Hits!

Infobox Album |
Name = Hits! The Very Best of Erasure
Type = Greatest hits
Artist = Erasure


Released = October 28, 2003
Recorded = 1985-2003
Genre = Synthpop
Length = 78:24
Label = 73:51
Producer =
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:7m5tk6kxtkra link]
Last album = "Other People's Songs"
(2003)
This album = "Hits! The Very Best Of Erasure"
(2003)
Next album = "Nightbird"
(2005)

"Hits! - The Very Best Of Erasure" was the second greatest hits package released by the group. Capitalizing on a resurgence of Erasure music after their successful covers album "Other People's Songs", Mute Records released "Hits!" in 2003 to reintroduce people to Erasure's music and to give an update to their 1992 singles compilation "Pop! - the First 20 Hits". In fact, "Hits!" seemed to be geared towards casual fans who did not already own a copy of "Pop!", as twelve songs appear on both collections.

Since the release of "Pop!" Erasure had released fifteen more singles, but only six of them appeared on "Hits!". In addition, two additional songs from the "Abba-esque" EP were added to the lineup, as well as a new remix of the classic "Oh L'amour," originally found on their 1986 debut album "Wonderland".

To entice Erasure completists to purchase the "Hits!" set, limited copies of the album contained a bonus CD containing an "Erasure Megamix," consisting of eighteen of their classic songs (including "You Surround Me", the only song not on the main album) strung together in a DJ-mixed form. A few are the basic single mixes, but most of them consist of well known dance remixes done at the time of their respective releases; in particular, additional vocals from remixes of "Love to Hate You" and "Sometimes" were included.

"Hits!" was repackaged and reissued in the UK on October 29, 2007. This new version includes the same two discs as the original release, along with a DVD containing 35 Erasure music videos. These are the same videos which were released on the "Hits! the Videos" in 2003.

Track listing

Disc one

# "Oh L'amour" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Sometimes" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Victim of Love" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Ship of Fools" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Chains of Love" (Clarke/Bell)
# "A Little Respect" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Stop!" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Blue Savannah" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Chorus" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Love To Hate You" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Breath Of Life" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Lay All Your Love on Me" (Anderson/Ulvaeus)
# "Take a Chance on Me" (Anderson/Anderson/Ulvaeus)
# "Voulez-Vous" (Anderson/Ulvaeus)
# "Always" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Stay With Me" (Clarke/Bell)
# "In My Arms" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Freedom" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Solsbury Hill" (Peter Gabriel)
# "Oh L'amour" (August Mix)

Disc Two - "Erasure Megamix"

Remixed and reconstructed by: Mark Towns, Chicago 2003
# "Stay With Me" (Clarke/Bell)
# "You Surround Me" (Clarke/Bell)
# "In My Arms" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Solsbury Hill" (Gabriel)
# "A Little Respect" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Chains of Love" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Take a Chance on Me" (Anderson/Anderson/Ulvaeus)
# "Love to Hate You" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Stop!" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Victim of Love" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Blue Savannah" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Always" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Freedom" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Chorus" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Oh L'amour" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Breath of Life" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Sometimes" (Clarke/Bell)
# "Ship of Fools" (Clarke/Bell)

Chart Placings

"Hits! - The Very Best Of Erasure" peaked at #15 in the UK. It did not chart on the Billboard 200.

"Oh L'amour (August Mix)" was released as a single in the UK and the US. It hit #13 on the UK singles chart.

External links

* [http://www.erasureinfo.com/ Erasureinfo.com] - The Official Erasure website.
* [http://www.markymix.com/ markymix.com] - Website by Mark Towns: Remix Engineer for Erasure's 2003 "HITS!" megamix and "Oh L'Amour" internet single.