No Limits (2 Unlimited album)

No Limits, sometimes No Limits!, is the second studio album by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited, released in May 1993.[1] 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.

No Limits!
Studio album by
2 Unlimited
Released10 May 1993
Recorded1992–93
StudioSoundstational Studios
Genre
Length59:55
70:42 (with bonus tracks)
LabelByte Records (Sony / PWL)
Producer
2 Unlimited chronology
Get Ready!
(1992)		 No Limits!
(1993)		 Real Things
(1994)
Alternative cover
UK cover for the album
Singles from No Limits
  1. "No Limit"
    Released: January 18, 1993
  2. "Tribal Dance"
    Released: April 26, 1993
  3. "Faces"
    Released: August 23, 1993
  4. "Maximum Overdrive"
    Released: November 8, 1993
  5. "Let the Beat Control Your Body"
    Released: January 31, 1994

Background

2 Unlimited had limited success in 1992 with their debut album, Get Ready!. It had produced four hit singles, but the album had not performed well commercially, peaking at just #37 in the UK Albums Chart.[2] At the time, many Eurodance acts were able to produce hit singles but were unable to capitalize on this with a commercially successful album.[3] 2 Unlimited, however, broke the mold.

At the end of 1992, 2 Unlimited were still only known amongst those who followed chart music at the time. With the first single released from this album, "No Limit", this changed. It went to number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in early February (competing with "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston), and spent five weeks there. This exposure led to them being parodied by the mainstream media with the television series Spitting Image parodying the track as "No Lyrics" due to its repetitive lyrical content. The second single from the album, "Tribal Dance", was released in 1993, followed by this album soon afterwards.

Album name and artwork

Like all the studio albums by the band, the title of the album was a modification of the title of the lead single to be taken from it. The artwork for the UK cover was designed by Julian Barton and David Howells. As with all 2 Unlimited releases, most other territories featured a different album cover to the UK edition of the album. Unlike their previous album in the UK,[4] where many of the tracks featured on it were instrumental,[5] the artwork to this album featured band members Ray and Anita on the front cover.

Writing and composition

For the debut album, Get Ready!, most of the writing had been done by Wilde and de Coster, with some input from Ray Slijngaard and other featured writers.[6] For No Limits!, both Ray and Anita had much more input into the song writing process compared to the previous album. Anita has writing credits on seven of the album's fourteen songs and Ray has writing credits on ten of them.[7]

United Kingdom release

The United Kingdom version of No Limits, which was released on the PWL Continental label, is largely an instrumental album, having Ray Slijngaard's rap verses removed. The decision to do this was made by Pete Waterman,[8] owner of the PWL record label. Waterman was also responsible for the removal of Slijngaard's rap verses[9] from 2 Unlimited's single releases of Get Ready For This, Twilight Zone, Workaholic, The Magic Friend, No Limit, Tribal Dance and Faces.

This led to 2 Unlimited being mocked in the UK media, leading to nicknames like 2 Untalented,[10][11] and Spitting Image's parody “There’s no lyrics”, along with ribbing by BBC Live & Kicking.[12]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]
Music & Media(favorable)[14]
Music Week[15]
Port Lincoln Times(favorable)[16]
Smash Hits[17]

Despite its commercial success, at the time the album was panned by the critics, especially in the UK. But European magazine Music & Media gave a positive review, writing, "Those for whom "techno" is a pet hate always say "just push the button and out rolls another techno tune." It's not that simple of course, although this Dutch male/female duo has the gift to make you believe they do their thing in only two minutes. But isn't simplicity the hardest thing to achieve? Like a juke box this 16-track album is stuffed with potential singles, such as the extremely poppy The Power Age and Maximum Overdrive with a racing car breaking all speed limits."[18] In Smash Hits, reviewer Mark Frith described the album as an "across the board techno splurge" and stated that this album contained clues as to why the band were unpopular in "elite dance circles".[19] In the review of the single "Maximum Overdrive", the magazine reiterated that the band were, "not hard or imaginative and they have no credibility in dance circles."[20]

The AllMusic review stated that beyond "No Limit" and "Let the Beat Control Your Body", there was little to recommend this album.[21] Toby Anstis stated in his review of "Faces" that he "thought the album sounded all the same".[22] Nonetheless, the band won the Best Dance Act award in Smash Hits that year[23] as well as the World Music Award for Benelux.

Retrospective reviews of this album and the band in general have been more favourable. Only three years after the band split, they were described in a Guinness World Records publication as "spectacular" with the sound of "No Limit" being compared to "the sound giant dinosaurs might make stomping on cities".[24] Their entry then goes on to describe their choruses as "chant-worthy" and that the singles from this album "ravaged hearts and minds across the globe", ending with the statement that they "linger forever in the hearts of true music lovers".

