Burl Ives - The original recording of Ghost Riders In The Sky

This is the first recording of this famous song by someone other than the writer, Stan Jones, who recorded it in 1948. In February 1949, Burl Ives, famous as a folk singer for years before he became an actor, recorded this. Vaughn Monroe's big baritone and orchestra version became a number one hit a month later, but it's great to listen to Burl sing this much simpler version, just his clear tenor voice and strumming on a single instrument, probably a banjo, possibly a steel stringed guitar.