"Open Your Mind" | ||||
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Single by U.S.U.R.A. | ||||
from the album Open Your Mind | ||||
Released | 1993 | |||
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U.S.U.R.A. singles chronology | ||||
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"Open Your Mind" on YouTube |
"Open Your Mind" is a song by Italian electronic music group U.S.U.R.A.,released as the debut single and title track from the group's only album,Open Your Mind (1993). Released in 1993 through Italian Style in Italy and through Deconstruction Records across the rest of Europe and Australia,it samples the song "New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84)" by Scottish band Simple Minds. [3]
Following a period of underground popularity, [4] "Open Your Mind" became a mainstream hit in early 1993,reaching the top five in Austria,Belgium,Finland,Italy,the Netherlands,and Switzerland and the top 10 in Germany,Ireland,and the United Kingdom. A 1997 remix by DJ Quicksilver failed to replicate the success of the original.
Larry Flick of Billboard magazine called the track a "fast'n'furious romp,overflowing with stately strings,shoulder-shaking percussion,and more than a few imaginative vocal samples",citing the song's melody as the most productive component. [4] In a later review,Flick doubted the song's commercial potential because of the lack of additional remixes,but he went on the write that "Open Your Mind" was "strong enough to merit a recurrent spin or two". [2] On the 1997 release,he described it as a "disco-splashed twirler that is light on lyrics (think "open your mind" over and over and over) but heavy on rubbery rhythms and keyboard loops that permanently stick to the brain upon impact." He added,"Not likely to be a long-lasting entry but certainly a memorable one." [5]
In his weekly UK chart commentary,James Masterton wrote,"Just to show that nothing is ever what it seems,even at a time when hardcore dance is losing its chart edge,a rave track can come from nowhere into the 10." [6] A reviewer from Music &Media magazine described the song as having a "pace worth keeping up" and characterised it as a "stomper". [1] Chris Finan from Music Week's RM Dance Update gave the 1997 remix four out of five,adding,"More cosmetic covering of the original without too much playing around has resulted in a definite commercial club-friendly track with the all-important crossover potential." [7] Joe Muggs of Fact listed the track in his 2014 list of "35 stunners from back when progressive house wasn't terrible",calling it "Crass but brilliant –as is the none-more-nineties video". [8]
A music video was produced to promote the single. It features images of Joe McCarthy,Benito Mussolini,Richard Nixon,Ian Paisley,Ronald Reagan,Josef Stalin,Margaret Thatcher and Mary Whitehouse.
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"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.
"Discothèque" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the opening track on their 1997 album,Pop,and was released as its lead single on 3 February 1997 by Island Records. The song exhibits influences from electronic dance music,characteristic of the band's musical direction in the 1990s. The music video,directed by Stéphane Sednaoui,was set inside of a mirrorball and featured the band members dressed as members of the disco group the Village People.
"Why" is the debut solo single of Scottish singer-songwriter Annie Lennox,released on 16 March 1992. It was taken from her debut solo album,Diva (1992),and reached number five in the United Kingdom. In the United States,"Why" peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the Adult Contemporary chart. It was also a big hit internationally,reaching number one in Italy and peaking within the top 10 in Belgium,Canada,Ireland and five other countries. Its music video was directed by Sophie Muller. Stereogum ranked "Why" number one on their list of "The 10 Best Annie Lennox Songs" in 2015.
"Right in the Night (Fall in Love with Music)" is a song by German electronic music duo Jam &Spoon,released by JAM! and Dance Pool as the second single from the duo's second album,Tripomatic Fairytales 2001 (1993). It is a Eurodance song with elements from progressive and vocal trance. It is based on "Leyenda" by the classical composer Isaac Albéniz and features vocals by American vocalist Plavka,with lyrics by Nosie Katzmann. The flamenco-styled riff in the song is played by duo member Jam El Mar,who was trained as a classical guitarist.
"Gett Off" is a song written and produced by American musician Prince,released in June 1991 by Paisley Park and Warner Bros. as the lead single from his thirteenth album,Diamonds and Pearls (1991). The album was his first with his backing band the New Power Generation. "Gett Off" was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic,reaching number four in the United Kingdom;the maxi-single was too long and pricey to appear on the UK Singles Chart,so this release was classified as an album,peaking at number 33 on the UK Albums Chart in August 1991.
"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.
"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.
"Free Your Mind" is a song by American female group En Vogue from their second album,Funky Divas (1992). The track was composed and produced by Foster and McElroy. They were inspired by the Funkadelic song "Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow." The guitar and bass tracks for the song were written and recorded by San Francisco-based guitarist Jinx Jones. The opening line:"Prejudice,wrote a song about it. Like to hear it? Here it go!",is adapted from a line originally used by David Alan Grier's character Calhoun Tubbs from Fox's In Living Color.
"Tell Me When" is a song by English synth-pop band the Human League,released in December 1994 by East West Records as the first single from their seventh album,Octopus (1995). Written jointly by lead singer Philip Oakey and Paul C. Beckett,the song was produced by Ian Stanley. It peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart,while reaching number four on the UK Dance Chart. In the US,it peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100,number 15 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and number eight on the Cash Box Top 100. The music video for the song was directed by Andy Morahan and filmed in the Czech Republic.
