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| Producer = [[Richard Stannard]]<br>Matt Rowe
| Producer = [[Richard Stannard]]<br>Matt Rowe
| Certification = | Certification = [[Music recording sales certification|2x Platinum]] <small>([[British Phonographic Industry|BPI]])</small><br />[[Music recording sales certification|Platinum]] <small>([[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]])</small><br />[[RIAA certification|Gold]] <small>([[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]])</small>
| Certification = | Certification = [[Music recording sales certification|2x Platinum]] <small>([[British Phonographic Industry|BPI]])</small><br />[[Music recording sales certification|Platinum]] <small>([[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]])</small><br />[[RIAA certification|Gold]] <small>([[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]])</small>
| Chart position = <ul><li>#1 <small>([[Brazil]], [[Irish Singles Chart|Ireland]], [[Spain]], [[UK Singles Chart|United Kingdom]])</small></li>
| Chart position = <ul><li>#1 <small>([[Brazil]], [[Irish Singles Chart|Ireland]], [[Philippines]], [[Spain]], [[UK Singles Chart|United Kingdom]])</small></li>
<li>#2 <small>([[ARIA Charts|Australia]], [[Canada]], [[Latvia]])</small></li>
<li>#2 <small>([[ARIA Charts|Australia]], [[Canada]], [[Latvia]])</small></li>
<li>#3 <small>([[Euro Hot 100|Europe]], [[Dutch Top 40|Netherlands]], [[RIANZ|New Zealand]], [[Norway]])</small></li>
<li>#3 <small>([[Euro Hot 100|Europe]], [[Dutch Top 40|Netherlands]], [[RIANZ|New Zealand]], [[Norway]])</small></li>

Revision as of 15:52, 6 October 2007

For the Jewel song of the same name, see 2 Become 1 (Jewel song).
"2 Become 1"
Song
B-side"One Of These Girls"
"Sleigh Ride"

"2 Become 1" is a pop song performed by the Spice Girls. It was the third single released from their debut album Spice (1996/1997). 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.

It became the group's third consecutive number-one single and their second million-selling single in the UK, staying at the top for three weeks. In the US the single became their third consecutive top five and was certified gold by the RIAA. It was one of their most successful songs, 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 Matt Rowe. Stannard and Rowe 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. The song also addresses the importance of contraception with the lyrics "Be a little bit wiser baby, put it on, put it on". 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.

Template:Sound sample box align left Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end There are two different versions of "2 Become 1": the album version, on which Geri Halliwell sings the second line of the second verse, and the single version, on which Victoria Adams sings the same line in the second verse. The lyrics are also different in both versions.

The lyrics were changed, because the girls were receiving a large gay fan base and they did not want to alienate them by the original lyrics ('any deal that we endeavour/boys and girls feel good together'). It was changed to 'once again if we endeavour/love will bring us back together'. Victoria sings on the second version, while Geri sings on the album version. On stage they performed the 'Posh Version', both before and after Ginger left the band. Emma Bunton has performed live cover versions of the song during her solo career.[1]

Spanish 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 in a special re-edition of Spice in Spain, Mexico, Colombia and other Latin American countries and was popular with the Spice Girls' Spanish-speaking fans. Even in the Spanish version, the line "Wanna make love to ya baby", remained in English. 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". It was the last track on the album.

Music video

File:Veedyo.JPG
Spice Girls in "2 Become 1"


The video for "2 Become 1" was directed by Big TV!,[2] and the photography was in charge of the cinematographer Stephen Keith-Roach, who also worked in other videos like Jamiroquai's "Virtual Insanity" and U2's "Discotheque".[3]

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.

File:2become1 melc.JPG File:2become1 emma.jpg File:2become1 geri.JPG File:2become1 victoria.jpg File:2become1 melb.JPG

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 Geri Halliwell's 1999 autobiography gave them a running gag all throughout the shoot- "Whenever anyone made a mistake it was, 'Oh deer'".

Sometimes the closing scene would not be shown on television due to the song fading out to an instrumental which lasts for forty seconds.

Chart performance

Unsurprisingly, the single became their third chart-topper in the UK, debuting at the top and gave the girls their first Christmas number one single there. Even though the single was released in the last two weeks of 1996, it was the 10th best seller of the year - shifting 730,000 in those two weeks. In 1997, it sold a further 350,000 copies, making it the 35th best seller of that year, and the 24th best seller of the 1990s. It sell 1.08 million copies total in the United Kingdom, giving the Spice Girls their second and final million-selling UK single.

