Workaholic (song)

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"Workaholic"
Standard artwork
Single by 2 Unlimited
from the album Get Ready!
Released20 April 1992 (1992-04-20)[1]
Length
  • 4:10
  • 3:38
LabelByte
Songwriter(s)
  • Phil Wilde
  • Jean-Paul De Coster
  • Lieve De Cock
  • Ray Slijngaard
Producer(s)
  • Phil Wilde
  • Jean-Paul De Coster
2 Unlimited singles chronology
"Twilight Zone"
(1992) 		"Workaholic"
(1992) 		"The Magic Friend"
(1992)
Music video
"Workaholic" on YouTube

"Workaholic" is a song by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited,[2] 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 experienced chart success in several countries, reaching the top five in Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom. In Zimbabwe, it reached number one in August 1992.

Content

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The opening segment of the song features bells ringing in descending followed by ascending order (replicating the Westminster chime effect). This segment is played at Yankee Stadium in New York City whenever baseball's New York Yankees score a run and at multiple NHL arenas, such as the Crypto.com Arena's Los Angeles Kings and the Canadian Tire Centre’s Ottawa Senators when a penalty is called against the visiting team. It is also used when the Los Angeles Lakers score a 3 Point Basket. It also is used by the South Atlantic League’s Hudson Valley Renegades whenever a Renegades player scores at Heritage Financial Park.

Controversially, on the album version of the song, there is a quote: "Who the fuck are you?" at the beginning of the track. However, in the radio edit and the music video, the entire quote is omitted. A version also included in the album, labelled as an "instrumental" version (although it retains all of Ray and Anita's vocals) removes the quote and surrounding lines, moving the first "The workaholic" to before the bell intro. The opening phrase in the song, "Ok, let's go to work" comes from the 1987 film Wall Street.

Critical reception

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Bevan Hannah from The Canberra Times described the song as a "faster version" of "Get Ready for This".[3] Andy Kastanas from The Charlotte Observer wrote, "These guys make a strong showing, following up their No. 1 single "Twilight Zone" with another monstrous rave song."[4] Irish newspaper Evening Herald commented, "Expect 2 Unlimited's next single Workaholic, to be massive".[5] James Hamilton from Music Week's RM Dance Update called it a "galloping commercial raver", like "an updated Boney M for the Nineties".[6] Johnny Dee from Smash Hits rated the track four out of five, stating that it is a "zippy, loopy, stormtrooper overdrive that is guaranteed to cause twisted ankles and sislocated shoulders should you decide on a spot of aerobicising during its lightning fast four minutes."[7]

Chart performance

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"Workaholic" reached its highest peaks in Finland and Ireland, at number two. In the UK, it peaked at number four during its third week on the UK Singles Chart, on 10 May 1992.[8] Additionally, it was a top-10 hit also in Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain while reaching the top 30 in Sweden and the top 40 in Switzerland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Workaholic" reached number 14. Outside Europe, it was a number-one hit in Zimbabwe in August 1992, peaked at number six on the Canadian RPM Dance chart, and reached number 26 on the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart. In Australia, the single reached number 35.

Music video

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A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by British director David Betteridge. He had previously directed the videos for "Get Ready for This" and "Twilight Zone".

Track listings

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Charts

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References

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  1. ^ a b "2 Unlimited – Workaholic" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  2. ^ "AllMusic: 2 Unlimited (Biography)". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  3. ^ Hannah, Bevan (1 June 1992). "Jazzie B inspiration to UK blacks". The Canberra Times. p. 19. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  4. ^ Kastanas, Andy (12 August 1992). "Sounds of Progress". p. 18. The Charlotte Observer.
  5. ^ Evening Herald. 7 April 1992. p. 19. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  6. ^ Hamilton, James (2 May 1992). "DJ Directory: Out On Monday" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 8. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  7. ^ Dee, Johnny (15 April 1992). "Singles". Smash Hits. p. 52. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 75 10 May 1992 - 16 May 1992". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Workaholic", various Singles Chart Lescharts.com (Retrieved 15 February 2008)
  10. ^ Canada dance peak
  11. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. 20 May 1992. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  12. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  13. ^ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved 15 February 2008)
  14. ^ Dutch Charts simple search
  15. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  16. ^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 2 May 1992. p. 26. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  17. ^ Billboard Billboard.com (Retrieved 15 February 2008)
  18. ^ * Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  19. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1992" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  20. ^ "Single top 100 over 1992" (PDF) (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  21. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1992" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  22. ^ "Year End Charts: Top Singles". Music Week. 16 January 1993. p. 8.