Stephanie Mills first came to fame as "the little girl with the big voice" as the star of the hit Broadway play, The Wiz, an adaptation of L. Frank Baum's classic book, The Wizard Of Oz. She had many R&B hits such as "I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love," "I Feel Good All Over," "(You're Puttin') A Rush On Me," "Something in the Way (You Make Me Feel)" and "Home" along with one certified million selling single, "Never Knew Love Like This Before." In addition, she also had five gold albums: Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin', Sweet Sensation, Stephanie, If I Were Your Woman and Home.
Mills honed her rich vocals singing gospel music at Brooklyn's Cornerstone Baptist Church as a small child. At age 9, she began appearing in the Broadway play Maggie Flynn. She was presented with first prize after winning "The Amateur Hour" talent contest six weeks straight at New York's famed Apollo Theater when she was nine. That success led to her being chosen as the opening act for The Isley Brothers, eventually becoming good friends with lead singer Ronald Isley. Many years later, Isley would manage and later marry singer/songwriter Angela Winbush, who co-wrote one of her number one R&B hits. Mills' début album, Movin' In The Right Direction was recorded for ABC Records in 1974. A year later, she won the role of Dorothy in The Wiz. Her rendition of the beautiful ballad "Home" was a showstopper, mesmerizing audiences nightly for a number of years. The original cast recording of The Wiz was produced by Jerry Wexler and issued by Atlantic Records in spring 1975. Curiously, when The Wiz was made into a full length feature film by Motown Records' film division and Universal Pictures, Diana Ross played the role of Dorothy instead of Mills. The film ended up being a major flop.
Singer Jermaine Jackson referred Mills to Motown head Berry Gordy, who signed her to the label. Her Motown debut was For the First Time, written and produced by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, being issued in October 1976. For the First Time is a sweet affair with Mills convincingly covering Bacharach/David standards, most of which were originally recorded by Dionne Warwick. In 1978, she signed to 20th Century Records and was teamed with the hit production duo of James Mtume — later leader of Mtume, who had a gold single with "Juicy Fruit" — and Reggie Lucas. Her first LP for the label, Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin', went gold, going to number 12 R&B and number 22 pop on Billboard's charts in summer 1979 and spawned the singles, "Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin'" and "You Can Get Over." Her next LP, Sweet Sensation (#3 R&B, #16 Pop, spring 1980) yielded "Sweet Sensation," "Never Knew Love Like This Before," and the radio-aired LP track, "Try My Love." Around this time, she briefly married former Soul Train dancer Jeffrey Daniels of the group Shalamar. Next came the LP titled Stephanie in spring 1981, which also was a huge hit, peaking at #3 R&B and #30 Pop. The album included notable songs such as "Two Hearts" — a midtempo duet with Teddy Pendergrass — "Night Games" and the radio-aired LP cut, "Don't Stop Doin' What Cha Do."
In 1981, Mills switched to Neil Bogart's Casablanca Records. Her LPs for the label included Tantalizingly Hot, Merciless and I've Got The Cure. During 1983, she had her own NBC-TV daytime talk show and reprised on role in a Broadway revival of The Wiz. She also signed with MCA Records, where she released her Stephanie Mills album.
The first single from the Stephanie Mills album was "Stand Back," in late 1985, which also included the passionate ballad "I Have Learned To Respect The Power Of Love." "I Have Learned To Respect The Power Of Love" was initially written by Rene Moore and Angela Winbush — best known as the hit singing duo Rene & Angela — as a gospel song and originally was recorded by Alton McClain and Destiny on their self-titled 1978 Polydor LP. The original version is available on Polygram's Power of Love: Best of Soul Essentials Ballads. Because of its massive radio play as an album track, Mills' version of "I Have Learned To Respect The Power Of Love, — produced by Philly Soul keyboardist Ron Kersey — was reissued as an A side holding the #1 R&B spot for two weeks in spring 1986. Its follow-up, "Rising Desire" reached #11 R&B in summer 1986.
