''Hits!'' is a compilation album by
Boz Scaggs
William Royce "Boz" Scaggs (born June 8, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was a bandmate of Steve Miller (musician), Steve Miller in the Ardells in the early 1960s and a member of the Steve Miller Band from 1967 to 196 ...
, first released in 1980. It focuses primarily on material released in 1976 and 1980. The album has been certified
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
.
Reception
In a retrospective review by Jason Elias for
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
, he criticized the album's lack of comprehensiveness, particularly the omission of "What Can I Say". Elias deemed that the later release ''
My Time: A Boz Scaggs Anthology'' makes ''Hits!'' completely redundant.
Track listing
# "
Lowdown" (Boz Scaggs,
David Paich
David Frank Paich (born June 25, 1954) is an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter, best known as the co-founder, principal songwriter, keyboardist, and secondary vocalist of the rock band Toto (band), Toto since 1977. He wrote or co-wrot ...
) – 4:27
# "You Make It So Hard (to Say No)" (Scaggs) – 3:32
# "
Miss Sun
"Miss Sun" is a 1980 hit for Boz Scaggs first recorded in 1977 by David Paich along with David Hungate, Steve Lukather, and Jeff Porcaro.
Background
The four musicians worked as session musicians on Scaggs's ''Down Two Then Left'' album. They al ...
" (Paich) – 5:33
# "
Lido Shuffle
"Lido Shuffle" is a song written by Boz Scaggs and David Paich and introduced on the 1976 album ''Silk Degrees''. It was released as a single in 1977 and was produced by Joe Wissert.
Background
Scaggs recalled: Lido Shuffle’ was a song that ...
" (Scaggs, Paich) – 3:41
# "
We're All Alone
"We're All Alone" is a song written by Boz Scaggs, which became a hit for Frankie Valli in 1976. The next year it was a top-ten hit for Rita Coolidge in the US and the UK. Scaggs introduced it on his 1976 album ''Silk Degrees'', and included it ...
" (Scaggs) – 4:11
# "
Breakdown Dead Ahead
"Breakdown Dead Ahead" is a 1980 song recorded by Boz Scaggs, and composed by Scaggs and David Foster. It was the lead single of two released from Scaggs's album '' Middle Man''.
During May, the song reached number 15 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot ...
" (Scaggs,
David Foster
David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian record producer, composer, arranger, and musician. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His career began as a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark in the early 1970s befor ...
) – 4:01
# "
Look What You've Done to Me" (Scaggs, Foster) – 5:17
# "
Jojo" (Scaggs, Foster,
David Lasley
David Eldon Lasley (August 20, 1947 – December 9, 2021) was an American recording artist, singer, musician and songwriter. He was best known as a touring background singer for James Taylor, as a session singer on recordings by artists including ...
) – 4:06
# "Dinah Flo" (Scaggs) – 3:03
# "You Can Have Me Anytime" (Scaggs, Foster) – 4:56
The Australian release of ''Hits!'' replaced Track 9 "Dinah Flo" with "What Can I Say" (B. Scaggs, D. Paich).
Re-release
In 2006 ''Hits!'' was re-released with additional tracks and a new cover.
# "What Can I Say" (Scaggs, Paich)
# "Jojo" (Scaggs, Foster, Lasley)
# "Miss Sun"
ong Version(Paich)
# "Hard Times" (Scaggs)
# "Slow Dancer" (Scaggs, George Daly)
# "Harbor Lights" (Scaggs)
# "Dinah Flo" (Scaggs)
# "Look What You've Done to Me" (Scaggs, Foster)
# "Breakdown Dead Ahead" (Scaggs, Foster)
# "You Make It So Hard (To Say No)" (Scaggs)
# "It's Over" (Scaggs, Paich)
# "We're All Alone" (Scaggs)
# "Heart of Mine" (
Bobby Caldwell
Robert Hunter Caldwell (August 15, 1951 – March 14, 2023) was an American singer and songwriter. He released several albums spanning R&B, soul, jazz, and adult contemporary. He is known for his soulful and versatile vocals. Caldwell release ...
, Dennis Matkosky,
Jason Scheff
Jason Randolph Scheff (born April 16, 1962) is an American bassist, singer, and songwriter who was a frontman for the American rock band Chicago (band), Chicago from 1985 to 2016. Replacing former lead vocalist Peter Cetera, Scheff was the longe ...
