McBride & the Ride
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founder | Terry McBride, Ray Herndon, Billy Thomas |
| Headquarters | Nashville , United States |
| Products | Country music albums and singles |
McBride & the Ride is a country music group from the United States composed of Terry McBride (lead vocals, bass), Ray Herndon (background vocals, guitars), and Billy Thomas (background vocals, drums). Established in 1989 with the assistance of producer Tony Brown, their initial trio of albums—Burnin' Up the Road, the gold-certified Sacred Ground, and Hurry Sundown (released between 1991 and 1993)—were launched through MCA Nashville. These records generated multiple hits on the Billboard country charts, including Top 5 singles such as "Sacred Ground" (peaking at No. 2), "Going Out of My Mind," "Just One Night," and "Love on the Loose, Heart on the Run."
In 1994, MCA removed Herndon and Thomas from the lineup and rebranded the band as Terry McBride & the Ride. McBride continued as lead vocalist alongside new members Keith Edwards (drums), Kenny Vaughan (electric guitar), Gary Morse (steel guitar), Jeff Roach (keyboards), and Randy Frazier (bass), who had previously played with Palomino Road. Before releasing their fourth album, Terry McBride & the Ride in 1994, Roach and Vaughan were replaced by Rick Gerken and Bob Britt. The group disbanded shortly thereafter. MCA issued a compilation titled Country's Best, while McBride and Herndon pursued songwriting for other artists.
The original lineup reunited in 2000 and released Amarillo Sky on Dualtone Records in 2002 before disbanding once more. Subsequently, McBride joined Brooks & Dunn's backing band and maintained his songwriting career; Herndon independently released a solo album; Thomas became a member of The Time Jumpers. The band reassembled again in 2021.
History
The formation of McBride & the Ride dates back to 1989 when Tony Brown, then serving as MCA Records' executive vice president, sought to establish a fresh country group that could compete with Alabama, which he believed was losing popularity among country radio audiences. Guitarist Ray Herndon, who was working as a backing musician for Lyle Lovett at the time, was invited to join lead singer Terry McBride—who had experience performing with his father Dale McBride and other acts. At Nashville's CMA Fan Fair, Brown introduced McBride and Herndon to drummer Billy Thomas, formerly associated with Emmylou Harris and Mac Davis, completing the trio. Steel guitarist Steve Fishell declined participation to focus on record producing instead. The group developed demo recordings with songwriters Bill Carter and Ruth Ellsworth; four of these tracks were included on their debut album.
Musical career
McBride & the Ride made their live debut performance in Detroit. Their initial single "Felicia" reached number 74 on Canada's RPM country charts but did not enter US charts; their next release "Every Step of the Way" also failed to chart. MCA nearly terminated their contract until "Can I Count on You" climbed to number 15 on Billboard's country listings and was accompanied by a music video. This breakthrough led to their 1991 debut album Burnin' Up the Road, featuring songs predominantly co-written by McBride. The final single from this album, "Same Old Star," peaked at number 28. The band toured nationally alongside The Judds and Highway 101.
Early in their careers, members contributed to other projects: Thomas played drums on The Remingtons' 1991 debut Blue Frontier; both Thomas and Herndon provided backing vocals for Marty Stuart's Tempted; McBride and Thomas appeared as vocalists on Kenny Rogers' Back Home Again.
Their sophomore album, Sacred Ground (1992), marked their greatest commercial success with three singles reaching the Top 5: "Sacred Ground" (number 2), "Going Out of My Mind," and "Just One Night" (both at number 5). The title track was co-written by Kix Brooks before Brooks & Dunn formed. That year, they received nominations for Top New Vocal Group or Duo from the Academy of Country Music and Vocal Group of the Year from the Country Music Association. The RIAA certified Sacred Ground gold more than four years after its release. Despite respectable sales, McBride noted that stronger-selling labelmates nearly cost them their recording contract.
Their third album, Hurry Sundown (1993), produced another Top 5 hit with "Love on the Loose, Heart on the Run" (number 3), co-written by Kostas, along with a Top 20 single from its title track. The B-side "Hangin' In and Hangin' On" was later released as a single by David Ball in 1996. In 1994, they charted their final Top 40 hit with "No More Cryin'," co-written by McBride and Josh Leo for the soundtrack of the film 8 Seconds. That same year featured their rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Saturday Night Special" included on MCA's compilation Skynyrd Frynds, which showcased country artists covering Southern rock classics.
Transition to Terry McBride & the Ride and initial breakup
By March 1994, both Herndon and Thomas had departed from the band as the record label redirected its attention toward McBride, with Herndon unwilling to accept a diminished role. The lineup was refreshed with Randy Frazier, previously of Palomino Road, joining on bass, accompanied by Keith Edwards on drums, Kenny Vaughan handling lead guitar, Gary Morse on steel guitar, and Jeff Roach on keyboards—all of whom had toured with McBride & the Ride. McBride secured ownership of the group's name, rebranding the ensemble as Terry McBride & the Ride.
Under this new identity, they released a single album titled Terry McBride & the Ride along with three singles, all produced by Josh Leo. By the time of the album's release, Rick Gerken had replaced Roach on keyboards, and Bob Britt took over lead guitar duties from Vaughan. The album featured only McBride and Morse as official band members, with session musicians performing the remaining instrumental parts. The singles "Been There," "High Hopes and Empty Pockets," and "Somebody Will" did not break into the Top 40 charts, which contributed to the band dissolving in 1995. Notably, River Road later covered "Somebody Will" on their 1997 debut album, while George Ducas included "Teardrops" from this record on his 1994 debut.
