Ride Like the Wind - wikipedia Ride Like the Wind `` Ride Like the Wind '' Single by Christopher Cross from the album Christopher Cross B - side `` Minstrel Gigolo '' Released February 15, 1980 Format 7 '' single Recorded 1979 Genre Soft rock Length 4 : 30 ( Album Version ) 3 : 56 ( Single Version ) Label Warner Bros. Records Songwriter ( s ) Christopher Cross Producer ( s ) Michael Omartian Christopher Cross singles chronology `` Ride Like the Wind '' ( 1980 ) `` Sailing '' ( 1980 ) `` Ride Like the Wind '' ( 1980 ) `` Sailing '' ( 1980 ) `` Ride Like the Wind '' is a song written and recorded by American singer - songwriter Christopher Cross. It was released in February 1980 as the lead single from his Grammy - winning self - titled debut album. It reached number 2 on the US charts for four consecutive weeks, behind Blondie 's `` Call Me ''. On the album 's inner sleeve, Christopher Cross dedicated this song to Lowell George, formerly of the band Little Feat, who had died in 1979. It features backing vocals by Michael McDonald and a guitar solo by Cross. Contents 1 History 2 Chart history 2.1 Weekly charts 2.2 Year - end charts 3 East Side Beat version 3.1 Formats 3.2 Charts 4 Laurent Wery version 4.1 Music video 4.2 Track listing 4.3 Chart performance 4.4 Release history 5 See also 6 References 7 External links History ( Edit ) This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( October 2015 ) The song tells the story of a condemned criminal on the run to Mexico. Told from a first - person point of view, it describes how an outlaw and convicted multiple murderer, on the run from a death - by - hanging sentence, has to `` ride like the wind '' to reach `` the border of Mexico, '' where, presumably, the posse apparently in pursuit of him will not be able to reach him. Cross was on acid when he wrote the lyrics. `` We were living in Houston at the time, and on the way down to Austin to record the songs, it was just a beautiful Texas day. I took acid. So I wrote the words on the way down from Houston to Austin. '' In 1999, the satirical newspaper The Onion published a story with the headline, `` Christopher Cross Finally Reaches Mexican Border '' ; the headline was a reference to the song, and the three - sentence story made several specific allusions to the lyrics. Cross appreciated the honor. Chart history Weekly charts Chart ( 1980 ) Peak position Australia ( Kent Music Report ) 25 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) 31 UK Singles ( The Official Charts Company ) 69 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary 24 Year - end charts Chart ( 1980 ) Rank Canada Top Singles 21 US Billboard Hot 100 17 East Side Beat version ( Edit ) `` Ride Like the Wind '' Single by East Side Beat Released November 29, 1991 Format 7 '' single, CD Recorded 1991 Genre Dance, house Length various Label FFRR Records Songwriter ( s ) Christopher Cross Producer ( s ) Dave Seaman, Phil Kelsey East Side Beat singles chronology `` Ride Like the Wind '' ( 1991 ) `` Alive and Kicking '' ( 1992 ) `` Ride Like the Wind '' ( 1991 ) `` Alive and Kicking '' ( 1992 ) In 1991, Italian dance music group East Side Beat remixed `` Ride Like the Wind '' in a style typical of early 1990s dance music. There are five remixes in total. Two versions are found on the 7 '' single and an additional three are on the CD single. The Factory Edit was included in FFRR Records ' `` Only for the Headstrong '' compilation album released in 1992. Formats 7 '' single `` Ride Like the Wind '' ( Factory Edit ) -- 3 : 58 `` Ride Like the Wind '' ( Subway Mix ) -- 4 : 09 CD single `` Ride Like the Wind '' ( Factory Edit ) -- 3 : 58 `` Ride Like the Wind '' ( Factory Mix ) -- 5 : 51 `` Ride Like the Wind '' ( piano version ) -- 5 : 32 `` Ride Like the Wind '' ( Oceanic Remix ) -- 5 : 22 `` Ride Like the Wind '' ( Subway Mix ) -- 4 : 00 Charts Chart ( 1991 / 1992 ) Peak position Austria ( Ö3 Austria Top 40 ) 29 Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) France ( SNEP ) 12 Germany ( Official German Charts ) 24 Ireland ( IRMA ) Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) 6 Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) 23 UK Singles ( The Official Charts Company ) Laurent Wery version ( Edit ) `` Ride Like the Wind '' Single by Laurent Wéry featuring Joss Mendosah Released March 30, 2013 Format Digital download Recorded 2012 Genre Dance, house Length 2 : 53 Label La Musique du Beau Monde Songwriter ( s ) Christopher Cross Producer ( s ) Laurent Wéry Laurent Wéry singles chronology `` I 'm Going In '' ( 2012 ) `` Ride Like the Wind '' ( 2013 ) `` Up 2 the Sky '' ( 2013 ) `` I 'm Going In '' ( 2012 ) `` Ride Like the Wind '' ( 