2 Unlimited 'No Limit'

Chart Peak: 1
YouTube

2 Unlimited - Anita Dels and Kid Ray Slijngaard are from Amesterdam... They are, of course, the first Dutch duo to top the UK chart since Pussycat in 1976 and 'No Limit' is the latest in a string of hits that started in 1991 with 'Are You Ready For This'.

A pedant writes: Pussycat (who topped the chart with 'Mississippi') were a trio, and the first 2 Unlimited hit was called 'Get Ready For This'. It's on Now 20.

Another track that was released in the UK by PWL, though of course it didn't originate there. Pete Waterman was, however, responsible for the UK edit which, like most of the act's early hits, dropped Ray Slijngaard's rap; he's pretty much left to chant "Techno techno techno techno!" Is this even techno? I never understood dance subgenres. That said, having heard the original version of the track, I wouldn't call the rap a great loss.

'No Limit' - sometimes wrongly referred to as No Limits, which was the title of the parent album - is another of the handful of songs I remember from the time, not only because it was a massive Number One hit but because its rather limited lyrical content was an easy target for parody. I probably agreed at the time but now I look on it with a less jaundiced eye - and of course I know that the version with more lyrics isn't better. It's certainly catchy and has more energy than the West End track, even if I don't want to listen to it every day.

Also appearing on: Now 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30
Available on: Unlimited Hits & Remixes

2 Unlimited 'Here I Go'

Chart Peak: 22
YouTube

Due for release on 13th March '95, 'Here I Go' is the storming new single from hugely successful Dutch duo Anita and Ray.

It's not the smallest hit on Now 30, but this is one case of an upfront dance track. that didn't do the business chartwise. It's hard to say whether this is a surprise or not: on the one hand, 2 Unlimited were one of the most consistently successful acts on the Eurodance scene, but conversely this meant they were releasing a third single from an album that had gone straight in at Number One some nine months previously which obviously meant that a lot of potential buyers already had this song, albeit in a slightly different mix.

As a song it doesn't deviate much from their standard formula, with Ray Slijingaard's raps now being left intact on the UK radio edits. His Dutch accent is a little more prominent that on some of their hits, but otherwise there's nothing out of the ordinary about it. No musical reason for this to have been their first single to miss out on the Top 20, but equally no reason for it to have overcome the handicap of prior sales.

Also appearing on: Now 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
Available on: Here I go

2 Unlimited 'Maximum Overdrive'

Chart Peak: 15

YouTube

The Dutch twosome have had 7 consecutive British hit singles in the last 2 years... Their latest, 'Maximum Overdrive', is due for release on 8th November '93.

And from a relatively big Eurodance act to the undoubted superstars of the genre, and by far Britain's favourite album act in the form. Unfortunately, whilst the fact that they were releasing a fourth single off their second LP is something of an achievement, this song does have "fourth release" written all over it. In fact, the title is probably more apt than they realised, since an overdrive in engineering terms is a gear in a vehicle's transmission that allows it to cruise along with minimum effort, and this record feels like they're going through the motions. Throughout there are moments that recall other 2Unlimited tracks, but this only heightens the sense that it'd be more fun listening to them than this. Even the video looks cheap and half-baked, with early-Star-Trek-esque camera shaking.

Also appearing on: Now 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 28

2 Unlimited 'Let The Beat Control Your Body'

Chart Peak: 6

YouTube

'Let The Beat...' is the Dutch duo's 9th consecutive UK Top 20 hit in the last 2½ years... Ray & Anita had reached No. 6 with this storming cut by 27/2/94

And that was as high as it ever got, folks. At least, though, the note is arguably accurate in crediting the two visible members of the group who really do perform on the record: by this point Pete Waterman had stopped editing Ray Slijngaard's raps out of the UK versions of their singles. In truth, the producers still own the rights the name and have relaunched the act with new vocalists a couple of times, whilst the reunited frontpeople have new material on the way but can't bill themselves as 2 Unlimited.

Anyway, here in happier times towards the end of their golden era, I can kind of tell why 2Unlimited are the superstars of Eurodance; even though this isn't really my type of music it feels much more effective than most of these tracks and it's very catchy. I don't mind admitting that if I were listening to this in the appropriate circumstances, the beat probably would exert some kind of influence over my body. 

Also appearing on: Now 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 28

2 Unlimited 'Get Ready For This'

Chart Peak: 2

YouTube

One of those songs that's so familiar as backgound music for TV shows and at sporting events it feels a bit weird to be hearing it as a record in its own right. And yet many people clearly did, throughout Europe and even in the USA where it became their only Top 40 single. Interestingly, for all its sales success here it apparently only peaked at 33 on airplay. I suppose people had to buy it if they wanted to hear it then...

You know what, for all the "2 Untalented" jokes around at the time, this is actually an OK piece of music, at least in this form: apparently there is a version with more extensive lyrics which I'm not that keen to hear. It has enough energy to serve its purpose but it's probably more suited to syncronisation uses than everyday listening.

That song title seems an appropriate point for this blog to take its Christmas break. See you again in a couple of days for the remainder of Disc 1.

Also appearing on: Now 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
Available on: How To Eat Fried Worms