New On The Charts
"Fly By Night" / "In The Mood" - 98

Billboard, January 15, 1977, transcribed by pwrwindows

Transcribers Note: this article appeared when the "Fly By Night" / "In The Mood" live single from All The World's A Stage broke the Billboard Hot 100, coming in at #98.

It was about this time last year that Kiss and Peter Frampton exploded from relative obscurity via specially priced double live albums. The latest act to follow their lead is this hard rocking Canadian trio which made the Billboard chart with all four of its previous studio albums, but has never remained on the survey as long as it has with the current "All The World's A Stage" live set.

Rush was formed in Toronto eight years ago as a high school/bar act that played one nighters until early I973 when it decided to record. In 1974 an album was released on the bands own label, Moon Records, which drew play on an FM station in Cleveland. The co-managers, Ray Danniels and Vic Wilson were then able to sign the act to ATI, which in turn led to a label contract with Mercury.

The debut album was on the chart by September 1974, at the same time that the act was in the midst of its first American tour, opening for Uriah Heep and later Rory Gallagher. Subsequent touring had Rush second billed to such acts as Aerosmith, KISS, Ted Nugent and Foghat. The current live album was recorded last June at Massey Hall in Toronto.

In its native country, Rush is second only to BTO, with three of its first four albums going gold, and with a 1975 Juno Award as Most Promising New Group. The thundering heavy metal act is now booked by ICM, with the principal agent being Greg McCuthceon of the New York office, (212) 586-0404. The co-managers work out of SRO Productions in Toronto, (416) 881-3212.

Drummer Neil Peart was added to Rush after its first album, joining veteran group members Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee.