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Neil Peart, Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson

Thu, Mar 28, 2024

Neil Peart records new version of The Hockey Theme for TSN

Wed, Dec 9, 2009@8:45PM | comments removed/disabled

UPDATE - 12/17@9:10PM: Here is yet another gallery of great pics from the session (thanks RushFanForever).

UPDATE - 12/15@12:07PM: The Bubba's Bar -n- Grill hockey jersey that Neil is wearing in the preview video is now available for pre-order at Bubbawares.com.

UPDATE - 12/14@3:31PM: Here's more info about the NHL kit from the Drum Workshop website, including some great pics (thanks rosmakloma):

... The set is airbrushed in Lacquer Graphics with NHL logos and ultra-custom Ice Blue hardware. DW Custom shop Artist, Louie Garcia comments, Neil told me he wanted to begin a new masterpiece with this kit. He really wanted it to represent the game of hockey, incorporating center ice and the face-off circles. And for the look of ice, we with went with a pearlescent color called Blue Frost. It really is a unique kit"

The set will be seen before each "Hockey Night in Canada" telecast and will also follow around the Stanley cup as it travels from arena to arena. Eventually, the set will wind up in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Canada.

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UPDATE - 12/14@10:57AM: Reader rosmakloma sent me this article from the Sabian website written by Chris Stankee about the recording session. The article has an accompanying photo gallery with a bunch of great pictures from the session.

UPDATE - 12/10@10:17AM: The preview video is now also up on YouTube. I added it to the bottom of the post.

A few weeks ago we found out that Neil Peart would be recording a special new version of The Hockey Theme for The Sports Network (TSN). Late yesterday TSN reported that Peart had finished recording the song at the iconic Ocean Way Studios in Hollywood on Monday. From the press release:

... The new rendition of The Hockey Theme features Peart accompanied by 17 musicians. The Stanley Cup was on hand to both inspire the musicians and to help symbolize The Hockey Theme's significance to the game. To further aid in instilling the hockey state of mind in his fellow musicians, Peart used a custom drum kit created by DW Drums that featured the logos of all 30 NHL teams.

In addition, Peart's trademark cap was specially adorned with the logos of the original six NHL teams. He also wore a hockey jersey featuring his 'Bubba's Bar & Grill' logo on the front with "RUSH" on the nameplate and the number three, in reference to the three members of Rush.

"Touring in Rush, we play all the same arenas as the hockey teams. Having travelled to and performed in nearly all of those arenas, some of them many times, and looking up at the championship banners and retired jerseys, you can't help but soak in the history of each city's team," says Peart.

Peart's version of The Hockey Theme will make its debut in the New Year and will be used during NHL on TSN broadcasts throughout the remainder of the NHL season. ...

Hockey fans apparently got a sneak peak of the recording session during the first intermission of this evening's New York Islanders at Toronto Maple Leafs game. And you can check out the preview yourself at this link or on YouTube at this link. The Hockey Theme is a Canadian theme song written in 1968 by Dolores Claman and is often referred to as Canada's second national anthem. Thanks to Wayne for the heads up.

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