Free Ride (song) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Free Ride" |
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| 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 | Boogie rock, blues rock | |||
| Length | 3:08 (album/single version) 3:24 (full version) |
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| Label | Epic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Dan Hartman | |||
| Producer(s) | Rick Derringer | |||
| Edgar Winter Group singles chronology | ||||
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| "Free Ride" | ||||
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| Single by Tavares | ||||
| from the album In the City | ||||
| B-side | "In the Eyes of Love" | |||
| Released | December 1975 | |||
| Genre | Soul | |||
| Length | 2:57 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Dan Hartman | |||
| Producer(s) | Dennis Lambert, Brian Potter | |||
| Tavares singles chronology | ||||
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| "Free Ride" | ||||
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| Single by Dan Hartman | ||||
| from the album Relight My Fire | ||||
| 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 | ||||
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"Free Ride" is a famous song written by Dan Hartman. It was first performed by The Edgar Winter Group. The song became a big hit in the U.S. in 1973. It reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In Canada, it was even more popular, reaching number eight.
The song has two main versions. One is the album version, and the other is the single version. The single version has a brighter sound. It also has extra guitar parts and a special bass sound. Most classic rock radio stations play the album version.
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Who Played on "Free Ride"?
Many talented musicians helped create the original "Free Ride" song.
- Edgar Winter: He played the clavinet, electric piano, and a synthesizer. He also sang backing vocals.
- Ronnie Montrose: He played the main guitar parts and sang backing vocals.
- Dan Hartman: He was the lead singer and played rhythm guitar and percussion. He also wrote the song!
- Randy Jo Hobbs: He played the bass guitar.
- Johnny Badanjek: He played the drums.
Other Popular Versions
"Free Ride" has been covered by other artists over the years. This means they recorded their own versions of the song.
Tavares' Version
The group Tavares recorded their own version of "Free Ride" in 1975. It was part of their album called In the City. Their version also did well on the music charts. It reached number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also hit number 8 on the Hot Soul Singles chart.
Other Artists' Versions
- Audio Adrenaline recorded "Free Ride" for their album Bloom in 1996.
- Dan Hartman, who wrote the song, recorded his own version in 1979. It was on his album Relight My Fire.
How "Free Ride" Charted
The song "Free Ride" was very popular when it was released. Here's how it did on some music charts.
Edgar Winter Group's Charts
The Edgar Winter Group's version of "Free Ride" was a big success.
- In Canada, it reached number 8 on the RPM chart in 1973.
- In the U.S., it hit number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Tavares' Charts
Tavares' version also made it onto the charts.
- In Canada, it reached number 71 on the RPM Top Singles chart in 1975–76.
- In the U.S., it peaked at number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- It was very popular on the R&B charts, reaching number 8 on Billboard's R&B chart.
