he did the theme song from “Bonanza”; the ballad of the Ponderosa, AND his stirring rendition of “Ringo”.
racinchikki, confusion may stem in part from the fabulous western trio by the name of Riders in the Sky, which takes its name from the song, originally done by Vaughn Monroe way back in the late 1940s. The group, by the way, have a world-class yodeler in the person of “Ranger Doug” and do an excellent version of the song.
Milton Nascimento, a brasilian pop/rock/jazz/everything else artist did the best version I’ve heard of this song as an intro to his album CACADOR DE MIM.
It starts with an instrumental called Crescente for 40 seconds and then jumps straight into the song. It’s done as moody rock and its lyrics are in Portuguese.
He does it properly. Also, he sings “The Ghost Herd in the sky” at the end of the first verse (some versions ignore this subtlety and incorrectly sing “Ghost Riders in the sky”).
I’ve got the Vaughn Monroe version. I taped if off the radio. It’s the ultimate version.
The Trashmen, a surf band, do a great interpretive cover of the song. They call it “Ghostriders”. It’s very different, and like most surf, purely instrumental, but quite haunting. Well, they do have a chorus of voices, but no words, just ooohing and ahhing.
Monroe’s version is readily available on the Rhino CD Sentimental Journey: Pop Vocal Classics Vol. 2 (1947-1950). I’d recommend the other three volumes in the series as well.