The Greatest Hits Collection (Bananarama album) explained

The Greatest Hits Collection
Type:greatest
Artist:Bananarama
Cover:Banana_tghc.jpg
Border:yes
Released:October 1988 (first edition)
Recorded:1981–1988 (first edition), 1989, 1991, 1992 – 1993
Genre:Pop, dance-pop, new wave
Label:London Records
Producer:Fun Boy Three, Tony Swain, Steve Jolley, Stock Aitken Waterman, Bananarama
Prev Title:Wow!
Prev Year:1987
Next Title:Pop Life
Next Year:1991

The Greatest Hits Collection is a compilation album released by Bananarama which features their single releases and greatest hits. It was issued by London Records in 1988, eight months after the departure of group member Siobhan Fahey. The track listing differed between versions released in the United States and Canada, as well as those released throughout Europe and other territories.

Composition

Except where otherwise noted, all songs are represented on the album in their single or 7" mix variants. The version of "I Want You Back" (originally on their Wow! album) on this collection is the newer version of the song with vocals re-recorded by Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward with new member Jacquie O'Sullivan, following the departure of Fahey. One new song, "Love, Truth and Honesty", was released as a single (which featured O'Sullivan's first credits as a song-writing contributor), and peaked inside the UK top 30. The other new track on the compilation was a re-recorded version of the Supremes track "Nathan Jones". Like "I Want You Back", this song was originally included on the Wow! album released before Fahey's departure. The new line-up re-recorded the song with new vocal and instrumental arrangements. This new version, now known as the 'Dave Ford Mix', was initially included on vinyl and cassette issues of this compilation, and on the original Canadian CD pressing. It was subsequently remixed by in-house PWL Mixmaster Pete Hammond[1] and released as a single, reaching the UK Top 20 and this version replaced both the earlier 'Psycho 7" Edit' and 'Dave Ford Mix' versions on the compilation. Later re-issues have added on various remixes, as well as a cover of the Beatles hit, "Help!".

Critical reception

A review published in Music Week stated the compilation is composed of "a surprising amount of hits" and deemed it "enjoyable, disposable, fair play to them and hard to deny".[2]

Track listing

Original Release

LP and Cassette

Side A

  1. "Venus"
  2. "I Heard a Rumour"
  3. ”Love in the First Degree"
  4. "I Can’t Help It"
  5. "I Want You Back"
  6. "Love, Truth and Honesty"
  7. "Nathan Jones"

Side B

  1. "Really Saying Something" – with Fun Boy Three
  2. "Shy Boy"
  3. "Robert De Niro’s Waiting"
  4. ”Cruel Summer"
  5. "It Ain’t What You Do It’s The Way That You Do It" – with Fun Boy Three
  6. "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)”
  7. "Rough Justice"

CD

As noted above, many variants of the album exist on CD depending on region and edition. On all editions of The Greatest Hits Collection, the included version of "Trick of the Night" is now known as the 'Tricky Mix 7" Edit'. While the 1999 international re-release included the 7" version of Preacher Man from the Pop Life album, most variants of the CD release contain some version of the following track listing:

  1. "Venus"
  2. "I Heard a Rumour"
  3. ”Love in the First Degree"
  4. "I Can’t Help It"
  5. ”I Want You Back"
  6. "Love, Truth and Honesty"
  7. ”Nathan Jones"
  8. "Help!” – with Lananeeneenoonoo
  9. "Really Saying Something" – with Fun Boy Three
  10. "Shy Boy"
  11. ”Robert De Niro’s Waiting"
  12. ”Cruel Summer"
  13. ”It Ain’t What You Do It’s The Way That You Do It" – with Fun Boy Three
  14. ”Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)”
  15. "Rough Justice"
  16. ”Trick of the Night"
  17. "Aie a Mwana"
  18. "Venus (12" Hellfire Mix)”
  19. "Love in the First Degree (Eurobeat Style)”

The Greatest Hits & More More More

In 2008, a reworked version of The Greatest Hits Collection was released. Titled The Greatest Hits & More More More, this release featured an expanded track list incorporating many of the singles not present on the original compilation, most notably those from Pop Life and Please Yourself. This release contains the album version of "More, More, More" and the 'PWL 7" Mix' of "A Trick of the Night".

