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Jeff Jones, the original bassist in Rush.

Clark W

Clark W

This Space For Rent!
Supporting Member
Aug 26, 2018
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#1
With all the hoopla over Rush reuniting with a new drummer I ran across this little tidbit of info. Geddy Lee was not the original bassist for Rush. The original Rush lineup was Alex Lifeson. John Rutsey (replaced by Neil Peart) and Jeff Jones (replaced by Geddy Lee). Jeff Jones would go on playing bass, eventually being the bassist on the hit Lunatic Fringe by Red Rider. And they would eventually go on to open on multiple dates for Rush on their 1984 Grace Under Pressure tour.

I've been a Rush fan since the mid 1970s and never knew this...
www.loudersound.com

Rush before Geddy Lee: Meet Jeff Jones, the bass player who stepped aside

"We were the early version of Spinal Tap, turning it to 11"
www.loudersound.com www.loudersound.com
 
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#5
I knew this from somewhere way back, can't remember where I heard it. But I did know that "Rush" was basically Alex Lifeson's name for whatever he had going on with his musician friends as a teenager, and Geddy said Alex used to borrow Geddy's amp for shows or practice before he actually asked Geddy to join the band.

Also, I got the deluxe boxed set for the album "Rush" when it hit 50 years old, and inside the box are some goodies, including a chart that shows a Rush family tree. On it are the links between Rush and other bands, including Red Rider and Hadrian, which was a very short-lived project Alex had in the early days. On that tree are the names of everyone who was ever associated with Rush, including of course Jeff Jones.
 
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#6
Clark W said:
With all the hoopla over Rush reuniting with a new drummer I ran across this little tidbit of info. Geddy Lee was not the original bassist for Rush. The original Rush lineup was Alex Lifeson. John Rutsey (replaced by Neil Peart) and Jeff Jones (replaced by Geddy Lee). Jeff Jones would go on playing bass, eventually being the bassist on the hit Lunatic Fringe by Red Rider. And they would eventually go on to open on multiple dates for Rush on their 1984 Grace Under Pressure tour.

I've been a Rush fan since the mid 1970s and never knew this...
www.loudersound.com

Rush before Geddy Lee: Meet Jeff Jones, the bass player who stepped aside

"We were the early version of Spinal Tap, turning it to 11"
www.loudersound.com www.loudersound.com
Click to expand...
I didn't know that either. I remember them when they were still working the high school auditorium circuit hard. My older brother went to see them at a school.
When I was about 17 one of my teachers asked the class who we would prefer to come play at the school; Rush or BB Gabor. Everyone picked Rush of course, but neither came to our school.
 
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#9
Spectrum said:
I knew this from somewhere way back, can't remember where I heard it. But I did know that "Rush" was basically Alex Lifeson's name for whatever he had going on with his musician friends as a teenager, and Geddy said Alex used to borrow Geddy's amp for shows or practice before he actually asked Geddy to join the band.

Also, I got the deluxe boxed set for the album "Rush" when it hit 50 years old, and inside the box are some goodies, including a chart that shows a Rush family tree. On it are the links between Rush and other bands, including Red Rider and Hadrian, which was a very short-lived project Alex had in the early days. On that tree are the names of everyone who was ever associated with Rush, including of course Jeff Jones.
Click to expand...
That's cool that they put the band's lineage in the deluxe boxed set.
 
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#10
Clark W said:
That's cool that they put the band's lineage in the deluxe boxed set.
Click to expand...
Here's a phone photo of the Rush family tree from the box set. It doesn't mention Red Rider, but Jeff Jones is there:

1000006323.jpg
 
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#11
Spectrum said:
Here's a phone photo of the Rush family tree from the box set. It doesn't mention Red Rider, but Jeff Jones is there:

View attachment 7346015
Click to expand...
I wouldn't expect Red Rider to be listed there since it was a totally different band that Jeff Jones eventually went on to play bass in. But it is crazy that as the bassist for Red Rider that they would eventually open for Rush at multiple shows on Rush's 1984 Grace Under Pressure tour. Kinda a full circle moment but with a twist. Original Rush bassist now in the opening act for some of Rush's shows 16 yrs later.
 
