Greatest Hits 1974–78

Greatest Hits 1974–78
Greatest hits album by Steve Miller Band
Released	November 1978
Recorded	1973–1977
Genre	Rock
Length	47:37
Label	Capitol
Producer	Steve Miller
Steve Miller Band chronology
Book of Dreams (1977) Greatest Hits 1974–1978 (1978) Circle of Love (1981)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic

Greatest Hits 1974–78 is a compilation album by the Steve Miller Band released in November 1978. It has sold thirteen million copies in the United States and is ranked 37th on the Recording Industry Association of America list of best selling albums. It also achieved Diamond certification in Canada (1,000,000 units) in 2003. Two singles that reached No. 1 are "The Joker" which topped the charts on January 12, 1974 and "Rock'n Me" on November 6, 1976. As a sign of the album-oriented rock times, all but one track came from their last two albums even though they had eleven studio albums at the time. A prior greatest hits album, 1972's Anthology, contained songs from the first five albums. The more comprehensive Young Hearts: Complete Greatest Hits in 2003 added early hits "Living in the U.S.A", "Shubada du Ma Ma", and "My Dark Hour" and later hits "Abracadabra", "Wide River", "Cry Cry Cry", "Who Do You Love" and "I Want to Make the World Turn Around", but dropped this album's "True Fine Love" and "Winter Time". On the 1978 album, the 7"-inch edited single versions of "Jet Airliner", "The Joker", and "Fly Like an Eagle" are used. On the 2003 compilation, the original album versions are used.

Track listing

Number in parentheses indicates the order of appearance on the 8-track version.

1. (1) "Swingtown" (Steve Miller, Chris McCarty) – 3:27
2. (4) "Jungle Love" (Lonnie Turner, Greg Douglass) – 3:10
3. (5) "Take the Money and Run" (Miller) – 2:50
4. (6) "Rock'n Me" (Miller) – 3:05
5. (12) "Serenade" (Miller, McCarty) – 3:10
6. (2) "True Fine Love" (Miller) – 2:37
7. (3) "The Stake" (David Denny) – 3:56
8. (8) "The Joker" (Eddie Curtis, Ahmet Ertegün, Miller) – 3:36
9. (9) "Fly Like an Eagle" (Miller) – 3:00
10. (10) "Threshold" (Byron Allred, Miller) – 1:05
11. (11) "Jet Airliner" (Paul Pena) – 3:33
12. (7) "Dance, Dance, Dance" (Brenda Cooper, Jason Cooper, Miller) – 2:16
13. (13) "Winter Time" (Miller) – 3:10
14. (14) "Wild Mountain Honey" (Steve McCarty) – 4:50

"All selections published by Sailor Music, except "The Joker" by Sailor Music/Unichappel Music, Inc. and "Jet Airliner" by Sailor Music/No Thought Music."

Personnel

• Steve Miller – synthesizer, guitar, keyboards, vocals, producer, compilation producer
• David Denny – guitar, rhythm guitar
• Greg Douglass – guitar, slide guitar
• John McFee – dobro
• Bob Glaub – bass guitar
• Gerald Johnson – bass guitar
• Lonnie Turner – bass guitar
• Byron Allred – synthesizer, piano, keyboards
• Joachim Jymm Young – Hammond organ
• Dickie Thompson – organ, clavinet
• Norton Buffalo – harmonica on tracks 7 & 13
• John King – drums
• Gary Mallaber – percussion, drums

Production

• Roberta Ballard – production manager
• Mike Fusaro – engineer
• Jim Gaines – engineer, mixing
• Gene Hicks – assistant engineer, mixing assistant
• Steve Hoffman – remastering
• Win Kutz – mixing assistant
• Marcia McGovern – pre-production
• John Palladino – executive producer
• Jay Ranellucci – engineer, mixing

Artwork & design

• Kelly & Mouse – Cover illustration & design
• Sam Shepard – cover lettering
• David Stahl – photography
• John Van Hamersveld – design

In popular culture

• The 1996 film The Pompatus of Love took its name from a lyric in "The Joker".
• "Fly Like an Eagle" is the theme song of the US Postal Service and the University of North Texas.
• The seventh season of Everybody Loves Raymond plays "Jungle Love" over the opening credits.

Album cover

The album cover features a hidden woman laying on her side within the negative space under the bust of the horse.

See also

• List of best-selling albums in the United States