About the album

The Belgian label PIAS Recordings (Play It Again Sam) has been giving the Soulwax brothers absolute freedom for many years, even though all their foreign adventures have meant nothing but a loss for the label. This fact notwithstanding, Kenny Gates, head of PIAS, is convinced that he has struck gold with the newfound interests of the Dewaeles. He relentlessly tries to convince them to create an album in the same style as their mashups and radio shows. Stephen and David eventually give in, handing over a list of 187 tracks they want to use on the album – not thinking for a second they would get all the clearance required. Half a year, over 860 emails, 160 faxes and uncountable phone calls to 45 record companies later, the end of an administrative nightmare means the birth of their groundbreaking album, “As Heard On Radio Soulwax Pt. 2″, consisting of 45 (+ 1!) tracks composed of elements from 114 different tracks. They release the album as 2manydjs, a play on a Soulwax song called Too Many DJs.

 

It was nothing short of a smash hit. The New York Times called it the best pop album of 2002. It ranked second on The Face‘s list of best albums of 2002. Spin called it 2002’s best novelty record. Pitchfork Media listed it as #93 on their top 200 albums of the 2000s. Finally, in 2013, it was voted best Belgian dance album ever in the Elektropedia Awards.

Video

In 2014, as part of their Radio Soulwax project, 2manydjs released a one-hour visual mix of their “As Heard On Radio Soulwax pt. 2″ album. The mix contains the full CD, along with animations of the cover artwork from the records while they are playing.

Tracklist

These are the tracks that appear on the album. We have included comments by Stephen & David, as well as clearance information (probably by Catherine Sabbe), taken from the old 2manydjs website.

Track 0 is a hidden track that can be found by rewinding the album until before the first track.

Many of these tracks appear on the album as mashups.

Tracks that were cleared but not on the album

The tracks below were cleared, but didn’t end up on the album – sometimes because the track they were supposed to be mixed with didn’t get clearance, because it didn’t fit the mix or simply because 45 tracks was the limit.

2 Live Crew – Me So Horny
Air Frog – Bon Voyage
Alex Gopher – Party People
An Der Beat – Knuf!
Azzido Da Bass – Dooms Night (Timo Maas Remix)
B-52’s – 52 Girls (Van Party Out Of Bounds)
Bangles – Walk Like A Egyptian (A Capella)
Basement Jaxx – Romeo
Beats International – Dub Be Good To Me
Bentley Rhythm Ace – How’d I Do That (Chicken Lips 3 Course Dub)
Blackstreet – No Diggity
Blondie – Heart Of Glass
Bob Sinclair – I Feel For You (Feelapella)
C&C Music Factory – Gonna Make You Sweat
David Bowie – Modern Love
Deee-lite – Groove Is In The Heart
Destiny’s Child – Bootylicious (A Capella)
Destiny’s Child – Bugaboo
dEUS – Everybody’s Weird
Die Doraus & Die Marinas – Fred From Jupiter
Digital Underground – The Humptey Dance
Donna Summer – I Feel Love
Eric B & Rakim – I Know You Got Soul (Double Trouble Remix)
Eric B & Rakim – Paid In Full
Etienne De Crecy – Prix Choc
Fatboy Slim – Star 69
Freq Nasty – Booming Back Atcha
Giorgio Moroder – The Chase
Grace Jones – My Jamaican Guy / J.A. Guys (Dub)
Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five – The Message
Grauzone – Film 1
Hatiras – Spaced Invader
Herbie Hancock – Rock It
I Monster Uncle – Tony Can Drink
Irene Cara – Fame (Extended Version)
James Gang – Funk #49
Jaydee – Plastic Dreams
Kosheen – Hide U
La Williams – Roc Tha Deesko
La Yellow 357 – Quelle Sensation Bizarre
Laid Back – White Horse
Laurent Garnier – Sound Of The Big Baboo
Lio – Amoureux Solitaires
Louie Austen – Grab My Shaft (feat. Peaches)
Les Rythmes Digitales – Jacques Your Body
Maceo Parker – Across The Tracks
Material – I’m The One
Moloko – Sing It Back (Mousse T Remix)
Monsoon – Ever So Lonely (Dub)
Motorbass – Flying Fingers
Native – Force Music Box
Natural Born Chillers – Rock The Funky Beats
New Order – Blue Monday
One-o-One Electric Dream – Rock To The Beat
Patchwork 2000 & More – Ep-Patch 002
S Express – Theme From S Express
Serge Gainsbourg – Requiem Pour Un Con
Sheila E – A Love Bizarre
T99 – Anathasia
The Disco Boys Feat Rb – Born To Be Alive (Felix Da Housecat Remix)
Jimmy Castor Bunch – Bertha Butt Boogie
The Knack – My Sharona
The Stooges – I Wanna Be Your Dog
Vanilla Ice – Ice Ice Baby
Visage – Fade To Grey
Weathermen – Poison
Whirlpool Production – Disco To Disco (Les Rythmes Digitales Remix)
Wiseguys – Start The Commotion
Yarbrough And People – Don’t Stop The Music
Young Mc – Bust A Move
Zita Swoon – Disco

