"The Spirit of Radio" | ||||
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Single by Rush | ||||
from the album Permanent Waves | ||||
B-side |
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Released | December 1979 (promo) February 1980 (single) | |||
Recorded | 1979 | |||
Studio | Le Studio (Morin-Heights, Quebec) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | Mercury | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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Rush singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"The Spirit of Radio" on YouTube |
"The Spirit of Radio" is a song by Canadian rock band Rush,released from their 1980 album Permanent Waves . The song's name was inspired by Toronto-based radio station CFNY-FM's slogan. [3] [4] It was significant in the growing popularity of the band,becoming their first top 30 single in Canada and reaching number 51 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It remains one of their best-known songs and was a concert staple.
The introduction of the song was composed in a mixolydian mode scale built on E;most of the rest,barring repetitions of the introductory guitar riff,is in conventional E major. [5]
Guitarist Alex Lifeson explained the song's opening riff as "I just wanted to give it something that gave it a sense of static –radio waves bouncing around,very electric. We had that sequence going underneath,and it was just really to try and get something that was sitting on top of it,that gave it that movement." [6]
"The Spirit of Radio" features the band experimenting with a reggae style in its closing section. Reggae would be explored further on the band's next three records, Moving Pictures , Signals ,and Grace Under Pressure . The group had experimented with reggae-influenced riffs in the studio and had come up with a reggae introduction to "Working Man" on their tours,so they decided to incorporate a passage into "The Spirit of Radio",and as Lifeson said,"to make us smile and have a little fun". [7]
Lyrically,the song is a lament on the change of FM radio from free-form to commercial formats during the late 1970s. The Toronto-based station CFNY-FM—which had not abandoned free-form programming—is cited as an inspiration for the song. The reggae finale also has lyrics inspired by the song "The Sound of Silence" by Simon &Garfunkel. [8]
Rush had grazed the UK Top 40 two years earlier with "Closer to the Heart",but when "The Spirit of Radio" was issued as a single in February 1980,it reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart in March. [9] It remains their biggest UK hit to date (the 7" single was a 3:00 edited version which has not appeared on CD,as of 2011). [10] In the US,the single peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980 and number 22 in Canada,and in 1998 a live version of the song reached number 27 on the Mainstream Rock Chart.
Promotional 12-inch copies were released in the United States in late 1979 with the B-sides of "Working Man" and "The Trees",and the song being incorrectly titled "The Spirit of the Radio". [11]
Cash Box said that "Geddy Lee's high vocals and the band's electrically charged instrumental should click on AOR lists." [12]
"The Spirit of Radio" was named one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and was among five Rush songs inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on March 28,2010. [13] Record World called it a "crafty rocker that's an out-of-the-box AOR-pop smash." [14]
Classic Rock readers voted "The Spirit of Radio" the fourth best Rush song. [15]
Odyssey ranked "The Spirit of Radio" number 11 on their ranking of every Rush song,and rated it 10/10. They also considered it to be the second best song from Permanent Waves,only behind "Freewill". [16]
The song was covered by the British alternative rock band Catherine Wheel in 1996,with their version appearing both on their B-sides and rarities album Like Cats and Dogs and on the CFNY-branded compilation album Spirit of the Edge,Vol. 2. [17]
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Permanent Waves,on June 12,2020 Rush produced an animated music video by Fantoons Animation Studio featuring themselves as they appeared around 1980 as well as nods to Guglielmo Marconi (an Italian inventor instrumental in the development of radio) as well as radio djs from the time that were influential in Rush's development. The video also pays homage to Rush's drummer,the late Neil Peart,"whose music and lyrics continue to capture the hearts and imaginations of the fans". [18] [19]
Chart (1980) | Peak position |
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Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 22 |
UK Singles (OCC) [20] | 13 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [21] | 51 |
Rush was a Canadian rock band that primarily comprised Geddy Lee,Alex Lifeson (guitar) and Neil Peart. The band formed in Toronto in 1968 with Lifeson,drummer John Rutsey,and bass guitarist/vocalist Jeff Jones,whom Lee immediately replaced. After Lee joined,the band went through several line-up changes before arriving at its classic power trio lineup with the addition of Peart in July 1974,who replaced Rutsey four months after the release of their self-titled debut album;this lineup remained intact for the remainder of the band's career.
Signals is the ninth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush,released on September 9,1982 by Anthem Records. After the release of their previous album,Moving Pictures,the band started to prepare material for a follow-up during soundchecks on their 1981 concert tour and during the mixing of their subsequent live album Exit...Stage Left. Signals demonstrates the group's continuing use of synthesizers,sequencers,and other electronic instrumentation. It is the last album produced by their longtime associate Terry Brown,who had worked with them since 1974.
2112 is the fourth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush,released in March 1976 by Anthem Records. It reached No. 5 in Canada and became the band's commercial breakthrough in the US,peaking at No. 61.
Fly by Night is the second studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush,released on February 14,1975,by Mercury Records. It was the first Rush album to showcase elements of progressive rock for which the band has become known. It was also the first to feature lyricist and drummer Neil Peart,who replaced original drummer John Rutsey the previous summer just prior to the band's first North American tour. Peart took over as Rush's primary lyricist,and the abundance of fantastical and philosophical themes in his compositions contrasted greatly with the simpler hard rock of the band's debut album.