)
# "Lowdown" (Scaggs, Paich)
# "Lido Shuffle" (Scaggs, Paich)
Personnel
"Lowdown"
*
Boz Scaggs
William Royce "Boz" Scaggs (born June 8, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was a bandmate of Steve Miller (musician), Steve Miller in the Ardells in the early 1960s and a member of the Steve Miller Band from 1967 to 196 ...
– lead vocals
*
David Paich
David Frank Paich (born June 25, 1954) is an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter, best known as the co-founder, principal songwriter, keyboardist, and secondary vocalist of the rock band Toto (band), Toto since 1977. He wrote or co-wrot ...
– keyboards, strings and horns arrangements
*
Fred Tackett
Fredrick O. Tackett (born August 30, 1945) is an American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Originally a session player on guitar, mandolin, and trumpet, he is best known as a member of the band Little Feat.
In addition to his work with Li ...
– guitar, guitar solo
*
Louie Shelton
William Louis Shelton (born April 6, 1941) is an American guitarist and music producer.
Biography
During the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s Shelton was a session musician working in recording studios around Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, Hollywood. ...
– guitar
*
David Hungate
David Hungate (born August 5, 1948) is an American retired bass guitarist noted as a member of the Los Angeles pop-rock band Toto from 1976 to 1982 and again from 2014 to 2015, and the son of judge William L. Hungate. Along with most of his ...
– bass
*
Jeff Porcaro
Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro (April 1, 1954 – August 5, 1992) was an American drummer. He is best known for being the co-founder and drummer of the rock band Toto, but is also one of the most recorded session musicians in history, working on hundr ...
– drums
* Carolyn Willis – background vocals
* Marty McCall – background vocals
*
Jim Gilstrap
James Gilstrap is an American singer and session musician. He is best known for his 1975 solo hit single " Swing Your Daddy", as well as singing co-lead to the theme from the TV series ''Good Times''.
Career
Gilstrap was born November 10, 1946 ...
– background vocals
* Augie Johnson – background vocals
"You Make It So Hard (to Say No)
*
Boz Scaggs
William Royce "Boz" Scaggs (born June 8, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was a bandmate of Steve Miller (musician), Steve Miller in the Ardells in the early 1960s and a member of the Steve Miller Band from 1967 to 196 ...
– lead vocals, guitar
*
James Gadson
James Edward Gadson (born June 17, 1939) is an American drummer and session musician. Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson has since become one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B. He is also a singer and songwriter.
...
– drums
*
James Jamerson
James Lee Jamerson (January 29, 1936 – August 2, 1983) was an American bassist. He was the uncredited bassist on most of the Motown Records hits in the 1960s and early 1970s (Motown did not list session musician credits on their releases un ...
– bass guitar
*
Joe Sample
Joseph Leslie Sample (February 1, 1939 – September 12, 2014) was an American jazz keyboardist and composer. He was one of the founding members of The Jazz Crusaders in 1960, whose name was shortened to "The Crusaders" in 1971. He remained a p ...
,
Clarence McDonald
Clarence Kermit "Mac" McDonald (February 24, 1945 – July 21, 2021) was a Los Angeles-based American pianist, composer, arranger, and producer. McDonald was known for his musical diversity, enduring melodies and signature groove.
His most famous ...
– keyboards
*
David T. Walker, Dennis Coffey,
Wah Wah Watson
Melvin M. Ragin (December 8, 1950 – October 24, 2018), known professionally as Wah Wah Watson, was an American guitarist who was a member of the Funk Brothers, the studio band for Motown Records. He also worked extensively as a session musician ...
– guitar
* Carolyn Willis, Julia Tillman Wate, Lorna Willard, Myrna Matthew, Pat Henderson - background vocals
*
H.B. Barnum - string arrangements, conductor
"Miss Sun"
* Boz Scaggs – lead vocals
* Jeff Porcaro – drums, percussion
* David Paich – keyboards, moog bass, synthesizers
*
Steve Lukather
Steven Lee "Luke" Lukather (born October 21, 1957) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer, best known as the sole continuous founding member of the rock band Toto. His reputation as a skilled guitarist led to ...
