"Twilight Zone" | ||||
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Single by 2 Unlimited | ||||
from the album Get Ready! | ||||
Released | 13 January 1992 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:09 | |||
Label | Byte | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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2 Unlimited singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Twilight Zone" on YouTube |
"Twilight Zone" is a song by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance act 2 Unlimited, [2] 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.
"Twilight Zone" was a commercial success in many European territories, topping the singles charts of Finland, Ireland and the Netherlands, and reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart. It was 2 Unlimited's biggest hit on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart, reaching number five, and it won an award in the category for Best Techno 12-inch Single on the 1993 WMC International Dance Music Awards. [3]
The song is written by Carlos Meire, June Rollocs, Jean-Paul De Coster, P. De Meyer and Phil Wilde, while De Coster and Wilde produced it. De Coster said in an interview with Music & Media , "The new single "Twilight Zone" is even more accessible than its predecessor. We call it 'happy house'. In fact, it all comes from the same origins. Just like rock 'n' roll, this music always evoluates." [4] Wilde told Melody Maker in 1994, "We mixed "Twilight Zone" on a pretty small DNR desk, which is Dutch. It was in-line with 20 channels, which gave you 20 inputs in the mix. Unfortunately, I needed about 70. It ended up taking five days to mix, but that was okay. It was a hit." [5]
Victoria Thieberger from The Age wrote, "The track is propelled by a high-tech beat and dramatic changes in melody and attitude that make it sound like three songs tacked together, punctuated by an occasional "whoo!" rap in the vocal mix "gives it a harder edge, providing a central focus for the variations that spin around it. The end result is an entertaining dance track of more than average complexity and a decided lyrical development from 'Get Ready for This'." [6] Larry Flick from Billboard deemed it "a swirling techno rave that is etched with sweet and tuneful pop/NRG nuances. Tough enough to please hardcore punters, though mainstreamers will find track palatable as well." [7] James Hamilton from Music Week's RM Dance Update stated that Stock & Waterman's "Belgian" act "returns with another synth stabbed simplistic Mecca-aimed raver, jerkily galloping through". [8] Siân Pattenden from Smash Hits viewed it as "an averagely bouncy rave tune." [9]
"Twilight Zone" peaked at number one in Finland, Ireland and the Netherlands (2 weeks), and entered the top 10 in Austria (10), Belgium (5), Greece (2), Portugal (7), Spain (3), Sweden (9) and the United Kingdom, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100. In the UK, "Twilight Zone" peaked at number two during its third week on the UK Singles Chart, on 2 February 1992. [10] It was held off the top spot by Wet Wet Wet's "Goodnight Girl". On the Music Week Dance Singles chart, it peaked at number four. "Twilight Zone" was also a top-20 hit in Germany (20), Ireland (20) and Switzerland (15). Outside Europe, the single reached number one on Canada's RPM Dance/Urban chart, numbers five, 22 and 49 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play, Maxi-Singles Sales and Hot 100 charts, and number eleven in Australia.
The accompanying music video for "Twilight Zone" was directed by British director David Betteridge. He had previously directed the video for the band's first hit, "Get Ready for This".
The song has become a staple of National Hockey League teams, as many of them play an instrumental loop of the song during games. Its popularity in the NHL may have been inspired by Ray Slijngaard wearing a Los Angeles Kings hoodie in the music video. The St. Louis Blues play it at home games when the team goes on the power play. It has also been used in NHL 11's "EA Trax" soundtrack. The song was remixed as "Techno Syndrome" by the Immortals, the main theme of the Mortal Kombat franchise. [11] [ unreliable source? ] Immortals members Olivier Adams and Maurice Engelen have claimed the resemblance to be a coincidence, and that no legal action was taken. [12]
"Twilight Zone" won an award in the category for Best Techno 12-inch Single on the 1993 WMC International Dance Music Awards. [3] Billboard magazine ranked it number 43 in their list of "The 100 Greatest Jock Jams of All Time" in February 2024. [13]
(Note: Track 1 is the PWL 7-inch edit, which is based on the Rave Version but adds some of Anita's vocals, specifically her "This is the twilight zone" chorus from the vocal arrangements to give it a slight "verse-chorus-verse" arrangement.) |
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Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
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United Kingdom | 13 January 1992 |
| PWL International | [4] |
Japan | 25 April 1992 | Mini-CD | Mercury | [42] |
"Millennium remixes" | |
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Single by 2 Unlimited | |
Released | 2000 |
Label | Byte |
Following the bleak success of the "No Limit" single came the "Twilight Zone (Millennium Remixes)". It had the same success as its predecessor, although the remixes were more commercial and radio-friendly. It received good airplay in Europe but had very little success in the charts.
