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The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning is a double greatest hits album by the American band Chicago , their twenty-seventh album overall. Released in 2002, this collection marked the beginning of a long-term partnership with Rhino Entertainment which, between 2002 and 2005, would remaster and re-release Chicago's 1969–1980 Columbia Records catalog.
In Europe, a greatest hits compilation was released as The Chicago Story: Complete Greatest Hits with a different track listing.
The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning combines almost all of Chicago's greatest successes from their entire recording career up to that point, excerpting material from all of their regular studio albums with the exception of 1979's Chicago 13 and 1980's Chicago XIV . Several songs appear in an edited form, including "I'm a Man ", which is missing the Danny Seraphine drum solo, and "Dialogue (Part I & II) ", which is presented in its shortened single version .
Track listing
Disc one
"Make Me Smile " (James Pankow ) – 4:26
"25 or 6 to 4 " (Robert Lamm ) – 4:50
"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? " (Lamm) – 3:20
"Beginnings " (Lamm) – 6:26
"Questions 67 and 68 " (Lamm) – 4:52
"I'm a Man " (Jimmy Miller , Steve Winwood ) – 5:44
"Colour My World " (Pankow) – 3:00
Originally issued on Chicago II
"Free " (Lamm) – 2:17
"Lowdown " (Peter Cetera , Danny Seraphine ) – 3:34
"Saturday in the Park " (Lamm) – 3:56
"Dialogue (Part I & II) " (Lamm) – 5:00
Single version
Tracks 10–11 originally issued on 1972's Chicago V
"Just You 'n' Me " (Pankow) – 3:42
"Feelin' Stronger Every Day " (Cetera, Pankow) – 4:14
Tracks 12–13 originally issued on 1973's Chicago VI
"(I've Been) Searchin' So Long " (Pankow) – 4:29
"Wishing You Were Here " (Cetera) – 4:36
"Call on Me " (Lee Loughnane ) – 4:02
"Happy Man" (Cetera) – 3:15
"Another Rainy Day in New York City " (Lamm) – 3:00
"If You Leave Me Now " (Cetera) – 3:57
Tracks 18–19 originally issued on 1976's Chicago X
Disc two
"Old Days " (Pankow) – 3:31
"Baby, What a Big Surprise " (Cetera) – 3:06
"Take Me Back to Chicago" (Seraphine, David Wolinski ) – 2:57
Single version
Tracks 2–3 originally issued on 1977's Chicago XI
"Alive Again " (Pankow) – 4:04
"No Tell Lover " (Cetera, Loughnane, Seraphine) – 4:13
"Love Me Tomorrow " (Cetera, David Foster ) – 3:58
"Hard to Say I'm Sorry /Get Away" (Cetera, Foster, Lamm) – 5:05
"Stay the Night " (Cetera, Foster) – 3:50
"Hard Habit to Break " (Steve Kipner , John Parker) – 4:45
"You're the Inspiration " (Cetera, Foster) – 3:49
"Along Comes a Woman " (Cetera, Mark Goldenberg) – 3:47
Single version
Tracks 8–11 originally issued on 1984's Chicago 17
"Will You Still Love Me? " (David Foster, Tom Keane , Richard Baskin) – 4:12
"If She Would Have Been Faithful... " (Randy Goodrum , Kipner) – 3:51
Tracks 12–13 originally issued on 1986's Chicago 18
"Look Away " (Diane Warren ) – 4:00
"What Kind of Man Would I Be? " (Jason Scheff , Bobby Caldwell , Chas Sandford) – 4:14
"I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love " (Warren, Albert Hammond ) – 3:57
"We Can Last Forever " (Scheff, John Dexter) – 3:44
"You're Not Alone " (Jim Scott)[ 2] – 4:00
Single version
Tracks 14–18 originally issued on 1988's Chicago 19
"Chasin' the Wind " (Warren) – 4:18
"Sing, Sing, Sing " – with the Gipsy Kings (Louis Prima ) – 3:20
Track listing (Europe)
Disc one
"If You Leave Me Now" (Cetera) – 3:57
"Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (Cetera, Foster, Lamm) – 3:51
"You're the Inspiration" (Cetera, Foster) – 3:49
"Hard Habit to Break" (\Kipner, Parker) – 4:45
"Will You Still Love Me?" (Foster, Keane, Baskin) – 4:12
"Baby, What a Big Surprise" (Cetera) – 3:06
"Look Away" (Warren) – 4:00
"What Kind of Man Would I Be?" (Scheff, Caldwell, Sandford) – 4:14
"I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" (Warren, Hammond) – 3:57
"Love Me Tomorrow" (Cetera, Foster) – 3:58
"Just You 'n' Me" (Pankow) – 3:42
"Happy Man" (Cetera) – 3:15
"You're Not Alone" (Scott) – 4:00
"Chasin' the Wind" (Warren) – 4:18
"Wishing You Were Here" (Cetera) – 4:36
"No Tell Lover" (Cetera, Loughnane, Seraphine) – 4:13
"(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" (Pankow) – 4:29
"Colour My World" (Pankow) – 3:00
"You Come to My Senses" (Kelly, Steinberg) – 3:48
"We Can Last Forever" (Scheff, Dexter) – 3:44
Disc two
"25 or 6 to 4" (Lamm) – 4:50
"Saturday in the Park" (Lamm) – 3:56
"Questions 67 and 68" (Lamm) – 4:52
Same edit as American issue
"I'm a Man" (Miller, Winwood) – 5:44
Same edit as American issue
"Stay the Night" (Cetera, Foster) – 3:50
"Only You" (Foster, Pankow) – 3:54
"Dialogue (Part I & II)" (Lamm) – 5:00
"Old Days" (Pankow) – 3:31
"Beginnings" (Lamm) – 6:26
Same edit as American issue
"Lowdown" (Cetera, Seraphine) – 3:34
"Another Rainy Day in New York City" (Lamm) – 3:00
"Call on Me" (Loughnane) – 4:02
"Feelin' Stronger Every Day" (Cetera, Pankow) – 4:14
