The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning

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.

The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning
US CD cover art
Greatest hits album by
Chicago
ReleasedJuly 2, 2002 (2002-07-02)
RecordedJanuary 1969 – January 1995
Genre
Length157:44
LabelRhino
ProducerJames William Guercio, Phil Ramone, Chicago, David Foster, Chas Sandford, Ron Nevison, Bruce Fairbairn, David McLees
Chicago chronology
Chicago XXVI: Live in Concert
(1999)		 The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning
(2002)		 The Box
(2003)
Alternative cover
Europe, Australia CD cover art
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

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. There is a new edit of “Make Me Smile”—which bridges the namesake part and the “Now More Than Ever” part of the “Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon” together as in the original single, but without omitting the full intro or guitar solo of the former or the full outro of the latter,—and a new version of “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”—which is a stereo version of the original single, including all but the free-form piano intro.

Track listing

Disc 1
  1. "Make Me Smile" (James Pankow) – 4:26 (From the album Chicago)
    • New edit
  2. "25 or 6 to 4" (Robert Lamm) – 4:50 (From the album Chicago)
  3. "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" (Lamm) – 3:20 (From the album Chicago Transit Authority)
    • New edit
  4. "Beginnings" (Lamm) – 6:26 (From the album Chicago Transit Authority)
  5. "Questions 67 and 68" (Lamm) – 4:52 (From the album Chicago Transit Authority)
    • Edit
  6. "I'm a Man" (Jimmy Miller, Steve Winwood) – 5:44 (From the album Chicago Transit Authority)
    • New edit
  7. "Colour My World" (Pankow) – 3:00 (From the album Chicago)
  8. "Free" (Lamm) – 2:17 (From the album Chicago III)
  9. "Lowdown" (Peter Cetera, Danny Seraphine) – 3:34 (From the album Chicago III)
  10. "Saturday in the Park" (Lamm) – 3:56 (From the album Chicago V)
  11. "Dialogue (Part I & II)" (Lamm) – 5:00 (From the album Chicago V)
    • Single version
  12. "Just You 'n' Me" (Pankow) – 3:42 (From the album Chicago VI)
  13. "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" (Cetera, Pankow) – 4:14 (From the album Chicago VI)
  14. "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" (Pankow) – 4:29 (From the album Chicago VII)
  15. "Wishing You Were Here" (Cetera) – 4:36 (From the album Chicago VII)
  16. "Call on Me" (Lee Loughnane) – 4:02 (From the album Chicago VII)
  17. "Happy Man" (Cetera) – 3:15 (From the album Chicago VII)
  18. "Another Rainy Day in New York City" (Lamm) – 3:00 (From the album Chicago X)
  19. "If You Leave Me Now" (Cetera) – 3:57 (From the album Chicago X)

Disc 1 length: 75:20

Disc 2
  1. "Old Days" (Pankow) – 3:31 (From the album Chicago VIII)
  2. "Baby, What a Big Surprise" (Cetera) – 3:06 (From the album Chicago XI)
  3. "Take Me Back to Chicago" (Seraphine, David Wolinski) – 2:57 (From the album Chicago XI)
    • Single version
  4. "Alive Again" (Pankow) – 4:04 (From the album Hot Streets)
  5. "No Tell Lover" (Cetera, Loughnane, Seraphine) – 4:13 (From the album Hot Streets)
  6. "Love Me Tomorrow" (Cetera, David Foster) – 3:58 (From the album Chicago 16)
    • Single version
  7. "Hard to Say I'm Sorry/Get Away" (Cetera, Foster, Lamm) – 5:05 (From the album Chicago 16)
  8. "Stay the Night" (Cetera, Foster) – 3:50 (From the album Chicago 17)
  9. "Hard Habit to Break" (Steve Kipner, John Parker) – 4:45 (From the album Chicago 17)
  10. "You're the Inspiration" (Cetera, Foster) – 3:49 (From the album Chicago 17)
  11. "Along Comes a Woman" (Cetera, Mark Goldenberg) – 3:47 (From the album Chicago 17)
    • Single version
  12. "Will You Still Love Me?" (David Foster, Tom Keane, Richard Baskin) – 4:12 (From the album Chicago 18)
    • Single version
  13. "If She Would Have Been Faithful..." (Randy Goodrum, Kipner) – 3:51 (From the album Chicago 18)
  14. "Look Away" (Diane Warren) – 4:00 (From the album Chicago 19)
    • Single version
  15. "What Kind of Man Would I Be?" (Jason Scheff, Bobby Caldwell, Chas Sandford) – 4:14 (From the album Chicago 19)
    • Single version
  16. "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" (Warren, Albert Hammond) – 3:57 (From the album Chicago 19)
  17. "We Can Last Forever" (Scheff, John Dexter) – 3:44 (From the album Chicago 19)
    • Single version
  18. "You're Not Alone" (Jim Scott)[2] – 4:00 (From the album Chicago 19)
    • Single version
  19. "Chasin' the Wind" (Warren) – 4:18 (From the album Twenty 1)
  20. "Sing, Sing, Sing" – with the Gipsy Kings (Louis Prima) – 3:20 (From the album Night and Day: Big Band)

