"Workaholic"
Standard artwork
Single by 2 Unlimited
from the album Get Ready!
Released20 April 1992
Recorded1991
Length4:10
3:38 (vocal edit)
Label
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 recorded by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited,[1] 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.

Content

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 Staples Center's Los Angeles Kings, when a penalty is called against the visiting team. It is also used when the Los Angeles Lakers score a 3 Point Basket.

Controversially, on the album version of the song, there was 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

Bevan Hannah from The Canberra Times described the song as a "faster version" of "Get Ready for This".[2] 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."[3] Irish newspaper Evening Herald commented, "Expect 2 Unlimited's next single Workaholic, to be massive".[4] James Hamilton from Music Week's RM Dance Update called it a "galloping commercial raver", like "an updated Boney M for the Nineties".[5] 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."[6]

Chart performance

"Workaholic" was successful on the charts on several continents. In Europe, it reached its highest peaks in Finland and the Republic of Ireland as number two. In the UK, it peaked at number four in its third week on the UK Singles Chart, on May 10, 1992.[7] 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, and on MTV's European Top 20, it peaked at number 11. Outside Europe, it was a number-one hit in Zimbabwe in August 1992, and peaked at number six on the RPM dance chart in Canada and number 26 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play in the US. In Australia, the single reached number 35.

Music video

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". "Workaholic" was later published on 2 Unlimited's official YouTube channel in January 2014. The video has amassed more than 252,000 views as of September 2021.[8]

Track listings

Charts

References

  1. ^ "AllMusic: 2 Unlimited (Biography)". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  2. ^ Hannah, Bevan (1 June 1992). "Jazzie B inspiration to UK blacks". The Canberra Times. p. 19. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  3. ^ Kastanas, Andy (12 August 1992). "Sounds of Progress". p. 18. The Charlotte Observer.
  4. ^ Evening Herald. 7 April 1992. p. 19. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Dee, Johnny (15 April 1992). "Singles". Smash Hits. p. 52. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 75 10 May 1992 - 16 May 1992". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  8. ^ "2 UNLIMITED - Workaholic (Official Music Video)". YouTube. 22 January 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Workaholic", various Singles Chart Lescharts.com (Retrieved 15 February 2008)
  10. ^ "2 Unlimited – Workaholic" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  11. ^ Canada dance peak
  12. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. 20 May 1992. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  13. ^ Musik-Charts durchsuchen
  14. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  15. ^ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved 15 February 2008)
  16. ^ Dutch Charts simple search
  17. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  18. ^ UK Singles Chart Everyhit.com (Retrieved 15 February 2008)
  19. ^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 2 May 1992. p. 26. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  20. ^ Billboard Billboard.com (Retrieved 15 February 2008)
  21. ^ * Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  22. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1992". Ultratop. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  23. ^ "Single top 100 over 1992" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  24. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1992". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  25. ^ "Year End Charts: Top Singles". Music Week. 16 January 1993. p. 8.
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