Hold Your Fire
Encyclopedia
Hold Your Fire is the 12th studio album by the Canadian
rock
band Rush
, released in the fall of 1987 (see 1987 in music
). The album was recorded at The Manor Studio
in Oxfordshire
, Ridge Farm Studio
in Surrey
, Air Studios in Montserrat
and at McClear Place in Toronto.
Rush continued to explore new songwriting territory in Hold Your Fire. “Tai Shan”, for example, is influenced by classical Chinese music, and its title is a reference to Mount Tai
in China's Shandong
province. 'Til Tuesday
bassist and vocalist Aimee Mann
contributed vocals to "Time Stand Still" (she also appears in the Zbigniew Rybczyński
-directed video for the song).
Hold Your Fire marked the first time that Geddy Lee used the Roland D-50
keyboard.
Hold Your Fire stalled at No. 13 (the first time a Rush studio album failed to reach the Top 10 since 1978's Hemispheres
) and sold a million copies according to the band's then-international label Mercury Records
(this is the band's last studio album for PolyGram
before moving to Atlantic
outside Canada). However, the American RIAA
has the album listed as Gold.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
, released in the fall of 1987 (see 1987 in music
1987 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1987.See also:Record labels established in 1987-January-February:*January 3 – Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
). The album was recorded at The Manor Studio
The Manor Studio
The Manor Studio was a recording studio in the manor house at the village of Shipton-on-Cherwell in Oxfordshire, England, north of the city of Oxford. It was the first residential recording studio in the UK...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, Ridge Farm Studio
Ridge Farm Studio
Ridge Farm Studio was one of the very first residential recording studios in the United Kingdom. The studio operated for over twenty five years as a residential recording studio...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, Air Studios in Montserrat
Montserrat
Montserrat is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies. This island measures approximately long and wide, giving of coastline...
and at McClear Place in Toronto.
Rush continued to explore new songwriting territory in Hold Your Fire. “Tai Shan”, for example, is influenced by classical Chinese music, and its title is a reference to Mount Tai
Mount Tai
Mount Tai is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai'an, in Shandong province, People's Republic of China. The tallest peak is the Jade Emperor Peak , which is commonly reported as tall, but is described by the PRC government as .Mount Tai is one of the...
in China's Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
province. 'Til Tuesday
'Til Tuesday
Til Tuesday was an American New Wave band formed in Boston in 1982. Its original lineup was bassist/vocalist Aimee Mann, guitarist/vocalist Robert Holmes, keyboardist Joey Pesce, and drummer Michael Hausman.-History:...
bassist and vocalist Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist.-Early life:Aimee Mann grew up in Bon Air, Virginia, graduated from Open High School in 1978 and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes...
contributed vocals to "Time Stand Still" (she also appears in the Zbigniew Rybczyński
Zbigniew Rybczynski
Zbigniew Rybczyński is a Polish filmmaker who has won numerous prestigious industry awards both in the United States and internationally. He was also a teacher of cinematography, and digital cinematography. Currently he is a researcher of blue and greenscreen compositing technology at Ultimatte...
-directed video for the song).
Hold Your Fire marked the first time that Geddy Lee used the Roland D-50
Roland D-50
The Roland D-50 is a polyphonic 61-key synthesizer produced by Roland. It was released in 1987. Its features include Linear Arithmetic synthesis, on-board effects, a joystick for data manipulation, and an analog synthesis-styled layout design. The external Roland PG-1000 Programmer could also be...
keyboard.
Hold Your Fire stalled at No. 13 (the first time a Rush studio album failed to reach the Top 10 since 1978's Hemispheres
Hemispheres (Rush album)
Hemispheres is the sixth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1978. The album was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales and mixed at Trident Studios in London....
) and sold a million copies according to the band's then-international label Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
(this is the band's last studio album for PolyGram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
before moving to Atlantic
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
outside Canada). However, the American RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
has the album listed as Gold.
Track listing
Band Members
- Geddy LeeGeddy LeeGary Lee Weinrib, OC, better known as Geddy Lee , is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush...
– bass guitar, synthesizers, vocals - Alex LifesonAlex LifesonAleksandar Živojinović, OC, better known by his stage name Alex Lifeson, is a second generation Serbian-Canadian musician, best known as the guitarist of the Canadian rock band Rush. In the summer of 1968, Lifeson founded the band that would become Rush with friend, drummer John Rutsey...
– electric and acoustic guitars - Neil PeartNeil PeartNeil Ellwood Peart , OC, is a Canadian musician and author. He is the drummer for the rock band Rush.Peart grew up in Port Dalhousie, Ontario . During adolescence, he floated from regional band to regional band in pursuit of a career as a full-time drummer...
– drums, percussion
Additional musicians
- Aimee MannAimee MannAimee Mann is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist.-Early life:Aimee Mann grew up in Bon Air, Virginia, graduated from Open High School in 1978 and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes...
– additional vocals - Andy Richards – additional keyboards, synthesizers programming
- Steven Margoshes – strings arranger and conductor
- The William Faery Engineering Brass Band arranged and conducted by Andrew JackmanAndrew JackmanAndrew Pryce Jackman was a keyboard player and arranger. He was in The Syn with bassist Chris Squire . Jackman subsequently worked on Squire's solo album Fish Out of Water, on The Steve Howe Album and on the Yes album Tormato.-History:In the mid-1960s, Jackman was the keyboard player in The Selfs...
Production
- Peter CollinsPeter Collins (record producer)Peter Collins is a record producer, born January 15, 1951, in London.In 1976 Collins was signed to Magnet Records and formed a group called Madison, along with Ziggy, Peter Spooner and Page 3 girl Cherri Gilham, to perform his pop song "Let It Ring"...
- producer, arrangements - James 'Jimbo' Barton - engineer
- Bob LudwigBob LudwigBob Ludwig is an American mastering engineer.He is a well known and respected figure within the music industry. His name is credited on the covers of albums released across the world, and he has won numerous awards....
- mastering
- Hugh SymeHugh SymeHugh Syme is a Canadian Juno Award-winning graphic artist who is best known for his artwork and cover concepts for rock and metal bands. He is also a musician and has appeared in some Rush songs as a keyboard player. Syme is notably responsible for all of Rush's album cover art since 1975's Caress...
- art direction - Glen WexlerGlen WexlerGlen Wexler is an American photographer who is best known for his elaborately staged digital photocompositions of improbable situations.-Biography:Wexler was born in Palm Springs, CA...
- photography
Charts
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... (North America) |
13 |
| 1987 | RPM100 Albums (Canada) | 12 |
| 1987 | UK Album Chart | 10 |
| 1987 | German Album Chart | 34 |
| 1987 | Swedish Album Chart | 21 |
| 1987 | GfK GfK The GfK Group, established in 1934 as Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung is Germany's largest market research institute, and the fourth largest market research organisation in the world, after Nielsen Company, Kantar Group, and IMS Health... Dutch Album Chart |
40 |
Singles
| Information |
|---|
"Time Stand Still"
|
| "Force Ten"
Peter Collins (record producer) Peter Collins is a record producer, born January 15, 1951, in London.In 1976 Collins was signed to Magnet Records and formed a group called Madison, along with Ziggy, Peter Spooner and Page 3 girl Cherri Gilham, to perform his pop song "Let It Ring"... and Rush |
| "Lock and Key"
Peter Collins (record producer) Peter Collins is a record producer, born January 15, 1951, in London.In 1976 Collins was signed to Magnet Records and formed a group called Madison, along with Ziggy, Peter Spooner and Page 3 girl Cherri Gilham, to perform his pop song "Let It Ring"... and Rush |
| "Prime Mover"
Peter Collins (record producer) Peter Collins is a record producer, born January 15, 1951, in London.In 1976 Collins was signed to Magnet Records and formed a group called Madison, along with Ziggy, Peter Spooner and Page 3 girl Cherri Gilham, to perform his pop song "Let It Ring"... and Rush |
Sales certifications
| Country | Organization | Sales |
| U.S. | RIAA | Gold (500,000) |
| Canada | CRIA Music Canada Music Canada was a Canadian music television miniseries which aired approximately monthly on CBC Television from 1966 to 1967.-Premise:This series featured various special productions of music and dance, from classical to modern styles.-Scheduling:... |
Platinum (80,000) |
| UK | BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Silver (60,000) |
Remaster details
A remaster was issued in 1997.- The tray has a picture of three fingerprints, light blue, pink, and lime green (left to right) with "The Rush Remasters" printed in all capital letters just to the left, mirroring the cover art of Retrospective IIRetrospective IIRetrospective II: 1981 to 1987 is a compilation album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1997 . The album is essentially a collection of their best songs from the second decade of the band....
. All remasters from Moving PicturesMoving Pictures (album)- Personnel :* Geddy Lee - Bass guitar; Minimoog; Oberheim 8-voice synthesizer; OB-X, Moog Taurus bass pedals, vocals* Alex Lifeson - Electric and acoustic guitars, Moog Taurus...
through A Show of HandsA Show of HandsA Show of Hands is a live album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1989. The band released a video of the same name, originally on VHS and laserdisc in 1989...
are like this. - Includes all the artwork that came with the original album.