2 Become 1

Single infobox
Name = 2 Become 1


Artist = Spice Girls
from Album = Spice
B-side = "One of These Girls"
"Sleigh Ride"
Released = Flagicon|Japan December 12, 1996
Flagicon|UK December 16, 1996
Flagicon|Australia March 31, 1997
Flagicon|USA July 29, 1997
Format = Vinyl record (12"),
cassette, CD single
Recorded = 1995
Genre = Pop ballad
Length = 4:00
3.39 (Music Video)
Label = Virgin Records
Writer = Richard Stannard
Matt Rowe
Spice Girls
Producer = Richard Stannard
Matt Rowe
Certification = Platinum (BPI, ARIA)
Gold (RIAA)
Artist = Spice Girls
Type = singles
Last single = "Say You'll Be There"
(1996)
This single = "2 Become 1"
(1996)
Next single = "Mama" / "Who Do You Think You Are"
(1997)Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate covers
Type = Single


Lower caption = UK CD 2 coverExtra album cover 2
Type = Single


Lower caption = US CD1 cover

"2 Become 1" is a pop song performed by the British group Spice Girls. It was the third single released from their debut album "Spice" (see 1996 in music). It was their first ballad release as a single and was very different from their previous material, which was more up-tempo and dance-based.

"2 Become 1" became the group's third consecutive number-one and their second million-selling single in the United Kingdom. Released in December 1996, it stayed at the top for three weeks, and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry. In the United States, the single was released in July 1997, peaking at four (the group's third consecutive top five) and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. It was one of their most successful singles, peaking inside the top ten on the majority of the charts it entered.

Writing and inspiration

"2 Become 1" was co-written by the Spice Girls along with partners Richard Stannard and Matthew Rowe. Stannard and Rowe also co-produced the track. The slow ballad focuses upon how the bonding of two lovers can become so strong that they practically become one entity, through the act of sex.

According to their official book, "Girl Power!", after writing more animated and dance-based songs the group decided to write a slow ballad, but the lyrics started to sound a bit corny, so the group decided to address the importance of contraception to the song with the lyrics: "be a little bit wiser baby, put it on, put it on".

The group wrote the song after they finished "Wannabe", inspired by the "special" relationship which was delevoping between Halliwell and Rowe. Melanie Brown hinted this development in her autobiography comenting: "When Matt and Geri started making eye contact at each other I knew what was going on, even though they denied it. I knew them both too well for it too be a secret for me".

Stannard also remembered the fondness that existed between the two: "I don't want to get into the side of things. They were very close. They clicked. And I think the lyrics in "2 Become 1" came from that, especially the first verse, which they wrote together".

The song was more a melodically adept, mainstream number that added another string to their songwriting bow. As well as the obvious sexual connotations there was an aspirational undercurrent to the lyric and, desire was explicitly linked to ambition: "free your mind of doubt and danger/be for real don't be a stranger/we can achieve it/we can achieve it".cite book | last = Sinclair | first = David | title = Wannabe: How the Spice Girls Reinvented Pop Fame | publisher = Omnibus Press | date = 2004 | pages = 42-43 | isbn =0-71198-643-6 ]

One interesting quality that this song has (which does not normally occur) is that the song's title appears in the verse instead of the chorus. There are two different versions with different lyrics of "2 Become 1":

In the "album version", the second line of the second verse is "any deal that we endeavor/boys and girls feel good together". [ [http://www.hotlyrics.net/lyrics/S/Spice_Girls/2_Become_1.html Album Version-Lyrics] . Hotlyrics.net . Retrieved November 4 2007.]

In the "single version", the same line is changed to "once again if we endeavour/love will bring us back together". [ [http://www.hotlyrics.net/lyrics/S/Spice_Girls/2_Become_1_(Video_Version).html Single Version-Lyrics] . Hotlyrics.net . Retrieved November 4 2007.]

Victoria Beckham sings on the "single version", while Geri Halliwell sings on the "album version". On the music video and on stage they performed the "single version", both before and after Halliwell left the band.

panish version

The group also recorded a Spanish version of the song. The title was simply, "2 Become 1 – Spanish Version", although the title is loosely translated in one line of the song: "Seremos uno los dos". The song was released as the eleventh track of their debut album "Spice" in Colombia, Mexico, South Africa and other Latin American countries, also in a special re-edition of the album in Spain and as one of the tracks of the second version of the "2 Become 1" single in the US.

