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Le Studio destroyed in fire this morning, Geddy Lee reacts in new Q interview

Fri, Aug 11, 2017@5:59PM | comments

UPDATE - 8/14@11:54AM: Geddy Lee's full Q interview has been posted and is available to listen to online here:

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UPDATE - 8/11@8:12PM: Rush.com put up a post a short time ago in which they look back at Le Studio and its role in the history of Rush. The article includes some photos and the following quote from Geddy Lee:

"What Le Studio meant to us, is really hard to put into only a few sentences. It was not only a place where we did some of our best work, but we also experienced many profound personal moments there. To say nothing of the friendships that were forged there that still endure today. Le Studio played a key role in our album recording experience at a pivotal point in our career. We were already saddened to learn of its derelict state a few years ago, but upon hearing that it has now been destroyed by fire, it truly marks the end an age for the 3 of us," remarked Geddy Lee on behalf of the band.

"We not only worked there for months at a time, but we lived and played in the home on the property, separated only by a beautiful lake and the glorious foothills of Laurentian Mountains," added Lee, "it was truly a part of the great Canadian landscape...and literally a home away from home for us. It will always have a special place in our hearts."

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As mentioned earlier today in the Friday Rush updates, the legendary Le Studio in Morin Heights, Quebec was destroyed in a fire early this morning. Rush recorded several albums at Le Studio including Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures, and many of their iconic music videos from that era include footage of the band recording there. CBC's Tom Power spoke with Geddy Lee via phone earlier today about recording music and making memories at Le Studio. A short clip of the interview is available for listening below or at this location. From CBC Music:

"I've spent so many hours in that room. You created your own world when you moved in there, and certainly the effect was felt on the records you made there," says Rush frontman Geddy Lee, remembering Quebec's legendary Le Studio. The Laurentian Mountains studio, where Rush recorded the video for "Tom Sawyer," was destroyed by an early morning fire today. Provincial police received a call about the blaze around 5:30 a.m., but when firefighters got to the studio, it was too late. Investigators with the Sûreté du Québec are working to determine the cause of the fire. ...

Geddy's full interview will air on CBC Radio One this coming Monday, and be available online at cbc.ca/radio/q. Le Studio - built in 1972 by Montreal recording engineer and producer André Perry - has been idle since 2008 and has since fallen into disrepair, despite some half-hearted efforts to revive it in recent years. Back in 2014 Neil Peart paid a visit to Le Studio and described the experience in a blog post on his website. There's also this fan-made, 2-part documentary on Le Studio that explains much of the studio's history.

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