Snow Day R&R: Ghost Riders in the Sky

Posted: January 10th, 2025 | Filed under: Culture, Music, Rock & Roll Rewind | No Comments »

One song.

Two moments.

One that actually happened and was pretty special.

The other a dream denied.

The song: Ghost Riders in the Sky.

It’s just one of those tunes that’s lingered around, maleable, adaptable, written by Stan Jones in the late 1940s.

It’s been dubbed the Greatest Western Song Ever.

But that is far from the whole deal.

It first hit the charts in ’49 when über-baritone Vaughn Monroe recorded it. Went to #1.

But it has been done by all sorts of folks through the decades. A diverse group that must bring a smile, and a really?

Burl Ives. Spike Jones. Bing Crosby. Blues Brothers. The Outlaws. Peggy Lee. The Highwaymen.

Lawrence Friggin’ Welk. For shits and giggles:

Like I said, it caught people’s attention.

OK, I can’t help myself. A couple more versions and then I’ll get to the stories. (Hey you’re snowed in the cabin, what else you got to do?)

A couple guitar masters:

I’m sure you’ve gathered I like the song.

My piano teacher — when I was still taking lessons and dabbled around on the 88s for a bit a score of years ago — charted it out for me. In A minor if memory serves. Not very complicated. But obviously touches something in a lot people, musicians and their audiences.

The moments.

First one is Back in the Day, when Washington Street between 1st and 2d was the epicenter of After Midnight. Even though the bars at the time still closed at 2:00.

Hipsters. Hookers. Guys on the hunt. Gals all dressed up for each other. Judges in their cups, with a pistol tucked in the back of their overalls. The male transvestite hookers hanging out on the balcony above Eddie Donaldson’s.

I managed some fellows and blues chanteuse Murphy O’Dell in several ideations of a band. Blues Kings. Terraplane. Texas Red & the Hartbreakers.

One summer night somehow we managed to convince the powers that be to let us have a street dance on that block after the bars closed.

I’m pretty sure it was the Terraplane version who played. In front of, I dunno, 300/400 late night partiers. Word had obviously gotten out. Partay afoot. And it was.

The group had just worked up Ghost Riders in the Sky. It may have been the first time they played it live.

The crowd went crazy.

It’s a rave in the right hands. We danced beneath the diamond sky with our hands wavin’ free.

Among the ever out-and-abouters at the time were Kentucky Colonel hoopster Goose Ligon and his sig other Connie.

He knew I managed the band, came up to me and went on and on and on about what a great tune it was and how much he loved it.*

*How is it we can remember such quick passing incidental moments from decades ago?

Oh my thems was the days, I tell ya.

Now for the coulda would shoulda, a regret.

Those who pay attention to my musical ramblings know Tedeschi Trucks is my favorite band. The group does a lot of cover songs. Which I love. It reveals influences.

I can’t imagine how magical it might be to hear them do, oh you know what song I’m talking about.

They played Bourbon & Beyond in September.

Two nights before Derek Trucks and with a combo was to play some tony bourbon reveal gathering at Ashbourne Farm. 200 folks.

Tres cher. But I was going go for it anyway.

There were, as these things go, VIP tickets, which included the proverbial meet and greet and photo op. A chance to actually chat up, for a moment anyway, the best slide guitar player in the world these days.

The opportunity presented itself. The morning of that gig, the women in charge of dispersing tickets advised a couple were available.

My chance to suggest to Trucks what a great tune it would be for TTB to work up.

I tested positive for COVID the day before.

Sigh.

My face was gaunt/ My eyes were blurred/ My shirt all soaked with sweat/ I’m ridin’ hard to catch that dream/ But haven’t caught it yet

Yo, Derek, Susan, if somehow you’re listening in, work up the tune for a fan.

— c d kaplan

 

 

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