Caress of Steel is the third studio album by Canadian rock band Rush,released on September 24,1975,by Mercury Records. It was recorded immediately after the band concluded touring in support of their previous album,Fly By Night,and marked a development in the group's sound,moving from the blues-based hard rock style of their debut towards progressive rock. Songs such as "The Necromancer" furthered Rush's advancement into narrative-driven,fantasy-based compositions,while "The Fountain of Lamneth" was their first prog-rock "epic" to span an entire side of vinyl. Other tracks like "Bastille Day" and "Lakeside Park" became staples of the band's live setlists.
Moving Pictures is the eighth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush,released on February 12,1981 by Anthem Records. After touring to support their previous album,Permanent Waves (1980),the band started to write and record new material in August 1980 with longtime co-producer Terry Brown. They continued to write songs with a more radio-friendly sound,featuring tighter and shorter song structures compared to their earlier albums.
Permanent Waves is the seventh studio album by Canadian rock band Rush,released on January 18,1980,through Anthem Records. After touring to support their previous album,Hemispheres (1978),the band began working on new material for a follow-up in July 1979. This material showed a shift in the group's sound towards more concise arrangements and radio-friendly songs,though their progressive rock blueprint is still evident on "Jacob's Ladder" and the nine-minute closer "Natural Science." Bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee also employed a more restrained vocal delivery compared to previous albums. Permanent Waves was recorded at Le Studio in Morin-Heights,Quebec with production handled by the group and Terry Brown.
Power Windows is the eleventh studio album by Canadian rock band Rush,released on October 11,1985 in Canada by Anthem Records and on October 21,1985 in the United States. After touring in support of their previous album,Grace Under Pressure (1984),the band took a break and reconvened in early 1985 to begin work on a follow-up. The material continued to display the band's exploration of synthesizer-oriented music,this time with the addition of sampling,electronic drums,a string section,and choir,with power being a running lyrical theme. Power Windows was recorded in Montserrat and England with Peter Collins as co-producer and Andy Richards on additional keyboards.
Counterparts is the fifteenth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush,released October 19,1993,on Anthem Records. After the band finished touring its previous album Roll the Bones (1991) in mid-1992,the members took a break before starting work on a follow-up.
"The Big Money" is a song by Canadian rock band Rush,originally released on their 1985 album Power Windows. It peaked at #45 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on the Mainstream Rock chart,and has been included on several compilation albums,such as Retrospective II and The Spirit of Radio:Greatest Hits 1974-1987.
"Tom Sawyer" is a song by Canadian rock band Rush,originally released on their 1981 album Moving Pictures as its opener. The band's lead singer,bassist,and keyboardist,Geddy Lee,has referred to the track as the band's "defining piece ... from the early '80s". It is one of Rush's best-known songs and a staple of both classic rock radio and Rush's live performances,having been played on every concert tour since its release.
"Closer to the Heart" is a song by Canadian rock band Rush. It was released in November 1977 as the lead single from their fifth studio album A Farewell to Kings. It was the first Rush song to feature a non-member as a songwriter in Peter Talbot,a friend of drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. It was Rush's first hit single in the United Kingdom,reaching number 36 in the UK Singles Chart in February 1978. It also peaked at number 45 in Canada and number 76 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on March 28,2010.
The Spirit of Radio:Greatest Hits 1974–1987 is a compilation album by Canadian rock band Rush,released on February 11,2003. It includes many of the band's most popular songs from their Mercury Records era,but does not feature any material from their third album Caress of Steel. A special edition of the album included a DVD containing music videos for several songs,including "Mystic Rhythms".
"Subdivisions" is a song by Canadian progressive rock group,Rush,released as the second single from their 1982 album Signals.
"The Analog Kid" is a song by the Canadian progressive rock band Rush. It was released as the second single from their 1982 album Signals and reached number 19 on the Mainstream Rock chart.
Snakes &Arrows is the eighteenth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush,released on May 1,2007,by Anthem Records. After their R30:30th Anniversary Tour ended in October 2004 the band took a one-year break,during which they agreed to start work on a follow-up in January 2006. The album was recorded in five weeks with co-producer Nick Raskulinecz,a fan of the group who was praised by each member for his approach and technique. It contains three instrumental tracks,the most on any Rush album.
"In the Mood" is a song by the Canadian rock band Rush from their 1974 debut album Rush. It was at least two years old when recorded for the album.
"A Passage to Bangkok" is a song by Canadian rock band Rush,released in March 1976 by Anthem Records. The song appears on the band's fourth studio album 2112 (1976). With the album's title track comprising the first half of the record,"A Passage to Bangkok" opens the second side of the album.
"Fly by Night" is a song by Canadian rock band Rush. It was released in 1975 and is the title track of their second studio album. The music was written by bassist Geddy Lee and the lyrics were penned by drummer Neil Peart. Peart wrote the song about his first trip away from home. In 1971,at 18 years old,he left behind his small-town Canadian life and flew to England. Lee sings the lead vocals and on the song's middle eight,his voice is fed through a Leslie speaker.
"Freewill" is the second track on the 1980 album Permanent Waves by Canadian progressive rock band Rush. The song's music was composed by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson,and its lyrics written by Neil Peart. In a 2016 review of Rush discography for Ultimate Classic Rock,Eduardo Rivadavia described "Freewill" as a "cerebral but remarkably radio-friendly" song. Lee has stated that the final verse of "Freewill" is at the highest part of his vocal range.