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.
God Shuffled His Feet is the second album by Canadian band Crash Test Dummies, released in 1993. It features their most popular single, "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm". The cover art superimposes the band members' faces over the figures of Titian's painting Bacchus and Ariadne. It was their most successful album commercially, as it sold over eight million copies worldwide.
"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.
"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.
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.
Real Things is the third album by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance act 2 Unlimited, released in 1994. It was the band's second number one album in the UK and despite spending just nine weeks in the UK Albums Chart Top 75, it was certified gold there and platinum in The Netherlands. "The Real Thing", "Here I Go", "No One" and "Nothing Like the Rain" were released as singles. Unlike their previous album, Ray Slijngaard's raps on the verses were not cut for the UK release.
"Let the Beat Control Your Body" is a song by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited. It was released in January 1994 by Byte, ZYX and PWL 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.
"Faces" is a song by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited, released on 23 August 1993 by Byte, Zyx and PWL as the third single from their second album, No Limits! (1993). The song was co-written by band members Ray Slijngaard and Anita Dels, with Phil Wilde and Jean-Paul De Coster who produced it. "Faces" peaked at number two in the Netherlands, 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 and filmed in London.
"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.
"Tribal Dance" is a song by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited. It was released in April 1993 by Byte, Zyx and PWL from the band's second album, No Limits! (1993). The UK release omits the main rap but leaves in more vocals from band member Ray Slijngaard than any of their previous releases. The single experienced chart success in several countries, topping the charts in Finland, Israel, Portugal and Spain. In North America, the song reached number one on the Canadian RPM Dance/Urban chart, while peaking at number seven on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. The single's music video was directed by Nick Burgess-Jones and filmed in London, depicting the band performing in a jungle setting.
"Do What's Good for Me" is a song Belgian-Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited, released in October 1995 via Byte and ZYX Records as the first single from the band's first greatest hits compilation album, Hits Unlimited (1995). Co-written by bandmembers Anita Dels and Ray Slijngaard, the song was a hit in Europe, reaching the top 10 in Finland and Spain. Its music video was directed by Nigel Simpkiss.
"Nothing Like the Rain" is a song recorded by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited. It was released on 10 June 1995 by Byte, Zyx and Radikal Records 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 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 group.
"Maximum Overdrive" is a song by Belgian-Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited, released in November 1993 by Byte, ZYX and PWL as the fourth single from their second album, No Limits! (1993). The song was written by band members Ray Slijngaard and Anita Dels with Phil Wilde and Filip Martens, while Wilde produced it with Jean-Paul De Coster. The UK release was the first UK single to maintain all the rap lyrics from Ray used in the European release. "Maximum Overdrive" reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart, and was also a number-one hit in Finland and on the European Dance Radio Chart. Its accompanying music video was directed by David Betteridge and filmed in London.
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.
Everything Changes is the second studio album by English boy band Take That. It reached number one in the UK Albums Chart, and was nominated for the 1994 Mercury Prize. It was also the third best-selling album of 1993 in the UK.
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.
