Aimee Mann Reunites With Rush for a Heartwarming Performance of “Time Stand Still” on Opening Night of the Fifty Something Tour

Rush launched their Fifty Something reunion tour in Los Angeles on Sunday night, and fans were treated to a special surprise when Aimee Mann joined the band onstage.

Together, they performed “Time Stand Still,” the beloved track from Rush’s 1987 album Hold Your Fire, featuring Mann’s original backing vocal parts more than three decades after the song’s release.

Fan-shot footage of the performance, filmed by @JoelSteele and shared on YouTube, can be viewed below.

Aimee Mann Reflects on Recording “Time Stand Still”

When Rush began work on “Time Stand Still” in 1987, the band knew they wanted a female voice to complement Geddy Lee’s vocals. Interestingly, Aimee Mann was not their original choice.

“We felt a female voice would really suit the song,” Alex Lifeson explained in an interview with Kerrang!. “We first considered Cyndi Lauper, then approached Chrissie Hynde because we thought she would be perfect. When that didn’t work out, we contacted Aimee Mann, who was with ’Til Tuesday at the time. It turned out to be a great fit. Her voice blended beautifully with Geddy’s and brought a different atmosphere to the track.”

For Mann, the collaboration came as an unexpected opportunity.

Speaking with Guitar World in 2017, she admitted she wasn’t deeply familiar with Rush’s catalog when the offer arrived. “I didn’t know their music very well, but I liked the song immediately and thought the vocal part was beautiful,” she recalled. “Originally, Geddy was singing it himself. I remember telling him, ‘Your falsetto is fantastic. You don’t need me.’ But they wanted a different voice on the track, and I’m really grateful I got to be part of it.”