Rush writing/recording sessions guide.

[Eel Yddeg]

Using a great book called the Rush chronology, here's the dates of the writing and recording sessions for each album.

Split into three posts:

Debut Album:

Recorded from April-November 15, 1973. "In The Mood", "Take A Friend", "Before And After", "Working Man", "Not Fade Away", and "You Can't Fight It" were recorded in April. In November "Finding My Way", "Need Some Love", and "Here Again" were recorded, and new mixes were made for "What You're Doing", "Before And After", and "Working Man". The album was completed on November 15.

Fly By Night:

The songs were made throughout 1974. Work before the album (In chronological order)

"Best I Can": February-March 1974

"In The End": May 1974

"Anthem": The basic melody in July 1974, Neil's lyrics in August.

"Rivendell": Started in August 1974, completed on September 25, 1974.

"Making Memories": Started on November 10, 1974, finished on November 23, 1974.

"Fly By Night": Started on November 11, 1974.

"Beneath, Between, and Behind": Started on November 19, 1974.

"By-Tor And The Snow Dog": Started on November 23, 1974, finished on December 17, 1974.

The album was recorded from December 27, 1974 to January 15, 1975. "Beneath, Between, and Behind" and "Fly By Night" were finished during the recording sessions. "Rivendell" was the last song finished, on January 14, 1975.

Caress of Steel:

Recorded in July 1975, other info unknown.

2112:

Title track worked on as early as November 1975, while the rest of the album was written and recorded in February 1976. "The Twilight Zone" was the last track finished.

A Farewell to Kings:

"Xanadu" was worked on as early as June 1976, originally inspired by Citizen Kane. The rest of the album was written and recorded in June 1977.

Hemispheres:

"La Villa Strangiato" was worked on in soundchecks as early as February 1978. "Hemispheres" started work in April-May 1978, while "Circumstances" and "The Trees" were written in June 1978. The album was recorded from June-August 1978.

[Eel Yddeg]

For the 1980s Albums:

 

Permanent Waves:

"The Spirit Of Radio", "Freewill", "Uncle Tounouse" (Unreleased), and "Sir Gawain And The Green Knight" (Unreleased) were finished during July 1979, and demos were made of those songs, as well as unfinished versions of "Jacob's Ladder", and "Entre Nous". "Jacob's Ladder" and "Entre Nous" were finished during soundchecks in August 1979, while "Natural Science", and "Different Strings" were written in September 1979. The album was recorded from October-November 1979.

Moving Pictures:

"Tom Sawyer" was the first song written, started in July 28, 1980 as "Louis The Warrior" and finished during August 1980. "The Camera Eye", "Red Barchetta", and "YYZ" were also finished in August 1980. Demos of those songs were recorded during September 1980, and "Limelight" and "Witch Hunt" were written. "Vital Signs" was written in October 1980, and the album was recorded from October-December 1980, "Witch Hunt" was the last song finished.

Signals:

Writing dates:

"Subdivisions" and "Digital Man": September 1981.

"The Weapon": Initial keyboard parts in December 1981, finished in January 1982.

"The Analog Kid": January 1982

"Chemistry" and "Losing It": March 1982. A demo of "Losing It" with keys and drums was also recorded.

"Countdown": April 1982

"New World Man": May 1982

The album was recorded from April 21-July 15, 1982. The basic tracks were all recorded in May, sans "Losing It" finished in June.

Grace Under Pressure:

Writing dates:

"Between The Wheels", "Kid Gloves", and "Afterimage": August 1983, "Between The Wheels" first written.

"Red Sector A" and "The Body Electric": September 1983, quickly finished.

"Distant Early Warning", "The Enemy Within", and "Red Lenses": October 1983.

The album was recorded from November 1983-March 21, 1984.

Power Windows:

Writing dates:

"The Big Money", "Mystic Rhythms", and "Marathon" were outlined in January 1985, and finished in February. Demos were recorded around that time as well.

"Middletown Dreams" and "Grand Designs": February 1985, demos recorded.

"Territories", "Emotion Detector", and "Manhattan Project": March 1985, "Manhattan Project" the last finished.

The album was recorded from April-July of 1985, sans "Marathon" which took until August due to the strings and choir. The album was finished in September 1985.

Hold Your Fire:

Much of the album was written in September 1986, "Time Stand Still" came first, and "Second Nature", "High Water", "Mission", "Open Secrets", and "Turn The Page" also came during this time. After a break for rehearsals as well as revising "High Water", "Mission", and "Open Secrets", "Prime Mover" and "Lock And Key" were written in October 1986, "Tai Shan" in November 1986, and "Force Ten" from December 13-14, 1986. The album was recorded from January 8-July 1987. Drums and bass were recorded in January, keyboards and guitar in February, and vocals in April.

