Hits ’88: Die Internationalen Super Hits (Ariola, 1988)

Review
The third annual Hits compilation from Ariola was the first to get a full release on double CD. Let us go back to 17 September 1988. One Moment in Time. The NBC theme for the Seoul Olympic Games sung by Whitney Houston. An anthem for believing in yourself against all the odds. Take a look at me now. A video with clips from previous ceremonies.
“One moment in time
when I’m racing with destiny
Then, in that one moment of time,
I will feel eternity”.
In keeping with the sporting theme are The Four Tops with Smokey Robinson whose airy soul of Indestructible was also used on the 1988 Summer Olympics Album as well as featuring on Alien Nation.

The familiar: Jermaine Stewart’s Get Lucky is upbeat and good-spirited, Womack and Womack’s Teardrops the super soul groove, Milli Vanilli ply a super R&B trade(off) in Girl You Know It’s True. Elsewhere Blue System’s Under My Skin is a moody synth number with a nice jazz break while Dieter strikes again with CC Catch’s euphoric Euro pop of Back Seat Of Your Cadillac. He can also be found on disc 2 – looking after the arrangement, production and writing on She’s A Lady [sung by Les McKeown] while injecting Chris Norman’s Broken Heroes with a dull drug. Meanwhile Secret Land could be Sandra’s finest effort – mysterious and eerie; an atmospheric rush. I am also surprised by the thought-provoking sentiments of John Farnham’s Age Of Reason. Maturing like one of Falcon Crest’s fine wines.

Hickey and Boggs – a neo-noir detective movie from 1972 starring Robert Culp and Bill Cosby. Ellis, Beggs and Howard sounds like the name of the sequel. Big Troubles, No Troubles comes with a super bassline and reeks of Prince. It’s followed by the mutant disco of O.K. and Okay complete with crazy samples. Germany – 10 points. Italo time: Bad Boys Blue’s heartbreaking and apocalyptic A World Without You (Michelle) versus Den Harrow’s fatalistic You Have A Way. Michelle has replaced Suzanne. Are either of them prostitutes? And what of Tom Hooker? There’s just time for Mixed Emotions and the drugged-up Shakin’ Stevens cabaret of Just For You.

“You are no longer a cat,
You are a bagel”.
ALF makes an appearance with the cautionary tale Stuck On Earth. In the home, just kidding. Dominoe’s Here I Am [a driving rock number] had already appeared on sister compilation Neue Hits while Mica Paris gets her trumpet on as My One Temptation blasts off a dusty groove.
Some more friendly faces include Mory Kanté’s bug-eyed repetition Yéké Yéké, Taylor Dayne’s massive Tell It To My Heart, B.V.S.M.P. and their slow jam I Need You. For dancers only: Theme From S-Express and Beat Dis. Rave on. Romantics will dig the endless permutations of Fairground Attraction’s Perfect and T’Pau’s China In Your Hand.

The final frontier as we (Guillermo) march(ena) into the unknown. My Love Is A Tango – summer dreams and the film Anna. Engelbert rolls back the years with the immensely likeable Alone In The Night.
“Me and the memory,
Somebody set me free”.
Hannes Kröger is an enigma; an aggressive Falco clone rapping over a chunky synth beat. Der Blonde Hans. Keeper of the seven keys is Rainhard Fendrich. I dig this cult hero and his creaky Macho Macho. Say hello, wave goodbye to Ben Johnson. Gold in the 100 metres. 9.79 seconds. The two day winner.

Favourite tracks
Sandra – Secret Land

Four Tops featuring Smokey Robinson – Indestructible

Bad Boys Blue – A World Without You (Michelle)

C.C. Catch – Back Seat Of Your Cadillac

Lest we forget
O.K. – Okay (Mixed Media Edit)