Even in the Spanish version, the line "Wanna make love to ya baby", remained in English". [ [http://www.lyrics007.com/Spice%20Girls%20Lyrics/Seremos%20Unos%20Los%20Dos%202%20Become%201%20Spanish%20Version%20Lyrics.html Seremos uno los dos-Lyrics] . Lyrics007.com . Retrieved November 4 2007.] The girls sing with an accent from Spain, using the traditional lisp on the letters C and Z. This is the only song the Spice Girls recorded in Spanish, aside from Halliwell's Spanish verse in the song, "If U Can't Dance". [ [http://www.lyrics007.com/Spice%20Girls%20Lyrics/If%20You%20Can't%20Dance%20Lyrics.html If U Can't Dance-Lyrics] . Lyrics007.com . Retrieved November 4 2007.]

Critical reception

"2 Become 1" was generally well-received by music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic called the song a "perfect adult contemporary confection". [ [http://wm03.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dxfoxqrhldse~T1 All Music Guide-Review] . Allmusic.com . Retrieved November 3 2007.] Ben Thompson from Amazon.com described as "the ultimate guilty pleasure" and a "classic pop song that makes "Spice" one of the best pop albums of the 90s". [ [http://www.amazon.ca/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A39IBO345O4Q2S Amazon.com-Review] . Amazon.ca . Retrieved November 3 2007.]

LAUNCHcast's Dev Sherlock called the song a "glossy ballad that would do Mariah Carey proud". [ [http://uk.music.yahoo.com/read/review/12062573 LAUNCHcast-Review] . Uk.music.yahoo.com . Retrieved November 3 2007.] Sputnikmusic said that it "has to be the smuttiest track in the entire record...a slow ballad where the girl's voices really shine through" adding that "if it weren't for the lyrics, this would be a great manufactured pop song". [ [http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?albumid=3524 Sputnikmusic-Review] . Sputnikmusic.com . Retrieved November 3 2007.] Another review from Sputnikmusic noticed that the song "feels slightly awkward at times, with Sporty Spice sounding uncomfortable in her more melodic role" and that it "can be called dated" adding that the song "may have been totally appropriate in their day, yet today they just distract from the bubbly party going on in other songs". [ [http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?reviewid=9422 Sputnikmusic-Review 2] . Sputnikmusic.com . Retrieved November 3 2007.]

Music video

The video for "2 Become 1" was directed by Big TV!, [ [http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=26205 Big TV!] . Mvdbase.com . Retrieved September 19 2007.] and the photography was in charge of the cinematographer Stephen Keith-Roach, who also worked in other music videos like Jamiroquai's "Virtual Insanity" and U2's "Discotheque". [ [http://www.mvdbase.com/tech.php?last=Keith-Roach&first=Stephen Stephen Keith-Roach] . Mvdbase.com . Retrieved September 29 2007.]

It features the five girls in Times Square in New York City with fast moving cars appearing around multi-coloured lights, appearing in various places around the city, either alone, with one other member, or as a quintet. Sometimes the closing scene would not be shown on television due to the song fading out to an instrumental which lasts for forty seconds.

The video is intercut with scenes of lovers experiencing moments of togetherness and closes with a deer wandering the streets, such a scene, according to the group's first official book "Girl Power!", gave them a running gag all throughout the shoot- "Whenever anyone made a mistake it was, 'Oh deer'".

In the same book Victoria Beckham comments: "It was really weird having to sing passionately into the camera, I was feeling a right mug in front of all those people singing "wanna make love to ya baby".cite book | last = Spice Girls | title = Girl Power! | publisher = Zone/Chameleon Books | date = 1997 | pages = 38-39 | isbn =0-233-99165-4 ]

Chart performance

The single was originally going to be released in the United Kingdom on December 9, 1996, but the release date was delayed to let Dunblane's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door", a tribute to the children killed at the Dunblane Primary School in Scotland, to stay at the top of the UK Singles Chart. [cite book | last = McGibbon | first = Rob | title = Spice Power: The Inside Story | publisher = Macmillan Publishers Ltd. | date = 1997 | pages = 121 | isbn =0-7522-1142-0 ] The single was released the next week and unsurprisingly, it became their third chart-topper, debuting at the top, [ [http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=24809 UK Chart-History] . Chartstats.com . Retrieved October 13 2007.] staying there for three consecutive weeks and giving the girls their first Christmas number-one single in the UK. [ [http://www.theofficialcharts.com/stats-christmas_ones_singles.php Christmas number-one single in the UK] . Theofficialcharts.com . Retrieved October 13 2007.] Even though the single was released in the last two weeks of 1996, it was the ninth best seller of the year, [ [http://www.popreport.co.uk/chart_history/96_main.php Biggest sellers of 1996] . Popreport.co.uk . Retrieved October 13 2007.] selling more than 200,000 in the first three days and 730,000 in those two weeks. [ [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-61284854.html 2 Become 1-Sales] . Highbeam.com . Subscription Required . Retrieved October 13 2007.] In 1997, it sold a further 350,000 copies, making it the thirty-fifth best seller of that year. [ [http://www.musicweek.com/charts/title.asp Sales figures sourced from Music Week] . Musicweek.com . Subscription Required ] It sold 1.08 million copies total in the United Kingdom, giving the Spice Girls their second and final million-selling UK single. [ [http://www.theofficialcharts.com/stats-million_sellers.php UK million selling single] . Chartstats.com . Retrieved October 13 2007.]