"Tennessee" a song by American hip hop group Arrested Development,released in March 1992 as the first single from their debut album,3 Years,5 Months &2 Days in the Life Of... (1992). The song contains a sample of Prince's 1988 hit "Alphabet St.". "Tennessee" peaked at number six in the United States and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1993. The song's music video was directed by Milcho Manchevski. A 2007 poll of VH1 viewers placed the song at number 71 on the list of the "Greatest Songs of the 90s" and is listed as one of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was also ranked number 78 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop".
"Out of Space" is the fourth EP/single released by English electronic music group the Prodigy in 1992. The song is also featured on their debut album,Experience (1992),and is the fourth single from it. The song samples the 1976 song "Chase the Devil" by Max Romeo as well as some lines by rapper Kool Keith on the 1988 track "Critical Beatdown" by Ultramagnetic MCs.
"Two Can Play That Game" is a song by American R&B singer-songwriter Bobby Brown from his third album,Bobby (1992). The single release was remixed by K-Klass and originally reached No. 38 on the UK Singles Chart in June 1994. In April 1995,it re-entered the chart,peaking at No. 3. It received positive reviews from music critics and also reached No. 3 in the Netherlands. Additionally,it became a top-20 hit in Belgium,Denmark,Finland,Ireland,and Italy. On the Eurochart Hot 100,"Two Can Play That Game" peaked at No. 10. This version of the song appeared on Brown's remix album of the same name,released later in 1995.
U.S.U.R.A. was an Italian electronic dance music group active from 1991-1998,best known for their crossover hit "Open Your Mind".
"Push the Feeling On" is a house song by the Scottish music group Nightcrawlers and American DJ Marc Kinchen (MK). The original version released in 1992 was also partially disco and acid jazz-influenced and was a minor chart hit in the United Kingdom. The song was later remixed extensively by Kinchen,creating a series of additional remixes for the song. One remix known as "Push the Feeling On (MK Dub Revisited Edit)" became an international chart hit in 1995,reaching the top 10 in various European countries,including the UK,where it peaked at number three.
"The Rhythm of the Night" is a song by Italian Eurodance group Corona. It was released as their debut single in 1993 in Italy,then elsewhere the following year. The song is the title track of the group's debut studio album,The Rhythm of the Night (1995),and was written by Francesco Bontempi,Annerley Emma Gordon,Giorgio Spagna,Pete Glenister and Mike Gaffey. It was produced by Bontempi,and the vocals were performed by Italian singer Giovanna Bersola,who is not credited on the single and does not appear in the music video. The woman who appears in the video is the group's frontwoman Olga Souza. The video was A-listed on Music TV-channels,such as Germany's VIVA. The song was a worldwide hit in 1994,peaking at number-one in Italy,and within the top five in most of Europe,while in the US,it fell short of the top ten,reaching number eleven on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Cash Box Top 100.
"Don't You Want Me" is a song recorded by British DJ and producer Francis Wright,known under the pseudonym of Felix,released in July 1992 as his debut single from his album,#1 (1993). Musically,it samples Jomanda's "Don't You Want My Love" and credited as Felix featuring Jomanda. Released on 27 July 1992 by various labels,the song reached number six on the UK Singles Chart reached number one in Finland,Spain,and Switzerland. It also went to number one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and on the European Hot 100 Singles chart. In 1995 and 1996,the song charted in the UK again,but in remixed form. British magazine Mixmag ranked the song number 98 in its "100 Greatest Dance Singles of All Time" list in 1996.
"Right Here" is the debut single of American R&B girl group SWV,released on August 20,1992 by RCA,as the lead single from their debut album,It's About Time (1992). A remixed version,referred to as "Right Here (Human Nature Remix)" and based around a feature of Michael Jackson's 1982 song "Human Nature",was released in July 1993,and charted on the US Billboard charts as a double-A-side with "Downtown". This version,produced by Teddy Riley,became a number-one R&B single,selling 1,000,000 copies and earning a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was also a number-one hit in Zimbabwe. The music video for the song was directed by Lionel C. Martin,featuring SWV riding horses and fishing.
"Cold Rock a Party" is the lead single released from American rapper MC Lyte's fifth studio album,Bad As I Wanna B (1996). While the original version of the song that appears on the album was produced by Rashad Smith and samples Audio Two's "Top Billin",the single version features Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott,was produced by Sean Combs,and samples Diana Ross' 1980 hit "Upside Down".
"Rockin' for Myself" is a song by British electronic dance music record producer Motiv8,aka Steve Rodway. Based around a vocal loop originally performed by Anne-Marie Smith on Italian dance act 49ers' 1992 single,"Move Your Feet",it was released in late 1993 and features vocals by British singer Angie Brown. This version reached number 67 on the UK Singles Chart. In the spring of 1994,it was re-mixed and re-released,peaking at number 18 in the UK. But on the UK Dance Singles Chart,it was even more successful,peaking at number-one. On the Eurochart Hot 100,it reached number 63. Outside Europe,it was successful in Australia,peaking at number nine. A music video was produced to promote the single,featuring a model and dancer lip-syncing the song on a red sofa,wearing yellow sweater and beret.
"Joy" is a song by British musical collective Soul II Soul,released on 23 March 1992 by Virgin as the first single from their third album,Volume III Just Right (1992). The song,co-written and produced by Jazzie B,features Jamaican singer and producer Richie Stephens and was a hit in Europe. It peaked within the top-10 in Greece and the UK,and also became a top-20 hit in Ireland,Italy and the Netherlands. Outside Europe,it reached number four in Zimbabwe,number 18 in New Zealand,and number 41 in Australia. A music video was produced to promote the single.