One and One (song)


"One and One" is a song written by Billy Steinberg, Rick Nowels and Marie-Claire D'Ubaldo. The song was first recorded by Edyta Górniak. It was covered by Robert Miles in 1996.

Edyta Górniak version

The song was first recorded by Polish singer Edyta Górniak. However, her version of the song was not released until 1997, when it appeared on her second album which also was her first international album, Edyta Górniak. The song was released as a single in Japan in 1997 and internationally in 1999. The featured live version of "When You Come Back to Me" was recorded on 21 October 1998 in Lisbon, Portugal by Radio RFM at the Lisbon showcase.

Music video

The accompanying music video for "One & One" includes scenes from the music video for "Anything", some new scenes and private shots.

Track listings

CD single
  1. "One & One"
  2. "When You Come Back to Me" French single
  3. "One & One"
  4. "I Don't Know What's on your Mind" German maxi single
  5. "One & One"
  6. "Under Her Spell"
  7. "When You Come Back to Me"
  8. "One & One" Japanese maxi single
  9. "One & One"
  10. "Coming Back to Love"
  11. "Never Will I"

Personnel

Charts

Chart Rank
Europe Border Breakers 15

Robert Miles version

"One and One" was covered by Italian dance musician Robert Miles featuring English singer Maria Nayler and released to radio in August 1996 and physically released on 4 November 1996 from Miles' debut album, Dreamland. The song was Miles' second number one on the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart, and it also peaked at number one in Flanders, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, and Scotland. Michael Geoghegan directed the song's accompanying music video.

Background

Maria Nayler secured her first record deal with Big Life in 1990 with her band Ultraviolet. Their first release, a cover of the Simon Dupree and the Big Sound's Sixties hit "Kites", gained her a significant fan — Sasha. He tracked her down and he and Nayler wrote "Be As One", which reached number 17 in February 96. Similarly, Robert Miles was so taken with Nayler's voice after hearing "Be As One" that he invited her to sing on "One And One".
Miles is known by some collectors of CD singles for the quotes he includes on his jewel case inserts, succinct expressions of what he was attempting to communicate in writing and producing the song. About "One and One", Miles wrote:

...Sometimes, you don't even have the time to realize
what is happening to your life,
that it has already happened...
the world moves too fast...
let's recapture the essence of time."

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Jose F. Promis described the song as a "magical" and "gorgeous, touching, dreamy song, featuring tender vocals by Maria Nayler, which remains one of the most sincere dance songs of its era." Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that Nayler "brings an appropriately ethereal quality to the cut's warm and pillowy instrumentation. She coos and whispers atop a stream of piano lines that are similar to the infectious tinkling on "Children", while a quietly insinuating dance beat pushes along at a disco-like pace." Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report commented, "Well, no one can argue that the words are better this time around. In all seriousness, Miles disproved the long-held belief that Top 40 programmers will not play instrumentals. They do play hits, and after overcoming some initial resistance, "Children" proved itself to be a smash here just as it had been around the world. This followup, which does feature a vocal, has a Euro feel, which B96-Chicago MD Erik Bradley describes as hypnotic. After two weeks of spins, he reports "a ton of calls from women. I think this will be one of the big records for fall." A reviewer from Music Week rated it four out of five, complimenting Nayler's "sweet Madonna-ish vocals combine with a dreamy soundscape from Miles. It's enigmatic — and another big hit."

Chart performance

"One and One" was very successful on the charts all over the world and remains Robert Miles' biggest hit alongside "Children". In Europe, it peaked at number-one in Belgium, Italy, Lithuania, Romania and Scotland, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100. The single entered the top 10 also in Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. In the latter, it reached number three in its sixth week at the UK Singles Chart, on 15 December 1996. Additionally, "One and One" was a top 20 hit in France and the Netherlands. Outside Europe, it hit number-one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in the United States, number seven on the RPM Dance/Urban chart in Canada and number 56 in Australia.
The single earned a gold record in Belgium, Germany, Norway, Sweden and the UK.

Music video

The music video for "One & One" was directed by Irish filmmaker Michael Geoghegan.

Track listings

12-inch maxi, Germany
  1. "One & One" – 6:30
  2. "One & One" – 9:00
  3. "One & One" – 7:34
  4. "One & One" – 11:4012-inch maxi, Italy
  5. "One & One" – 6:30
  6. "4US" – 7:41
  7. "One & One" – 9:11
  8. "One & One" – 4:05CD single
  9. "One & One" – 4:00
  10. "One & One" – 6:30CD maxi, Germany
  11. "One & One" – 9:43
  12. "One & One" – 8:25
  13. "One & One" – 10:00
  14. "One & One" – 8:50CD maxi, Italy
  15. "One & One" – 4:00
  16. "One & One" – 4:00
  17. "4US" – 7:41
  18. "One & One" – 8:25
  19. "One & One" – 10:00
  20. "One & One" – 4:05
  21. "One & One" – 8:50CD maxi, Japan
  22. "One & One" – 4:00
  23. "One & One" – 6:30
  24. "One & One" – 9:00
  25. "One & One" – 7:34
  26. "One & One" – 9:43CD maxi, Netherlands
  27. "One & One" – 4:00
  28. "One & One" – 4:05
  29. "One & One" – 6:30
  30. "4US" – 7:41
  31. "One & One" – 9:42
  32. "One & One" – 9:56CD maxi, UK
  33. "One & One" – 4:00
  34. "One & One" – 6:30
  35. "4US" – 7:41CD maxi – Remixes
  36. "One & One" – 6:30
  37. "One & One" – 8:58
  38. "One & One" – 7:32
  39. "One & One" – 10:00

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart Position
Belgium 90
Belgium 69
Europe 13
France 76
Germany 62
Romania 7
Sweden 38
UK Singles 132