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 and number 10 on Cash Box. In Canada, it peaked at number 8.

Personnel

 * Edgar Winter – clavinet, electric piano, ARP 2600 synthesizer, backing vocals
 * Ronnie Montrose – lead guitar, backing vocals
 * Dan Hartman – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, percussions
 * 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 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. When The Cats Away recorded a version and was released in January 1990 and peaked at number 12

Weekly charts

 * Edgar Winter Group
 * Tavares

In popular culture
The song was featured in Air America and in The Drew Carey Show episode "The Dog and Pony Show". 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. It was also featured as a song in the video game tie-in for the film, Cars, and is also used in the Disney California Adventure ride, Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout! It was sampled on the Girl Talk mash-up album Feed the Animals.