2 Unlimited are a Belgian/Dutch dance music act, founded by Belgian producers/songwriters Jean-Paul De Coster and Phil Wilde in 1991 in Antwerp, Belgium. From 1991 to 1996, Dutch rapper Ray Slijngaard and Dutch vocalist Anita Doth fronted the act. During these five years, 2 Unlimited enjoyed worldwide mainstream success. They scored a total of sixteen international chart hits, including "Get Ready for This", "Twilight Zone", "No Limit", and "Tribal Dance". The act has sold eighteen million records worldwide. Although they enjoyed less mainstream recognition in the United States, several of their tracks became popular themes in American sporting series, mainly in the NBA and NHL.
"No Limit" is a song recorded by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance group 2 Unlimited, released in January 1993 by Byte, ZYX and PWL. It was their fifth single in total and the first to be released from their second album, No Limits! (1993). Co-written by the group's Ray Slijngaard and Anita Dels, the song became one of their most commercially successful singles, especially in Europe, reaching the number-one spot in 35 countries and the top 10 in several others. Like previous releases, the UK version of the single removed all of the raps from Slijngaard, leaving just Dels' vocals. One word from the rap was kept, the word 'Techno' which was looped and repeated during the middle of the song, turning the line into "Techno! Techno! Techno! Techno!" and giving the song an extra vocal hook. Its accompanying music video was directed by Nick Burgess-Jones and received heavy rotation on MTV Europe.
"Back for Good" is a song by British band Take That from their third studio album, Nobody Else (1995). It was written by lead singer Gary Barlow, who also co-produced it with Chris Porter. The song topped the UK Singles Chart whilst also charting at number one in 31 countries, as well as reaching the top 10 in many others. Vaughan Arnell and Anthea Benton directed the song's music video. At the 1996 Brit Awards, "Back for Good" won the Brit Award for British Single of the Year. In 2003, Q Magazine ranked the song at number 910 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever" and in a UK poll in 2012, it was voted number 11 on the ITV special The Nation's Favourite Number One Single.
"Get Ready for This" is a song recorded by Belgian/Dutch music group 2 Unlimited. It was released in 1991 as the lead single from their debut album, Get Ready! (1992). Originally, the single was produced as an instrumental, titled the "Orchestral Mix". It became a hit and conscious of their popularity, Wilde & De Coster wanted a more accessible, formatted formula for their project to grow. Ray was then asked to write lyrics and add a rap to the track. On Ray Slijngaard's suggestion, Anita Doth joined as the female vocalist.
"Let the Beat Control Your Body" is a song by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited. It is the fifth and final single released from their second album, No Limits (1993). The album version is largely instrumental and contains just a few spoken words from Ray Slijngaard and Anita Doth. The single version contains full verses rapped by Slijngaard and a new chorus sung by Doth, which were co-written by them both. The song charted in many European countries, peaking at number two in the Netherlands and within the top 10 in Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain and the United Kingdom. It was nominated in the category for Best Song on MTV Awards. Nigel Simpkiss directed the music video for "Let the Beat Control Your Body".
"Twilight Zone" is a song by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance act 2 Unlimited. It was the second single released from their debut studio album, Get Ready! (1992). The UK release of the single was the first 2 Unlimited single to include the vocals of Anita Doth, as they had not been featured on their breakthrough hit "Get Ready for This". However, Ray Slijngaard's rap verses were once again removed. The instrumental "Rave" version of the song sounds different from the original "Not Enough" version, with a more hi-NRG style with more bass and added cowbells.
"Workaholic" is a song recorded by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited, released in April 1992 as the third single from their debut album, Get Ready!. The album version was an instrumental track but the released version featured a chorus from Anita Doth and, outside the UK, verses from Ray Slijngaard. The single scored chart success in many countries, with its highest peaks coming in Finland, the Republic of Ireland, the UK and Zimbabwe, where it hit number-one in August 1992.
"Faces" is a song by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited, released on 23 August 1993 as the third single from their second album, No Limits! (1993). Co-written by band members Ray Slijngaard and Anita Dels, it peaked at number eight in the United Kingdom and at number six on the Eurochart Hot 100. The accompanying music video was directed by Nick Burgess-Jones.
"The Magic Friend" is a song by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited. It was released in August 1992 as the fourth and final single from their debut album, Get Ready! (1992). The UK release once again omitted Ray Slijngaard's rap, which lasted for 16 bars three times through, but did include some of the vocals from Anita Doth, with the "mocking chorus echoes" being abandoned as only Ray's part remains, thus leaving Anita's sole vocals as "disembodied whispers" during the middle eight. The single experienced chart success in many European countries, including Finland, where it topped the chart. The Dutch leading afternoon radio program on national pop outlet Radio 3 FM/Hilversum renamed itself "The Magic Friend", after the single.
