Canadian rock band Red Rider, formed in Toronto in 1975, consisted of Peter Boynton, Ken Greer, Rob Baker, Arvo Lepp, and Jon Checkowski. The group initially played original and cover music around Toronto before Tom Cochrane joined as singer/guitarist/composer in 1978. This lineup change led to the departure of Lepp and Checkowski, with Jeff Jones replacing the latter on bass. Signed to Capitol Records, Red Rider released their debut album Don't Fight It in October 1979, which included the singles "White Hot" and "Don't Fight It", quickly reaching gold status.
Red Rider's second album, As Far as Siam, was released in June 1981 and featured the hit "Lunatic Fringe", which gained significant airplay on US cable network MTV. The band continued with Neruda in March 1983, featuring keyboardist Steve Sexton and notable tracks like "Human Race" and "Napoleon Sheds His Skin". Their next release, Breaking Curfew, included the top-charting single "Young Thing, Wild Dreams (Rock Me)". In 1986, the band officially became Tom Cochrane & Red Rider, releasing their self-titled album. They won a Juno Award for Group of the Year in 1987 and released Victory Day in 1988, which included "Big League". Their final album, The Symphony Sessions, was recorded with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and released in December 1989. The band disbanded in early 1990. Cochrane embarked on a solo career, while Red Rider reunited in 2002 for annual tours.
