Lunatic Fringe

Zoo Freaks, get ready to groove to some wild trivia about "Lunatic Fringe" by Red Rider, spinning on THE ZOO’s airwaves! This iconic track from the 1981 album As Far as Siam was penned by guitarist Tom Cochrane, inspired by his alarm at the resurgence of anti-Semitism in the 1970s and a book about Raoul Wallenberg, a hero who saved Jews during the Holocaust. Contrary to some myths, the song wasn’t written about John Lennon’s murder—Tom had already crafted it before that tragic event, but he recorded the first demo the night Lennon was killed, and the emotional weight of that moment pushed him to release it as a single, despite the record label’s doubts about its commercial appeal. The song’s haunting intro, created by Austrian musician Peter Wolf, caught the ear of Jefferson Starship’s Grace Slick when Red Rider toured with them, sparking a connection that might’ve led to Wolf’s later work with Starship. The track’s distinctive guitar solo, played by bandmate Ken Greer on a lap steel, adds that eerie, unforgettable vibe you’re hearing right now.

Here’s a cool story: the master tape for "Lunatic Fringe" fell apart, forcing the band to re-record it. Devastating at the time, but it led to a better version with that killer Peter Wolf keyboard intro, which wasn’t in the original. The song’s cultural impact is huge—it hit No. 11 on Billboard’s rock radio airplay chart in 1981 and snagged a SOCAN Classic award in 2009 for 100,000 Canadian radio plays. It’s been featured in Vision Quest (1985), a high-school wrestling flick with Matthew Modine, and the Miami Vice episode “Smuggler’s Blues” (1985), giving it serious ’80s cred. Cincinnati’s rock station WEBN even adopted “The Lunatic Fringe” as its slogan in 1984, later tweaking it to “The Lunatic Fringe of American FM,” still in use today. Pro wrestler Kurt Angle used an instrumental version as his entrance theme in TNA, and Slipknot’s Corey Taylor covered it for his 2022 solo album, showing its lasting influence.

Now, let’s rewind to how Red Rider got their start. Formed in Toronto in 1975, the band came together when Peter Boynton (keyboards), Ken Greer (guitars), and Rob Baker (drums) linked up with Arvo Lepp (guitar) and Jon Checkowski (bass). They gigged around Toronto, mixing originals and covers, until 1978 when they met Tom Cochrane, a folk singer who’d released a solo album, Hang On to Your Resistance, in 1974 to little fanfare. After a killer set at Toronto’s legendary El Mocambo club, Cochrane joined as frontman, and with bassist Jeff Jones onboard, they became Red Rider. Signed to Capitol Records through Cochrane’s connections, they dropped their debut album, Don’t Fight It, in 1980, with hits like “White Hot” and “Don’t Fight It” earning gold status in Canada. Their 1981 follow-up, As Far as Siam, went platinum, cementing their place in Canadian rock with “Lunatic Fringe” as their signature anthem.

Zoo Freaks, you can keep up with Red Rider and Tom Cochrane’s latest vibes on their official website, Facebook, Instagram, and X. For fan love, check out the Tom Cochrane & Red Rider Fan Group on Facebook, where devotees share memories and updates. While there aren’t many active fan-run websites dedicated solely to Red Rider, platforms like Last.fm and SongMeanings have community discussions about their music. So, crank up “Lunatic Fringe,” let those lap steel riffs wash over you, and join the resistance against the mundane!