Presto:

Writing dates unknown, except that "Show Don't Tell" and "Available Light" came first, in January 1989. Album was quickly recorded, from June-September 1989.

Edited May 8, 2017 by Eel Yddeg

[Eel Yddeg]

Onward:

Roll The Bones:

"Dreamline" and "Face Up" were the first written, in September 1990. "Bravado", "Roll The Bones", and "Where's My Thing?" Were written in October, and "Hersey", "Ghost Of a Chance", "Neurotica", "The Big Wheel", and "You Bet Your Life" in November 1990. The album was recorded from February-June 18, 1991, "You Bet Your Life" was the last finished.

 

Counterparts:

Written in February 1993, recorded from April-July.

[Lucas]

"Uncle Tounouse"

 

???

 

I had never heard that title until now

 

Thanks EY

[Lucas]

"The Spirit Of Radio", "Freewill", "Uncle Tounouse" (Unreleased), and "Sir Gawain And The Green Knight" (Unreleased) were finished during July 1979

 

wow

[ReRushed]

Cool post.

 

I do remember reading somewhere that the music for "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" was reworked for "Natural Science".

[toymaker]

For the 1980s Albums:

 

Permanent Waves:

"The Spirit Of Radio", "Freewill", "Uncle Tounouse" (Unreleased), and "Sir Gawain And The Green Knight" (Unreleased) were finished during July 1979, and demos were made of those songs, as well as unfinished versions of "Jacob's Ladder", and "Entre Nous". "Jacob's Ladder" and "Entre Nous" were finished during soundchecks in August 1979, while "Natural Science", and "Different Strings" were written in September 1979. The album was recorded from October-November 1979.

 

 

You've got this album in the wrong category...

[ReRushed]

For the 1980s Albums:

 

Permanent Waves:

"The Spirit Of Radio", "Freewill", "Uncle Tounouse" (Unreleased), and "Sir Gawain And The Green Knight" (Unreleased) were finished during July 1979, and demos were made of those songs, as well as unfinished versions of "Jacob's Ladder", and "Entre Nous". "Jacob's Ladder" and "Entre Nous" were finished during soundchecks in August 1979, while "Natural Science", and "Different Strings" were written in September 1979. The album was recorded from October-November 1979.

 

 

You've got this album in the wrong category...

Why is 1979 in red?

[Disembodied Spirit]

"Uncle Tounouse"

 

???

 

I had never heard that title until now

 

Thanks EY

Great how long until TRF has a Uncle Tounouse??

[ReRushed]

For the 1980s Albums:

 

Permanent Waves:

"The Spirit Of Radio", "Freewill", "Uncle Tounouse" (Unreleased), and "Sir Gawain And The Green Knight" (Unreleased) were finished during July 1979, and demos were made of those songs, as well as unfinished versions of "Jacob's Ladder", and "Entre Nous". "Jacob's Ladder" and "Entre Nous" were finished during soundchecks in August 1979, while "Natural Science", and "Different Strings" were written in September 1979. The album was recorded from October-November 1979.

 

 

You've got this album in the wrong category...

Why is 1979 in red?

Whoops. Got it. I guess the official date is when it's released.

[Lucas]

"Uncle Tounouse"

 

???

 

I had never heard that title until now

 

Thanks EY

Great how long until TRF has a Uncle Tounouse??

 

Now I feel better because if this "Uncle Tounouse" was common knowledge, there'd already be one here ..

 

[EagleMoon]

"Uncle Tounouse"

 

???

 

I had never heard that title until now

 

Thanks EY

Great how long until TRF has a Uncle Tounouse??

 

Now I feel better because if this "Uncle Tounouse" was common knowledge, there'd already be one here ..

 

 

Kind of a weird name for a song. I wonder if they dumped it because it wasn't very good?

[greyfriar]

"Uncle Tounouse"

 

???

 

I had never heard that title until now

 

Thanks EY

Maybe he's the guy who has a country place that no-one knows about? :smoke:

[Ron2112]

From the "Rush" book by Brian Harigan: The first thing that they actually cobbled together was an instrumental given the intriguing nonsense title of 'Uncle Tounous' - basically a workout of different ideas and a testing ground for musical effects. You won't find 'Uncle Tounous' on any album. Instead it was what one might consider as a prototype, ideas which were incorporated into, or formed the basis for, a whole collection of different songs and tunes.

