# Out of Limits > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Out_of_Limits > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Out_of_Limits.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_of_Limits > Source revision: 1324451574 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1963 single by The Marketts "Out of Limits" Single by The Marketts from the album Out of Limits! B-side "Bella Dalena" Released October 1963[1] Recorded 1963 Genre Surf rock[2] Length 2:09 Label Warner Bros. Songwriter Michael Z. Gordon The Marketts singles chronology "Surfer's Stomp" (1962) "Out of Limits" (1963) "Vanishing Point" (1964) "**Out of Limits**" is a 1963 [surf rock](/source/Surf_rock) instrumental piece written by [Michael Z. Gordon](/source/Michael_Z._Gordon)[3] and performed by [The Marketts](/source/The_Marketts). ## Background While on tour with a band called the Routers, Gordon wrote the Marketts' first release on the [Warner Bros.](/source/Warner_Bros._Records) 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](/source/The_Outer_Limits_(1963_TV_series)). However, [Rod Serling](/source/Rod_Serling) sued the Marketts for quoting the four note motif from his television show, *[The Twilight Zone](/source/The_Twilight_Zone)*, without his approval, which resulted in the change of the title to "Out of Limits".[4][5] The record has been described as "an intriguing up-beat disc with a galloping rhythm".[6] ## Chart performance The song peaked at No. 3 in February 1964 on the [Hot 100](/source/Hot_100) for two weeks and on *[Cashbox](/source/Cashbox_(magazine))* for one week. It stayed on both the Hot 100 and *Cashbox* for 14 weeks.[7][8] It sold over a million copies globally,[6] topped the charts on many U.S. radio stations,[9] and earned Gordon a [BMI](/source/Broadcast_Music%2C_Inc.) award.[10] It brought the studio group national prominence, and many radio, nightclub and personal appearances.[6] ## Cover versions [The Ventures](/source/The_Ventures) also had a very popular version of the song that was included on their 1964 album *[The Ventures In Space](/source/The_Ventures_In_Space)*. ## Popular culture "Out of Limits" is a popular choice for television and film soundtracks; it can be heard in: - *[Pulp Fiction](/source/Pulp_Fiction)* (1994) - *[Slayground](/source/Slayground)* (1983)[11] - *[The Outsiders](/source/The_Outsiders_(film))* (1983) - *Mafioso: The Father, the Son* (2004).[12] - It is also available on the compilations *[Billboard Top Rock'n'Roll Hits: 1964](/source/Billboard_Top_Rock'n'Roll_Hits%3A_1964)*, *[Elvira Presents Haunted Hits](/source/Elvira_Presents_Haunted_Hits)* and [*Classic Rock* (Time-Life Music)](/source/Classic_Rock_(Time-Life_Music)). - As the theme tune for *[Frankie Boyle's New World Order](/source/Frankie_Boyle's_New_World_Order)* (2017) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["The Marketts - Out of Limits"](https://www.45cat.com/record/5391). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Marsh_1989_2-0)** Marsh, Dave (1989). [*The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made*](https://books.google.com/books?id=5t5DYDniSHEC). [Plume](/source/Plume_(publisher)). p. 361. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-452-26305-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-452-26305-0). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Out of Limits"](https://web.archive.org/web/20061124143417/http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=1140414&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID). Repertoire.bmi.com. Archived from [the original](http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyID=1140414&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID) on 2006-11-24. Retrieved 2012-11-10. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Uslan, Michael; Clark, Dick; Solomon, Bruce (1981). [*Dick Clark's the First 25 Years of Rock & Roll*](https://archive.org/details/dickclarksfirst200usla). [Dell Publishing Company](/source/Dell_Publishing). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780440517634](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780440517634). It seems that the opening bars were virtually identical to those of the "Twilight Zone" theme. That was bad enough, but linking the tune with "Twilight Zone's" biggest television competitor was too much for Serling. All reissues of the single were retitled "Out of Limits 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Stewart_5-0)** ["Up Close With Michael Z. Gordon Of The Marketts"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190702124037/http://www.musicdish.com/mag/?id=10270). 2019-07-02. Archived from the original on 2019-07-02. Retrieved 2022-01-27. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-The_Book_of_Golden_Discs_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-The_Book_of_Golden_Discs_6-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-The_Book_of_Golden_Discs_6-2) Murrells, Joseph (1978). [*The Book of Golden Discs*](https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/163) (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. pp. [163](https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/163). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-214-20512-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-214-20512-6). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Whitburn_7-0)** Whitburn, Joel (1990). *The Billboard Hot 100 Charts: The Sixties (7 December 1963 through 7 March 1964)*. Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research Inc. p. 386. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-89820-074-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-89820-074-1). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Hoffmann_8-0)** Hoffmann, Frank (1983). *The Cash Box Singles Charts, 1950-1981*. Metuchen, NJ & London: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. p. 380. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Burke_9-0)** Burke, David. ["The Marketts."](http://www.acerecords.co.uk/content.php?page_id=59&release=8751) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20111015122638/http://acerecords.co.uk/content.php?page_id=59&release=8751) 2011-10-15 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), Ace Records. Accessed February 17, 2012. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** BMI Repertoire, ["Out of Limits"](https://archive.today/20120719144423/http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&page=1&keyid=1140414&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID). Accessed February 17, 2012. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** IMDB, *["Slayground"](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088135/)* (1983) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Mafioso_12-0)** IMDB, ["Mafioso: The Father, The Son"](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0282484/) (2004) Authority control databases MusicBrainz work --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Out of Limits](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_of_Limits) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_of_Limits?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.