Disc 2 total length: 75:21

Track listing (Europe and Australia)

Disc 1
  1. "If You Leave Me Now" (Cetera) – 3:57
  2. "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (Cetera, Foster, Lamm) – 3:51
    • Single version
  3. "You're the Inspiration" (Cetera, Foster) – 3:49
  4. "Hard Habit to Break" (Kipner, Parker) – 4:45
  5. "Will You Still Love Me?" (Foster, Keane, Baskin) – 4:12
    • Single version
  6. "Baby, What a Big Surprise" (Cetera) – 3:06
  7. "Look Away" (Warren) – 4:00
    • Single version
  8. "What Kind of Man Would I Be?" (Scheff, Caldwell, Sandford) – 4:14
    • Single version
  9. "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" (Warren, Hammond) – 3:57
  10. "Love Me Tomorrow" (Cetera, Foster) – 3:58
    • Single version
  11. "Just You 'n' Me" (Pankow) – 3:42
  12. "Happy Man" (Cetera) – 3:15
    • Same edit as American issue
  13. "You're Not Alone" (Scott) – 4:00
    • Single version
  14. "Chasin' the Wind" (Warren) – 4:18
  15. "Wishing You Were Here" (Cetera) – 4:36
  16. "No Tell Lover" (Cetera, Loughnane, Seraphine) – 4:13
  17. "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" (Pankow) – 4:29
  18. "Colour My World" (Pankow) – 3:00
  19. "You Come to My Senses" (Tom Kelly, Billy Steinberg) – 3:48 (From the album Twenty 1)
  20. "We Can Last Forever" (Scheff, Dexter) – 3:44
    • Single version

Disc 2
  1. "25 or 6 to 4" (Lamm) – 4:50
  2. "Saturday in the Park" (Lamm) – 3:56
  3. "Questions 67 and 68" (Lamm) – 4:52
    • Same edit as American issue
  4. "I'm a Man" (Miller, Winwood) – 5:44
    • Same edit as American issue
  5. "Stay the Night" (Cetera, Foster) – 3:50
  6. "Only You" (Foster, Pankow) – 3:54
    • Originally issued on Chicago 17
  7. "Dialogue (Part I & II)" (Lamm) – 5:00
    • Single version
  8. "Old Days" (Pankow) – 3:31
  9. "Beginnings" (Lamm) – 6:26
    • Same edit as American issue
  10. "Lowdown" (Cetera, Seraphine) – 3:34
  11. "Another Rainy Day in New York City" (Lamm) – 3:00
  12. "Call on Me" (Loughnane) – 4:02
  13. "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" (Cetera, Pankow) – 4:14
  14. "Take Me Back to Chicago" (Seraphine, Wolinski) – 2:57
    • Single version
  15. "Sing, Sing, Sing" – with the Gipsy Kings (Prima) – 3:20
  16. "Along Comes a Woman" (Cetera, Goldenberg) – 3:47
    • Single version
  17. "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" (Lamm) – 3:20
    • Single version
  18. "Make Me Smile" (Pankow) – 4:26
    • Same edit as American issue
  19. "Street Player" (Seraphine, Wolinski) – 4:22 (From the album Chicago 13)
    • Single version

Personnel

Charts and certifications

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
  1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning review at AllMusic. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  2. "Jimmy Scott, songwriter".
  3. "ARIA Top 100 Albums" (PDF). The ARIA Report (663): 7. November 11, 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2003-01-06. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  4. "Chicago – The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits – austriancharts.at". austriancharts.at (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  5. "Dutchcharts.nl – Chicago – The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits". GfK Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  6. "The ARIA Report: Issue 656" (PDF). The ARIA Report (656): 23. September 23, 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2002-10-01. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  7. "Album – Chicago, The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits". charts.de (in German). Media Control. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  8. "Irish Music Charts Archive – Top 75 Artist Album, Week Ending September 19, 2002". GfK Chart-Track. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  9. "Norwegiancharts.com – Chicago – The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits". norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  10. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  11. "Swedishcharts.com – Chicago – The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits". Swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  12. "Chicago – The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits – Hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  13. "2002-09-14 Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive | Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  14. "Chicago – Awards: AllMusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  15. "Album Top-40: Uge 14 – 2003". Hitlisten.nu (in Danish). IFPI Denmark. Archived from the original on December 17, 2010. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  16. "Finnishcharts.com – Chicago – The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits". finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  17. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2006 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  18. "Brazilian album certifications – Chicago – The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  19. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Chicago; 'Complete Greatest Hits')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  20. "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.
  21. "American album certifications – Chicago – The Very Best Of: Only the Beginning". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
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