"Out of Limits" is a 1963 surf rock instrumental piece written by

Michael Z. Gordon Michael Zane Gordon (born April 4, 1941)Stewart, Dick“Up Close With Michael Z. Gordon Of The Marketts.” The Lance Monthly, May 15, 2005. Accessed February 17, 2012. is an American screenwriter, producer, musician and composer. Early life ...

and performed by

The Marketts The Marketts were an American instrumental pop group, formed in January 1961 in Hollywood, California, by Michael Z. Gordon. They are best known for their 1964 million-seller, "Out of Limits". Biography The Marketts' line-up featured Michael ...

Background

While on tour with a band called the Routers, Gordon wrote the Marketts' first release on the

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

label and their biggest hit, an instrumental called "Outer Limits". First pressings were issued as "Outer Limits", named and surf-styled after the television program of the same name. However, Rod Serling

sued - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil acti ...

the Marketts The Marketts were an American instrumental pop group, formed in January 1961 in Hollywood, California, by Michael Z. Gordon. They are best known for their 1964 million-seller, "Out of Limits". Biography The Marketts' line-up featured Michael ...

for quoting the four note motif from his television show, ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

'', without his approval, which resulted in the change of the title to "Out of Limits". The record has been described as "an intriguing up-beat disc with a galloping rhythm".

Chart performance

The song peaked at No. 3 in February 1964 on the Hot 100 for two weeks and on '' Cashbox'' for one week. It stayed on both the Hot 100 and ''Cashbox'' for 14 weeks. The song sold over a million copies globally, topped the charts on many

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

radio stations,Burke, David
"The Marketts."
, Ace Records. Accessed February 17, 2012. and earned Gordon a BMI award. It brought the studio group national prominence, and many radio, nightclub and personal appearances.

Cover versions

The Ventures The Ventures are an American instrumental rock band formed in Tacoma, Washington, in 1958, by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle. The band, which was a quartet for most of its existence, helped to popularize the electric guitar across the world during the ...

also had a very popular version of the song that was included on their 1964 album '' The Ventures In Space''.

Popular culture

"Out of Limits" is a popular choice for television and film soundtracks; it can be heard in: *''

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'' (1994) *''

Slayground ''Slayground'' is a 1983 British crime thriller film directed by Terry Bedford. Starring Peter Coyote, Mel Smith and Billie Whitelaw, the film is adapted from ''Slayground'', the 14th Parker novel (although the main character has been renamed ...

'' (1983)IMDB,
"Slayground"
' (1983) *'' The Outsiders'' (1983) *''Mafioso: The Father, the Son'' (2004).IMDB
"Mafioso: The Father, The Son"
(2004) *It is also available on the compilations '' Billboard Top Rock'n'Roll Hits: 1964'', '' Elvira Presents Haunted Hits'' and ''Classic Rock'' (Time-Life Music). *As the theme tune for ''

Frankie Boyle's New World Order ''Frankie Boyle's New World Order'' is a British comedy television programme created, written and presented by Frankie Boyle. Premiering in 2017 on BBC Two, it followed his BBC iPlayer-exclusive "Autopsy" shows. After a few minutes of stand-up, h ...

'' (2017)

References

{{Authority control 1963 singles Rock instrumentals Surf instrumentals 1963 songs Halloween songs Songs written by Michael Z. Gordon Warner Records singles 1960s instrumentals