Tracks that couldn’t be cleared

And finally, these tracks simply couldn’t get cleared. For most of these, the artists simply refuse to clear the copyrights for inclusion on any compilation record what-so-ever. Sometimes it’s a matter of protecting their interests, but sometimes they’re just headstrong, greedy, snobbish or who knows, jealous? Stephen & David have at several occasions hinted at the fact that some of these artists later regretted not having their track on the album, or not even having been informed of the clearance request by their respective record companies.

AC/DC – Back In Black
AC/DC – Highway To Hell
Agent Sumo – Ain’t Got Time (To Stop)
Alan Braxe & Fred Falke – Running
Axel Bauer – Cargo De Nuit
Beastie Boys – Body Movin’
Beastie Boys – Intergalactic
Beastie Boys – Sure Shot
Beck – Mixed Business (A Capella)
Beck – Sexx Laws (A Capella)
Butler Kiev – Rewind Selecta
Cassius – Feeling For You (Les Rythmes Remix)
Chemical Brothers – Hey Boy, Hey Girl
Daft Punk – Oh Yeah
Daft Punk – Rollin’ And Scratchin’
Daft Punk – Revolution 909
Deejay Punk – Roc My Beatbox
Dj Kool – Let Me Clear My Throat
George Michael – Faith
Inner City – Big Fun
INXS – Need You Tonight
Janet Jackson – What Have You Done For Me Lately
Klein & M.B.O. – Dirty Talk
Latyrx – Lady Don’t Tek-No
Le Club – Un Fait Divers Et Rien De Plus
Lenny Kravitz – Always On The Run
Les Rita Mitsouko – Andy
Liaisons Dangereuses – Los Ninos Del Parque
Lou Reed – Vicious
Mantronix – King Of The Beats
Marrs – Pump Up The Volume
Michael Jackson – Billy Jean
Michael Jackson – Wanna Be Startin’ Something
Midfield – General Coatnoise (Dave Clark Remix)
Mirwais – Naive Song (Dave Clark Remix)
Missy Misdemeanor Elliott – Get Ur Freak On
Missy Misdemeanor Elliott – Lick Shots (A Capella)
Mr. Oizo – Flat Beat
Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
Notorious B.I.G. – Hypnotise
Par-T-One – I’m So Crazy (Subliminal Chant)
Patrick Coutin – J’Aime Regarder Les Filles
Phoenix – If I Ever Feel Better (Buffalo Bunch Remix)
Prince – Erotic City
Prince – I Wanna Be Your Lover
Prince – When The Doves Cry
The Rock Steady Crew – (Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew
Scritti Politti – Absolute
Serge Gainsbourg – La Horse
Simple Minds – Theme From Great Cities
Survivor – Eye Of The Tiger
Talking Heads – Once In A Lifetime
The Clash – Magnificent 7
The League – Unlimited Orchestra
The League – Seconds
The Microbop Ensemble – Your Turn Now
The Pixies – Gigantic
Thomas Bangalter – Spinal Scratch
Tone Loc – Funky Cold Medina
Vanessa Paradis – Gotta Have It

About the cover photo

The original artwork for As Heard On Radio Soulwax pt. 2 was done by Marc Meulemans. He took a picture made by Richard Young of Elton John giving a “two-fingered salute” while leaving Langan’s Brasserie in London and added a brown paper bag over Elton’s head in an attempt to avoid legal problems. Nonetheless, Young eventually threatened to sue over the unauthorized use of his photograph and the record was re-released, with the entire picture whited out except for the paper brown bag.

The bag became a symbol for 2manydjs and can be seen referenced in some visuals, such as the Any Minute Now video clip or the Under The Covers video.