Ride Like the Wind

Michael McDonald supplied the backing vocals that answer Christopher Cross on "Ride Like the Wind," the lead single from Cross's 1979 debut album. On the original demo, Cross had sung the response parts himself, but producer Michael Omartian suggested a different voice and settled on McDonald. The single, released by Warner Records in January 1980, reached number 2 on the US Billboard pop chart for four consecutive weeks, held off the top spot by Blondie's "Call Me."

The track was the first song recorded for the album, tracked by Cross's band of Tommy Taylor on drums, Andy Salmon on bass, and Rob Meurer on synthesizers. The band were nervous in the studio at first, and someone recommended Taylor play a four on the floor beat so the kick drum landed on every beat, a pattern Omartian said made the thing hop from the beginning. Cross had wanted a session guitarist for the solo, but Omartian insisted he play it himself. Omartian also overdubbed acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes at Cross's request, while Lenny Castro added congas and Victor Feldman recorded further percussion. A horn and 28-piece string section led by violinist Assa Dror was added, and Cross and engineer Chet Himes opened the finished song with wind sound effects.

The lyrics tell of a condemned multiple murderer fleeing a hanging sentence, racing to reach the border of Mexico. Cross wrote them while intoxicated on LSD during a drive from Houston to Austin, on what he remembered as a beautiful Texas day.