– guitar
*
Steve Porcaro
Steven Maxwell Porcaro (born September 2, 1957) is an American keyboardist, songwriter, singer, and film music composer, known as one of the founding members of the rock band Toto and the last surviving Porcaro brother (after the deaths of Jeff ...
– synthesizers
*
Lisa Dal Bello
Lisa Concetta Dal Bello (born 22 May 1959), also known as Dalbello, is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She released three albums in the pop and pop/rock genre in her late teens, from 1977 through 1981 under her full name. In 1984, she re-e ...
– vocals
"Lido Shuffle"
* Boz Scaggs – lead vocals, guitar
* David Paich – keyboards, horns arrangements, synthesizers solo
* Jeff Porcaro – drums
* David Hungate – bass guitar
* Fred Tackett – guitar
"We're All Alone"
* Boz Scaggs – lead vocal
* Jeff Porcaro – drums
* David Hungate – bass guitar
* David Paich – keyboards, strings and horns arrangements
"Breakdown Dead Ahead"
*
Rick Marotta
Richard Thomas Marotta (born January 7, 1948) is an American drummer and percussionist. He has appeared on recordings by leading artists such as Aretha Franklin, Carly Simon, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Paul Simon, John Lennon, Hall & Oates, Ste ...
– drums
* Boz Scaggs – lead vocals, guitar
*
David Foster
David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian record producer, composer, arranger, and musician. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His career began as a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark in the early 1970s befor ...
– keyboards
*
Don Grolnick
Don Grolnick (September 23, 1947 – June 1, 1996) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and record producer. He was a member of the groups Steps Ahead and Dreams, both with Michael Brecker, and played often with the Brecker Brothers. As a sess ...
– electric piano
*
Lenny Castro
Lenny Castro (born September 19, 1956) is an American percussionist from the Los Angeles area. He is one of the most prolific percussionists of all time, appearing on hundreds of albums, including those by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Adele, Maroon ...
– percussion
* David Hungate – bass
* Steve Lukather – guitar, guitar solo
*
Ray Parker Jr.
Ray Erskine Parker Jr. (born May 1, 1954) is an American guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. As a solo performer, he wrote and performed the theme song for the 1984 film '' Ghostbusters'' and also sounds from the animated series '' The ...
– guitar
*
Paulette Brown,
Venetta Fields
Venetta Lee Fields (born 1941) is an American-born Australian singer and musical theater actress, and vocal coach.
Fields was a backing vocalist for touring American and British rock and pop acts of the 1960s and 1970s, as well as working as a ...
, Bill Thedford – background vocals
"Look What You've Done To Me"
* David Foster – keyboards, strings and horns arrangements
*
Don Felder
Donald William Felder (born September 21, 1947) is an American musician who was the lead guitarist of the rock band Eagles from 1974 to 2001. He is known for co-writing several of the band's songs, most notably "Hotel California". Felder was in ...
, Steve Lukather – guitar
*
Mike Porcaro
Michael Joseph Porcaro (May 29, 1955 – March 15, 2015) was an American bass player known for his work with the rock band Toto. He retired from touring in 2007 as a result of being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
He was t ...
– bass guitar
* Jeff Porcaro – drums
*
Glenn Frey
Glenn Lewis Frey (; November 6, 1948 – January 18, 2016) was an American musician. He was a founding member of the rock band Eagles, for whom he was the co-lead singer and frontman, roles he came to share with fellow member Don Henley, with ...
,
Don Henley
Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician who is a founding member of the rock band the Eagles, for whom he is the drummer and co-lead vocalist, as well as its sole continuous member. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles ...
,
Timothy B. Schmit, background vocals
"JoJo"
* Boz Scaggs – lead vocals, guitar
* David Foster – keyboards, synthesizer, strings arrangements
*
Jerry Hey
Jerry Hey (born 1950) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, horn arranger, string arranger, orchestrator and session musician who has played on hundreds of commercial recordings, including Michael Jackson's '' Thriller'', '' Rock with Y ...
– horns arrangements
* Ray Parker Jr., Steve Lukather – guitar
* John Pierce – bass guitar
* Jeff Porcaro – drums
* Lenny Castro – percussion
* Adrian Tapia – saxophone solo
*
David Lasley
David Eldon Lasley (August 20, 1947 – December 9, 2021) was an American recording artist, singer, musician and songwriter. He was best known as a touring background singer for James Taylor, as a session singer on recordings by artists including ...
