What Hits!?

What Hits!?
Greatest hits album by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Released	September 29, 1992
Recorded	1984–1991
Genre	Funk rock, alternative rock
Length	67:28
Language	English
Label	EMI
Producer	Various
Red Hot Chili Peppers chronology
Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991) What Hits!? (1992) Live Rare Remix Box (1994)
Singles from What Hits!?
"Behind the Sun[1]" Released: November 9, 1992

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Rolling Stone	[3]

What Hits!? is a "best-of" compilation album by Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 29, 1992 by EMI. The album contains tracks from the band's first four albums as well as "Under the Bridge" from their fifth album, 1991's hit Blood Sugar Sex Magik and the Pretty Woman soundtrack contribution/Taste The Pain B side "Show Me Your Soul".

Background

This album was released on EMI/Capitol records through a deal with Warner Bros. Records. The band had left EMI for Warner in 1991 where they would record their biggest album at the time, 1991's Blood Sugar Sex Magik. EMI, who owned the rights to the band's first four albums decided to cash in on the band's newfound mainstream success. The two labels however agreed that each label would allow the usage to one song recorded during the Peppers career on each label so each company could produce a greatest hits compilation. EMI chose the band's biggest hit single at the time, "Under the Bridge" for What Hits!? and Warner Bros. chose "Higher Ground", the band's most successful single for EMI for the band's 2003 compilation Greatest Hits.

The title of the compilation is a joke alluding to the relative lack of success achieved by the Red Hot Chili Peppers during their tenure with EMI, highlighting the irony that many of the tracks included on what is supposed to be a 'greatest hits' compilation were generally singles that peaked notably low in the charts, arguably too low to be considered 'hits'. Most of the material released on this album were songs taken from Freaky Styley (1985) and Mother's Milk (1989).

"Behind the Sun" was released as a single to accompany the release of this compilation, originally appearing on the band's 1987 album The Uplift Mofo Party Plan. Ironically in 1987 the band pleaded with the label to release the song as a single however EMI deemed the song not worthy enough however thanks to the band's mainstream success the label now felt it was time to cash in and release the more melodic sounding song. Although a music video was also made, the Red Hot Chili Peppers had no involvement in its making since it was produced by EMI. The video reuses segments of the band performing taken from their earlier video for "Higher Ground".

Track listing

1. "Higher Ground" (Stevie Wonder) – 3:21
   • From the 1989 album Mother's Milk
2. "Fight Like a Brave" – 3:47
   • From the 1987 album The Uplift Mofo Party Plan
3. "Behind the Sun" – 4:45
   • From the 1987 album The Uplift Mofo Party Plan
4. "Me & My Friends" – 3:05
   • From the 1987 album The Uplift Mofo Party Plan
5. "Fire" (Jimi Hendrix) – 2:01
   • From the 1987 single "Fight Like a Brave", 1988 EP The Abbey Road E.P. and 1989 album Mother's Milk
6. "True Men Don't Kill Coyotes" – 3:36
   • From the 1984 album The Red Hot Chili Peppers
7. "Get Up and Jump" – 2:50
   • From the 1984 album The Red Hot Chili Peppers
8. "Knock Me Down" – 3:43
   • From the 1989 album Mother's Milk
9. "Under the Bridge" – 4:24
   • From the 1991 album Blood Sugar Sex Magik
10. "Show Me Your Soul" – 4:22
    • From the 1990 motion picture soundtrack Pretty Woman and the 1990 versions of singles Taste The Pain and Knock Me Down.
11. "If You Want Me to Stay" (Sly and the Family Stone) – 4:06
    • From the 1985 album Freaky Styley
12. "Hollywood (Africa)" (The Meters) – 4:58
    • From the 1985 album Freaky Styley.
    • Listed as simply "Hollywood" on packaging
13. "Jungle Man" – 4:04
    • From the 1985 album Freaky Styley
14. "Taste the Pain" – 4:34
    • From the 1989 album Mother's Milk
15. "Catholic School Girls Rule" – 1:55
    • From the 1985 album Freaky Styley

Video/DVD

A video and later, DVD version of What Hits!? was also released, containing the following music videos:

1. "Behind the Sun"
2. "Under the Bridge"
3. "Show Me Your Soul"
4. "Taste the Pain"
5. "Higher Ground"
6. "Knock Me Down"
7. "Fight Like a Brave"
8. "Jungle Man"
9. "True Men Don't Kill Coyotes"
10. "Catholic School Girls Rule"
11. "Fire"
12. "Stone Cold Bush" (live)
13. "Special Secret Song Inside" (live)
14. "Subway to Venus" (live)

• The three live videos were taken from the band's 1990 Psychedelic Sexfunk Live from Heaven video.

What Promo Hits!?

Prior to the album's release, EMI released a very rare five song CD sampler titled What Promo Hits!?. The sampler was released to radio stations and not for public sale.^[4]

1. Higher Ground
2. If You Want Me to Stay
3. Under the Bridge
4. Taste the Pain
5. Behind the Sun

Personnel

Red Hot Chili Peppers

• Anthony Kiedis – vocals
• Flea – bass, trumpet
• Hillel Slovak - guitar (on tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17)
• John Frusciante - guitar (on tracks 1, 9, 10, 11, 16, 18)
• Jack Sherman - guitar (on tracks 6, 8), backing vocals (on track 1)
• Jack Irons - drums (on tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, )
• Cliff Martinez – drums (on tracks 6, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17)
• Chad Smith - drums (on tracks 1, 9, 10, 11, 18)

Additional musicians

• Philip "Fish" Fisher – drums (on track 16)
• Dave Coleman - cello (on track 16)

Recording personnel

• Michael Beinhorn – producer
• George Clinton – producer
• Norwood Fisher - producer
• Andy Gill - producer
• Rick Rubin - producer

References