Gold: Their Great Hits Explained

Gold: Their Great Hits
Type:	greatest
Artist:	Steppenwolf
Cover:	GoldTheirGreatestHits.jpg
Released:	March 1971
Genre:	Hard rock
Length:	40:23
Label:	Dunhill
Prev Title:	For Ladies Only
Prev Year:	1971
Next Title:	16 Greatest Hits
Next Year:	1973

Gold: Their Great Hits is a greatest hits album released by the Canadian-American hard rock band Steppenwolf. The album, released in 1971, charted at #24 on the Billboard Pop Albums charts and was certified "gold" by the RIAA on April 12, 1971. Initial pressings of the album came in a gatefold sleeve, with a detachable poster of the band.

Reception

In a retrospective review, Allmusic praised the production and engineering of most of the tracks and called it a "nearly perfect" introduction to the band.

Record track listing

Side one

1. "Born to Be Wild" (Mars Bonfire) – 3:28
2. "It's Never Too Late" (Kay, Nick St. Nicholas) – 4:05
3. "Rock Me" (Dave Grusin, Kay) – 3:39
4. "Hey Lawdy Mama" (Larry Byrom, Jerry Edmonton, Kay) – 3:00
5. "Move Over" (Kay, Gabriel Mekler) – 2:53
6. "Who Needs Ya" (Byrom, Kay) – 2:59

Side two

1. "Magic Carpet Ride" (John Kay, Rushton Moreve) – 4:30
2. "The Pusher" (Hoyt Axton, Kay) – 5:43
3. "Sookie, Sookie" (Don Covay, Steve Cropper) – 3:09
4. "Jupiter's Child" (Edmonton, Kay, Monarch) – 3:24
5. "Screaming Night Hog" (Kay) – 3:17

CD track listing

1. "Magic Carpet Ride" (John Kay, Rushton Moreve) – 4:30
2. "The Pusher" (Hoyt Axton, Kay) – 5:43
3. "Born to Be Wild" (Mars Bonfire) – 3:28
4. "Sookie, Sookie" (Don Covay, Steve Cropper) – 3:09
5. "It's Never Too Late" (Kay, Nick St. Nicholas) – 4:05
6. "Rock Me" (Dave Grusin, Kay) – 3:39
7. "Hey Lawdy Mama" (Larry Byrom, Jerry Edmonton, Kay) – 3:00
8. "Move Over" (Kay, Gabriel Mekler) – 2:53
9. "Who Needs Ya?" (Byrom, Kay) – 2:59
10. "Jupiter's Child" (Edmonton, Kay, Monarch) – 3:24
11. "Screaming Night Hog" (Kay) – 3:17

Song information

"Hey Lawdy Mama"A single released in 1970, it became a top 40 hit, reaching number 18 in Canada,^[1] and peaking at 35 on The Billboard Hot 100. The tune was covered by punk rock group, The Minutemen, for their Project: Mersh EP.

"Screaming Night Hog"Also released in 1970, it reached number 50 in Canada.^[2]

Personnel

• John Kay – vocals, guitar, talk box, harmonica
• Michael Monarch – guitar
• Larry Byrom – guitar
• Nick St. Nicholas – bass guitar
• George Biondo – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Rushton Moreve – bass guitar
• Goldy McJohn – Hammond organ, piano
• Jerry Edmonton – drums

Charts

Chart (1971)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[3]	38
US Billboard 200^[4]	34

Notes and References

1. Web site: RPM Top 100 Singles - May 16, 1970.
2. Web site: RPM Top 100 Singles - October 3, 1970.
3. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 293.
4. Web site: Billboard 200-Steppenwolf. https://web.archive.org/web/20170218203023/https://www.billboard.com/artist/280528/steppenwolf/chart?f=305. dead. February 18, 2017. September 3, 2017.