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."No Limit"3:44
2."Tribal Dance"4:31
3."Mysterious"4:23
4."Faces"3:48
5."Maximum Overdrive"3:58
6."The Power Age"3:59
7."Break the Chain"3:49
8."Kiss Me Bliss Me"3:52
9."Throw the Groove Down"4:18
10."R.U.O.K."4:11
11."Let the Beat Control Your Body"4:02
12."Invite Me to Trance"4:07
13."Where Are You Now"5:01
14."Shelter for a Rainy Day"5:15
15."Get Ready for This (Wilde Mix)"5:59
16."No Limit (Automatic Breakbeat Remix)"4:48
Total length:1:14:45

Charts

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[39] Gold 35,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[40] Gold 25,000*
Brazil — 30,000[41]
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[42] Gold 44,400[42]
France (SNEP)[43] Gold 268,000[44]
Japan (RIAJ)[45] Gold 100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[46] Platinum 100,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[47] Platinum 50,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[48] Gold 50,000^
Sweden (GLF)[49] Platinum 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[50] Platinum 50,000^
United Kingdom — 254,000[44]
Summaries
Benelux — 294,000[44]
Germany, Switzerland, Austria — 592,000[44]
Worldwide — 3,000,000[51]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Singles
Year Title UK Netherlands Germany Switzerland Austria Spain France Ireland Sweden Norway Canada Australia NZ
1993 "No Limit" 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 40
1993 "Tribal Dance" 4 2 2 2 3 1 4 2 2 4 7 5 38
1993 "Faces" 8 2 8 19 10 4 16 7 11 — — 54 —
1993 "Maximum Overdrive" 15 5 16 23 13 2 35 11 18 — — 32 —
1994 "Let the Beat Control Your Body" 6 2 8 11 11 10 10 6 11 — — 39 29

Writing credits

The following personnel all have writing credits on this album.

  • Phil Wilde
  • Jean-Paul de Coster
  • Ray Slijngaard
  • Anita Dels
  • Filip Martens
  • Xavier de Clayton
  • Peter Bauwens
  • Michael Leahy
  • Jan Voermans
  • Bieman

References
  1. "AllMusic: 2 Unlimited (Biography)". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-05-06.
  2. everyHit.com – UK Top 40 Chart Archive, British Singles & Album Charts Archived January 2, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  3. For evidence of this, see the chart statistics for acts such as Captain Hollywood Project, Culture Beat and Maxx.
  4. UK sleeve for the Get Ready! album
  5. Tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8 are almost solely instrumental
  6. Get Ready! sleeve notes
  7. No Limits sleeve notes
  8. Pete Waterman – I Wish I Was Me – The Autobiography, Virgin Books, ISBN 1-85227-900-1, Page 219
  9. Producer Jean-Paul de Coster called them "too clumsy for the UK market" (Channel 4's Top 10 Irritating Records of Recent Time, 2003), while company head Pete Waterman spoke of "the worst rap I've ever heard". (Entry 685 of 1000 Number Ones by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh)
  10. Pete Waterman – I Wish I Was Me – The Autobiography, Virgin Books, ISBN 1-85227-900-1, Page 218
  11. Top of the Pops - Story of 1993 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwaoCn--bYo
  12. "2 Unlimited Here I Go (Live and Kicking)". YouTube.
  13. AllMusic review
  14. "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. 29 May 1993. p. 14. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  15. Jones, Alan (1 May 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Albums" (PDF). Music Week. p. 11. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  16. Heritage, Gail (8 July 1993). "High Beat Techno Cult". Port Lincoln Times. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  17. The review in Smash Hits in 1993.
  18. "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. 29 May 1993. p. 14. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  19. The review of No Limits in Smash Hits in 1993
  20. The review of Maximum Overdrive in Smash Hits in 1994
  21. AllMusic ((( No Limits > Overview )))
  22. The review of Faces in Smash Hits in 1993
  23. Smash Hits
  24. Guinness Rockopedia 1998, p. 456.
  25. "Australiancharts.com – 2 Unlimited – No Limits!". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  26. "Austriancharts.at – 2 Unlimited – No Limits!" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  27. "Dutchcharts.nl – 2 Unlimited – No Limits!" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  28. "Offiziellecharts.de – 2 Unlimited – No Limits!" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  29. "Norwegiancharts.com – 2 Unlimited – No Limits!". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  30. "Swedishcharts.com – 2 Unlimited – No Limits!". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  31. "Swisscharts.com – 2 Unlimited – No Limits!". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  32. "2 Unlimited | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  33. "Jahreshitparade Alben 1993". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  34. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1993". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  35. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  36. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1993". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  37. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1994". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  38. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  39. "ARIA Certifications for 2 Unlimited". ARIA. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  40. "Austrian album certifications – 2 Unlimited – No Limits" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  41. "Campeoes de venda". Jornal do Brasil. 21 November 1993. p. 56. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  42. "2 Unlimited" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  43. "French album certifications – 2 Unlimited – No Limits" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  44. Tilli, Robbert (13 March 1996). "2 Unlimited - Chartbusters". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 10. p. 34. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 16 February 2021 – via Google Books.
  45. "Japanese album certifications – 2 Unlimited – No Limits" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 16 February 2021. Select 1993年12月 on the drop-down menu
  46. "Dutch album certifications – 2 Unlimited – No Limits!" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 16 February 2021. Enter No Limits! in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1993 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  47. "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  48. Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. p. 936. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  49. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-17. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  50. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (2 Unlimited; 'No Limits')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  51. "Hits Unlimited". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 10. 13 March 1996. p. 29. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 16 February 2021 – via Google Books.
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