  1. "Venus"
  2. "Love in the First Degree"
  3. "I Want You Back"
  4. "Robert De Niro's Waiting"
  5. "Cruel Summer"
  6. "Really Saying Something" (with Fun Boy Three)
  7. "It Ain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It)" (with Fun Boy Three)
  8. "Shy Boy"
  9. "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)"
  10. "Love, Truth & Honesty"
  11. "Nathan Jones"
  12. "I Heard a Rumour"
  13. "Movin' On"
  14. "More More More"
  15. "I Can't Help It"
  16. "Only Your Love"
  17. "Preacher Man"
  18. "Long Train Running"
  19. "Aie a Mwana"
  20. "A Trick of the Night"
  21. "Rough Justice"
  22. "Cheers Then"

2017 Collector’s Edition

In order to coincide with Siobhan Fahey's return to the group for The Original Line Up Tour in 2017, London Records released an expanded version of the original 1988 edition as a double album. The tracklist was updated to include all of their UK singles released between 1981 and 1988 on disc one and a selection of remixes from the same period on disc two. The cover art from the original release was reused, however, the booklet was updated to include some additional pictures of the group in 2017 along with new liner notes for the additional tracks.[3]

Personnel

Bananarama

Musicians

Additional Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1988–1989)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[4] 68
European Albums (Music & Media)[5] 16
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[6] 1
Icelandic Albums (Tónlist)[7] 7
Italian Albums (Musica e dischi)[8] 6
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[9] 7
Spanish Albums (AFYVE)[10] 2

Year-end chart

Chart (1988)! scope="col"
Position
UK Albums (Gallup)[11] 19
Chart (1989)! scope="col"
Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[12] 63
European Albums (Music & Media)[13] 88
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[14] 45
UK Albums (Gallup)[15] 78

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bananarama – The Greatest Hits Collection. Discogs. 2019-12-27.
  2. LP Reviews . . 22 October 1988 . 26 . 28 August 2023 .
  3. Web site: Bananarama / The Greatest Hits Collection / newly expanded . 1 November 2017 . 4 March 2022 . Paul . Sinclair . Super Deluxe Edition.
  4. RPM100 Albums . . 49 . 10 . 24 December 1988 . 19 . 0033-7064 . World Radio History.
  5. European Top 100 Albums . . 6 . 2 . 14 January 1989 . 24 . 29800226 . World Radio History.
  6. Book: Pennanen, Timo . 2006 . Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 . fi . 1st . Helsinki . . 263 . 978-951-1-21053-5.
  7. News: Ísland (LP-plötur) . . is . 17 March 1989 . 36 . 1021-8254 . Timarit.is.
  8. Web site: Classifiche . . it . 3 June 2022. Select "Album" in the "Tipo" field, type "Bananarama" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".
  9. Book: Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. ja. Roppongi, Tokyo. Oricon Entertainment. 2006. 4-87131-077-9.
  10. Book: Salaverrie, Fernando . September 2005 . Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 . es . 1st . Madrid . . 84-8048-639-2.
  11. Top 100 Albums – Year-End Chart 1988 . Music Week Awards . . 4 March 1989 . 8 . 0265-1548 . World Radio History.
  12. Australian Top 100 Albums Chart – 1989 . . 1 . Imgur.
  13. European Top 100 Albums – 1989 . Music & Media . 6 . 51 . 23 December 1989 . 9 . 29800226 . World Radio History.
  14. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 1989 . . 12 February 2022.
  15. Year End Albums . . 20 January 1990 . 42 . 0144-5804 . World Radio History.

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