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Faces (2 Unlimited song)

{{Short description|1993 single by 2 Unlimited}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Faces

| cover = 2 Unlimited Faces Single Cover.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Widely distributed variant of the standard artwork

| type = single

| artist = 2 Unlimited{{cite web|url=http://allmusic.com/artist/2-unlimited-p36898/biography|title=AllMusic: 2 Unlimited (Biography)|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=6 May 2012}}

| album = No Limits!

| released = {{start date|1993|8|23|df=y}}{{cite magazine|title=Single Releases|magazine=Music Week|page=23|date=21 August 1993}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

  • Eurodance
  • techno{{cite magazine|first= James |last= Hamilton |title= Dj directory |magazine= Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert) |date= 28 August 1993 |page= 6 |accessdate= 30 March 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-08-28.pdf |author-link= James Hamilton (DJ and journalist)}}

| length =

  • 3:48
  • 3:30 (single remix)

| label = Byte

| writer =

| producer =

  • Phil Wilde
  • Jean-Paul De Coster

| prev_title = Tribal Dance

| prev_year = 1993

| next_title = Maximum Overdrive

| next_year = 1993

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|7SJHB20tp1U|"Faces"}}}}

}}

"Faces" is a song by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance band 2 Unlimited, released on 23 August 1993, by labels Byte, Zyx and PWL, as the third single from their second album, No Limits! (1993). The song was co-written by band members Ray Slijngaard and Anita Dels, with Phil Wilde and Jean-Paul De Coster who produced it. "Faces" peaked at number two in the Netherlands, number eight in the United Kingdom and at number six on the Eurochart Hot 100. The accompanying music video was directed by Nick Burgess-Jones and filmed in London, depicting Ray and Anita in a futuristic desert landscape.

Release

The single version of "Faces" is a radio edit of the album version included on the No Limits! album internationally. "Faces (Radio Edit)" substitutes the less-palatable, harsh synth lead with a milder rendition of the same riff. In the United States, this radio edit of "Faces" was included on the No Limits! album instead of the album version found on all international pressings. In the UK, the radio edit of "Faces" omitted the main rap, but like their previous single "Tribal Dance", the song left in more vocals from band member Ray Slijngaard. The UK album version instead deletes Slijngaard's vocals during the main raps, but kept his spoken vocals during the break.

Critical reception

In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton wrote, "This new single if anything contains more depth than their average work, with changes of tempo rife throughout."{{cite web|last=Masterton|first=James|title=Week Ending September 4th 1993|url=https://chart-watch.uk/archives/1993/week-ending-september-4th-1993|website=Chart Watch UK|date=29 September 1993|accessdate=15 September 2021|author-link=James Masterton}} Alan Jones from Music Week felt it was "a more complex than usual offering from the Dutch duo who eschew their simple and highly effective straight-ahead rave style in favour of a tempo-changing and less instant song." He added, "They'll pay the price at retail with one of their smaller hits to date, though the Top 20 is still a cert."{{cite magazine|first= Alan |last= Jones |title= Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles |magazine= Music Week |date= 28 August 1993 |page= 18 |accessdate= 30 March 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-08-28.pdf}} Gail Heritage from Port Lincoln Times named it a "favourite" of the album, remarking that it "opens the door to recognising people for their own individuality."{{cite journal|first=Gail|last=Heritage|title=High Beat Techno Cult|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/267185781|work=Port Lincoln Times|date=8 July 1993|page=|accessdate=2 January 2023}} James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update described it as a "techno synth buzzed but unrushed tinkling blippy sweet loper" in his weekly dance column. Toby Anstis reviewed the song for Smash Hits, stating that "this is just a taster of what the album sounds like". He added that "it'll be a hit".{{cite magazine|author= Anstis, Toby |url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/smashhits90s/36672778436/in/album-72157684357392172/ |title= New Singles |magazine= Smash Hits |date= 18 August 1993 |page= 47 |accessdate= 6 October 2020}} Australian Woroni named "Faces" an "obvious highlight" of the No Limits! album, along with "No Limit" and "Tribal Dance".{{cite magazine|title= Music |magazine= Woroni |date= 1 September 1993 |page= 35 |accessdate= 24 April 2020 |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/134421585}}

Chart performance

"Faces" peaked at number two in the Netherlands, number three in Belgium, number four in Spain, and number five in Finland.{{cite book|last=Salaverri|first=Fernando|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st|date=September 2005|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}{{cite book|first= Timo |last= Pennanen |year= 2006 |title= Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 |language= fi |edition= 1st |publisher= Tammi |isbn= 978-951-1-21053-5 |location= Helsinki}} In the band's native Netherlands, the song debuted at number 40 on the Dutch Single Top 100, before peaking five weeks later, spending 12 weeks within the chart. It was kept off the top spot by "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes. "Faces" also entered the top 10 in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, and the United Kingdom.{{cite web|url=http://m-1.fm/top40/?topid=1232|title=M-1 Top 40|publisher=M-1.fm|access-date=1 April 2022|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304185201/http://m-1.fm/top40/?topid=1232|date=19 September 1993|archive-date=4 March 2016}} See LW column. In Germany, it spent a total of 19 weeks within the German Singles Chart, with four weeks inside the top 10.

