Ultimate Kylie

Ultimate Kylie
Greatest hits album by Kylie Minogue
Released	22 November 2004 (2004-11-22) 23 November 2004 (2004-11-23) (Canada) 1 December 2004 (2004-12-01) (Japan) 1 February 2005 (2005-02-01) (U.S.) 28 October 2006 (2006-10-28) (Re-issue)
Recorded	1987–2004
Genre	Pop, dance, europop, freestyle Hi-NRG, eurodance, R&B
Length	51:35 (CD 1) 69:26 (CD 2)
Label	Parlophone, Mushroom, Capitol
Producer	Stock, Aitken & Waterman, Brothers In Rhythm, Paula Abdul, Jake Shears, Babydaddy, Sunny Roads, Johnny Douglas, Ian Curnow, Phil Harding, Julian Gallagher, Richard Stannard, Cathy Dennis, Rob Davis, Brian Higgins, Karen Poole, Guy Chambers, Jimmy Harry, James Dean Bradfield, Dave Erigna, Dave Ball, Ingo Vauk, Lorenzo Al Dino Pizzileo, Sergio Flores, Graham Stack, Mark Taylor
Kylie Minogue chronology
Kylie Minogue: Artist Collection (2004) Ultimate Kylie (2004) Confide in Me: The Irresistible Kylie (2007)
Alternative cover
Special Edition

Ultimate Kylie is the third compilation album by Australian singer and songwriter Kylie Minogue, which was released in November 2004 by Parlophone Records. This collection superseded Kylie's 1992 Greatest Hits compilation and the 2000 compilation Hits+. It was released with the Copy Control protection system in some regions. Ultimate Kylie had featured different formats of the compilation, with most countries having the 2-Disc CD, while other countries included a bonus DVD, and a bonus digital download video of Dancing Queen, which was a cover from 1980's Swedish group ABBA.

Ultimate Kylie received very glowing reviews from music critics many noting Minogue's best collection of hits in one album, but some did say that some missing hits were disappointing. The album contains work from all nine of her studio albums released at that point, plus two new tracks, "I Believe in You" (written with the Scissor Sisters) and "Giving You Up" (written with Xenomania). The album was re-released exclusively in Australia as a set consisting of two CDs and a DVD to coincide with her return to prominence and saw the album re-enter the charts at #16; and ultimately peaking at #7.

Background

Ultimate Kylie is Minogue's third major "greatest hits" album (the other two being Greatest Hits and Hits+). Although not her first hits compilation, Ultimate Kylie is notable as being the only album to include Minogue's Stock Aitken Waterman, Deconstruction and Parlophone Records recordings in one package. Advertisements for the album claimed it contained every single Minogue had released in the UK. These were misleading, as several of her charting singles were not included. The album contained two new songs, "I Believe in You" and "Giving You Up", which were recorded especially for the Ultimate Kylie release. Other songs that were leftovers from the Body Language recording sessions were considered for inclusion on the album, however only one of those songs, "B.P.M." was released as the B-side to "I Believe in You". "Give Me a Reason" and "I'm Fascinated" are the songs that were thought to be included in this album but they did not make the final cut. Both were written by Kylie Minogue & "BiffCo". A track entitled "I Put a Spell on You" is also thought to exist. According to the EMI/Parlophone catalogue it is one of the classic jazz recordings from Kylie.

While working with Xenomania, Kylie recorded "Made Of Glass" which was released as the b-side to "Giving You Up". During those sessions, they penned a song named "Loving You". Although it was never properly recorded, a demo of the song was leaked in 2004 just after the release of Ultimate Kylie along with "Everything I Know", which was a demo recorded with the Scissor Sisters.

Release history

The worldwide hit singles that are missing are: from Kylie, "It's No Secret"; from Let's Get to It, "Word Is Out", "If You Were with Me Now", "Finer Feelings"; Greatest Hits, "What Kind of Fool (Heard All That Before)"; Kylie Minogue, "Where Is the Feeling?" and "Some Kind of Bliss" from Impossible Princess. Many of the singles that were released during her Stock Aitken Waterman and Deconstruction period were not included on the second CD to save room for her bigger hit singles that were produced during her releases with Parlophone. The Japanese release contained three bonus tracks: "Turn It into Love", "Can't Get Blue Monday Out of My Head" and "Slow" (Chemical Brothers Remix).

A DVD was simultaneously released under the same name, containing all the music videos of the CDs, with the exception of "Giving You Up" (which at the time had not been filmed). It also contains Minogue's performance at the 2002 BRIT Awards of "Can't Get Blue Monday Out of My Head": a mix of "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" and New Order's "Blue Monday". Early versions of the UK DVD are known to suffer from the DVD rot phenomenon, after a short period of time, where the playing surface becomes incredibly cloudy or forms a 'cracked' pattern. EMI UK have not publicly addressed this issue.

