Red Rider - White Hot (single edit)

Issued in Canada February 1980 on Capitol 72821 and in the US on Capitol 4845.

Tom Cochrane started out as a folk singer in coffeehouses across Canada in the early 1970s. He had issued several singles and a solo album between 1973 and 1976 under his surname, for Daffodil Records. After the label went under, Tom had to take on some regular jobs to pay the bills.

Then a chance encounter at Toronto's El Mocambo led to Tom joining Red Rider, an already-established but unsigned group. With a new management deal and a contract with Capitol, their debut album, "Don't Fight It," was released in February 1980, with "White Hot" its lead single. Original pressings of the single came in a foldout poster sleeve. "White Hot" entered the RPM 100 on March 1, 1980 and reached #20 on May 31st. In the US, it entered the Billboard Hot 100 on April 5, 1980 and reached #48.

To hear this record in stereo, type the following code - &fmt=18 - on the end of the URL and hit Enter to reload the page.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Red
• Rider
• White
• Hot
• (edit)
• Tom
• Cochrane
• 1980
• Canadian
• rock

[metemi]

Does he mean to say Somalia? he pronounces it like "Semoli", weird.

[mojofilter02]

I've always wondered about that. It seems like he must mean Somalia, but it doesn't fit the meter of the song to say "on the Somalian shore." Sem-o-lion just doesn't make any sense...

[ngfxoxo]

This is one of my favorite songs, but I am trying to get a version on YT of him singing this with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Anyone know how to download it here? As good as this version is, that one would take your breath away! I have the CD and the whole thing is just amazing, let's get it on here so everyone can hear it!!

[mojofilter02]

Someone (you, perhaps?) would need to make a video from the track on that CD and send it in. If you have Windows Movie Maker, it's very easy to make a presentation. I'd never done it before I started coming here in April, and I'm certainly no video artist, but it's possible to make a decent video short with little experience.

[19Aleman]

Did Tom Cochrane do any other music besides Red Rider?

[mojofilter02]

Tom was a solo musician before Red Rider. He was on the Daffodil label (Crowbar, Fludd etc.), recording under just his last name. I have a couple of his singles from that period that I still may post in the future.

[kenchik2]

Used to listen to these guys when I was in Beirut, Lebanon on my 1st & 2nd tours (1982 & 83). They got me through a lot of pain and misery. Woke up in the Landstuhl hospital in Germany on October 25th 1983. Two days after a terrorist blew up our compound and killed 279 Marines and Navy Corpsman. First tune I heard was Red Rider's White Hot.

[LeafsFan120]

Love this song, I wonder if other 18 year olds such as myself love listening to the classics

[MyRainbowWolf]

@mojofilter02

I suppose, to fit the meter of the song, he pronounces it Somal-eye-a and Somal-eye-an shore ? Not sure why, other than to make it 'fit'

[Bdozer67]

@mojofilter02 Cos Im White hot!!..my last name is White?? you fool...lol

[DonRMB]

@LeafsFan120 Trust me.. Youre not alone!

[Clacio10]

@mojofilter02 on lyric websites it says the lyrics are Somalia so I guess that's what he intended, just didn't sound right.

[chicobangs]

@lowbridgehit It's Arthur Rimbaud. But that's right.

[myrg450]

Killer tune with some killer pedal steel !

[lowbridgehit]

@mojofilter02 Tom Cochrane talks about writing this song on his website (live from Massey Hall audio). It is Somalia he is talking about. He says the song is about a poet, Arthur Ranvauex (spelling of his last name might be off). Anyway, he said that this guy was an influence on Jim Morrison and Neil Young. He gave up peotry and went to Africa to run illegal guns. I always wondered about the meaning of the song and now we know.

[ameliaw54]

@metemi

No.

[waynecannington]

have to point out that the word 'Tanzania' was not coined until the mid-20th century, and one of its component words (Tanganiyka) wasnt used until 1918. Rimbaud would have no knowledge of this word.