2013 ) `` Up 2 the Sky '' ( 2013 ) Belgian DJ Laurent Wéry released a cover version of the song, which features vocals from Joss Mendosah. The song was produced by Laurent Wery. It was released in Belgium as a digital download on March 30, 2013. The song peaked at number 26 in Belgium. Music video ( Edit ) A music video to accompany the release of `` Ride Like the Wind '' was first released on YouTube on April 8, 2013 at a total length of two minutes and fifty - four seconds. Track listing Digital download No. Title Length 1. `` Ride Like the Wind '' ( Original Extended ) ( feat. Joss Mendosah ) 4 : 38 2. `` Ride Like the Wind '' ( Original Radio Mix ) ( feat. Joss Mendosah ) 2 : 53 Chart performance Chart ( 2013 ) Peak position Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) 26 Release history Region Date Format Label Belgium March 30, 2013 Digital download La Musique du Beau Monde See also ( Edit ) Break Like the Wind, a 1992 album by the semi-fictional band Spinal Tap. References ( Edit ) ^ Jump up to : Prato, Greg ( 2014 ). `` Interview : Christopher Cross, Songwriter ''. Songfacts, LLC. Retrieved 28 September 2014. Jump up ^ `` Christopher Cross Finally Reaches Mexican Border ''. The Onion. February 10, 1999. Retrieved November 17, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Charts.nz -- Christopher Cross -- Ride Like the Wind ''. Top 40 Singles. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Singles ( 1980 ) ''. RPM. Archived from the original on 2016 - 04 - 25. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Pop Singles '' Billboard December 20, 1980 : TIA - 10 Jump up ^ `` Various - Only For The Headstrong ''. Discogs.com. 2014 - 11 - 22. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 16. Jump up ^ `` Austriancharts.at -- East Side Beat -- Ride Like the Wind '' ( in German ). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- East Side Beat -- Ride Like the Wind '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Jump up ^ `` Lescharts.com -- East Side Beat -- Ride Like the Wind '' ( in French ). Les classement single. Jump up ^ `` Musicline.de -- East Side Beat Single - Chartverfolgung '' ( in German ). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Jump up ^ `` Irish Singles Chart -- Search for song ''. Irish Recorded Music Association. Archived from the original on June 3, 2009. Retrieved July 6, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Nederlandse Top 40 -- East Side Beat '' ( in Dutch ). Dutch Top 40. Jump up ^ `` Swisscharts.com -- East Side Beat -- Ride Like the Wind ''. Swiss Singles Chart. Jump up ^ Laurent Wery feat. Joss Mendosah - Ride Like the Wind ( Official Video ). YouTube Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- Laurent Wery feat. Joss Mendosah -- Ride Like The Wind '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Jump up ^ iTunes - Music - Ride Like the Wind ( feat. Joss Mendosah ) - Single by Laurent Wery External links ( Edit ) Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Christopher Cross Studio albums Christopher Cross Another Page Every Turn of the World Back of My Mind Walking in Avalon Singles `` Ride Like the Wind '' `` Sailing '' `` Never Be the Same '' `` Arthur 's Theme ( Best That You Can Do ) '' `` All Right '' `` Think of Laura '' Book : Christopher Cross Laurent Wéry Albums Ready for the Night ( 2010 ) Singles `` My Sound '' `` Looking At Me ( J'aime regarder ) '' `` On the Dancefloor '' `` Nagasaki '' `` Get Down '' `` Ready for the Night '' `` Salva Mea '' `` Hey Hey Hey ( Pop Another Bottle ) '' `` I 'm Going In '' `` Ride Like the Wind '' `` Up 2 The Sky '' Related articles Belgium Dev Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ride_Like_the_Wind&oldid=853923819 '' Categories : 1980 singles 1991 singles Christopher Cross songs Music videos directed by Bruce Gowers Songs written by Christopher Cross Song recordings produced by Michael Omartian Songs in memory of deceased persons Songs inspired by deaths 1979 songs Warner Bros. Records singles FFRR Records singles Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Articles needing additional references from October 2015 All articles needing additional references Singlechart usages for New Zealand Duration without hAudio microformat Singlechart usages for Austria Singlechart usages for Flanders Singlechart usages for France Singlechart usages for Germany Singlechart usages for Dutch40 Singlechart usages for Swiss Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Nederlands Română Edit links This page was last edited on 7 August 2018, at 20 : 53 ( UTC ). About Wikipedia

Question: who sings background vocals on ride like the wind
Answer: Michael McDonald