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"Get Ready for This"
One of European cover arts
Single by 2 Unlimited
from the album Get Ready!
Released	23 September 1991
Recorded	1991
Genre	Eurodance rave
Length	3:46
Label	Byte ZYX PWL
Songwriter(s)	Phil Wilde Jean-Paul de Coster Ray Slijngaard
Producer(s)	Phil Wilde Jean-Paul de Coster
2 Unlimited singles chronology
"Get Ready for This" (1991) "Twilight Zone" (1992)
Audio sample
file help
Music video
"Get Ready for This" on YouTube

"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.

The single was an immediate success throughout Europe with notable peaks worldwide, including Australia and the US. It is arguably the most famous of the band's singles in the United States having charted at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, number 17 on the Billboard Top 40 Mainstream and number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the band's only top-40 hit in the US. In the UK, the single went to number two on the UK Singles Chart.

The song is one of the most frequently played songs at sporting events around the world. It earned one of BMI's Pop Awards of 1996, and in 2010, Pitchfork included it in their list of "Ten Actually Good 90s Jock Jams".

Background and release

In 1990, producers Phil Wilde and Jean-Paul de Coster had previously gained success with AB Logic, and were looking for another vehicle for their songs. 2 Unlimited formed when Wilde and DeCoster were introduced to rapper Ray Slijngaard and vocalist Anita Doth by Marvin D., who had featured both in his rap group in the past. "Get Ready for This" originally was produced as a instrumental white label track intended for the clubs. At a meeting at a record store, Slijngaard by chance came over the instrumental and Wilde played it to get Slijngaard's opinion. Slijngaard got goosebumps hearing it and told that he could write a rap for the track. Two weeks later he received a demo tape at his father's house and started writing the rap. While writing, he also came up with a chorus for a female part. The whole song was written in two hours, and it was also the first time Slijngaard wrote a song.

The producers agreed with him on adding a female singer on the track and Doth joined as the female vocalist of 2 Unlimited. "Get Ready for This" was recorded in a small studio behind the Amsterdam central station. The rap version was released with verses by Slijngaard and vocals by Doth. For the UK release of the single, an edit of the original "Orchestral Mix" was used, without vocals, except for the line Y'all ready for this? This was sampled from The D.O.C.'s hit single "It's Funky Enough". This edit was done by record producer Pete Waterman, who owned the record label which 2 Unlimited were licensed to for UK releases. Next the song was number two on the UK Singles Chart and the group performed on Top of the Pops for the first time.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Spirited and melodic techno/houser reaches these shores after massive pop and club success in the U.K. Although it has yet to be confirmed, rumor has it that famed hi-NRG producers Mike Stock and Pete Waterman are the creative force behind this peak-hour treat. Look for jocks to devour this one heartily." Carolyn Chard from The Canberra Times described the song a "mammoth rave hit". She added further, "An instantly recognisable, hands-in-the-air track it belongs to the same Belgium-Dutch school of techno house that produced Quadrophonia, T99 and Technotronic." Andy Kastanas from The Charlotte Observer stated that "the raving keyboards and hypnotic dance beat make for a super dance record."

Chart performance

"Get Ready for This" was successful on the charts on several continents. In Europe, it was a top-10 hit in Belgium (8), Ireland (3), the Netherlands (10), Spain (2) and the United Kingdom (2), as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it made it to number four. In the UK, the single reached also number two in its fourth week on the UK Singles Chart, on October 20, 1991. It spent a total of two weeks at that position. Additionally, "Get Ready for This" climbed into the top 30 in Finland and the top 40 in Sweden. Outside Europe, it peaked at number two in Australia, number five in Zimbabwe, number six on the RPM Dance/Urban chart in Canada and, in the United States, it reached numbers 14 and 38 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and Billboard Hot 100 charts.

Impact and legacy

"Get Ready for This" was awarded one of BMI's Pop Awards of 1996, honoring the songwriters, composers and music publishers of the song. In 2010, Pitchfork included it in their list of "Ten Actually Good 90s Jock Jams". In February 2024, Billboard ranked the song number ten in their list of "The 100 Greatest Jock Jams of All Time", writing, "A song that cast a greater shadow over ’90s sports culture than anything besides Shaquille O’Neal."

