The Spirit of Radio
| "The Spirit of Radio" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Single by Rush | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| from the album Permanent Waves | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| B-side | "Circumstances" (international) / "The Trees" & "Working Man" (UK/U.S. promo copies) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Released |
December 1979 (promo) March 1980 (single) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Format | Vinyl record (7" / 12") | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Recorded | 1979, Le Studio, Quebec, Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genre | Progressive rock, hard rock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length |
4:56 (Album version) 3:00 (Single version) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Label | Mercury Records | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Neil Peart, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Producer(s) | Rush and Terry Brown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rush singles chronology | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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"The Spirit of Radio" is a song released in 1980 by Canadian rock band Rush from their album Permanent Waves. The song's name was inspired by Toronto radio station CFNY's slogan.[1] The song was significant in the growing popularity of the band. The band had grazed the UK Top 40 two years earlier with "Closer to the Heart", but when issued as a single in March 1980, "The Spirit of Radio" soon reached #13 on the UK singles chart.[2] It remains their biggest UK hit to date (the 7" single was a 3:00 edited version which has never appeared on CD to date).[3] In the U.S., the single peaked at #51 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980, and in 1998 a live version of the song reached #27 on the Mainstream Rock Charts.[4] "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.[5]
Promotional 12-inch copies were released in the United States late 1979 with the B-sides of "Working Man" and "The Trees", and the song being incorrectly titled "The Spirit of the Radio".[6]
Media usage
The live version recorded in June 17, 1980, at the Apollo in Manchester, England, appeared as a playable song in the 2009 video game Guitar Hero 5.[7]
The song is sampled on the 1993 track, "Conchita Martinez", by Saint Etienne.[8]
A cover version of the song appeared in the television show, Chuck, sung by the fictional band Jeffster!
The song was used in the Judd Apatow 80's era-themed television show, Freaks and Geeks. The character of Nick Andopolis, (played by Jason Segel), an aspiring drummer, high school student and Rush 'superfan, practiced often to it in his basement.
Cover versions
Kobra and the Lotus included a version of "The Spirit of Radio" on their 2015 covers EP Words of the Prophets. The EP's title is a reference to the song.[9]
Catherine Wheel cover the song which is included as an unlisted track on its 1996 compilation Like Cats and Dogs.
See also
References
- ↑ "Catchphrase". CFNY-FM. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
- ↑ "UK Singles Chart runs". Polyhex.com. April 8, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
- ↑ "Rush – Spirit Of Radio". Discogs.com. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
- ↑ "Billboard Singles". Allmusic.com. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
- ↑ Infantry, Ashante (January 20, 2010). "New home a place to sing praises of our songwriters". The Toronto Star. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
- ↑ Rush-vlaanderen.com
- ↑ "Rush is a Band".
- ↑ "Saint Etienne's Conchita Martinez sample of Rush's The Spirit of Radio - WhoSampled". WhoSampled.
- ↑ "Video: Kobra and The Lotus Covers Alannah Myles's 'Black Velvet' on 'Words of the Prophets' EP". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