"The Real Thing" is a song recorded by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited, released in May 1994 as the first single from their third album, Real Things (1994). The song is co-written by bandmembers Ray Slijngaard and Anita Dels, and scored chart success in many European countries. It topped the charts in Finland and the Netherlands, while peaking at number two in Denmark, Sweden, Belgium and Switzerland. The song also was a top 10 hit in Austria, France, Germany, Norway, Scotland, Spain and the UK. It entered the Eurochart Hot 100 on 28 May at 30 and peaked at number-one three weeks later. Outside Europe, it peaked at number two in Israel and number 39 in Australia. A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Nigel Simpkiss.
"No One" is a song recorded by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited, released in September 1994 as the second single from their third album, Real Things (1994). Co-written by bandmembers Ray Slijngaard and Anita Dels, it was a top 10 hit in at least six countries, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where the song reached number ten. It features a reference to "That's the Way Love Goes" by Janet Jackson and the accompanying music video, directed by La La Land, features the band performing on the beach by Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
"Here I Go" is a song by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance group 2 Unlimited. It was co-written by band members Ray Slijngaard and Anita Dels and was released in March 1995 as the third single from their third album, Real Things (1994). In the United States, the song was released as a double A-side single with 2 Unlimited's next European single, "Nothing Like the Rain". "Here I Go" became a top-10 hit in at least five countries: Belgium, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Spain. Its music video was directed by Nigel Simpkiss.
"Tribal Dance" is a song by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited. It was their sixth single, released in April 1993 from the band's second album, No Limits! (1993). The UK release omitted the main rap, but left in more vocals from Ray Slijngaard than any of their previous releases. The single scored chart success in many European countries topping the charts in Finland, Portugal and Spain. Outside Europe, the song topped the chart in Israel and the Canadian RPM Dance/Urban chart, while peaking at number seven on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. "Tribal Dance" also peaked within the top 5 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and Zimbabwe. Its music video was directed by Nick Burgess-Jones.
"Nothing Like the Rain" is a song recorded by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited. It was released on 10 June 1995 as the fourth and final single from their third album, Real Things (1994). The song was written by co-producers Phil Wilde and Peter Bauwens with Michael Leahy. In the US, it was released as a double a-side single with the European hit single "Here I Go". It peaked within the top 20 in at least four countries, and was also the first single by 2 Unlimited that was a pop-ballad. The single was not released in the UK. Its music video was directed by Nigel Simpkiss, who had previously directed several videos for the band.
Hits Unlimited is the fourth album from Dutch/Belgian band 2 Unlimited and the last to feature Ray Slijngaard and Anita Doth. It was a greatest hits package featuring 16 songs: 13 previous singles and 3 new ones. The album was certified gold in the Netherlands. Ray Slijngaard's raps on the verses were not cut on any of the songs on the UK release of this album.
"Ain't Nobody" is a song by American funk band Rufus and American singer Chaka Khan. It was released on November 4, 1983, as one of four studio tracks included on their live album, Stompin' at the Savoy (1983). "Ain't Nobody" quickly gathered popularity, and reached number one on the US Billboard R&B chart and number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In 1984 at the 26th Annual Grammy Awards, "Ain't Nobody" won for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. It has become one of Khan's signature songs.
"Jump for Joy" is a 1996 song recorded by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited, released as the second single from their greatest hits compilation album, Hits Unlimited. It was a Top 10 hit in the Netherlands and Spain.
"Shy Guy" is a song by Jamaican recording artist and songwriter Diana King for the movie soundtrack album Bad Boys. It also appeared on King's debut studio album, Tougher Than Love (1995). The song was written by King, Kingsley Gardner and Andy Marvel, who produced the song as well. It was released by Sony Music worldwide in March 1995 as the lead single from Tougher Than Love. The song contains a sample from "School Boy Crush" by Average White Band.
"Dub-I-Dub" is a song by Danish Eurodance act and sisters Me & My, released in September 1995 as the first single from their eponymous album (1995). It was successful on the charts in many countries, peaking at number-one in Denmark and Japan, and being a top 10 hit in Belgium, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Spain and Sweden.
"Somebody Dance with Me" is a song by Swiss artist DJ BoBo featuring Emel Aykanat. It was released in November 1992 as the second single from his debut album, Dance with Me (1993). The song is on some parts based on sampling taken from "Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell. It was the first major hit of DJ BoBo in 1992-1993, reaching the top of Swiss Hitparade, the official Swiss Singles Chart. It was also a number-one hit in Portugal and Sweden.