"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.
"Heaven" is a song by the Canadian singer and songwriter Bryan Adams recorded in 1983, written by Adams and Jim Vallance. It first appeared on the A Night in Heaven soundtrack album the same year and was later included on Adams' album Reckless in 1984. It was released as the third single from Reckless and reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in June 1985, over a year and a half after the song first appeared on record. The single was certified Gold in Canada in 1985.
"Jam" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson, released in July 1992 by Epic as the fourth single from his eighth album, Dangerous (1991), where it is the opening track. It also appears as the second track on his 2009 This Is It compilation album. The single was re-released in 2006 as part of Jackson's Visionary: The Video Singles collection campaign, and it was remixed to the Cirque du Soleil's Immortal World Tour, releasing that remix on the soundtrack album. "Jam" is a new jack swing song whose bridge features a rap verse performed by Heavy D. The music video of the song featured NBA basketball legend Michael Jordan. The song was also featured on the Chicago Bulls 's 1992 NBA Championship video "Untouchabulls" and was also used in many promotional ads of the NBA in the said season. The single peaked at number 26 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song re-entered the UK Singles Chart in 2006, reaching number 22.
"High" is a song by English rock band the Cure, released as the lead single from their ninth album, Wish (1992), on 16 March 1992. The track received mostly positive reviews and was commercially successful, reaching number one on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, number six on the Irish Singles Chart, and number eight on the UK Singles Chart. It charted within the top five in Portugal, where it peaked at number two, and in Australasia, reaching number five in Australia and number four in New Zealand; it is the band's highest-charting single in both countries.
"Celebration" is a 1980 song by American band Kool & the Gang. Released as the first single from their twelfth album, Celebrate! (1980), it was the band's first and only single to reach No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"Ready to Go" is a song by English alternative rock band Republica, released as a single on 15 April 1996 from the band's debut album, Republica (1996). Two versions of the song, the US mix and the original mix, were included. This version was later featured on a greatest hits collection, Ready to Go: The Best Of.
"Let's Talk About Sex" is a song by American hip hop trio Salt-N-Pepa, released in August 1991 by Next Plateau as the fourth single from their third studio album, Blacks' Magic (1990). It was written and co-produced by Hurby Azor, and achieved great success in many countries, including Australia, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and Zimbabwe where it was a number-one hit. Its music video was directed by Millicent Shelton. In 1992, "Let's Talk About Sex" earned a nomination in the category for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the Grammy Award.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"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 by Music & Media. Its accompanying music video was directed by David Betteridge and filmed in London.
"Move Any Mountain" is a song by Scottish electronic music group the Shamen, first released under the title "Pro›gen". With an official remix by the Beatmasters, the song was re-released in the UK in summer 1991 and was their first top-10 single, reaching number four in the UK Singles Chart. It was included on the band's second album, En-Tact (1990), and is also their only top-40 hit in the US, where the song peaked at number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1992.
"Inside Out" is a song recorded by German Eurodance band Culture Beat, released in November 1995 as the first single from their third studio album, Inside Out (1995). As for other Culture Beat singles, a CD maxi entirely composed of remixes was added among the available media a short time after. The song was a hit in most of the European countries where it was released, and peaked at number five in Germany, its highest position in the various charts. Outside Europe, it peaked at number two on the RPM dance music chart in Canada and number 15 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in the US.
"Das Boot" is the title theme to the film and TV series Das Boot, composed and produced by Klaus Doldinger, and released as a single in 1981. In 1991, the song was covered by German DJ and producer Alex Christensen and his dance music project U96. This techno version was U96's debut single, released by Polydor from the album of the same name (1992).
"Love U More" is a song by British techno group Sunscreem, released as a single in July 1992 by Sony Soho Square. It was written by band members Paul Carnell and lead singer Lucia Holm. The single is a track off the group's 1993 album O3 and was one of the first techno songs to make the American top 40, where it peaked at No. 36. "Love U More" reached No. 23 in the United Kingdom in July 1992 and went to number one on the American dance chart for two weeks in March 1993, making it their first of three number-one hits there.