"Take Me Back to Chicago" (Seraphine, Wolinski) – 2:57
"Sing, Sing, Sing" – with the Gipsy Kings (Prima) – 3:20
"Along Comes a Woman" (Cetera, Goldenberg) – 3:47
"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" (Lamm) – 3:20
"Make Me Smile" (Pankow) – 4:26
Same edit as American issue
"Street Player" (Seraphine, Wolinski) – 4:22
Personnel
Musicians
Dawayne Bailey – guitar , vocals
Peter Cetera – vocals, bass ; guitar on "Wishing You Were Here"
Bill Champlin – vocals, keyboards , guitar
Donnie Dacus – guitar, vocals on "Alive Again" and "No Tell Lover"
Bruce Gaitsch – guitar on "Sing, Sing, Sing"
Tris Imboden – drums on "Sing, Sing, Sing"
Terry Kath – vocals, guitar, percussion ; bass on "Happy Man" and "Wishing You Were Here"
Robert Lamm – vocals, keyboards, percussion
Lee Loughnane – trumpet , flugelhorn , percussion, vocals
Laudir de Oliveira – congas , percussion, vocals
James Pankow – trombone , percussion, vocals, arrangements
Walter Parazaider – woodwinds , percussion, vocals
Chris Pinnick – guitar
Jason Scheff – vocals, bass
Danny Seraphine – drums, percussion, vocals
Production
Chicago – production on "Alive Again" and "No Tell Lover", compilation production
David Donnelly – remastering
Bruce Fairbairn – production on "Sing, Sing, Sing"
David Foster – production from Chicago 16 to Chicago 18
James William Guercio – production from The Chicago Transit Authority to Chicago XI
Lee Loughnane – remastering
Jeff Magid – remastering
David McLees – compilation production
Ron Nevison – production from Chicago 19 to Twenty 1
Phil Ramone – production on "Alive Again" and "No Tell Lover"
Chas Sandford – production on "What Kind of Man Would I Be?"
Reception
Release history
Title
Region
Date
Label
Format
Catalog
The Very Best Of: Only the Beginning
United States
July 2, 2002
Rhino Entertainment
double CD
R2 76170
The Chicago Story: Complete Greatest Hits
United Kingdom
September 2002
Rhino Entertainment
double CD
8122736302
Australia
October 2002
Warner Music Australasia
double CD
8122736062
References
^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning review at AllMusic . Retrieved 15 November 2014.
^ http://www.jimmyscottsongwriter.com/discography.htm
^ "ARIA Top 100 Albums" (PDF) . The ARIA Report (663): 7. November 11, 2002. Retrieved January 9, 2013 .
^ "Chicago – The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits – austriancharts.at" . austriancharts.at (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 7, 2013 .
^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Chicago – The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits " . GfK Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 7, 2013 .
^ "European Top 20 Charts" (PDF) . The ARIA Report (656): 23. September 23, 2002. Retrieved January 9, 2013 .
^ "Album – Chicago, The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits " . charts.de (in German). Media Control . Retrieved January 7, 2013 .
^ "Irish Music Charts Archive – Top 75 Artist Album, Week Ending September 19, 2002" . GfK Chart-Track . Retrieved January 7, 2013 .
^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Chicago – The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits " . norwegiancharts.com . Hung Medien. Retrieved January 7, 2013 .
^ "Swedishcharts.com – Chicago – The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits " . Swedishcharts.com . Hung Medien. Retrieved January 7, 2013 .
^ "Chicago – The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits – Hitparade.ch" . hitparade.ch (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 7, 2013 .
^ "2002-09-14 Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive | Official Charts" . Official Charts Company . Retrieved January 7, 2013 .
^ "Chicago – Awards: AllMusic" . Allmusic . Rovi Corporation . Retrieved January 7, 2013 .
^ "Album Top-40: Uge 14 – 2003" . Hitlisten.nu (in Danish). IFPI Denmark . Retrieved January 7, 2013 .
^ "Finnishcharts.com – Chicago – The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits " . finnishcharts.com . Hung Medien. Retrieved January 7, 2013 .
^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2006 Albums" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved January 21, 2013 .
^ "Brazilian album certifications – Chicago – The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil . Retrieved January 7, 2013 .
^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Chicago; ' Complete Greatest Hits' )" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved January 7, 2013 .
^ "British album certifications – Chicago – The Chicago Story" . British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved January 7, 2013 . Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type The Chicago Story in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
^ "American album certifications – Chicago – The Very Best Of: Only the Beginning" . Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved January 7, 2013 .
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