“Hitchin’ a Ride” (Vanity Fare)

Today’s classic 1970 song of the day is another hit by another British group, Vanity Fare. The song is “Hitchin’ a Ride” and it was released in the US in March of 1970 (late 1969 in the UK). The single hit #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 on June 27, 1970; it was also a top twenty hit in Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK. According to Billboard, it was the #14 song for all of 1970.

“Hitchin’ a Ride” was written by Mitch Murray and Peter Callander. Murray was a pro songwriter with several big British Invasion hits to his credit, including “How Do You Do It” and “I Like It” by Gerry and the Pacemakers and “You Were Made for Me” and “I’m Telling You Now” for Freddie and the Dreamers. When he got together with Callander, the two of them created more chart hits for British artists such as the Tremeloes, Georgie Fame, Cliff Richard, and Tony Christie. In the ’70s they wrote the hits “Billy Don’t Be a Hero” for Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods and “The Night Chicago Died” for Paper Lace.

The single is perhaps notable for its recorder solo in the intro. There’s also a neat little unison bass/piano/guitar piano riff, accompanied by a persistent cowbell, that stalks along midway through the song. Plus that grammatically awkward lyric in the first verse—you know, the one that goes:

A thumb goes up, a car goes by
It’s nearly 1 AM and here am I
Hitchin’ a ride, hitchin’ a ride
Gotta get me home by the mornin’ light

I love this song, but that “and here am I” stops me dead every time I hear it.

Vanity Fare (not “Vanity Fair;” that’s a magazine) was formed in Kent in 1966 by a group of school friends. They originally called themselves the Avengers, presumably after the British spy series of the same name. (“Mrs. Peel, we’re needed!”) They had their first UK hit in 1968 with “I Live for the Sun,” then hit it big with “Early in the Morning,” a #12 hit in 1969. They followed that with “Hitchin’ a Ride,” which was one of the many perfect pop songs on the charts during the first half of 1970. The band has gone through a number of line-up changes over the years and still tours today, with only lead singer Eddie Wheeler still around from the original incarnation.

Because they were a British group, Vanity Fare got to perform (mime) “Hitchin’ a Ride” on the BBC show Top of the Pops. So here’s their performance from 1970. Enjoy!