Rush Into Space

Before Recording 'Signals,' Rush Got In-Flight Nasa Tapes From Cape Canaveral

Circus, February 28, 1983, transcribed by pwrwindows

Rush's "Countdown," a song from Signals that portrays a rocket ship takeoff, has proven to be no mere sound-effects library production.

Geddy Lee, Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson of Rush have actually spent time at the space launch center in Cape Canaveral. "We've met some NASA people that we've become pretty good friends with," explains Lee.

"We kept in touch, and they invited us to come down to the launch of the Columbia shuttle" (in April 1981). When the time came to wax "Countdown," Rush just called the spacemen, who provided authentic flight recordings for use on the track.