"Get Ready for This" | ||||
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![]() One of European cover arts | ||||
Single by 2 Unlimited | ||||
from the album Get Ready! | ||||
Released | 23 September 1991 [1] | |||
Recorded | 1991 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:46 | |||
Label | Byte | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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2 Unlimited singles chronology | ||||
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Audio sample | ||||
Music video | ||||
"Get Ready for This" on YouTube |
"Get Ready for This" is a song recorded by Belgian/Dutch music group 2 Unlimited. [4] It was released on 23 September 1991 as the lead single from their debut album, Get Ready! (1992). Originally,the single was produced as an instrumental track in May 1991,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.
The single was an immediate success throughout Europe with notable peaks worldwide,including Australia and the US. It is arguably the most famous of the band's singles in the United States having charted at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart,number 17 on the Billboard Top 40/Mainstream chart and number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100,making it the band's only top-40 hit in the US. In the UK,the single went to number two on the UK Singles Chart.
The song is one of the most frequently played songs at sporting events around the world. [5] It earned one of BMI's Pop Awards of 1996, [6] and in 2010, Pitchfork included it in their list of "Ten Actually Good 90s Jock Jams". [7]
In 1990,producers Phil Wilde and Jean-Paul de Coster had previously gained success with AB Logic,and were looking for another vehicle for their songs. 2 Unlimited formed when Wilde and DeCoster were introduced to rapper Ray Slijngaard and vocalist Anita Doth by Marvin D.,who had featured both in his rap group in the past. [4] "Get Ready for This" originally was produced as a instrumental white label track intended for the clubs. At a meeting at a record store,Slijngaard by chance came over the instrumental and Wilde played it to get Slijngaard's opinion. [8] Slijngaard got goosebumps hearing it and told that he could write a rap for the track. Two weeks later he received a demo tape at his father's house and started writing the rap. While writing,he also came up with a chorus for a female part. The whole song was written in two hours,and it was also the first time Slijngaard wrote a song. [8]
The producers agreed with him on adding a female singer on the track and Doth joined as the female vocalist of 2 Unlimited. "Get Ready for This" was recorded in a small studio behind the Amsterdam central station. [8] The rap version was released with verses by Slijngaard and vocals by Doth. For the UK release of the single,an edit of the original "Orchestral Mix" was used,without vocals,except for the line Y'all ready for this? This was sampled from The D.O.C.'s hit single "It's Funky Enough". [5] This edit was done by record producer Pete Waterman,who owned the record label which 2 Unlimited were licensed to for UK releases. Next the song was number two on the UK Singles Chart and the group performed on Top of the Pops for the first time.
Larry Flick from Billboard wrote,"Spirited and melodic techno/houser reaches these shores after massive pop and club success in the U.K. Although it has yet to be confirmed,rumor has it that famed hi-NRG producers Mike Stock and Pete Waterman are the creative force behind this peak-hour treat. Look for jocks to devour this one heartily." [9] Carolyn Chard from The Canberra Times described the song a "mammoth rave hit". She added further,"An instantly recognisable,hands-in-the-air track it belongs to the same Belgium-Dutch school of techno house that produced Quadrophonia,T99 and Technotronic." [3] Andy Kastanas from The Charlotte Observer stated that "the raving keyboards and hypnotic dance beat make for a super dance record." [10]
"Get Ready for This" was successful on the charts on several continents. In Europe,it was a top-10 hit in Belgium,Ireland,the Netherlands,Spain and the United Kingdom,as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100,where it reached number four. [11] In the UK,the single reached also number two during its fourth week on the UK Singles Chart,on 20 October 1991. [12] It spent a total of two weeks at that position. Additionally,"Get Ready for This" climbed into the top 30 in Finland and the top 40 in Sweden. Outside Europe,it peaked at number two in Australia,number five in Zimbabwe,number six on the RPM Dance chart in Canada and,in the United States,it reached numbers 14 and 38 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and Billboard Hot 100 charts,respectively.
"Get Ready for This" was awarded one of BMI's Pop Awards of 1996,honoring the songwriters,composers and music publishers of the song. [6] In 2010, Pitchfork included it in their list of "Ten Actually Good 90s Jock Jams". [7] In February 2024, Billboard ranked the song number ten in their list of "The 100 Greatest Jock Jams of All Time",writing,"A song that cast a greater shadow over ’90s sports culture than anything besides Shaquille O’Neal." [13]
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Weekly charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [33] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Summaries | ||
Worldwide | — | 540,000 [34] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
"Get Ready for This (Yves Deruyter Remix)" | |
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Single by 2 Unlimited | |
Released | 2001 |
Label | White Label |
Songwriter(s) |
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After the moderate success of the 2 Unlimited compilation album Greatest Hits Remixes in 2001, two white labels were released with remixes of "Get Ready for This". The first 12" was released in May 2001 in Belgium with a remix by DJ/producer Yves Deruyter. Although just a single sided pressing featuring the full 12" remix, the radio edit was officially released later in the 2002 release Trance Remixes (Special Edition) .