The single was successful across Europe, reaching number three on the Euro Hot 100. In Ireland it was their second single that top the chart. It stayed at the top for six weeks and became their first Christmas number-one single in that country. [ [http://www.irishcharts.ie/christmas/christmas4.htm Christmas number-one single in Ireland] . Irishcharts.ie . Retrieved October 13 2007.]

In Norway the single debuted in December 1996 at number twelve, [ [http://norwegiancharts.com/archiv.asp?todo=show&woche=51&jahr=1996&sparte=s Norwegian debut] . Norwegiancharts.com . Retrieved October 13 2007.] reaching a peak position of three five weeks later, staying fourteen weeks in the charts, and eventually received a gold certification. In the Netherlands the single was quite successful, it was their third consecutive top five in the Mega Single Top 100 peaking at number two, [ [http://dutchcharts.nl/archive.asp?todo=show&day=18&month=01&year=1997&cat=s Mega Single Top 100-Peak position] . Dutchcharts.nl . Retrieved November 1 2007.] staying twenty-one weeks in the chart. In the Dutch Top 40 the single was the group's third consecutive top ten, debuting the first week of January at number six, [ [http://www.top4000.nl/page/hitlijsten/1997/1/ Dutch Top 40-Debut] . Dutchcharts.nl . Retrieved November 1 2007.] and reaching a peak position of three the next week.

In France the single was their third consecutive top five, it debuted on March 1, 1997 at number nine, [ [http://lescharts.com/archive.asp?todo=show&day=01&month=03&year=1997&cat=s French Debut] . Lescharts.com . Retrieved November 1 2007.] reaching a peak position of four two weeks later, staying thirteen weeks on the chart, and receiving a gold certification by the Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique.The single was largely successful across the rest of Continental Europe reaching the top ten in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland and the top fifteen in Belgium and Germany.

In Japan "2 Become 1" peaked at number two in the Tokyo Hot 100 in January 1997, and ended at twenty-three in the Year End Chart. In New Zealand the single debuted on December 22, 1996 at number twelve when both "Wannabe" and "Say You'll Be There" still were in the top five. [ [http://charts.org.nz/archive.asp?todo=show&day=22&month=12&year=1996&cat=s New Zealand debut] . Charts.org.nz . Retrieved September 23 2007.] It eventually peak at number three and stayed eighteen weeks in the chart. In Australia the single debuted on April 20, 1997 at number five, peaking at number two for two weeks, being blocked off the top by Savage Garden's "Truly Madly Deeply". [ [http://australian-charts.com/archive.asp?todo=show&day=11&month=05&year=1997&cat=s Australian-Chart History] . Australian-charts.com . Retrieved November 1 2007.] It stayed twelve weeks on the top ten and eighteen weeks in total, and received a platinum certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association.

In Brazil the song reached the number-one position for three weeks, and ended at number-five at the Year End Charts in 1997. [ [http://www.hot100brasil.com/timemachine1997.html Brazil Hot 100] . Hot100brasil.com . Retrieved September 23 2007.]

In the U.S. the song was incredibly popular, reaching the top ten in both the Hot 100 Airplay and the Hot 100 Singles Sales, [ [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=350&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+100+Airplay&ci=3028187&cdi=7232517&cid=09%2F27%2F1997 Hot 100 Airplay] . Billboard.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.] [ [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=353&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+Singles+Sales&ci=3029393&cdi=7275368&cid=01%2F31%2F1998 Hot 100 Singles Sales] . Billboard.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.] but failing to top the Billboard Hot 100, stalling at number four (one place lower than "Say You'll Be There"). Nevertheless, at the time of its release it became the second-highest debut on the Hot 100 by an international act, entering the charts at number six. The record is held by "Say You'll Be There", which debuted at number five. [cite book | last = Halliwell | first = Geraldine | title = If Only | publisher = Bantam Books Ltd. | date = 1999 | pages = 269 | isbn = 0553815296 ] Due to its long lasting popularity, the release of "Who Do You Think You Are" was cancelled for North America.

