Insanity is still a tune, especially that chorus. :wub: Apparently the single mix is never found on any compilations, just a remix.

Out of all the top 10 biggest sellers of every year of the 1990s, Insanity has to be the least well known and played today, surely? I didn't remember hearing it at all until 2006.

 

And another one as mentioned which exists in a confusing set of different versions, both from the time and ones that seem to have been re-recorded later - recent compilations seem to use what's called the 'Old Skool Radio Edit' which sounds similar to the original but dates from 2007 with a new/soundalike vocal.

Insanity does sound very weak in retrospect. I think I liked it at the time, although not enough to buy it, but it just sounds so tinny and basic when listening now.

2 Unlimited - Get Ready For This

 

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/tonyttt31/Get_Ready_For_This.jpg

 

Date 20th Oct 1991

5 Weeks

Official Chart Run 36-19-6-2-3-3-2-3-5-12-21-34-31-27-51 (15 weeks)

*Positions in red are the weeks when the track would be number 1 if just dance music was chart eligible.

 

In late 1991 some new kids arrived in town. They would be the only band to rival Snap! in the Top 10 weeks stakes in the 90s - they managed 45 throughout the decade, and like Snap! they did it all before the end of 1994.

 

Despite appearances, 2 Unlimited were not Ray Slijngaard and Anita Doth - they just fronted the band. The music was masterminded by Jean-Paul DeCoster - of Bizz Nizz one-hot wonder fame - and Filip De Wilde (Philp Wilde) who was in rave outfit T99.

 

The two met when Wilde was remixing Bizz Nizz's Don't Miss the Party Line in 1990. In 1991 they created Get Ready For This as an instrumental which was a club hit. To put it on general release they decided that vocals were needed. They had worked with Ray in the days of Bizz Nizz and asked him to add vocals. When he had submitted his vocalised version it turned out that Ray had asked Anita to add some of her own.

 

DeCoster and Wilde were so impressed with results that when Ray asked about forming a duo with Anita to front the group they agreed.

 

Get Ready For This became a Europe-wide hit in late 1991. Its highest chart positions were attained in Australia, Spain and the UK where it reached number 2. It even went Top 40 in America which was notoriously disinterested in European dance music at the time. The version released in the UK was an edit, done by Pete Waterman, of the original instrumental with the line "Y'all ready for this?" added at the start. Waterman's PWL label distributed the record in the UK.

 

This was only the start - 2 Unlimited would go onto be one of the most successful dance acts of the following three years but credibility would remain beyond them.

 

We'll be hearing from them again later.

 

Edited July 25, 20159 yr by AntoineTTe

Because Pete Waterman hated Ray's verses. The hit version in the US took out most of the rap if I recall correctly and the bulk of its popularity came from always being featured in sporting events.

 

Love the track, but they have better singles I prefer. Ray & Anita attempted a comeback a couple of years ago using their own name instead of 2 Unlimited.

Edited July 25, 20159 yr by Ne Plus Ultra

Yep - there was no rap at all, as far as I can remember.

All the UK releases of 2 Unlimited's singles right up to Faces differ significantly from the originals, and finding the UK edits used to be quite tricky but I think they're all on youtube now (search for the 'No Rap' versions). Even the albums were edited to be almost instrumental, it must have been really bizarre for them when appearing on the likes of Top of the Pops, especially Ray, to be miming along to an edit of a track that barely features them.

 

Anita's first heard in the UK edit of Twilight Zone, but it's not until two years later with the release of Maximum Overdrive where Ray's verses are finally heard in full, and even that was still given a special instrumental edit on the No Limits album. The most infamous Ray edit - shortening two entire rap verses to the repeated shout of "Techno! Techno! Techno! Techno!" - is still to come!

Ok so the charts of October '91 are probably when I first started getting in to music (at age 5!) and regularly getting my dad to tape the records I liked from the Top 40 - some of these tapes still survive to this day and loads of records around at this time are familiar to me because I got NOW 20 for Christmas. Plenty of rave on there, and obviously stuff like “Get Ready For This” which I had no idea was on Pete Waterman's label and had a rap on it originally. I always had just thought it was (mostly) an instrumental, and one of the first examples of the Eurodance movement that went on to massive popularity in the 93-95 period.

Now 20 was better than most which I lay down to the fact that it had more than 6 months of chart action between it and Now 19 to pull from. It is the only Now album with 2 of my Top 20 of all time on it.

 

U2 - The Fly

The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu - It's Grim Up North (Part 1)

Now 20 was better than most which I lay down to the fact that it had more than 6 months of chart action between it and Now 19 to pull from. It is the only Now album with 2 of my Top 20 of all time on it.