Following the May 2001 release of the Yves Deruyter remixes, August the same year saw the release of another "Get Ready for This" remix by Puerto Rican DJ/producer Robbie Rivera.
"Get Ready for This (Steve Aoki Remix)" | ||||
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Single by 2 Unlimited | ||||
Released | 2013 | |||
Label | Byte | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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2 Unlimited singles chronology | ||||
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In 2013, American DJ/producer Steve Aoki released a remix of "Get Ready for This" on Byte Records as part of a forthcoming 2 Unlimited greatest hits album. [35] The Rap and Orchestral mixes featured on the original "Get Ready for This" single were also included.
Chart (2013) | Peak position |
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Netherlands (Dutch Dance Top 30) [36] | 28 |
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 than in Europe, several of their tracks became popular themes in American sporting series, mainly in the NBA and NHL.
"No Limit" is a song by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance group 2 Unlimited, released in January 1993 by Byte Records, ZYX Music 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.
Raymond Lothar Slijngaard is a Dutch singer and rapper best known as one half of the Eurodance duo 2 Unlimited.
Anita Doth is a Dutch singer and songwriter best known as the former singer of the duo 2 Unlimited, along with rapper Ray Slijngaard.
No Limits, sometimes No Limits!, is the second studio album by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited, released in May 1993. The album yielded five singles, including "No Limit", which reached number one in many European charts. The album went platinum in several countries. It was fronted by Ray Slijngaard performing the main rap and Anita Dels providing the chorus.
"Let the Beat Control Your Body" is a song by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited. It was released in January 1994 as the fifth and final single from the band's second album, No Limits (1993). The album version is largely instrumental and contains just a few spoken words from bandmembers 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 enjoyed chart success 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", which received heavy rotation on both MTV Europe and VIVA.
"Twilight Zone" is a song by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance act 2 Unlimited, released in January 1992 by Byte Records as the second single from the act's 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. The music video was directed by David Betteridge.
"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 song features 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.
"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 by Byte, Zyx and PWL as the first single from their third album, Real Things (1994). The song is co-written by band members Ray Slijngaard and Anita Dels, and scored chart success in many European countries. It topped the charts in Finland, Lithuania 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. The music video was directed by Nigel Simpkiss, and received heavy rotation on music television channels, such as MTV Europe and VIVA.
"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.
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, released by PWL, 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.
Trance Remixes is a 2002 album by 2 Unlimited, a Eurodance project founded in 1991 by Belgian producers Jean-Paul DeCoster and Phil Wilde and fronted by Dutch rapper Ray Slijngaard and Dutch vocalist Anita Doth.
Steven Hiroyuki Aoki is an American DJ and record producer. In 2012, Pollstar designated Aoki as the highest-grossing electronic dance music artist in North America from tours. In 2024, Gold House recognized him as one of the Most Impactful Asians.
Ray & Anita was a Dutch electronic music duo act formed in 2009, comprising rapper Ray Slijngaard and singer Anita Doth, who previously were the voices and faces from eurodance group 2 Unlimited. Originally created by Belgian producers Jean-Paul DeCoster and Phil Wilde, these two still held legal rights to the '2 Unlimited' name. Under that name, the Dutch duo fronting the Belgian / Dutch quartet scored 16 chart hits between 1991 and 1996, including "Get Ready for This", "Twilight Zone", "No Limit", "Tribal Dance", "Maximum Overdrive" and "The Real Thing".
"Boneless" is a song by American DJ/record producer Steve Aoki, British DJ/record producer Chris Lake, and German DJ/record producer Tujamo, courtesy of and in association with the original producer and composer Aid Vllasaliu. Named after the skateboarding trick of the same name, it was released on August 23, 2013, by Dim Mak Records and Ultra Records. The single received success through various dance charts in Europe; it peaked on the overall singles charts at number 49 in Germany, number 42 in Austria and number 44 in Belgium (Wallonia). A vocal version of the song featuring American rapper Kid Ink was released the following year.
"A Light That Never Comes" is a song written and recorded by American rock band Linkin Park, and is their first collaboration with American DJ and record producer Steve Aoki. It was included on the band's second remix album, Recharged. It is the twenty-sixth single by the band. The song appears as the opening track on the album while a reboot version produced by Rick Rubin serves as the closing track. In addition to the song being released in advance when Recharged was partially released early on September 16, 2013, "A Light That Never Comes" was released to radio and made available to stream as a promotional single on digital music service Xbox Music on the same day. The CD single was released on October 11, 2013.
Beat Down is a song by music producers Steve Aoki and Angger Dimas, featuring vocals from Australian rapper Iggy Azalea. The song was included on the re-release of Aoki's debut studio album, entitled Wonderland (Remixed), which was released on July 10, 2012.
This is the discography of 2 Unlimited, a Eurodance project founded in 1991 by Belgian producers Jean-Paul DeCoster and Phil Wilde and fronted by Dutch rapper Ray Slijngaard and Dutch vocalist Anita Doth. With global sales of over 18 million units, 2 Unlimited is one of the biggest selling groups from the Netherlands and Belgium.
American electro house DJ and producer Steve Aoki has released nine studio albums, five extended plays, and over 100 singles.
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