The single was successful across Europe, reaching number three on the Euro Hot 100.[4] In Ireland it was their second single that top the chart, staying at the top for six weeks.

File:2become1 istanbul.JPG
The Spice Girls performing
"2 Become 1" live in Istanbul

In France the single was their third consecutive top five, it debuted March 1, 1997 at number nine, reaching a peak position of four two weeks later, and staying thirteen weeks on the chart,[5] and receiving a gold certification by the SNEP.[6] It also reached the top five in the Netherlands and Norway, and the top ten in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland.

In Australia the single debuted 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". It stayed twelve weeks on the top ten and eighteen weeks in total,[7] and received a platinum certification by the ARIA.[8]

In New Zealand the single debuted December 22, 1996 at number twelve when both "Wannabe" and "Say You'll Be There" still were on the top five. [9] It eventually peak at number three and stayed eighteen weeks on the chart.[10]

In Brazil the song reached the number-one position for three weeks,[11] and ended at number-five at the Year End Charts in 1997.[12]

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,[13] [14] but failing to top the Billboard Hot 100, stalling at number four (one place lower than "Say You'll Be There").[15] Nevertheless, 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 the "Say You'll Be There", which debuted at number five. 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".[16]

Credits and personnel

Cover versions

Charts, peaks and certifications

Chart positions


Preceded by UK Christmas number-one single
1996 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Irish Singles Chart number-one single
December 14 1996 - January 18 1997 		Succeeded by
Preceded by UK Singles Chart number-one single
December 22 1996 - January 5 1997 		Succeeded by

Notes and References

  1. ^ Emma Bunton - 2 Become 1. Youtube.com . Retrieved September 29 2007.
  2. ^ Big TV!. Mvdbase.com . Retrieved September 19 2007.
  3. ^ Stephen Keith-Roach. Mvdbase.com . Retrieved September 29 2007.
  4. ^ a b Europarade. Interproducciones.com.ar. Retrieved September 23 2007.
  5. ^ a b French Charts. Lescharts.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  6. ^ a b French Certification. Disqueenfrance.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  7. ^ a b Australian Charts. Australian-charts.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  8. ^ a b Australian Certification. ARIA.com.au . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  9. ^ New Zealand debut. Charts.org.nz . Retrieved September 23 2007.
  10. ^ a b New Zealand Charts. Charts.org.nz . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  11. ^ a b Brazilian Charts. Angelfire.com. Retrieved September 22 2007.
  12. ^ Brazil Hot 100. Hot100brasil.com . Retrieved September 23 2007.
  13. ^ Hot 100 Airplay. Billboard.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  14. ^ Hot 100 Singles Sales. Billboard.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  15. ^ a b Billboard Hot 100. Billboard.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  16. ^ Formats and track listings. Spicediscography.tk . Retrieved September 29 2007.
  17. ^ Paul Gilbert Cover. Allmusic.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  18. ^ Paul Gilbert 2 Become 1 Live. Kewego.es . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  19. ^ Sitti Cover. Demonoid.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  20. ^ UK Charts. Theofficialcharts.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  21. ^ Irish Charts. Irishcharts.ie . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  22. ^ Latvian Charts. Lanet.lv . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  23. ^ Dutch Charts. Top4000.nl . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  24. ^ Norwegian Charts. Norwegiancharts.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  25. ^ Italian Charts. Hitparadeitalia.it . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  26. ^ United World Chart. Mediatraffic.de . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  27. ^ Swedish Charts. Swedishcharts.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  28. ^ Austrian Charts. Austriancharts.at . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  29. ^ Finnish Charts. Finnishcharts.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  30. ^ Swiss Charts. Hitparade.ch . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  31. ^ German Charts. Charts-Surfer.de . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  32. ^ Canadian airplay and sales charts. Jam.canoe.ca . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  33. ^ ARC Weekly Top 40. Rockonthenet.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  34. ^ Billboard Rhythmic Top 40. Billboard.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  35. ^ Billboard Top 40 Mainstream. Billboard.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  36. ^ Billboard Adult Contemporary. Billboard.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  37. ^ Billboard Hot Dance Maxi-Singles Sales. Billboard.com . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  38. ^ Billboard Adult Top 40. Billboard.com .Retrieved September 18 2007.
  39. ^ Norwegian Certification. IFPI.no . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  40. ^ UK Certification. BPI.co.uk . Retrieved September 18 2007.
  41. ^ USA Certification. RIAA.com .Retrieved September 18 2007.

External links


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