I have made it my personal mission to find a song you like.

If you're talking about that style of music, you better find one where they actually hired a vocalist and not somebody that tries to puke out the words.

Outlaws for me.

Whaaaat --- no Vaughn Monroe (and the Moon Men)?!? It's my understanding that he recorded it about a month after Burl Ives and VM's version CLEARLY was the top-selling one.

Yeesh.

...thus spake the guy who grew up listening to his daddy's 78 rpms.

That said...
Easy there...Burl Ives was responsible for my still-much-personally-beloved versions of "Waltzing Matilda"..."Goober Peas" (Holy Crow, Yes!!!!!!!)...and my all-time favorite Christmas ditty, "Holly Jolly Christmas."

And THAT said...

The Original -- Burl Ives, please!

I'm going to go with the original. Sure, Burl's voice really should be coming out of a nattily dressed snowman, but the instrumentation on that track is insane. Compared to fairly straightforward rock combo sound of the Outlaws, strings and finger-picking sounds that much better.

There is a Johnny Cash on Austin City Limits live version (I think that's where it was recorded). I don't have my iPod with me so I can't check, but it's pretty intense....

Forgot about original VS. covers! Glad to see it for old times sake!!

Johnny Cash- Ghost Riders....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmxB2BwVufA&ob=av3e

Well, O.K., then, for all you Fender pickers out there, here's the version I bought on 45 rpm...on the Amy purple label, you betcha!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eknVLLdhjk