Because it plays at the beginning of the "Toy Story 2" DVD my kids love, I've seen the trailer for the new Pixar movie "Cars" about a hundred times over the past twelve months. I was always happy to hear the song that played over top the trailer, Tom Cochrane's "Life Is A Highway". It was good to hear his voice associated with such a major project.
It turns out I was never hearing Cochrane's voice. It was his song alright, but the vocals were by a country band called Rascal Flatts. I'm sure Pixar had their reasons for going with a cover, but the Rascal Flatts version sounds exactly like Cochrane's original. They didn't change a thing, in fact, they sound like they're doing a Cochrane impersonation.
The American media constantly refers to Cochrane as a one-hit wonder. In the USA, this may be true as only "Life is a Highway" cracked the top 40, but in Canada this guy had a string of hits, both with Red Rider and as a solo artist. Off the top of my head, here are the Cochrane hits that spring to mind.
- Lunatic Fringe
- Boy Inside the Man
- Victory Day
- Big League
- Good Times
- Life Is a Highway
- No Regrets
- Sinking Like A Sunset
I'm sure I'm missing a Canadian hit or two from his earlier years and maybe a hit or two post-Mad Mad World, but these are all I can recall.
