Free Ride (song)
| "Free Ride" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Edgar Winter Group | ||||
| from the album They Only Come Out at Night | ||||
| B-side | "When It Comes" | |||
| Released | August 1973 | |||
| Recorded | 1972 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length |
3:08 (Album/Single version) 3:24 (Full version) | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Dan Hartman | |||
| Producer(s) | Rick Derringer | |||
| Edgar Winter Group singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| "Free Ride" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Tavares | ||||
| from the album In the City | ||||
| B-side | "In the Eyes of Love" | |||
| Released | December 1975 | |||
| Format | 7″ | |||
| Genre | Soul | |||
| Length | 2:57 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Dan Hartman | |||
| Producer(s) | Dennis Lambert, Brian Potter | |||
| Tavares singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| "Free Ride" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Dan Hartman | ||||
| from the album They Only Come Out at Night | ||||
| B-side | "Love Strong" | |||
| Released | 1979 | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Genre | Disco | |||
| Length | 7:06 | |||
| Label | Blue Sky | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Dan Hartman | |||
| Producer(s) | Dan Hartman | |||
| Dan Hartman singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Free Ride" is a song written by Dan Hartman and performed by The Edgar Winter Group. The single, engineered by Jim Reeves, was a top 20 U.S. hit in 1973, hitting number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100[1] and number 10 on Cash Box. In Canada, it peaked at number eight.[2]
The single 45 version is distinctly different from the LP version. The 45 version contains a significantly brighter guitar track (that opens the song only on the left channel), added harmonics, a fuzz bass added to the bridge and other changes that contrast sharply with the "dry" LP mix. Most classic rock radio stations play the LP version, and the original 45 mix is much less commonly available online. Both versions clock in at virtually the same length because each was based on the same core "take" and re-mixed with different tracks to the fore as well as added enhancements to the single.
Tavares recorded a version of the song for their 1975 album, In the City. Their version would peak at #52 on the Billboard Hot 100[3] and #8 on the Hot Soul Singles chart.
Audio Adrenaline recorded a version of the song for their 1996 album, Bloom.
Hartman himself re-recorded the song and released it on his 1979 album Relight My Fire.
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Appearances
The song was featured in Air America and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie. It was later used in The Drew Carey Show episode "The Dog and Pony Show".[9] The song also appears in the video games MLB 11: The Show, Cars (video game), and Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned. The song is featured in the 1993 film, Dazed and Confused.[10] The song is on Rock Band 3 as downloadable content along with "Frankenstein".[11] It also appears in the main setlist of Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.
References
- ↑ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- 1 2 "RPM100 Singles". RPM. Ottawa: Library and Archives Canada. 34 (2). October 20, 1973. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
- ↑ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- ↑ "The Edgar Winter Group Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
- ↑ http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/19731020.html
- ↑ http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=9481& Bac-lac.gc.ca
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
- ↑ http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/1973YESP.html
- ↑ Archerd, Army (October 16, 1997). "Hello, 'Monty': Drew drops drawers". Variety. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
- ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106677/soundtrack?ref_=tt_trv_snd
- ↑ ""Free Ride" and "Frankenstein" from The Edgar Winter Group & "Freak on a Leash" and "Falling Away from Me" from KoRn Come to Rock Band!". Rockband.com. January 13, 2012. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