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "2 Become 1". [http://www.spicediscography.tk/ Formats and track listings] . Spicediscography.tk . Retrieved September 29 2007.]
*UK CD1/Australian CD/Brazilian CD/South African CD
#"2 Become 1" [Single Version] – 4:05
#"2 Become 1" [Orchestral Version] – 4:05
#"One of These Girls" – 3:33
#"Wannabe" [Junior Vasquez Remix Edit] – 5:57

*UK CD2
#"2 Become 1" [Single Version] – 4:05
#"2 Become 1" [Dave Way Remix] – 4:01
#"Sleigh Ride" - 3:18

*Dutch Promo CD/Mexican Promo CD
#"2 Become 1" [Spanish Version] – 4:05
#"2 Become 1" [Single Version] – 4:05

*Canadian Promo CD/European CD
#"2 Become 1" [Single Version] – 4:05
#"2 Become 1" [Orchestral Version] – 4:05

*Japanese CD
#"2 Become 1" [Single Version] – 4:05
#"2 Become 1" [Orchestral Version] – 4:05
#"One of These Girls" – 3:33
#"Sleigh Ride" – 3:18

*Thai Promo CD
#"2 Become 1" [Album Version] – 4:00

*US CD1
#"2 Become 1" [Single Version] – 4:05
#"One of These Girls" – 3:33

*US CD2
#"2 Become 1" [Single Version] – 4:05
#"2 Become 1" [Dave Way Remix] – 4:01
#"One of These Girls" – 3:33
#"2 Become 1" [Spanish Version] – 4:05
#"2 Become 1" [Orchestral Version] – 4:05

*Spanish 12" Vinyl single
# A1: "2 Become 1" [Single Version] – 4:05
# A2: "2 Become 1" [Orchestral Version] – 4:05
# B1: "Wannabe" [Junior Vasquez Remix Edit] – 5:57
# B2: "One of These Girls" – 3:33

*UK Promo 12" Vinyl single
# A1: "2 Become 1" [Dave Way Remix] – 4:01
# B1: "Wannabe" [Junior Vasquez Remix Edit] – 5:57
# B2: "Wannabe" [Junior Vasquez Gomix Dub] – 6:36

*2007 Club Remixes
#"2 Become 1" [Georgie Porgie Extended Mix] – 7:16
#"2 Become 1" [Georgie Porgie Dub Mix] – 7:18
#"2 Become 1" [Georgie Porgie Radio Edit] – 4:03

Credits and personnel

*Spice Girls – lead vocals
*Matt Rowe – producer, keyboards and programming
*Richard Stannard – producer, keyboards and programming
*Andy Bradfield – additional production and audio mixing
*Adrian Bushby – recording engineer
*Patrick McGovern – assistant
*Pete Davis, Paul Walker and Statik – additional programmingPublished by Windswept Pacific Music Ltd/PolyGram Music Publishing Ltd

*Greg Lester – guitar
*Craig Armstrong – string arrangements
*Isobel Griffiths – orchestal contractor
*Perry Montague-Masson – orchestal leader
*Mark Stent – audio mixing
*Dave Way – remixing

Cover versions

*Emma Bunton has performed live cover versions of the song during her solo career, she also performs the single version. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzMJtOTBv4Q Emma Bunton - 2 Become 1] . Youtube.com . Retrieved September 29 2007.]
*Rock guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert covered the song on his album "Alligator Farm", [ [http://wm09.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:aifpxq90ldhe~T1 Paul Gilbert Cover] . Allmusic.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.] and frequently performs the song at concerts. [ [http://www.kewego.es/player/?csig=iLyROoaftbEM&sig=iLyROoafteGs Paul Gilbert 2 Become 1 Live] . Kewego.es . Retrieved September 18 2007.]
*Philippine bossa nova singer Sitti recorded a cover of this song for her second album "My Bossa Nova". [ [http://www.demonoid.com/files/details/1343827/5426554/ Sitti Cover] . Demonoid.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.]

Charts, peaks and certifications

Chart positions

References

External links

* [http://www.thespicegirls.com/en/index.html Spice Girls official site]
* [http://www.thespicegirlsgreatesthits.com/ "2 Become 1" audio]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz182bWa3r0 "2 Become 1" music video - The Official Spice Channel on Youtube]