In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number eight in its second week on the UK Singles Chart on 5 September 1993. The single spent two weeks at that position and seven weeks within the UK Top 100. It also peaked at numbers six and 28 on Music Week{{'}}s Dance Singles and Airplay charts, as well as number 30 on the Record Mirror Club Chart in the same period.{{cite magazine|url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-09-04.pdf |title= Dance Singles |magazine= Music Week |date= 4 September 1993 |page= 26 |accessdate= 9 April 2021}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-09-11.pdf|title=The Airplay Chart|magazine=Music Week|date=11 September 1993|page=28|access-date=2 May 2024}}{{cite magazine|title=The RM Club Chart|magazine=Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert)|date=28 August 1993|page=4|accessdate=10 May 2023|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-08-28.pdf}} "Faces" was a top-10 hit also on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it peaked at number six on 25 September,{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-09-25.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100|magazine=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=39|date=25 September 1993|page=21|accessdate=6 March 2018}} after debuting on the chart at number 20 three weeks earlier.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-09-11.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100|magazine=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=37|date=11 September 1993|page=13|access-date=24 March 2024}} On the European Dance Radio Chart, it reached number two, behind "Dreamlover" by Mariah Carey,{{cite magazine|title=European Dance Radio Top 25|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-10-16.pdf|date=16 October 1993|magazine=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=42|page=26|accessdate=3 December 2019}} becoming the second most-played dance song on European radio in the week of 16 October 1993. In France, Italy and Sweden, the song was a top-20 hit, peaking at numbers 16, 13 and 11, respectively. Outside Europe, "Faces" charted in Australia, reaching number 54 on the ARIA Singles Chart.{{cite Ryan|page=288}}

Music video

The music video for "Faces" was directed by British director Nick Burgess-Jones and produced by Spidercom Films.{{cite web|title=2 Unlimited - Faces music video (1993)|url=https://www.eurokdj.com/search/video.php?id=129|publisher=Eurokdj.com|access-date=27 February 2024}} It was filmed in Park Royal film studio in London. The backdrop of the video depicts a futuristic desert landscape where band members Ray Slijngaard and Anita Dels are surrounded by machines and screens, where different faces are shown. Sometimes the duo is seen in black-and-white, with the surroundings still in colours. "Faces" received heavy rotation on MTV Europe in September 1993.{{cite magazine|first=|last=|title=Station Reports > MTV Europe/London|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-09-18.pdf|magazine=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=38|date=18 September 1993|page=20|accessdate=17 December 2022}} There were made two different edits of the video; the rap version and the no rap version. The rap version of "Faces" was later made available on 2 Unlimited's official YouTube channel in 2014, having generated more than 4 million views on the platform as of early 2025.{{cite web|title=2 Unlimited - Faces (Rap Version) (Official Music Video)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SJHB20tp1U|publisher=YouTube|date=26 July 2014|accessdate=23 May 2025}}

Track listing

width=100% style="font-size:100%;"

|valign="top"|

  • 7-inch single
  1. "Faces" (Radio Edit) (3:37)
  2. "Faces" (Album Version) (3:49)
  • Belgian 12-inch maxi
  1. "Faces" (Radio Edit) (3:47)
  2. "Faces" (Extended) (5:55)
  3. "Faces" (X-Out Remix) (5:17)
  4. "Faces" (Trance-Aumatic Remix) (5:20)
  5. "Faces" (Automatic Breakbeat Remix) (5:30)
  • Netherlands 12-inch maxi
  1. "Faces" (Extended) (5:55)
  2. "Faces" (X-Out Remix) (5:17)
  3. "Faces" (Trance-Aumatic Remix) (5:20)
  4. "Faces" (Automatic Breakbeat Remix) (5:30)
  • UK 12-inch maxi
  1. "Faces" (Extended) (5:55)
  2. "Faces" (X-Out Remix) (6:17)
  3. "Faces" (Trance-Aumatic Remix) (5:20)
  4. "Faces" (Automatic Breakbeat Remix) (5:30)
  5. "Faces" (Original Version) (4:43)

|valign="top"|

  • US 12-inch maxi
  1. "Faces" (Extended Mix) (5:55)
  2. "Faces" (X-Out Remix) (5:17)
  3. "Faces" (Radio Edit) (3:37)
  4. "Faces" (Trance-Automatic Remix) (5:20)
  5. "Faces" (Automatic Breakbeat Remix) (5:30)
  6. "Faces" (Spanish Radio Version) (3:37)
  • UK CD single
  1. "Faces" (Edit) (3:34)
  2. "Faces" (Extended) (5:57)
  3. "Faces" (X-Out Remix) (5:18)
  4. "Faces" (Trance-Aumatic Remix) (5:22)
  5. "Faces" (Automatic Breakbeat Remix) (5:32)
  6. "Faces" (Original Version) (3:47)
  • European CD maxi
  1. "Faces" (Radio Edit) (3:37)
  2. "Faces" (Extended) (5:55)
  3. "Faces" (X-Out Remix) (5:17)
  4. "Faces" (Trance-Aumatic Remix) (5:20)
  5. "Faces" (Automatic Breakbeat Remix) (5:30)