In 1996, MCA issued Country's Best, a compilation featuring their first ten singles spanning from "Felicia" through "No More Cryin'." During this hiatus period, Herndon and McBride concentrated on songwriting: Herndon co-authored Kenny Chesney's 1996 single "Me and You," whereas McBride wrote several hits for Brooks & Dunn including "I Am That Man," "He's Got You," "I Can't Get Over You," and the chart-topping "If You See Him/If You See Her," a duet featuring Reba McEntire. Meanwhile, Thomas performed as a backing musician for Vince Gill, and Vaughan joined Trent Summar & the New Row Mob in 2000.
Reunion and subsequent disbandment
In September 2000, Herndon reconnected with McBride and Thomas after encountering them at a party in Scottsdale, Arizona celebrating a club’s 25th anniversary. Following a performance of "No More Cryin'," Herndon suggested officially reforming McBride & the Ride, believing it was an opportune moment. The trio recorded demo sessions and signed with independent label Dualtone Records in 2002. Collaborating with producer Matt Rollings, they released Amarillo Sky that September—an album primarily written and performed by the band to strengthen their cohesion.
The lead single "Anything That Touches You" peaked at number 50 on country charts in 2002, marking their last charting single. Later releases included a rendition of "Squeeze Box" and the title track "Amarillo Sky," co-written by Big Kenny and John Rich (who later formed part of Big & Rich). Jason Aldean’s 2006 cover of "Amarillo Sky" achieved a peak position of number 4 on country charts in 2007. The album also contained "Hasta Luego," co-written by McBride and previously recorded by David Ball.
Following the release of Amarillo Sky, McBride & the Ride disbanded once more. McBride joined Brooks & Dunn’s touring band as bassist and contributed as songwriter to several hits including their 2005 Number One "Play Something Country," along with "Proud of the House We Built" and "Cowgirls Don't Cry." He also co-wrote Josh Gracin’s 2005 single "Stay with Me (Brass Bed)" and produced Jedd Hughes’s 2004 album Transcontinental. Meanwhile, Herndon independently released his solo project Livin' the Dream in late 2005, featuring collaborations with Sonya Isaacs and Clint Black. Additionally, McBride wrote songs for Reba McEntire and Casey James; Thomas toured with both the Little River Band and the Time Jumpers. In late 2017, McBride issued an EP titled Hotels & Highways.
The trio—McBride, Herndon, and Thomas—reassembled McBride & the Ride again in late 2021. They returned to Nashville stages in February 2022 for their first performance there in two decades. On November 4, 2022, they released the single "Marlboros & Avon," followed by "Along Comes a Girl" in March 2023. Both tracks are set to be included on an upcoming extended play named Along Comes a Girl, scheduled for release later that year.
Musical style and critical response
The hallmark of McBride & the Ride’s music was their intricate three-part vocal harmonies. Their MCA Records releases featured "crisp, gentle rockers," which led to frequent comparisons with country bands influenced by rock, such as Alabama and Southern Pacific. Paul Kingsbury, writing in The Encyclopedia of Country Music, emphasized their achievements with mainstream singles that showcased their polished harmonies.
Ronnie Dunn, who worked with McBride on Brooks & Dunn compositions, commended the group’s cohesiveness and Texas-inspired sound, noting that their mutual musical roots formed the foundation of their collaborative songwriting efforts.
Reviews of the band’s albums were varied. Alanna Nash from Entertainment Weekly considered the first two albums somewhat unremarkable except for the track "Sacred Ground," while she assigned a B grade to Hurry Sundown for its memorable melodies and tight vocal arrangements. Jason Ankeny of Allmusic gave four-and-a-half stars to both the second and third albums, highlighting the evolution of their harmonic precision. Amarillo Sky earned three stars from Allmusic’s Robert L. Doerschuk, who described it as "tight" yet a bit detached, whereas Matt Bjorke from About.com praised it as an "excellent collection of songs."
Band members
- Terry McBride – lead vocals, bass guitar (1989–1995, 2000–2002, 2021–present)
- Ray Herndon – backing vocals, electric guitar (1989–1994, 2000–2002, 2021–present)
- Billy Thomas – backing vocals, drums (1989–1994, 2000–2002, 2021–present)
- Keith Edwards – drums (1994–1995)
- Randy Frazier – bass guitar (1994–1995)
- Gary Morse – steel guitar (1994–1995)
- Jeff Roach – keyboards (1994–1995)
- Kenny Vaughan – electric guitar (1994–1995)
- Bob Britt – lead guitar (1995)
- Rick Gerken – keyboards (1995)
Discography
- Studio albums
- Burnin' Up the Road (1990)
- Sacred Ground (1992)
- Hurry Sundown (1993)
- Terry McBride & the Ride (1994)
- Amarillo Sky (2002)
TNN/Music City News Country Awards
|- |1993 |McBride & the Ride |Vocal Band of the Year | |- |1995 |Terry McBride & the Ride |Vocal Group or Duo of Tomorrow |
Academy of Country Music Awards
|- |1991 |rowspan=3| McBride & the Ride |rowspan=2| Top New Vocal Group or Duet | |- |1992 | |- |1993 |Top Vocal Group of the Year |
Country Music Association Awards
|- |1992 |McBride & the Ride |Vocal Group of the Year |