Track listing

Charts

Certifications and sales

Yves Deruyter remixes

After the moderate success of the 2 Unlimited compilation album Greatest Hits Remixes in 2001, two white labels were released with remixes of "Get Ready for This". The first 12" was released in May 2001 in Belgium with a remix by DJ/producer Yves Deruyter. Although just a single sided pressing featuring the full 12" remix, the radio edit was officially released later in the 2002 release Trance Remixes (Special Edition).

Track listing

• 12" white label

A: "Get Ready for This" (Yves Deruyter Remix)

Robbie Rivera remixes

Following the May 2001 release of the Yves Deruyter remixes, August the same year saw the release of another "Get Ready for This" remix by Puerto Rican DJ/producer Robbie Rivera.

Track listing

• 12" white label

A: "Get Ready for This" (Robbie's Bangin' Dub)

B1: "Get Ready for This" (68 Beat Monster Mix)

B2: "Get Ready for This" (Robbie Rivera Remix)

Steve Aoki remixes

In 2013, American DJ/producer Steve Aoki released a remix of "Get Ready for This" on Byte Records as part of a forthcoming 2 Unlimited greatest hits album. The Rap and Orchestral mixes featured on the original "Get Ready for This" single were also included.

Track listing

• Download 1 (Steve Aoki Remixes EP)

1. "Get Ready" (Steve Aoki Instrumental Extended) (5:25)
2. "Get Ready" (Steve Aoki Instrumental Edit) (4:21)
3. "Get Ready" (2013 Rap Version Edit) (3:42)
4. "Get Ready" (2013 Orchestral Mix) (5:26)

• Download 2 (Steve Aoki Radio Mixes)

1. "Get Ready" (Steve Aoki Vocal Radio Edit) (2:55)
2. "Get Ready" (Steve Aoki Instrumental Radio Edit) (2:55)

Charts

References

1. "New Releases > Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 21 September 1991. p. 21. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
2. Birchmeier, Jason. "Culture Beat – Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
3. ^ Chard, Carolyn (2 July 1992). "2 Unlimited construct a 'happy' house mix". The Canberra Times. p. 19. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
4. ^ Bush, John. "2 Unlimited – Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
5. ^ Lamb, Bill. "Top 10 Top 10 Jock Anthems". About.com. Archived from the original on 18 March 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
6. ^ "BMI > Pop Awards" (PDF). Music Week. 9 November 1996. p. 25. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
7. ^ "A Feature About Nothing > The 1990s in Lists > Ten Actually Good 90s Jock Jams". Pitchfork. 2010. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
8. ^ "The story behind 2 Unlimited's "Get Ready For This" by Ray Slijngaard". Muzikxpress. YouTube. 9 April 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
9. Flick, Larry (26 October 1991). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 43. p. 83. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
10. Kastanas, Andy (18 December 1991). "Sounds of Progress". The Charlotte Observer. p. 10.
11. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 45. 9 November 1991. p. 35. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
12. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
13. Billboard Staff (8 February 2024). "The 100 Greatest Jock Jams of All Time". Billboard. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
14. "2 Unlimited – Get Ready For This". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
15. "2 Unlimited – Get Ready For This" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
16. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 2086." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
17. "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 3. 18 January 1992. p. 32. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
18. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
19. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Get Ready for This". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
20. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 2, 1992" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
21. "2 Unlimited – Get Ready For This" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
22. "2 Unlimited – Get Ready For This". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
23. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
24. "2 Unlimited – Get Ready For This". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
25. "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 12 October 1991. p. 26. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
26. ^ "2 Unlimited – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
27. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending October 17, 1992". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012.
28. Kimberley, Chris (2000). Zimbabwe : Zimbabwe Singles Chart Book. Harare.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
29. "Jaaroverzichten 1991" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
30. "Chart Archive – 1990s Singles". everyHit.com. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
31. "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 50 Singles 1992". ARIA Charts. Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
32. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1992" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
33. "ARIA Certifications for 2 Unlimited". ARIA.
34. "Hits Unlimited". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 10. 13 March 1996. p. 29. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 16 September 2022 – via Google Books.
35. "Get Ready Incl Steve Aoki Remixes". Beatport. Archived from the original on 3 October 2013.
36. "Dutch Dance Top 30 – 09/11/2013". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 18 April 2012.

• 1991 songs
• 1991 debut singles
• 2 Unlimited songs
• San Antonio Spurs
• Pete Waterman Entertainment singles
• Songs written by Phil Wilde
• Songs written by Ray Slijngaard
• Songs written by Jean-Paul De Coster
• Byte Records singles
• ZYX Music singles
• Music videos directed by David Betteridge