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1993)

!Peak
position

scope="row"|Australia (ARIA)

| 54

{{single chart|Austria|10|artist=2 Unlimited|song=Faces|rowheader=true|access-date=7 November 2022|refname="austria"}}
{{single chart|Flanders|3|artist=2 Unlimited|song=Faces|rowheader=true|refname="belgium"}}
scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)

| 6

scope="row"|Europe (European Dance Radio)

| 2

scope="row"|Europe (European Hit Radio){{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-10-02.pdf|title=EHR Top 40|magazine=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=40|date=2 October 1993|page=22|access-date=16 April 2024}}

| 31

scope="row"|Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)

| 5

{{single chart|France|16|artist=2 Unlimited|song=Faces|rowheader=true|access-date=7 November 2022}}
{{single chart|Germany|8|artist=2 Unlimited|song=Faces|songid=2671|rowheader=true|access-date=7 November 2022|refname="germany"}}
{{single chart|Ireland2|7|song=Faces|rowheader=true|access-date=7 November 2022|refname="ireland"}}
scope="row"|Italy (Musica e dischi){{cite web|url=http://www.musicaedischi.it/classifiche_archivio.php|title=Classifiche|work=Musica e dischi|language=it|access-date=29 May 2022}} Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "2 Unlimited".

| 13

scope="row"|Lithuania (M-1)

| 5

{{single chart|Dutch40|2|year=1993|week=|rowheader=true|access-date=7 November 2022}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|2|artist=2 Unlimited|song=Faces|rowheader=true|refname="netherlands"}}
scope="row"|Spain (AFYVE)

| 4

{{single chart|Sweden|11|artist=2 Unlimited|song=Faces|rowheader=true|access-date=7 November 2022}}
{{single chart|Switzerland|19|artist=2 Unlimited|song=Faces|rowheader=true|access-date=7 November 2022}}
{{single chart|UK|8|date=19930911|rowheader=true|access-date=7 November 2022|refname="uk"}}
scope="row"|UK Airplay (Music Week)

| 28

scope="row"|UK Dance (Music Week)

| 6

scope="row"|UK Club Chart (Music Week)

| 30

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1993)

!Position

scope="row"|Belgium (Ultratop){{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1993|title=Jaaroverzichten 1993|publisher=Ultratop|language=nl|access-date=28 November 2019}}

| 23

scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-12-18.pdf|title=1993 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=51/52|date=18 December 1993|page=15|access-date=27 November 2019}}

| 63

scope="row"|Europe (European Dance Radio){{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-12-18.pdf|title=1993 Year-End Airplay Charts: European Dance Radio|magazine=Music & Media|volume=10|issue=51/52|date=18 December 1993|page=18|access-date=26 February 2024}}

| 14

scope="row"|Germany (Media Control){{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/single-jahr/for-date-1993|title=Top 100 Singles – Jahrescharts 1993|language=de|publisher=GfK Entertainment|access-date=27 November 2019}}

| 51

scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web |url=http://www.top40.nl/pdf/top100/top100-1993.pdf |title=Single top 100 over 1993 |publisher=Dutch Top 40 |language=nl |access-date=28 December 2013}}

| 35

scope="row"|Netherlands (Single Top 100){{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1993&cat=s|title=Jaaroverzichten – Single 1993|access-date=28 November 2019|publisher=dutchcharts.nl}}

| 46

scope="row"|Sweden (Topplistan){{cite web|url=http://www.grammotex.se/topp93singlar.htm|title=Årstopplistan 1993, Singlar|publisher=Grammotex|language=sv|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010216105631/http://www.grammotex.se/topp93singlar.htm|archive-date=16 February 2001|access-date=7 April 2025}}

| 82

{{col-end}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{2 Unlimited}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1993 songs

Category:1993 singles

Category:2 Unlimited songs

Category:Byte Records singles

Category:Pete Waterman Entertainment singles

Category:Music videos directed by Nick Burgess-Jones

Category:Music videos shot in London

Category:Songs written by Anita Doth

Category:Songs written by Jean-Paul De Coster

Category:Songs written by Phil Wilde

Category:Songs written by Ray Slijngaard

Category:ZYX Music singles