What Hits!?

Infobox Album
Name = What Hits!?
Type = compilation
Artist = Red Hot Chili Peppers


Released = September 29, 1992
Recorded = 1984–1991
Genre = Alternative rock, Funk rock
Length = 63:28
Label = EMI
Producer = Various
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ib6uak2k5m3l link]
Last album = "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" (1991)
This album = "What Hits!?" (1992)
Next album = "Live Rare Remix Box" (1994)

"What Hits!?", by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, released September 29, 1992 on EMI, is a greatest hits/best-of compilation of tracks from their first four albums, plus one from "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" and another from the soundtrack to the movie "Pretty Woman".

This album was released on EMI/Capitol records through a deal with Warner Bros. Records. The labels agreed that EMI/Capitol would keep all rights to any material the Peppers recorded there except one song, and Warner Bros. would then give EMI rights to one song recorded during the Peppers career there, so each company could produce a greatest hits compilation. EMI chose "Under the Bridge" for "What Hits!?" and Warner Bros. chose "Higher Ground" for "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' (and even in some cases, such as "The Brothers Cup" and "Johnny Kick a Hole in the Sky", were never released as singles at all). Most of the material released on this album were songs taken from "Freaky Styley" and "Mother's Milk".

Therefore, the inclusion of "Under the Bridge" is an unusual choice, since the fact that the song remains the band's highest charting single and almost single-handedly propelled them to superstardom, means it is one of the few anomalies in the compilation that is not representative of its title (one may possibly also include "Higher Ground", "Knock Me Down" and "Taste the Pain" as other examples). "Under the Bridge" is an anomaly in music style as well as chart performance, existing as a melodic ballad in a compilation dominated by the funk rock tracks that the Chili Peppers were originally known for. Although other singles taken from "Blood Sugar Sex Magik", such as "Give It Away" and "Suck My Kiss", may have fit better into "What Hits!?", "Under the Bridge" ended up being the one included, due to the agreement described above.

"Behind the Sun" was released as a single to accompany the release of this compilation, originally appeaing on the band's 1987 album "The Uplift Mofo Party Plan". 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 is animated and reuses segments of the band performing taken from their earlier video for "Higher Ground". As a result there is no lip-synching and unusually guitarist John Frusciante features on the music video even though the late Hillel Slovak was the guitarist on the original album track.

Track listing

#"Higher Ground" (Wonder) – 3:21
#* From the 1989 album "Mother's Milk"
#"Fight Like a Brave" – 3:47
#* From the 1987 album "The Uplift Mofo Party Plan"
#"Behind the Sun" – 4:45
#* From the 1987 album "The Uplift Mofo Party Plan"
#"Me and My Friends" – 3:05
#* From the 1987 album "The Uplift Mofo Party Plan"
#"Backwoods" – 3:06
#* From the 1987 album "The Uplift Mofo Party Plan"
#"True Men Don't Kill Coyotes" – 3:36
#* From the 1984 album "The Red Hot Chili Peppers"
#"Fire" (Jimi Hendrix) – 2:01
#* From the 1988 EP "The Abbey Road E.P."
#"Get Up and Jump" – 2:50
#* From the 1984 album "The Red Hot Chili Peppers"
#"Knock Me Down" – 3:43
#* From the 1989 album "Mother's Milk"
#"Under the Bridge" – 4:24
#* From the 1991 album "Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
#"Show Me Your Soul" – 4:22
#* From the 1990 motion picture "Pretty Woman"
#"If You Want Me to Stay" (Sly & the Family Stone) – 4:06
#* From the 1985 album "Freaky Styley"
#"Hollywood (Africa)" (The Meters) – 4:58
#* From the 1985 album "Freaky Styley"
#"Jungle Man" – 4:04
#* From the 1985 album "Freaky Styley"
#"The Brothers Cup" – 3:24
#* From the 1985 album "Freaky Styley"
#"Taste the Pain" – 4:34
#* From the 1989 album "Mother's Milk"
#"Catholic School Girls Rule" – 1:55
#* From the 1985 album "Freaky Styley"
#"Johnny, Kick a Hole in the Sky" – 5:10
#* From the 1989 album "Mother's Milk"

A video version of "What Hits!?" was also released, containing the following music videos:
#"Behind the Sun"
#"Under the Bridge"
#"Show Me Your Soul"
#"Taste the Pain"
#"Higher Ground"
#"Knock Me Down"
#"Fight Like a Brave"
#"Jungle Man"
#"True Men Don't Kill Coyotes"
#"Catholic School Girls Rule"
#"Fire"
#"Stone Cold Bush" (live)
#"Special Secret Song Inside" (live)
#"Subway to Venus" (live)