About Moving Pictures
What can you say? Moving Pictures became the band’s biggest selling album in the U.S., rising to #3 on the Billboard charts. It remains Rush’s most popular and commercially successful studio recording. Rush’s complex songwriting and musical virtuosity reached new heights on this album.
Recorded and mixed from October to November 1980 at Le Studio, Moving Pictures followed a more radio-friendly format and includes several signature tracks, including “Tom Sawyer,” “Limelight,” “Red Barchetta,” and the band’s highly praised instrumental, “YYZ,” which is the IATA airport identification code of Toronto Pearson International Airport.
The album cover is a monument to triple entendre. Movers are physically moving pictures, people are crying because the pictures passing by are emotionally “moving,” and the back cover depicts a film crew making a “moving picture” of the whole scene.
Credits
Produced by
Rush and Terry Brown
Arrangements
Rush and Terry Brown
Engineer
Paul Northfield
Featured guest performer
Hugh Syme
Synthesizers on 'Witch Hunt'
Art direction, graphics and cover concept
Photography
Deborah Samuel
Mastered by
Bob Ludwig and Brian Lee
Gateway Mastering Studios
Portland, Maine
Management
Ray Danniels
SRO Productions
Toronto
Executive Production
Moon Records
Liner Notes
Geddy Lee – Bass guitars, Oberheim polyphonic; OB-X; Mini-Moog; and Taurus pedal Synthesizers, vocals
Alex Lifeson – Six and twelve string electric and acoustic guitars, Taurus Pedals
Neil Peart – Drums kit, timbales, gong bass drums, orchestra bells, glockenspiel, wind chimes, bell tree, crotales, cowbells, plywood
Recorded and mixed at Le Studio
Morin Heights, Quebec
October and November, 1980
Assisted by Robbie Whelan, and our computerized companions: Albert, Huey, Dewey, and Louie
Digital mastering engineered by Peter Jensen
Road Manager and Lighting Director: Howard Ungerleider
Concert Sound Engineer: Ian Grandy
Stage Manager: Michael Hirsh
Stage Right Technician, and Crew Chief: Liam Birt
Stage Left Technician: Skip Gildersleeve
Centre Stage Technician: Larry Allen
Guitar and synthesizer Maintenance: Tony Geranios
Stage Monitor Mixer: Greg Connolly
Projectionist: Lee Tenner
Personal Shreve and Factotum: Kevin Flewitt
Concert Sound: National Sound
All-Stars: Tom Linthicum, Fuzzy Frazer, Dave Berman
Concert Lighting: See Factor International
Easy Co.: Nick Kotos, George Guido, Bob Kniffen, Bob Cross
Concert Rigging: the daring Bill Collins
Transportation expertly guided by: Tom Whittaker, Billy Barlow, Kim Varney, Arthur MacLear, Pat Lines, Bill Fuquay, Mike and Linda Burnham
Fabulous Persons: at Le Studio: André, Yaël, Pam, Paul, Robbie, Roger, Harry, Claude & Gisele, André et Le Bouffe en Broche, Ted (Theo) McDonald, Irv Zuckerman & Associates (The Beords), Brain (Vings) Laski, George Vis, Ted Veneman, Max Lobstors, Saga & crew, 38 Special & crew (27-24), Drexel, Gerry, Griffin & Family, Terri at the Hawkins farm, Asteroids, volleyball (the Retardos & the Frantics 21-8!), the Greenie (you must be drinking!), Bill Ward, Loveman, Lovewoman & The Lovemachine, Scar & The Ignorant Wildfire Game, Top Secret, the Montreal Canadiens, Steven Shutt, Screvato, Robin & Phase One, Bill Elson, Cliff Burnstein, Jim Sotet, Sherry Levy, and the Oak Manorians.
Special British Supplement: Wild Horses; Jimmy & Sophie, Brian & Dee, Clive, Dirk (no relation), Mr. & Mrs. Robinson, Fin Costello, Bill Churchman, Alan Philips, Barry Murfet, Tex Yodell, Lofty & Stage Crew, Steve Tuck, Robbie Gilchrist
Dept. of Above-And-Beyond: Ray, Rhonda, L.B., Dear Olde Broon (a great mind thinks alike), Happy Birthday Ms. Broon (wrong again, eh, Hovis!)
Featuring Daisy as ‘Ski Bane’
Our continuing appreciation to the people and products of Tama, Avedis Zildjian, and Rickenbacker
Coolidge Dog Painting from the Archives of Brown & Bigelow, St. Paul, Minnesota
Correspondence: P.O. Box 640, Thornhill, Ontario, Canada L3T 4A5
Red Barchetta inspired by “A Nice Morning Drive“ by Richard S. Foster
© 1981 Mercury Records
© 1981 Anthem Entertainment
Awards
Canadian Albums Chart
#1Billboard 200
#3UK Albums Chart
#3Certified Gold by RIAA
April 13, 1981Certified Platinum by RIAA
April 27, 1981Certified 2x Platinum by RIAA
October 12, 1984Certified 3x Platinum by RIAA
1986Certified 4x Platinum by RIAA
January 27, 1995Tom Sawyer
Music: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson
Lyrics: Neil Peart and Pye Dubois
A modern-day warrior
Mean mean stride
Today’s Tom Sawyer
Mean mean pride
Though his mind is not for rent
Don’t put him down as arrogant
His reserve, a quiet defense
Riding out the day’s events –
The river
What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
-Catch the mist – Catch the myth
-Catch the mystery – Catch the drift
The world is the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his skies are wide
Today’s Tom Sawyer
He gets high on you
And the space he invades
He gets by on you
No, his mind is not for rent
To any god or government.
Always hopeful, yet discontent
He knows changes aren’t permanent –
But change is
What you say about his company
Is what you say about society
-Catch the witness – Catch the wit
-Catch the spirit – Catch the spit
The world is the world is
Love and life are deep
Maybe as his eyes are wide
Exit the warrior
Today’s Tom Sawyer
He gets high on you
And the energy you trade
He gets right on to
The friction of the day