[RushFanForever]

For the 1980s Albums:

 

Moving Pictures:

"Tom Sawyer" was the first song written, started in July 28, 1980 as "Louis The Warrior" and finished during August 1980. "The Camera Eye", "Red Barchetta", and "YYZ" were also finished in August 1980. Demos of those songs were recorded during September 1980, and "Limelight" and "Witch Hunt" were written. "Vital Signs" was written in October 1980, and the album was recorded from October-December 1980, "Witch Hunt" was the last song finished.

 

 

When Geddy and Alex were filmed by Rolling Stone magazine touring their headquarters in 2013 here, they mentioned being in the studio recording "Witch Hunt" on the night John Lennon sadly passed away at the 3:30 mark.

 

Geddy also mentions the above in this interview here as well.

 

It was a poignant coincidence in a way.

Edited May 9, 2017 by RushFanForever

[Wil1972]

 

Moving Pictures:

"Tom Sawyer" was the first song written, started in July 28, 1980 as "Louis The Warrior" and finished during August 1980.

 

I read it was "Louis the Lawyer". (I think in Contents Under Pressure).

[Lorraine]

Moving Pictures:

"Tom Sawyer" was the first song written, started in July 28, 1980 as "Louis The Warrior" and finished during August 1980.

 

I read it was "Louis the Lawyer". (I think in Contents Under Pressure).

 

That's a good Rush book.

[MMCXII]

"Uncle Tounouse"

 

???

 

I had never heard that title until now

 

Thanks EY

Great how long until TRF has a Uncle Tounouse??

 

Now I feel better because if this "Uncle Tounouse" was common knowledge, there'd already be one here ..

 

 

Kind of a weird name for a song. I wonder if they dumped it because it wasn't very good?

 

They often had temporary joke names for songs until they came up with the real title

[JohnnyBlaze]

"Uncle Tounouse"

 

???

 

I had never heard that title until now

 

Thanks EY

Great how long until TRF has a Uncle Tounouse??

 

Now I feel better because if this "Uncle Tounouse" was common knowledge, there'd already be one here ..

 

 

Kind of a weird name for a song. I wonder if they dumped it because it wasn't very good?

 

They often had temporary joke names for songs until they came up with the real title

And sometimes the joke song name stuck...

 

"Where's My Thing? (Part IV, 'Gangster of Boats' trilogy)"

 

:P

[EagleMoon]

"Uncle Tounouse"

 

???

 

I had never heard that title until now

 

Thanks EY

Great how long until TRF has a Uncle Tounouse??

 

Now I feel better because if this "Uncle Tounouse" was common knowledge, there'd already be one here ..

 

 

Kind of a weird name for a song. I wonder if they dumped it because it wasn't very good?

 

They often had temporary joke names for songs until they came up with the real title

And sometimes the joke song name stuck...

 

"Where's My Thing? (Part IV, 'Gangster of Boats' trilogy)"

 

:P

 

Or La Villa Strangiato.

[Wil1972]

Moving Pictures:

"Tom Sawyer" was the first song written, started in July 28, 1980 as "Louis The Warrior" and finished during August 1980.

 

I read it was "Louis the Lawyer". (I think in Contents Under Pressure).

 

That's a good Rush book.

 

Awkwardly written but informative.

[Eel Yddeg]

Gonna do the final few albums.

Test For Echo:

Not much info known. Written from October-December 1995, recorded from January 8, 1996-April 1996.

Vapor Trails:

First song written was "Telescope Peak" in January 2001, unreleased but would later be repurposed into "Ghost Rider", "How It Is", and more. However, the early recordings they made were "junk" and writing didn't fully start until later. In March 2001 they wrote "One Little Victory", "Ceiling Unlimited", "Nocturne", "Earthshine" (The first completed), and "Peaceable Kingdom" originally an instrumental. "Sweet Miracle", "Out Of The Cradle", "The Stars Look Down", "Vapor Trail", "Secret Touch", and "How It Is" were written between April-June 2001, (Demos recorded as well) and "Freeze" and "Ghost Rider" came last, in July 2001. Recording sessions took a long time, lasting from August 2001-February 2002.

Feedback:

Recorded from March-May 2004. A cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Manic Depression" was roughly recorded but scrapped.

Snakes And Arrows:

Writing sessions began in February 2006. By March five songs were done, including "Bravest Face" and "The Way The Wind Blows", and by June, eight songs are.

[Lorraine]

How long did the recording sessions for Snakes last?

[RushFanForever]

Test For Echo:

Not much info known. Written from October-December 1995, recorded from January 8, 1996-April 1996.

 

Does this help here?

[rocket ignites]

Great info! Thanks for the postings. :ebert: