DESCRIPTION:
First, acknowledgements and credits.

Troy Hughes - Bass, Vocals
http://www.youtube.com/user/TJH3113

Harry Crowe - Guitars, Keyboards, Drum Programming, Audio Engineering
http://www.youtube.com/user/hcmusic101

Mike Paden - Video Editing
http://www.youtube.com/user/padensplace

As my 100th RUSH cover fast approached, I began to wonder, "What will I do with myself once I've done that?" RUSH collaborations seemed to be the logical next step. The first person I approached was my oldest friend Harry, who I've known since the 8th grade and lives just a 30 minute ride from me, one county away. We've played in bands together off and on for as long as we've both been playing.


The Recording - Now, Harry had recently gotten himself some Cakewalk/Sonor recording software that he was teaching himself how to operate and was eager to put it to good use.

The Guitar and Bass - That's a no-brainer.

The Drums - "There are plenty of great drummers out there on YouTube who idolize Neil Peart and would love to participate in a project like this", or so I thought to myself. Not so, as it turned out. Though I do truly appreciate the 2 fellows who were polite enough to even respond to my query. Well it was Harry to the rescue as he just so happened to have this "EZdrummer" program sitting around collecting dust. He painstakingly programmed the song beat for beat. Compare it to the original if you don't believe me. WTF does "quantize" even mean I ask you?

The Keyboards - Harry also took care of the keyboards as well with a nifty "Vintage MOOG" virtual keyboard program I purchased just for the occasion.

The Vocals - Well I've always loved to sing (especially along with RUSH). Usually in the car (or truck). Always alone. With the music turned up. And the windows rolled up - tight. As long as I've played music I've never sung more than the occasional background vocal and, only then, when subjected to intense pressure to do so. In the back of my mind, I always thought that, if I only had the guts, I could do a halfway decent job on a lead vocal. I was also painfully aware that there are karaoke bars, stages and studios all over the world full of people who mistakenly think the same thing.

Part of the reason I chose this song was because I knew that Harry could step up and sing it if I happened to choke.

Video Editing - When my original plans for video editing fell through, I placed an ad on Craigslist. Mike was one of a number of people who replied to the ad but seemed the most confident and eager, as well as being a very nice young fellow. He's also a bass player and happens to live just a mile or two from where I do. Unfortunately, as my wife had requested, he was not able to make me appear as though I were moving, smiling, or otherwise enjoying myself in the video. Oh well, maybe the next one.


While I'm normally a very private person, I thought I'd share something with you of a personal nature.

In an ironic twist, I recorded the vocals for this song on the evening of the day I learned that I was the proud owner of a "squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck with an unknown origin". That knowledge took the pressure and anxiety of stepping in front of a microphone and singing on my own for the first time in my life away.

It's been a tense couple of months but everything is looking good. The cancer was caught very early. The primary origin located - pesky tonsil. And I've just begun a treatment course of "curative intent" which is as good as it gets in cancer-land.

So, in closing, I'd like to say three things -

One - If you notice any change in or on your body, no matter how slight, go see your doctor and let him decide if it's something to worry about or not.

Two - If you've ever wanted to sing, or do anything else for that matter, but have been afraid or embarrassed to try - do it.

And three - I hope you enjoy the video.