Thursday, time for a cover.
"(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend" is a cowboy-styled country/western song written in 1948 by American songwriter, film and television actor Stan Jones. A number of versions have been done during the years.
The song tells a folk tale of a cowboy who has a vision of red-eyed, steel-hooved cattle thundering across the sky, being chased by the spirits of damned cowboys. One warns him that if he does not change his ways, he will be doomed to join them, forever "trying to catch the Devil's herd across these endless skies". Jones stated he had been told the story when he was 12 years old by an old Native American who resided north-east of the Douglas, Arizona border town, a few miles behind D Hill, north of Agua Prieta, Sonora. The Native Americans, possibly Apache, who lived within Cochise County, believed that when souls vacate their physical bodies, they reside as spirits in the sky, resembling ghost riders. He related this story to Wayne Hester, a boyhood friend (later owner of the Douglas Cable Company). As both boys were looking at the clouds, Stan shared what the old Native American had told him, looking in amazement as the cloudy shapes were identified as the "ghost riders" that years later, would be transposed into lyrics. The melody is based on the song "When Johnny Comes Marching Home".
More than 50 performers have recorded versions of the song. Charting versions were recorded by THE OUTLAWS, VAUGHN MONROE ("Riders in the Sky" with orchestra and vocal quartet), which topped the Billboard magazine charts, 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 EDDY ARNOLD, PEGGY LEE (with THE JUD CONLON SINGERS), CHRISTOPHER LEE, SPIKE JONES AND HIS CITY SLICKERS. GENE AUTRY sang it in the 1949 movie, "Riders In The Sky". JONES recorded it for his 1957 album "Creakin' Leather". CHILDREN OF BODOM, IMPALED NAZARENE and DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER have also made covers. THE TUCSON ARIZONA BOYS CHORUS sing the song dressed in cowboy attire and performing rope tricks.
Today's version is made by the Santa Barbara heavy metal veterans DEVILDRIVER, the tune was released on the full-length album outlaw country-gone-metal anthems, "Outlaws 'Til The End: Vol. 1", on July 6, 2018 via Napalm Records.
The track features the talents of album guests John Carter Cash (son of country music legend Johnny Cash), Ana Cristina Cash, and renowned LAMB OF GOD vocalist Randy Blythe.
John Carter Cash adds: "All my life I have loved the power and eerie quality of the song 'Ghost Riders In The Sky'. Since I was nine years old, I have lived and breathed heavy metal music. I am grateful to have had the chance to work with Dez Fafara, Randy Blythe, DEVILDRIVER and others, in the upcoming release of what I believe is the consummate metal version of this musical masterpiece."
Ana Cristina Cash says: "I am so proud to have been a part of 'Outlaws 'Til The End: Vol. 1' and to have sung on the metal version of 'Ghost Riders In The Sky' with my husband John Carter Cash, Dez Fafara, Randy Blythe and DEVILDRIVER. This whole album pushes boundaries and merges the outlaw country and the metal genres in a masterful way."
Randy Blythe offers: "I am a huge fan of moody songs with narrative lyrics employed to tell a dark story — they really make the listener visualize what the song is about. I can't think of many tunes where this was done more effectively than Johnny Cash's version of 'Ghost Riders In The Sky'. Long before heavy metal had been invented, the original Man in Black wasn't afraid to explore the dark side with his music. Truly great songs never die — they just shape-shift through the years. Singing with Dez, John Carter and DEVILDRIVER is keeping those undead riders alive in a whole different genre. Crank this up and look to the sky at night..."
DEVILDRIVER is:
Dez Fafara - Vocals
Mike Spreitzer - Guitar
Neal Tiemann - Guitar
Diego Ibarra - Bass
Austin D'Amond - Drums
Enjoy today's cover!
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Official DevilDriver Web
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