In the fall of 1980, the band recorded in Le Studio in Morin Heights, Quebec. On February 12, 1981, the band’s highest selling album was released – Moving Pictures.

The iconic album included perennial radio favourites – “Tom Sawyer”, “Limelight”, “Red Barchetta” as well as the instrumental nod to their hometown, “YYZ”. It also featured the 11 minute song “The Camera Eye”, “Witch Hunt” and “Vital Signs”.

The album went on to debut #3 on Billboard, sell over 4 million copies and have Rolling Stone declare it one of the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

To add to it, the Moving Pictures album cover by longtime art director Hugh Syme, was a visual pun on the title and played up a triple entendre. The first meaning is represented by the movers physically carrying pictures; the second by the people watching them who are emotionally moved by the pictures; and the third meaning is shown on the back cover, where the entire scene is revealed to be a set for a motion picture of the whole scene. You can learn more about how this album cover art came to be in the 272 page coffee table book The Art Of Rush that delves into the 40 year relationship with Rush and their longtime artist and illustrator Hugh Syme.

To commemorate this anniversary, Rush Backstage is offering a limited edition signed and framed photo set from the Moving Pictures era:

Limited to 100 sets, the Moving Pictures Photo Set contains three iconic photographs taken during the Moving Pictures Tour by renowned rock photographer Philip Kamen.
Printed on high-quality photographic paper, each photo has been hand numbered and then signed by the respective band member, and every frame comes with a designated Certificate of Authenticity indicating both the photo and its number in the collection.
Note that each piece will have a matching number (e.g. 3/50) to the other two in the set.
Frames are approximately 17" x 17" (43 cm x 43 cm) and are made of molded plastic with glass.