The album was repackaged and reissued in October 2006 in Australia only as the Showgirl Tour Special Edition. The repackaged version contains 2 CDs and 1 DVD, originally available separately. Parlophone has not announced any plans of a UK reissue, however, the version was made available online through such retailers as HMV as an import.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
About.com
Allmusic
Blender
PopMatters	(8/10)
Stylus	(C)
Yahoo! Music	(8/10)

Ultimate Kylie received a generally positive response from music critics. PopMatters gave it a positive review, as he said "Ultimate Kylie, which seems condensed even at its double-disc length, is one of the best collections of dance music available, even while including her ‘80s pop hits. It is enough to get her MP3s permanently out of my “guilty pleasures” bin" and gave the album an 8 out of 10 rating, which means that the album was of excellent status and "among the best work of the given artist, or among the best in the given genre". Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic gave it a very positive review, awarding it four and a half out of five stars. At first he said "There certainly hasn't been a shortage of Kylie Minogue hits compilations." But he did finish the album with a positive review and ending saying "it nevertheless gives all the hits, both big and small, in one place, which means that this not only makes this ideal for fans for all levels of dedication, it means that Ultimate Kylie lives up to its billing.

Jason Shawahn from About.com gave it a positive review, awarding it four stars out of five. He praised the album for its inclusion of two new songs, which he feels were "among the finest tracks that Kylie has recorded in years" and show her at her best. He later finished saying "but as far as providing the comprehensive Kylie, the folks at EMI have done a pretty good job." In a review for Stylus Magazine, Mark Edwards called the first disc "horribly naff" and full of "squeaky songs". The review also mentioned "every year or two she’ll release another pop gem, sell a squillion more calendars and finally retire as a multi-millionairess with a greatest hits compilation in every household. Because everyone loves Kylie, even if half of this album is terrible." They had given it negative responses through the PWL and Deconstruction days, but praised the Parlophone tracks. Jaime Gill from Yahoo! Music gave it a positive review, saying "But why not accept it as merely the brand for a shiny double CD of brilliant pop tunes? If she disappeared tomorrow few would really care, but if songs like this did we really, really would." In 2007, The Guardian included the album in their "1000 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" list.

Chart performance

In the United Kingdom, Ultimate Kylie debuted at number four, and peaking there, staying in for thirty-one weeks. The album was certificated 3x Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), selling over 900,000 copies in total. The album was released in the United States physically and digitally, however the album did not chart on the Billboard 200. The album debuted at number five on the Australian Albums Chart. The album stayed in the charts for forty-two weeks. The album was certificated 4x Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), selling over 280,000 copies in the country.

Ultimate Kylie had other success in other countries as well. The album managed to peak at number fourteen and thirty-five in Belgium (Flanders) and Belgium (Wallonia), being certificated Platinum there. The album debuted at number forty-nine in Spain, and it eventually peaked at number thirty-four after fifteen weeks in the charts. The album was certificated Gold in the country, selling over 50,000 copies. The album also peaked at number eight on the Irish Albums Chart, and was certificated Platinum by the Irish Recording Music Association. After the success of the album, it was deemed Minogue's most successful compilation greatest hits to date.

Singles

"I Believe in You" was released as the first worldwide single from the compilation. The song was released in the UK on 6 December 2004, and was heard on radio stations from 19 October 2004. Jake Shears and Babydaddy from the Scissor Sisters are credited as co-writers and producers. The single release featured a B-side titled "B.P.M." that was recorded during the Body Language sessions. "I Believe in You" reached the number two position in the UK behind "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid and received generally positive reviews from music critics. In December 2005, the song gained Minogue her fourth Grammy nomination for the Best Dance Recording category.

It was announced that "Giving You Up" will be released as the second and last single from the compilation. It was released as a single on 28 March 2005 in the UK. It peaked at six, giving Minogue another top ten hit and received mixed reviews from music critics. It featured "Made of Glass" as a b-side, a song that was leaked to the internet in December 2004. "Giving You Up" and "Made of Glass" were both made written and produced with Xenomania. "Made of Glass", although only a B-side, it was just as popular as "Giving You Up", instantly becoming a fan favourite and receiving attention from Australian radio and compilations. Due to this attention, a few weeks into the songs release, the title of "Made of Glass" appeared next to "Giving You Up" as a double A-side on the official ARIA music charts.

Track listing

• Disc 1

{{tracklist

1. "Better the Devil You Know" from Rhythm of Love – 3:53
2. "The Loco-Motion" from Kylie – 3:14
3. "I Should Be So Lucky" from Kylie – 3:24
4. "Turn It Into Love" from Kylie - 3:36 Japanese Bonus Track
5. "Step Back in Time" from Rhythm of Love – 3:04
6. "Shocked" from Rhythm of Love – 3:09
7. "What Do I Have to Do?" from Rhythm of Love – 3:33
8. "Wouldn't Change a Thing" from Enjoy Yourself – 3:14
9. "Hand on Your Heart" from Enjoy Yourself – 3:51
10. "Especially for You" with Jason Donovan from Ten Good Reasons by Jason Donovan – 3:56
11. "Got to Be Certain" from Kylie – 3:19
12. "Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi" from Kylie – 4:01
13. "Give Me Just a Little More Time" from Let's Get to It – 3:06
14. "Never Too Late" from Enjoy Yourself – 3:21
15. "Tears on My Pillow" from Enjoy Yourself – 2:29
16. "Celebration" from Greatest Hits – 4:01

