Hits Album 7 (CBS / WEA, 1987)

Review
Like its predecessors, Hits Album 5 and Hits Album 6, the seventh volume in the Dutch Hits series contained 16 tracks. Ten of these had already featured on the UK series variant The Hits Album 7 [Bee Gees, Chic, Ray Parker Jr., Abigail Mead, LL Cool J, Prince, Terence Trent D’Arby, Levert, Fleetwood Mac and A-ha]. Unfortunately the latter contained 14 early fades so it’s good to get the full 7″ versions of I Wanna Be Your Drill Instructor, Jack Le Freak, I Don’t Think That Man Should Sleep Alone and Little Lies here.

The grandstanding You Win Again takes pole position and lifts off. It’s followed by the smooth funk of Chic’s Jack Le Freak updated for ’87 and Ray Parker Jr. getting forceful with I Don’t Think That Man Should Sleep Alone. Meanwhile the Full Metal Jacket theme tune, (I Wanna Be Your Drill Instructor) remains an endearing time capsule from Mrs Kubrick. Alexander O’Neal’s career highpoint – the Hearsay LP – is represented with Fake complete with the album’s interlude / intro. A missed opportunity to include the tighter 7″ mix. Also featuring in their longer album versions are Earth, Wind And Fire’s ecological nightmare System Of Survival and LL Cool J’s lush I Need Love. The romantic flame keeps burning with Dan Hill and Vonda Shepherd’s plaintive duet Can’t We Try.

Time for some local talent. Richenel’s Don’t Save Your Love is overwrought and sickly. Pass. The funk phenomena is restored by Prince and his searing U Got The Look which is in turn followed by Terence Trent D’Arby’s excellent R&B of Wishing Well and Levert’s bass-heavy Casanova. Fleetwood Mac’s Little Lies is magnificent, mulling over rocky relationships. Elsewhere A-ha’s The Living Daylights is suitably moody and dramatic despite the film being one of the Bond series’ lesser works. There’s more Nederbeat with The Nits’ stringy Barry-esque In The Dutch Mountains before the disc ends with yet another album version, Mick Jagger’s energetic running tune Let’s Work.

Favourite tracks
A-ha – The Living Daylights

Chic – Jack Le Freak (Remix ’87)

Lest we forget
Ray Parker Jr. – I Don’t Think That Man Should Sleep Alone