Tom Cochrane with Red Rider

It’s been 25 years since the release of Tom Cochrane’s landmark album, Mad Mad World, which has its deluxe edition reissue in stores and at streaming services today via Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. The remastered 2-CD set includes the previously unreleased original demo recording of Love Is A Highway, from which grew the career-defining single Life Is A Highway, and also a 1992 concert performance from Chicago which features key tracks from the album alongside Red Rider classics.

Mad Mad World accelerated the Canadian singer-songwriter’s already upward trajectory into the stratosphere. Cochrane celebrated this milestone anniversary on October 28 in Calgary, where an exhibition of his musical work was unveiled at the National Music Centre ahead of its opening to the general public today. The never-at-rest artist also announced a cross-Canada tour through February and March of next year, with 21 dates on the calendar and more to be announced in the coming days. On stage with his reunited Red Rider bandmates Kenny Greer and Jeff Jones, Cochrane will perform Mad Mad World in its entirety with additional fan favourites in the set. Joining the tour will be Meghan Patrick on all dates. See website for complete details and information on VIP packages.

Further, Cochrane will participate in an event later today with Manitoba’s Premier Brian Pallister where he will be honoured with a recognition befitting his roots in that province.

Mad Mad World remains among the top-selling albums in Canadian music history, achieving rare Diamond-certified status on the strengths of such hit singles as the title track, No Regrets, Washed Away, Sinking Like A Sunset, and, of course, Life Is A Highway, which reigned at #1 for six weeks in Canada, reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and went on to become recognized the world over.

Tom Cochrane is recipient of eight Juno Awards plus multiple songwriter awards from SOCAN, CAPAC, and ASCAP. Cochrane is a GRAMMY nominee, a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Music Industry Hall Of Fame. He holds an honorary doctorate, has a place on Canada’s Walk of Fame, and has been honoured with both the Order of Manitoba and the Order of Canada. He is recipient of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and is a former Honorary Air Force Colonel in the 409 squadron. Cochrane has also been tireless in his philanthropic works for decades, working with War Child, Waterkeeper Alliance, Amnesty International, Médecins Sans Frontières, Make Poverty History, World Animal Protection, The United Way, Tree Canada, Unison and Tempo,  to name a few. He has and continues to lend his support to several other causes, including helping spearhead the Canada for Asia initiative, entertaining our troops in Afghanistan, and raising money for Parkinson’s research. He was a performer at Live 8, and in both Tears Are Not Enough and Young Artists for Haiti.

Last week, Tom Cochrane was honoured by World Vision Canada for his years of service to their philanthropic initiatives. From first traveling in 1989 to Africa with them to visiting Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon earlier this year, he has been an inspiration and mentor to countless people in need. The Toronto event featured a special premiere screening of 25 Years on The Highway, a documentary on Cochrane’s humanitarian efforts, an award presentation, and a special acoustic performance by the artist who emerged from Lynn Lake, Manitoba, more than four decades ago with guitar in hand and harmonica in pocket…and is still riding the highway.