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#14
yeah that's a stretch. He was jamming with fellow 15-year-olds Alex and John over the course of about 60 days and someone's brother suggested they call themselves "rush". Dude pulled out their gig because he wanted to go to some party, so AL asked Ged to play with them.
 
#15
Smooth_bass88 said:
yeah that's a stretch. He was jamming with fellow 15-year-olds Alex and John over the course of about 60 days and someone's brother suggested they call themselves "rush". Dude pulled out their gig because he wanted to go to some party, so AL asked Ged to play with them.
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Let's see, the Rush family tree from their 50th Anniversary Box set, posted above, lists Jeff Jones in the very first lineup of Rush. He was obviously important enough in the band's history to Alex to be included. And technically Alex is the only original member of Rush still in the band. Not that it matters to me cause I'm a huge Rush fan anyway. And an even bigger fan of Geddy Lee.

And if you had read the article, then you would know that Jeff Jones said that the part about pulling out of a gig to go to a party never happened.

So who are we to believe? Rush's own publication of their family tree and the bassist that it lists as being their first? Or you?

Someone's brother suggested the name Rush? So? And Alex and the band has kept that name ever since it's inception in that 1st lineup with Jeff Jones and subsequent changes after.

Since you didn't read the article....

I know the story that goes something like I didn't show up to a [battle of the bands] gig because I wanted to go to a party, and Alex kicked me out of Rush. I'm sure everyone has heard it, and it's pretty much the way I'm remembered within Rush's history. But it's not true."

"The truth is we played the battle of the bands, and I was there," Jones continues. "We played a few shows at the Community Center, a bunch of basement shows, and we played local coffee shops. As far as I remember, I was always there. So, the part that history always gets wrong – and this is important - is that we were kids. So, what happened was it got to a point where I had to take a long bus ride to get to Alex's house; it was taking me hours round trip.

"So, I just told Alex, 'Hey, this guy Geddy that you've been hanging around with plays bass. He lives right around the corner. Why don't you ask him to join?' And I guess Alex took that as me leaving, and that was it.
 
#16
Clark W said:
Let's see, the Rush family tree from their 50th Anniversary Box set, posted above, lists Jeff Jones in the very first lineup of Rush. He was obviously important enough in the band's history to Alex to be included. And technically Alex is the only original member of Rush still in the band. Not that it matters to me cause I'm a huge Rush fan anyway. And an even bigger fan of Geddy Lee.

And if you had read the article, then you would know that Jeff Jones said that the part about pulling out of a gig to go to a party never happened.

So who are we to believe? Rush's own publication of their family tree and the bassist that it lists as being their first? Or you?

Someone's brother suggested the name Rush? So? And Alex and the band has kept that name ever since it's inception in that 1st lineup with Jeff Jones and subsequent changes after.

Since you didn't read the article....

I know the story that goes something like I didn't show up to a [battle of the bands] gig because I wanted to go to a party, and Alex kicked me out of Rush. I'm sure everyone has heard it, and it's pretty much the way I'm remembered within Rush's history. But it's not true."

"The truth is we played the battle of the bands, and I was there," Jones continues. "We played a few shows at the Community Center, a bunch of basement shows, and we played local coffee shops. As far as I remember, I was always there. So, the part that history always gets wrong – and this is important - is that we were kids. So, what happened was it got to a point where I had to take a long bus ride to get to Alex's house; it was taking me hours round trip.

"So, I just told Alex, 'Hey, this guy Geddy that you've been hanging around with plays bass. He lives right around the corner. Why don't you ask him to join?' And I guess Alex took that as me leaving, and that was it.
Click to expand...
this story is slightly different from one told by the band's current bass player in the book that HE wrote. I don't care who or what says it, but to me it's a stretch to say this guy is "the original bassist in rush". Something else to keep in mind- Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson do not own the rights to their music publishing.
 
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