Her next LP's title cut was the Clay McMurray/Gloria Jones/Pam Sawyer song, "If I Were Your Woman," originally a 1971 #1 R&B, #9 Pop smash for Gladys Knight and the Pips. Philly-based producer Nick Martinelli gave Mills her second #1 R&B hit with "I Feel Good All Over," written by husband and wife songwriting duo, Gabriel Hardeman and Annette Hardeman. The song held the #1 R&B spot for three weeks in spring 1987. Originally submitted to Mills' fellow MCA labelmate Patti Labelle by the Hardemans, the track was included on Mills' LP If I Were Your Woman, issued June 1987 and peaked at #30 Pop in summer 1987. Paul Laurence produced and co-wrote with Timmy Allen the chugging '"(You're Putting) a Rush On Me" giving the singer her third #1 R&B hit in fall 1987. The single made it to #85 Pop and was followed by "Secret Lady," which landed at #7 R&B in late 1987. Her covers of "If I Were Your Woman" and "Where Is The Love" followed. All were included on her If I Were Your Woman album, which peaked at #1 R&B, #30 Pop in summer 1987. Following these hits, Mills contacted Ronald Isley about working with singer/songwriter/producer Angela Winbush who had hits as half of Rene and Angela and was forging a hit-filled career as a recording artist and producer for the group Body among others. The collaboration between Mills and Winbush resulted in another #1 R&B single, "Something In The Way You Make Me Feel," in summer 1989.
Having starred for five years in the smash Broadway show The Wiz and recorded the song "Home for the play's 1975 original cast soundtrack album, she wanted to record the song again as a posthumous tribute to the play's producer, Ken Harper, and the song's composer, Charlie Smalls. On her new version of "Home," Take 6 sung the background vocals. The song went to #1 R&B in late 1989 and was followed by "Comfort Of A Man" and "Real Love." The Home LP ended up peaking at #5 R&B, #82 Pop in summer 1989. She then recorded a charting single with J.T. Taylor titled "Heart To Heart" in late 1991. Her final MCA album, Something Real included the hit "All Day All Night" and "Never Do Wrong." Following this album, she recorded a gospel album, Personal Inspirations, for Interscope Records and recorded several tracks at Philadelphia International Records with Bunny Sigler among others in the late '90s.
After a hiatus from recording Mills returned with sixteenth album, "Born For This" in 2004. It includes the singles "Can't Let Him Go" and "Healing Time." Mills is currently working on her seventeenth album titled "Breathless." The lead single chosen is a song called, "Yesterday."
A Rush On Me
Stephanie Mills Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I'd like to know you better
You're puttin' a rush on me
But I'd like to know you better
What kind of girl do you think I am
It's just too soon, can't you understand
Lay you down before I fall in love
It's been kind of relaxed here waiting ???
But baby, you got to slow down
You're puttin' a rush on me
But I'd like to know you better (Maybe next time)
You're puttin' a rush on me
But I'd like to know you better (Baby)
You're puttin' a rush on me
But I'd like to know you better (Maybe next time)
You're puttin' a rush on me
But I'd like to know you better (Baby)
Please just be patient if nothing else, oh, babe
Just know that I respect myself, yes, I do
But I hope I didn't lead you to thinking
Thinking that I was that easy, boy
I know that we're living in the 80s
Yet some things never change
You're puttin' a rush on me
But I'd like to know you better (Maybe next time)
You're puttin' a rush on me
But I'd like to know you better (Baby)
You're puttin' a rush on me
But I'd like to know you better (Maybe next time)
You're puttin' a rush on me
But I'd like to know you better (Baby)
I'm just an old fashioned girl
When it comes down to love
Before I give you some love
I've got to be sure your intentions are pure
(Oh, babe) You're puttin' a rush on me (Take it easy, baby)
But I'd like to know you better (Don't rush it, baby)
You're puttin' a rush on me
But I'd like to know you better (Maybe next time, oh...)
