Did Rush quote 'Paint It Black' in 'The Necromancer'? Yes — and it was a deliberate studio wink.

During the middle instrumental section of their 1975 suite “The Necromancer” (from Caress of Steel), Alex Lifeson plays a riff that is unmistakably lifted from the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black.” It’s not a sample — it’s a live-played quote, lasting a few seconds, buried in the “Theo” movement where the hero battles the evil wizard.

The band has never made a big deal out of it in interviews, but it’s widely understood as a conscious homage rather than a hidden interpolation. Rush were notorious musical sponges — around this time they were deep into prog, blues, and hard rock, and the Stones were a foundational influence for drummer Neil Peart and guitarist Alex Lifeson. The quote appears fleetingly, almost like a passing nod to the psychedelic darkness of the ‘60s, before the song moves back into its own medieval fantasy landscape.

No legal credits were given, and no dispute ever arose — it’s one of those Easter eggs that hardcore Rush fans have traded for decades. The exact timing is around the 4:15 mark on the original album, just after Geddy Lee’s bass solo.