,
Sharon Redd
Sharon Redd (October 19, 1945 – May 1, 1992) was an American singer from New York City. She was the half sister of Snap! singer Penny Ford.
Life and career
Redd was born on October 19, 1945, in Norfolk, Virginia, to Gene and Katherine Redd. Ge ...
,
Charlotte Crossley
Charlotte Crossley, nicknamed "Charlo", is an American singer and actress, best known for her roles in the musical theatrical productions of ''Hairspray'', ''The Color Purple'', ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', as a member of the Harlettes in Bette M ...
– background vocals
"Dinah Flo"
* Boz Scaggs – vocals, electric guitar
*
Barry Beckett
Barry Edward Beckett (February 4, 1943 – June 10, 2009) was an American keyboardist, session musician, record producer, and studio founder. He is best known for his work with David Hood, Jimmy Johnson, and Roger Hawkins, his bandmates in the ...
– piano
* Pete Carr – electric guitar
*
Charles Chalmers
Charles Chalmers is an American saxophonist, backup vocalist, songwriter and producer. He has written several hit songs for many recording artists, and has also arranged and performed on many Grammy winning recordings. Seven of those recordings a ...
– saxophone, background vocals
* Sandra Chalmers – background vocals
*
Roger Hawkins – drums
*
Eddie Hinton
Eddie Hinton (15 June 1944 – 28 July 1995) was an American songwriter and session musician, best known for his work with soul music and R&B singers. He played lead guitar for Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section from 1969 to 1971 and after leaving t ...
– acoustic guitar
*
David Hood
David Hood (born September 21, 1943) is an American musician, hailing from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, He is known for playing the bass guitar and trombone, and is a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.
Early life and education
Hood was b ...
– bass guitar
* Clayton Ivey – organ, keyboards
*
Jimmy Johnson – electric guitar
* Donna Rhodes – background vocals
*
Muscle Shoals Horns
The Muscle Shoals Horns is an American brass section of session musicians who performed on many rhythm and blues and rock records between the late 1960s to the present, as well as making their own recordings which included the 1976 R&B chart hit " ...
– horns, horns arrangements
"You Can Have Me Anytime"
* Boz Scaggs – lead vocal
* David Foster – piano, synthesizers
* David Hungate – bass
*
Marty Paich
Martin Louis Paich (January 23, 1925 – August 12, 1995) was an American pianist, composer, arranger, record producer, music director, and conductor. As a musician and arranger he worked with jazz musicians Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Kento ...
– strings arrangements
* Jeff Porcaro – drums
*
Carlos Santana
Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the Rock music, rock band Santana (band), Santana. Born and raised in Mexico where he developed his musical background, he r ...
– guitar solo
Production
* Boz Scaggs – producer
*
Johnny Bristol
John William Bristol (February 3, 1939 – March 21, 2004) was an American musician, most famous as a songwriter and record producer for the Motown label in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was a native of Morganton, North Carolina, about wh ...
– producer
* David Foster – producer
*
Roy Halee
Roy Decker Halee (born 1934) is an American record producer and engineer, best known for working with Simon & Garfunkel, both as a group and for their solo projects.
Early life
Halee grew up on Long Island, New York. His father, also named Roy ...
– engineer, producer
*
Joe Wissert
Joe Wissert (born c. 1942 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American record producer. Wissert has worked with artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Boz Scaggs, Helen Reddy, The Lovin' Spoonful, Gordon Lightfoot and The Turtles.
Overview
Wis ...
– producer
* Tom Perry – engineer
*
Al Schmitt
Albert Harry Schmitt (April 17, 1930 – April 26, 2021) was an American recording engineer and record producer. He won twenty Grammy Awards for his work with Henry Mancini, Steely Dan, George Benson, Toto (band), Toto, Natalie Cole, Quincy Jone ...
– engineer
*
Bill Schnee
William S. Schnee (born July 4, 1947) is an American musician, music producer, and audio engineer. Schnee has been nominated 11 times for the Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Grammy Award and worked on a multitude of other Grammy nominated ...
– engineer, producer
* Greg Venable – engineer
* Mike Reese – mastering
* Lois Walker – mastering
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
{{Authority control
1980 greatest hits albums
Boz Scaggs albums
Columbia Records compilation albums
Legacy Recordings compilation albums