Slow Ride

For the Beastie Boys song, see Licensed to Ill. For the Sublime song, see Second-hand Smoke. For The Osmonds song, see The Osmonds.

"Slow Ride"
Single by Foghat
from the album Fool for the City
B-side"Save Your Loving (For Me)"
ReleasedDecember 1975
RecordedSuntreader Studios, Sharon, Vermont
Genre
Length
  • 8:14 (LP version)
  • 3:56 (single version)
LabelBearsville
Songwriter(s)Dave Peverett
Producer(s)Nick Jameson
Foghat singles chronology
"Step Outside"
(1974) 		"Slow Ride"
(1975) 		"Fool for the City"
(1976)
Audio
"Slow Ride" on YouTube

"Slow Ride" is a song by the English rock band Foghat. It was the lead single from their fifth studio album, Fool for the City (1975), released on Bearsville Records. In 2009, it was named the 45th "Best Hard Rock" song of all time by VH1.[3][4][5]

There are five versions of the song. The original LP version from Fool for the City lasts 8 minutes and 14 seconds. The single version, found in several compilations, was truncated to 3:56 with a fade-out ending. The 1977 live version is 8:21, the King Biscuit Flower Hour Foghat version is 10:37 and the 2007 live version is 9:44.

According to drummer Roger Earl, the song was created during a jam session with then new bassist Nick Jameson.[6]

Nick had a cassette player and he would record whatever we played there. As I recall it, the whole song was written – the middle part and the bass part and the ending were all Nick's ideas. Basically, Nick wrote the song, but we just jammed on it, and Nick cut the stuff up so it made sense as far as the song goes. And then Dave [Peverett, the band's then guitarist and vocalist] said, 'I've got some words.' That's how that came about (laughs).

The song is the band's highest charting Billboard single[7] and remains a staple of classic rock.[8]

  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Foghat – Slow Ride". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  2. ^ Kestrel. "VH1's Top 100 Best Hard Rock Songs of All Time". www.progarchives.com. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  3. ^ "spreadit.org music". Retrieved 7 February 2009.
  4. ^ "VH1's Top 100 Best Hard Rock Songs of All Time". www.progarchives.com. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  5. ^ "100 Best Hard Rock Songs Ever (According to VH1)". Stereogum. 5 January 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  6. ^ Perry, Shawn. "The Roger Earl Interview". Vintage Rock. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  7. ^ "Foghat". Billboard. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  8. ^ Staff, Ultimate Classic Rock. "Top 100 Classic Rock Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 8 October 2021.