Smash Hits Rave! (Dover, 1990)

Review
Smash Hits magazine released their third compilation during the summer of 1990. Rave! included “20 brilliant dance hits” and was marketed as a “bumper knees-up for all the tribe!!(?)”. Once again the concept was credited to the Cokell brothers while Mark Arthurworrey took responsibility for the compiling.

A goddess on a mountain top. The 7″ Piano Mix of Don Pablo’s Animals’ Venus is ultra-groovy and primed for busting moves. Step aside for Chad Jackson and Hear The Drummer Get Wicked. The 45 King, “Peace, Unity, Love and Havin’ Fun!!!”, fast forward to DJ Kool. 1990 shall be remembered for Boomania; Betty Boo went solo and released the feelgood anthem Doin’ The Do. It’s followed by the cut-up positivity of Queen Latifah ably assisted by De La Soul. Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children. Take me way back to meaner beats; check out D-Shake’s furious techno fix Yaaah.

Technotronic’s third single was called This Beat Is Technotronic. Original eh? Vocals by MC Eric, played in most of our nightclubs. Candy Flip’s re-shape The Beatles and Strawberry Fields Forever. The first time I heard this gave me a flashback to June 1984. Returning from London to Rosslare on the ferry, a 7″ reissue of Strawberry Fields Forever safe in my arms. Elsewhere Cathy Dennis gives D-Mob’s C’mon And Get My Love a certain sense of Je ne sais quoi while it’s the piano tinkle that makes the 49ers Touch Me (Sexual Version) really smoke. A surprisingly inclusion is Beats International’s hokey house of Blame It On The Bassline. Give the drummer some.

Need to replace lost energy? Adamski’s N-R-G squelches like an acid house monster. Hot on its heels comes the hackneyed house of Don’t Miss The Partyline. Some Like It Cold was Coldcut’s follow-up LP to What’s That Noise. Find A Way was released a single, reached #52 and also featured The Black Queen [Latifah]. A break based on Smoke; Lord have mercy. Meanwhile Neneh Cherry’s Inner City Mamma saves the day in a shorter edit – 3:12. Anyone got more information? We Got The Love from Touch Of Soul is an odd one; ghostly child’s voice offering advice for life interspersed with feelgood piano house. Sounds like Charley Says.

The last quarter sees a slide in pitch. Massivo featuring Tracy inject Minnie Ripperton’s Loving You with a dose of beat flavour; an occasional set-ender. Sybil’s Walk On Why and Sydney Youngblood’s Sit And Wait prolong the downtempo vibe with edgy strings and potent new jack swing. There’s easy-swing R&B with PSP’s What Is Life complete with words-of-wisdom rap from Due Respect. The final track is Adeva’s I Thank You which works well as an inspirational celebratory club jam.

“You should only believe in one God
You shouldn’t call God bad names
You should try to be someone
Listen to mommy and daddy and do what they say
You shouldn’t hurt or murder anyone
Should only go with one person you love
You should not steal
Don’t ever tell lies
Don’t be jealous of what other people have”.

Favourite tracks
Betty Boo – Doin’ The Do

Chad Jackson – Hear The Drummer (Get Wicked) (Radio Edit)

Touch Of Soul – We Got The Love

Lest we forget
Adamski – N-R-G