Real Things (2 Unlimited album)

{{Infobox album

| name = Real Things

| type = studio

| artist = 2 Unlimited

| cover = 2 unlimited real things retail cd-front.jpg

| alt =

| released = 6 June 1994

| recorded = 1994

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = {{hlist|Eurodance|techno|dance-pop}}

| length = 57:20

| label = Byte Records (Sony / PWL) BYTE 103-9

| producer = Jean-Paul de Coster (exec. prod.), Phil Wilde, et al.

| prev_title = No Limits!

| prev_year = 1993

| next_title = Hits Unlimited

| next_year = 1995

| misc = {{Extra album cover

| header = Alternative cover

| type = studio

| cover = 2_unlimited_real_things.jpeg

| border =

| alt =

| caption = UK cover

}}

{{Singles

| name = Real Things

| type = studio

| single1 = The Real Thing

| single1date = 9 May 1994

| single2 = No One

| single2date = 19 September 1994

| single3 = Here I Go

| single3date = 13 March 1995

| single4 = Nothing Like the Rain

| single4date = 12 June 1995

}}

Real Things is the third album by Belgian/Dutch Eurodance act 2 Unlimited, released in 1994.{{cite web|url=http://allmusic.com/artist/2-unlimited-p36898/biography|title=AllMusic: 2 Unlimited (Biography)|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=2012-05-06}} It was the band's second number one album in the UK and despite spending just nine weeks in the UK Albums Chart Top 75, it was certified gold there[http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=3260 BPI.co.uk] Certification Real Things Accessed November 4, 2006 and platinum in The Netherlands.[http://www.nvpi.nl/nvpi/pagina.asp?pagkey=60461 NVPI.nl] Dutch certification database Accessed November 4, 2006 "The Real Thing", "Here I Go", "No One" and "Nothing Like the Rain" were released as singles. Unlike their previous album, Ray Slijngaard's raps on the verses were not cut for the UK release.

Critical reception

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r203789|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]

| rev2 = NME

| rev2score = 8/10{{cite magazine|first=Beau|last=Quantick|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/53181318255/|title=Long Play|work=NME|date=11 June 1994|page=33|access-date=1 October 2023}}

| rev3 = Pop Rescue

| rev3score = (favorable){{cite web|url=https://poprescue.com/2014/11/07/pop-rescue-real-things-2-unlimited-cd-1994/|title=Review: "Real Things" by 2 Unlimited (CD, 1994)|publisher=Pop Rescue|date=7 November 2014|accessdate=10 November 2020}}

| rev4 = Select

| rev4score = {{rating|3|5|full=U+25A0.svg|empty=U+25A1.svg|rating=medal}}{{cite magazine|url=http://selectmagazinescans.monkeon.co.uk/showpage.php?file=wp-content/uploads/2014/06/albums33.jpg|first=Tim|last=Marsh|title=New Albums: Soundbites|magazine=Select|date=1 August 1994|page=89|accessdate=10 November 2022}}

| rev5 = Smash Hits

| rev5score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine|first=Mark|last=Sutherland|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/57779449@N02/54025825933/in/album-72177720320650693|title=New Albums|work=Smash Hits|date=8 June 1994|page=56|access-date=1 March 2025}}

}}

Generally, the music press were kinder to this album than previous album No Limits!. Beau Quantick from NME gave it eight out of ten. Tim Marsh from Select noted that "The Real Thing" "has a funky key riff", while "Sensuality" and "Something Wild" "explore darker sounds." Smash Hits' Mark Sutherland stated that "every song is a potential top 10 record" and that "for techno [...] mayhem, you can't beat Real Things".

Track listing

"The Real Thing" – 3:40
"Do What I Like" – 4:07
"Here I Go" – 5:10
"Burning Like Fire" – 4:54
"Info Superhighway" – 4:35
"Hypnotised" – 4:22
"Tuning Into Something Wild" – 4:05
"Escape In Music" – 3:52
"Sensuality" – 4:27
"No One" – 3:25
"Face To Face" – 4:03
"What's Mine Is Mine" – 4:57
"Nothing Like the Rain" – 4:39

Personnel

Adapted from AllMusic.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/real-things-mw0000625498/credits|title=Real Things - 2 Unlimited - Credits - AllMusic|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=10 July 2017}}

2 Unlimited – primary artist
Peter Bauwens – arranger, producer, vocal arrangement
Peter Bulkens – mixing
Jean-Paul DeCoster – arranger, executive producer, producer
Andy Janssens – remixing
Phil Wilde – arranger, composer, engineer, producer

Charts

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

|+ Chart performance for Real Things

! Chart (1994)

! Peak
position

{{album chart|Australia|18|artist=2 Unlimited|album=Real Things|rowheader=true|access-date=23 October 2022}}

{{album chart|Austria|4|artist=2 Unlimited|album=Real Things|rowheader=true|access-date=23 October 2022}}

{{album chart|Netherlands|1|artist=2 Unlimited|album=Real Things|rowheader=true|access-date=23 October 2022}}

{{album chart|Germany4|3|id=1853|artist=2 Unlimited|album=Real Things|rowheader=true|access-date=23 October 2022}}

{{album chart|New Zealand|19|artist=2 Unlimited|album=Real Things|rowheader=true|access-date=23 October 2022}}

{{album chart|Norway|14|artist=2 Unlimited|album=Real Things|rowheader=true|access-date=23 October 2022}}

{{album chart|Sweden|2|artist=2 Unlimited|album=Real Things|rowheader=true|access-date=23 October 2022}}

{{album chart|Switzerland|3|artist=2 Unlimited|album=Real Things|rowheader=true|access-date=23 October 2022}}

{{album chart|UK2|1|date=19940612|rowheader=true|access-date=23 October 2022}}

Certifications and sales

{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|title=Real Things|artist=2 Unlimited|relyear=1991|region=Brazil|nocert=true|salesamount=50,000|salesref={{cite magazine|title=The Search For Skank|magazine = Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZQgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA64|date=10 December 1994|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|pages=64|accessdate=1 December 2021|issn=0006-2510}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Finland|type=album|title=Real Thing|artist=2 Unlimited|award=Gold|relyear=1994|certyear=19954|salesamount=36,700|accessdate=16 February 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|type=album|title=Real Thing|artist=2 Unlimited|award=Gold|number=2|certyear=1994|relyear=1994|source=infodisc|accessdate=16 February 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Japan|type=album|title=Real Thing|artist=2 Unlimited|award=Gold|relyear=1993|certyear=1993|certmonth=12|accessdate=16 February 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Netherlands|type=album|title=Real thing|artist=2 Unlimited|award=Platinum|relyear=1994|certyear=1994|certmonth=8|accessdate=16 February 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Switzerland|type=album|title=Real Thing|artist=2 Unlimited|award=Gold|relyear=1994|certyear=1994|accessdate=16 February 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=album|title=Real Thing|artist=2 Unlimited|award=Gold|certyear=1994|relyear=1994|accessdate=16 February 2021|id=5389-523-2}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Worldwide|type=album|title=Real thing|artist=2 Unlimited|nocert=true|relyear=1994|salesamount=1,700,000|salesref={{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TA8EAAAAMBAJ&q=hits+unlmited&pg=PA29|title=Hits Unlimited|magazine=Billboard|via=Google Books|volume=108|issue=10|page=29|issn=0006-2510|date=13 March 1996|accessdate=16 February 2021}}}}

References

Category:1994 albums

Category:2 Unlimited albums

Category:Byte Records albums