 

U2 - The Fly

The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu - It's Grim Up North (Part 1)

 

Yes, and it's also got Moby's “Go”, Enya's “Caribbean Blue” and James' “Sit Down” but the KLF and U2 inclusions are especially amazing (I think NOW 20 is what got me into both of those tracks!)

Next entry tomorrow night. I'm particularly pleased that it features (even though I prefer one of their other songs). I dont think it will be well known to anyone who wasn't around at the time despite the fact that it is a classic and the bands most acclaimed song.

 

Predictions in spoiler tags please :D

Edited July 26, 20159 yr by AntoineTTe

Love Insanity, always surprised that it did so well and finished in the top ten biggest sellers of the year.

 

Great thread, really looking forward to the rest of it, thanks both Tony and Doctor Blind for compiling this!

Two very weak records in a row there - tinny production and (especially in the case of 2 Unlimited) barely any bass to speak of. In the case of Oceanic, there has always been a tradition for very weak dance music from the north of England and Scotland - think of the likes of Ultrabeat, The Time Frequency and QFX. Not sure why so many people like such cheesy, weedy dance music but there you go.

 

At least the next number one will make up for them both ;)

 

(And, no, I didn't buy either of those records on 7"!)

there has always been a tradition for very weak dance music from the north of England and Scotland

 

 

Lordy lord. Are you including Manchester in that?

Lordy lord. Are you including Manchester in that?

 

Ha ha, maybe not...nor Glasgow (Slam etc.) but in the smaller places it's huge and always has been.

Altern-8 - Activ-8 (Come with me)

 

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/tonyttt31/come%20with%20me.jpg

 

Date 24th Nov 1991

1 Week

Official Chart Run 11-4-3-6-11-23-26-24-50 (9 weeks)

*Positions in red are the weeks when the track would be number 1 if just dance music was chart eligible.

 

The two members of Altern-8, Mark Archer and Chris Peat, met in Stafford in 1989 where they formed C&M Connection and released a one off single Another Night, in 1990. A quick name change to Nexus 21 but no change in personnel led to the release of early techno classics (Still) Life Keeps Moving and Self Hypnosis, which fans of Altern-8 will recognise as forming the sweet synth break in later single Hypnotic St-8.

 

Before fully abandoning the Nexus 21 name the band released the 8 track Overload EP in 1990 under the name Altern-8. This had a more recognisable Altern-8 sound, using mostly sounds reminiscent of house and acid house but with an emerging rave synth backing. They used an eclectic mix of samples, sounds and synths, with tempo changes commonplace but beats would remain unhardcore for the time being. Overload EP was a massive number 99 hit in Nov that year. :D

 

After releasing a final Nexus 21 single "I Know We Can Make It" (with the b-side "Sychologic PSP" a bridging of the sounds from Nexus 21 to Altern 8) in 1991, they would be known as Altern-8 from then on.

In July 1991 they would release Infiltrate 202 which broke them into the UK top 75 for the first time under any guise. While their sound was comparatively new, they upped the the mystery and suggested danger levels surrounding them by wearing their now characteristic chemical warfare outfits on stage.

 

In November 1991 it was time for their 15 minutes of actual mainstream fame with two genuinely exciting performances of Active-8 on Top of the Pops - masks and Vic's vapour rub in place. Like most of their tracks the sampling was shameless and genius - most prominently the string synth break from Kid 'N Play's 2 Hype and The Step's Yeah You!

 

They would have pretty consistent single success throughout the following year gaining easy critical acclaim for their original brand of rave, hitting the Top 10 once again with Evapor-8.

 

While The KLF had brought insanity (no, not that Insanity) to the Top 3 and The Prodigy had brought rave there too this was a moment of almost palpable revolution. The riff of Activ-8 remains an early high water mark of the genre and not bettered for many fans.

 

 

The strings sample is brilliant. The little girl on the record is Neil Rushton's (at the time) 3 year-old daughter! She's 27 now!

 

Worth mentioning that this made it back into the Top 40 at #33 at Christmas in 2013 due to a Christmas #1 campaign.

Great slice of early '90s rave in a bottle. Do prefer Evapor-8 though.

I prefer Hynonitic St-8

I pushed the boat out and bought Activ 8 on CD single. Worth mentioning that all was not rosy in the various chart rave camps though. Peat and Archer were always conscious that Altern 8 records were the unserious side of their partnership, but had a bit of a run in with the Prodigy who I think they felt were taking things a bit far. Altern 8 produced a few t-shirts with the word "dodgy" done up as the Prodigy logo while The Prodigy mocked the Altern 8 masks, suits and frantic rave dancing in their video for Out of Space...not that A8 would have been bothered by that, they were essentially taking the piss anyway.