1960s
David Senra says Rick Rubin kept tapes of 1960s radio hits and used those songs in work he made about forty years after their release.
“He had tapes full of hits that used to be played on the radio in the nineteen sixties”
Topic
Rick Rubin
26 facts from 2 episodes, in date order. These are what speakers said on the shows, each linked to the moment it was said. They aren't independently verified.
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Rick Rubin says he began making music with no experience, which helped him because he did not know which rules he was breaking.
“I had the advantage early in my career of starting making music without any experience, which was helpful because I didn't know what rules I was breaking”
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Rick Rubin says the first time he remembers feeling a surge of creative energy was hearing the Beatles at around age three or four.
“probably, you know, hearing the Beatles when I was three or four years old.”
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Rick Rubin mentions The Beatles Anthology as an eight-part series that is out of print.
“an eight part series called The Beatles Anthology, which is out of print”
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Rick Rubin says hip hop was a tiny underground scene when the Beastie Boys were making Licensed to Ill.
“when we were making licensed to ill, hip hop music was a tiny underground thing”
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Andrew Huberman recalls that Rick Rubin once texted him 'It's all lies. Back to nature, the only truth.' in response to a media story.
“you wrote back, you said, It's all lies. Back to nature, the only truth.”
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Rick Rubin says a beach in Hawaii where he walked daily looked entirely different after he returned from six months away.
“walked on the beach every day for a year, however long it was, and then I left for six months and then I came back.”
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Rick Rubin says watching professional wrestling before bed helps him sleep well.
“I know that if I watch wrestling before I go to sleep, it's gonna be a good night's sleep.”
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Rick Rubin says he usually falls asleep listening to a lecture or other speech so he does not get caught in his own thoughts.
“I usually fall asleep listening to a lecture or, uh, something speaking, because that if I'm, if I don't, I can get caught in my own thoughts.”
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Rick Rubin says he starts his day by getting into sunlight for about an hour, followed by a long beach walk.
“I usually wake up and try to get in the sun as soon as I possibly can and hope to spend, hope to spend about an hour.”
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Rick Rubin describes the first of four phases of creative work as seed collecting, with the others being experimentation, crafting and completion.
“the 1st phase is this seed collecting phase, which is kind of an ongoing part of life in general”
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Rick Rubin says a deadline is acceptable once a project reaches its completion phase, though earlier phases should be open-ended.
“I've come to realize that by the time you're going into the completion phase, you can have a deadline and it won't hurt the project.”
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Rick Rubin says he was vegan for 22 years before he began eating animal protein.
“was vegan for a long time, 22 years, and then I started eating, um, I started eating animal protein”
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Rick Rubin says he learned meditation at age 14, starting with Transcendental Meditation, which he has practiced more than any other form.
“I learned when I was 14 and I. I started with TM, and that's probably the the meditation that I've done the most in my life.”
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Rick Rubin says he used the Monroe Institute's 'surgical series' audio recordings when he had surgery.
“something called the um, the surgical series from the Monroe Institute, which I used when I had a surgery”
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Rick Rubin writes that John Wooden's teams won more consecutive games and championships than any other college basketball teams in history.
“His teams won more consecutive games and championships than any others in history.”
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Rick Rubin writes that John Wooden often said the only person you are ever competing against is yourself.
“Wooden often said the only person you're ever competing against is yourself, the rest is out of your control.”
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Rick Rubin's The Creative Act is organized into 78 brief areas of thought, which Rubin treats as chapters.
“It is almost like a stream of Rick Rubin's thoughts and ideas on creativity, separated into what he calls seventy eight areas of thought.”
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David Senra made Founders episode 245 about Rick Rubin's biography about four years before this episode.
“In fact, I did an episode four years ago, it's episode 245 of Founders on Rick Rubin's biography, which I just re listened to twice.”
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Rick Rubin writes that Andy Warhol was said to create with a television, a radio and a record player all playing at once.
“Andy Warhol was said to create with a television, radio, and record player all on simultaneously.”
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Rick Rubin writes that Marcel Proust lined his walls with sound-absorbing cork, closed the drapes and wore earplugs when working.
“Marcel Proust lined his walls with sound absorbing cork, closed the drapes and wore earplugs.”
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David Senra says Rick Rubin started working in the music industry at age eighteen.
“He started working in the music industry when he was eighteen.”
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Rick Rubin describes introducing an artist to the Buddhist concept of Pumbancha, which he translates as a preponderance of thoughts.
“I asked if he was familiar with the Buddhist concept of Pumbancha, which translates as preponderance of thoughts.”
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Rick Rubin writes that an unnamed legendary singer performed for over five decades without ever eliminating his stage fright.
“One legendary singer, despite performing for over five decades, was never able to eliminate his stage fright.”
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David Senra says Rick Rubin hosts a podcast called Tetragrammaton, which Senra considers great.
“And I actually think Rick Rubin's podcast, Tetragramaton, is great.”
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Rick Rubin writes that visitors to his studio are surprised by how clinical the process looks, because someone is constantly taking detailed notes.
“When outside observers come into the studio, they often cannot believe how clinical the process looks.”
Episodes