Rush Rush

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“Rush Rush”
“Rush Rush” cover
Single by Paula Abdul
from the album Spellbound
Released May 2, 1991
Format Cassette
7" single
CD maxi
Genre Pop/R&B
Length 4:22 (single)
4:56 (album)
Label Virgin
Writer(s) Peter Lord
Producer Peter Lord
Vernon Jeffrey Smith
Certification Platinum (US)
Paula Abdul singles chronology
"Opposites Attract"
(1989)
"Rush Rush"
(1991)
"The Promise of a New Day"
(1991)

"Rush Rush" was the first single off of Paula Abdul's second album, Spellbound.

Contents

[edit] Background

The song was a turning point for Abdul's career, as it was her first ballad released, following five upbeat songs. It samples George Benson's "Kisses in the Moon Light".

The single kicked off sales for Abdul's latest album Spellbound.

It was considered a risk to release a ballad first off the album because most of her success prior to the album had been in dance music but despite that the song became her biggest hit to date.

Critics praised Abdul for taking a chance and not choosing the opening single to be a generic dance or pop song, but choosing a ballad instead. Critics also noted that Abdul's vocals had improved from her last album.

Abdul laid a scratch vocal down for the track and the producers loved the raw feel to the sound and her voice that it ended up on the final cut for the song. The scratch vocals never were intended to be on the final song at first.

[edit] Music video

The video features a street race and co-stars Keanu Reeves, drawing inspiration for its look from the film Rebel Without A Cause, and as such, has a 1950s theme, and a 90-second prelude to the song, as if it were showing scenes from a movie. The video was directed by Stefan Würnitzer[1], and produced by Karen Rohrbacher for Lucasfilm Commercial Productions.[2]

[edit] Chart performances

"Rush Rush" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #36 on May 11, 1991, and hit #1 five weeks later, June 15, 1991, where it remained for five consecutive weeks. At the time of its five-week stint, it was the longest running #1 since Madonna's "Like a Virgin" spent six weeks at #1 during the Winter of 1984-1985.

[edit] Track listings and formats

US Cassette

  1. "Rush Rush" - 7" Edit
  2. "Rush Rush" - Dub Mix

US Promo 5" CD

  1. "Rush Rush" - 7" Edit (4:22)
  2. "Rush Rush" - LP Version (4:56)
  3. "Rush Rush" - Dub Mix (5:54)

UK 5" CD

  1. "Rush Rush" - LP Version
  2. "Rush Rush" - 7" Edit
  3. "Rush Rush" - Dub Mix

[edit] Official remixes

  • 7" Edit - 4:22
  • Dub Mix - 5:54
  • Dub Edit - 4:59

[edit] Charts

Chart (1991)[3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay 1
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 20
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary Singles 1
U.S. ARC Weekly Top 40 1
Australian ARIA Singles Chart 2
Austrian Singles Chart 23
French Singles Chart 24
German Singles Chart 12
Irish Singles Chart 11
Norwegian Top Hits 9
Swedish Singles Chart 7
UK Singles Chart 6
Preceded by
"More Than Words" by Extreme
Billboard Hot 100 number one single
June 15, 1991 - July 13, 1991
Succeeded by
"Unbelievable" by EMF
ARC Weekly Top 40 number one single
June 15, 1991 - July 6, 1991

[edit] References

  1. ^ Anglicized spelling: Stephan Wuernitzer.
  2. ^ IMDb, mvdbase, Paula Abdul Captivated - The Video Collection '92, Sobo
  3. ^ "Rush Rush", in various Singles Chart Lescharts.com (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
  4. ^ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
  5. ^ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
  6. ^ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
  7. ^ Billboard Billboard.com (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
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