You're puttin' a rush on me (Oh, oh, oh, yeah, yeah)
You're puttin' a rush on me (Puttin' a rush on me)
Baby, can't you see (Oh, can't you see)
Puttin' a rush on me (You're puttin' a rush on me)
Yeh, ey, hey, hey
You're puttin' a rush on me (Oh, babe)
But I'd like to know you better (Puttin' a rush on me, don't-don't do it, babe)
You're puttin' a rush on me (I can't stand it, baby)
But I'd like to know you better (Don't you do it, baby, ah...oh...oh...)
You're puttin' a rush on me (Oh...oh...oh...oh...)
But I'd like to know you better (Yeah)
You're puttin' a rush on me (You're puttin' a rush on me)
Oh, baby, can't you see (Oh, baby, can't you see)
Puttin' a rush on me (Puttin' a rush on me)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'd like to know
You're puttin' a rush on me
But I'd like to know you better (Oh, baby, ooh, ooh, ooh, babe)
You're puttin' a rush on me (Slow down, boy)
But I'd like to know you better (Take it easy)
You're puttin' a rush on me
But I'd like to know you better
In Stephanie Mills's "A Rush On Me," the singer is being pursued by an admirer who is moving too fast for her liking. The lyrics convey her desire to take things slow and establish a deeper connection before becoming intimate with the person. She explains that she is not the kind of girl who jumps into bed before falling in love with someone. She values patience and mutual respect, emphasizing the importance of a pure intention before engaging in any romantic activity. Though she acknowledges the changes and evolving culture of the 80s, she reminds her suitor that some things never change, and she won't compromise her values for anyone.
The song showcases Stephanie Mills's smooth vocal delivery and soulful nuances, coupled with an upbeat synth-pop production that perfectly captures the sound of the era. The use of repetition in the chorus emphasizes the conflict between the singer's desire to get to know someone better and her suitor's urgency to pursue a physical relationship. The lyrics also demonstrate a sense of empowerment and self-respect, as the singer is firm in her decision to take things slow and establish a deeper connection before pursuing a physical relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
You're puttin' a rush on me
You're moving too quickly in our relationship
But I'd like to know you better
I want to take things slow and get to know you more before diving in
What kind of girl do you think I am
I do not want to be misrepresented by your assumptions about me
It's just too soon, can't you understand
I do not want to rush into anything until we have a better understanding of each other
I'm not the kind of girl who has to Lay you down before I fall in love
I do not need to be physically intimate with you to develop feelings for you
It's been kind of relaxed here waiting
I have been happy taking things slow and getting to know each other
But baby, you got to slow down
You need to take it easy and not rush into things
Please just be patient if nothing else, oh, babe
I am requesting patience from you above all else
Just know that I respect myself, yes, I do
I value myself and want you to respect me as well
But I hope I didn't lead you to thinking
I do not want to give you the wrong idea or make you think I am someone I am not
Thinking that I was that easy, boy
I do not want you to assume I am easy to get with
I know that we're living in the 80s
I understand the social norms and standards of this time period
Yet some things never change
Certain core values and beliefs remain the same despite the passage of time
I'm just an old fashioned girl
I have traditional values when it comes to relationships
Before I give you some love
I do not want to be physically intimate with you until I trust and feel comfortable with you
I've got to be sure your intentions are pure
I need to know that you have honest and respectful intentions towards me
Baby, can't you see
I am trying to communicate my needs and boundaries to you
Slow down, boy
I am asking you to take things at a slower pace
Take it easy
I want you to not rush and enjoy the process of getting to know each other
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PAUL LAURENCE JONES, TIMOTHY MONROE ALLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mashanti_worldwide
Can we give this Queen a lifetime achievement award?
Stephanie is a living legend
@angelaedwards5279
💯💯💯
@DaPhlyymamee
👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
@louisefedrick3482
🔥🔥🔥🔥
@EricSl
Sure she is!
@mysticakhenaton1701
M. Ashanti, you can add El Debarge too.
@geedawg1946
Never gets old! Her voice is so awesome.
@petermartin2924
Miss Mills is the BEST
@kaym.h.3583
Absolutely 🔥🌹💖💫👑
@roxannemiller6961
Queen Stefanie, can sang it now, yessssss she can.