Original Rush bassist Jeff Jones, one of their founding members recently talked about being a part of the band and also clarified if he was fired.
Jeff Jones opens up on the matter
Doused in primitive feedback, this early version of Rush looked nothing like an eventual super titan of rock. Had Jones hung around, things might have continued that way. But by the summer of 1968, Jones was reportedly having trouble making practices and gigs. A kid from Ontario named Geddy Lee wa also making his way into the band. More than half a century after, Jones vacated his position as Rush’s bassist.
“It’s really funny when I see stories about Alex and me not getting along,” scoffs Jones. “We never had an issue. But you have to remember; we were kids, man. We played parties and practiced every Saturday in Alex’s mom’s basement. She was like the original band mom; she was fantastic. But things between Alex and me were always cool. And 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. Next thing I knew, Geddy was in Rush. There was never any formal conversation beyond that; we just drifted apart.”
