Biography
Although Red Rider enjoyed widespread affection across Canada, the group never achieved significant traction in the more profitable American market, even as frontman Tom Cochrane later thrived as a solo performer during the 1990s. Their signature blend of album-oriented rock and new wave helped the band secure repeated gold certifications at home. Mounting internal friction and repeated lineup adjustments eventually prompted the ensemble to dissolve as the decade closed.
Ken Greer on vocals and guitar, keyboardist Peter Boynton, and drummer Rob Baker established Red Rider in Toronto during 1976. Bassist Jeff Jones joined soon afterward, and the band crossed paths with singer/guitarist Tom Cochrane after a 1978 appearance at the city’s storied El Mocambo venue. Cochrane had previously issued the 1974 solo album Hang On to Your Resistance while working as a folk artist, though it attracted little notice at the time. Red Rider installed him as lead vocalist while Greer retained substantial influence over the group’s early artistic choices. Through one of Cochrane’s contacts they landed a deal with Capitol Records and released the hit single “White Hot” in late 1979. The debut album Don’t Fight It arrived in early 1980; its title track also charted, driving the record to gold status in Canada. The follow-up, 1981’s As Far as Siam, earned platinum certification and remains their most enduring release. It included the Canadian number-one “Lunatic Fringe,” later featured in the film Vision Quest and the television series Miami Vice, plus the domestic hit “What Have You Got to Do (To Get Off Tonight).”
After Boynton exited, Steve Sexton took over keyboards for the 1983 prog-inflected concept album Neruda, inspired by the Chilean poet. The set yielded the band’s second-most successful Canadian single, “Power (Strength in Numbers),” yet still failed to register in the United States. Sexton departed in favor of John Webster before 1984’s Breaking Curfew, an album that saw their Canadian fan base begin to erode. Tensions escalated, and an opening slot on Rush’s American tour failed to expand their audience, leading Red Rider to disband temporarily. Cochrane, Greer, and Webster later reconvened with bassist Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve and drummer Mickey Curry; Cochrane assumed greater leadership and fronted the project under the name Tom Cochrane & Red Rider. Their 1986 self-titled release produced another Canadian hit in “Boy Inside the Man.” Victory Day followed in 1988, by which point Webster had left and session musicians filled the keyboard chair. One final project, 1989’s The Symphony Sessions, captured earlier material with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Cochrane then launched a solo career, scoring a major U.S. success with the Top Five single “Life Is a Highway” in 1992.
Ken Greer on vocals and guitar, keyboardist Peter Boynton, and drummer Rob Baker established Red Rider in Toronto during 1976. Bassist Jeff Jones joined soon afterward, and the band crossed paths with singer/guitarist Tom Cochrane after a 1978 appearance at the city’s storied El Mocambo venue. Cochrane had previously issued the 1974 solo album Hang On to Your Resistance while working as a folk artist, though it attracted little notice at the time. Red Rider installed him as lead vocalist while Greer retained substantial influence over the group’s early artistic choices. Through one of Cochrane’s contacts they landed a deal with Capitol Records and released the hit single “White Hot” in late 1979. The debut album Don’t Fight It arrived in early 1980; its title track also charted, driving the record to gold status in Canada. The follow-up, 1981’s As Far as Siam, earned platinum certification and remains their most enduring release. It included the Canadian number-one “Lunatic Fringe,” later featured in the film Vision Quest and the television series Miami Vice, plus the domestic hit “What Have You Got to Do (To Get Off Tonight).”
After Boynton exited, Steve Sexton took over keyboards for the 1983 prog-inflected concept album Neruda, inspired by the Chilean poet. The set yielded the band’s second-most successful Canadian single, “Power (Strength in Numbers),” yet still failed to register in the United States. Sexton departed in favor of John Webster before 1984’s Breaking Curfew, an album that saw their Canadian fan base begin to erode. Tensions escalated, and an opening slot on Rush’s American tour failed to expand their audience, leading Red Rider to disband temporarily. Cochrane, Greer, and Webster later reconvened with bassist Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve and drummer Mickey Curry; Cochrane assumed greater leadership and fronted the project under the name Tom Cochrane & Red Rider. Their 1986 self-titled release produced another Canadian hit in “Boy Inside the Man.” Victory Day followed in 1988, by which point Webster had left and session musicians filled the keyboard chair. One final project, 1989’s The Symphony Sessions, captured earlier material with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Cochrane then launched a solo career, scoring a major U.S. success with the Top Five single “Life Is a Highway” in 1992.
Albums
