Tom Cochrane & Red Rider. Toronto rock band, active 1976-90. Formed by the guitarist Ken Greer and others, it was initially active in local clubs such as the El Mocambo. Tom Cochrane (singer, songwriter, guitarist, b Lynn Lake, Man, 14 May 1953; D MUS (Brandon) 2005) joined in 1977. Cochrane, who had previously recorded Hang on to Your Resistance (1974, Daffodil Records-10043), soon emerged as the Red Rider's frontman. The observant social commentary and strong craftsmanship of Cochrane's songs, respected the contemporary folk tradition that was central to the band's identity and highlighted his earnestly expressive singing.
Recording for Capitol, the band released four albums 1980-84: Don't Fight It (ST-12028), As Far As Siam (ST-12145), Neruda (ST-12226), and Breaking Curfew (ST-12317). Tom Cochrane & Red Rider (ST-12484) followed in 1986, and Victory Day (C1-26570) in 1988. The latter, its most successful album, included the Canadian hits "Big League" (No. 8 on the US Billboard top 100) and "Good Times" and sold more than 150,000 copies. Other popular Red Rider titles included "White Hot" (1980, No. 16, Billboard), "Lunatic Fringe" (1981), "Human Race" (1983) and "Boy Inside The Man" (1986), all reprised on the band's album The Symphony Sessions (C1-26574), recorded in concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in 1989.
In Canada, Red Rider's tours took it to clubs and small concert halls. The popularity of "Lunatic Fringe" in the US brought the band appearances there in the early 1980s as an opening act for the Kinks, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, and others. In 1989 it toured in Germany. Cochrane and Greer (b Toronto, 25 Jul 1954) were constant to Red Rider and worked with a succession of other musicians, among them the keyboard players Peter Boynton, Steve Sexton, and John Webster, the bass guitarists Jeff Jones and Ken "Spider" Sinnaeve, and the drummers Rob Baker, Graham Broad, and Randall Coryell. During these personnel changes the group changed their name to Tom Cochrane & Red Rider (1986).
Tom Cochrane & Red Rider received a Juno Award for group of the year in 1987 and Cochrane, as a solo artist, won the 1989 Juno award for composer of the year.