Free Ride (song)

"Free Ride" is a song written by Dan Hartman and performed by the Edgar Winter Group from their 1972 album They Only Come Out at Night, produced by Rick Derringer. The single was a top 15 U.S. hit in 1973, reaching number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100^[2] and number 10 on Cash Box. In Canada, it peaked at number 8.^[3]

"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[1]
Length	3:08
Label	Epic
Songwriter(s)	Dan Hartman
Producer(s)	Rick Derringer
Edgar Winter Group singles chronology
"Frankenstein" (1973) "Free Ride" (1973) "Hangin' Around" (1973)
Audio
"Free Ride" on YouTube

Personnel

• Edgar Winter – clavinet, electric piano, ARP 2600 synthesizer, backing vocals
• Ronnie Montrose – lead guitar, backing vocals (1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard)
• Dan Hartman – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion
• Rick Derringer – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, producer
• Randy Jo Hobbs – bass guitar
• Johnny Badanjek – drums

Other versions

Tavares recorded a version of the song for their 1975 album, In the City. Their version peaked at number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100^[2] and number 8 on the Hot Soul Singles chart. Hartman himself re-recorded the song and released it on his 1979 album Relight My Fire. Audio Adrenaline recorded the song and released it on their 1996 album Bloom.^{[citation needed]}

Charts

Weekly charts Edgar Winter Group Chart (1973) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] 84 Canada 100 (RPM)[3] 8 US Billboard Hot 100[5] 14 US Cash Box Top 100[6] 10 Tavares Chart (1975–76) Peak position Canada RPM Top Singles 71 US Billboard Hot 100[2] 52 US Billboard R&B 8 US Cash Box Top 100[7] 56

Year-end charts Chart (1973) Rank Canada[8] 109 US (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)[9] 115 US Cash Box Top 100[10] 65

In popular culture

The song was featured in the 1990 film Air America and in The Drew Carey Show episode "The Dog and Pony Show".^[11] The song is featured in the 1993 film Dazed and Confused, while Hartman's recording appeared in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie and on its soundtrack album.^[12] It was also featured as a song in the video game tie-in for the 2006 film Cars,^[13] and is also used in the Disney California Adventure ride, Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout!^[14] It was sampled on the Girl Talk mash-up album Feed the Animals (2008).