• Disc Two

{{tracklist

1. "I Believe in You" new song – 3:21
2. "Can't Get You Out of My Head" from Fever – 3:52
3. "Love at First Sight" from Fever – 3:59
4. "Slow" from Body Language – 3:13
5. "On a Night Like This" from Light Years – 3:33
6. "Spinning Around" from Light Years – 3:27
7. "Kids" with Robbie Williams from Light Years – 4:20
8. "Confide in Me" from Kylie Minogue – 4:26
9. "In Your Eyes" from Fever – 3:18
10. "Please Stay" from Light Years – 4:04
11. "Red Blooded Woman" from Body Language – 4:20
12. "Giving You Up" new song – 3:30
13. "Chocolate" from Body Language – 4:01
14. "Come Into My World" from Fever – 4:06
15. "Put Yourself in My Place" from Kylie Minogue – 4:11
16. "Did It Again" from Impossible Princess – 4:14
17. "Breathe" from Impossible Princess – 3:40
18. "Where the Wild Roses Grow" with Nick Cave from Murder Ballads by Nick Cave – 3:57
19. "Can't Get Blue Monday Out of My Head" from Fever Japanese Bonus Track
20. "Slow" (Chemical Brothers Remix) from Body Language Japanese Bonus Track
21. "Secret (Take you Home)" from Body Language Taiwanese Bonus Track

The German version of the album has "Your Disco Needs You" (also from Light Years) in place of "Please Stay".

• Disc Three (DVD)

1. "I Should Be So Lucky"
2. "Got to Be Certain"
3. "The Loco-Motion"
4. "Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi"
5. "Especially for You" (with Jason Donovan)
6. "Hand on Your Heart"
7. "Wouldn't Change a Thing"
8. "Never Too Late"
9. "Tears on My Pillow"
10. "Better the Devil You Know"
11. "Step Back in Time"
12. "What Do I Have to Do?"
13. "Shocked"
14. "Give Me Just a Little More Time"
15. "Celebration"
16. "Confide in Me"
17. "Put Yourself in My Place"
18. "Where the Wild Roses Grow" (with Nick Cave)
19. "Did It Again"
20. "Breathe"
21. "Spinning Around"
22. "On a Night Like This"
23. "Kids" (with Robbie Williams)
24. "Please Stay"
25. "Can't Get You Out of My Head"
26. "In Your Eyes"
27. "Love at First Sight"
28. "Come Into My World"
29. "Slow"
30. "Red Blooded Woman"
31. "Chocolate"
32. "I Believe in You"

Bonus Video

1. "Can't Get Blue Monday Out of My Head" (Live at the BRITs 2002)

Chart positions

Chart (2004/2005)	Peak position
Australian Albums Chart	5
Belgium Albums Chart (Flanders)	14
Belgium Albums Chart (Wallonia)	35
Colombia Albums Chart	1
Danish Albums Chart	17
Dutch Top 40	37
Finnish Albums Chart	24
Greek Albums Chart	9
Irish Albums Chart	8
Japanese Albums Chart	39
New Zealand Albums Chart	33
Norwegian Albums Chart	18
Spanish Albums Chart	27
Swedish Albums Chart	23
Swiss Albums Chart	19
UK Albums Chart	4

Year-End Charts

Chart (2004)	Position
Australian Albums Chart	42
UK Albums Chart	27
Chart (2005)	Position
Australian Albums Chart	38
Chart (2006)	Position
Australian Albums Chart	40

End of Decade Charts

Country	Position
Australian ARIA Albums Chart	82

Album credits

• Mastered by Ashley Phase at Whitfield Street Mastering.
• Liner notes written by Neil Rees & Nigel Goodall with thanks and acknowledgement to Tom Parker.
• Kylie's visual direction and styling by William Baker.
• Photography by Simon Emmett.
• Sleeve direction and design and photo montages by Tony Hung for Adjective Noun.

References

1. ^ Hunter Felt Ultimate Kylie 1. PopMatters. 2004. Retrieved 7 Jan. 2006.
2. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Ultimate Kylie 2. Allmusic. 2004. Retrieved 7 Jan. 2006.
3. ^ Jason Shawahn Ultimate Kylie 3. About.com. 2005. Retrieved 7 Jan. 2006.
4. ^ Mark Edwards Ultimate Kylie 4. Stylus Magazine. 2004. Retrieved 7 Jan. 2006.

Sources

• "Charts". Slo Kylie - Slovenian Kylie Page. link - last accessed 23 December 2005.
• "Ultimate Kylie". Rainbow Kylie. link - last accessed 24 December 2005.
• "Current Releases". MixKylie. link - last accessed 24 December 2005.