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
Greatest hits album by
Chicago
ReleasedJuly 2, 2002 (2002-07-02)
RecordedJanuary 1969 – January 1995
GenreRock, jazz fusion, adult contemporary, soft rock, pop rock
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 cover
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.

Track listing

Disc one
  1. "Make Me Smile" (James Pankow) – 4:26
    • New edit
  2. "25 or 6 to 4" (Robert Lamm) – 4:50
    • Tracks 1–2 originally issued on 1970's Chicago II
  3. "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" (Lamm) – 3:20
  4. "Beginnings" (Lamm) – 6:26
  5. "Questions 67 and 68" (Lamm) – 4:52
    • New edit
  6. "I'm a Man" (Jimmy Miller, Steve Winwood) – 5:44
  7. "Colour My World" (Pankow) – 3:00
    • Originally issued on Chicago II
  8. "Free" (Lamm) – 2:17
  9. "Lowdown" (Peter Cetera, Danny Seraphine) – 3:34
  10. "Saturday in the Park" (Lamm) – 3:56
  11. "Dialogue (Part I & II)" (Lamm) – 5:00
    • Single version
    • Tracks 10–11 originally issued on 1972's Chicago V
  12. "Just You 'n' Me" (Pankow) – 3:42
  13. "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" (Cetera, Pankow) – 4:14
    • Tracks 12–13 originally issued on 1973's Chicago VI
  14. "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" (Pankow) – 4:29
  15. "Wishing You Were Here" (Cetera) – 4:36
  16. "Call on Me" (Lee Loughnane) – 4:02
  17. "Happy Man" (Cetera) – 3:15
  18. "Another Rainy Day in New York City" (Lamm) – 3:00
  19. "If You Leave Me Now" (Cetera) – 3:57
    • Tracks 18–19 originally issued on 1976's Chicago X

Disc one length: 75:20

Disc two
  1. "Old Days" (Pankow) – 3:31
  2. "Baby, What a Big Surprise" (Cetera) – 3:06
  3. "Take Me Back to Chicago" (Seraphine, David Wolinski) – 2:57
    • Single version
    • Tracks 2–3 originally issued on 1977's Chicago XI
  4. "Alive Again" (Pankow) – 4:04
  5. "No Tell Lover" (Cetera, Loughnane, Seraphine) – 4:13
  6. "Love Me Tomorrow" (Cetera, David Foster) – 3:58
    • Single version
  7. "Hard to Say I'm Sorry/Get Away" (Cetera, Foster, Lamm) – 5:05
    • Tracks 6–7 originally issued on 1982's Chicago 16
  8. "Stay the Night" (Cetera, Foster) – 3:50
  9. "Hard Habit to Break" (Steve Kipner, John Parker) – 4:45
  10. "You're the Inspiration" (Cetera, Foster) – 3:49
  11. "Along Comes a Woman" (Cetera, Mark Goldenberg) – 3:47
    • Single version
    • Tracks 8–11 originally issued on 1984's Chicago 17
  12. "Will You Still Love Me?" (David Foster, Tom Keane, Richard Baskin) – 4:12
    • Single version
  13. "If She Would Have Been Faithful..." (Randy Goodrum, Kipner) – 3:51
    • Tracks 12–13 originally issued on 1986's Chicago 18
  14. "Look Away" (Diane Warren) – 4:00
    • Single version
  15. "What Kind of Man Would I Be?" (Jason Scheff, Bobby Caldwell, Chas Sandford) – 4:14
    • Single version
  16. "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" (Warren, Albert Hammond) – 3:57
  17. "We Can Last Forever" (Scheff, John Dexter) – 3:44
    • Single version
  18. "You're Not Alone" (Jim Scott)[2] – 4:00
    • Single version
    • Tracks 14–18 originally issued on 1988's Chicago 19
  19. "Chasin' the Wind" (Warren) – 4:18
  20. "Sing, Sing, Sing" – with the Gipsy Kings (Louis Prima) – 3:20

Disc 2 total length: 75:21

Track listing (Europe and Australia)

Disc one
  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
    • Originally issued on Twenty 1
  20. "We Can Last Forever" (Scheff, Dexter) – 3:44
    • Single version

Disc two
  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
    • Single version
    • Originally issued on 1979's Chicago 13

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. http://www.jimmyscottsongwriter.com/discography.htm
  3. "ARIA Top 100 Albums" (PDF). The ARIA Report (663): 7. November 11, 2002. 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. "European Top 20 Charts" (PDF). The ARIA Report (656): 23. September 23, 2002. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  7. "Album – Chicago, The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits". charts.de (in German). Media Control. 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. "Swedishcharts.com – Chicago – The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits". Swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  11. "Chicago – The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits – Hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  12. "2002-09-14 Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive | Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  13. "Chicago – Awards: AllMusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  14. "Album Top-40: Uge 14 – 2003". Hitlisten.nu (in Danish). IFPI Denmark. Archived from the original on December 17, 2010. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  15. "Finnishcharts.com – Chicago – The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits". finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  16. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2006 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  17. "Brazilian album certifications – Chicago – The Chicago Story – Complete Greatest Hits" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  18. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Chicago; 'Complete Greatest Hits')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  19. "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.
  20. "American album certifications – Chicago – The Very Best Of: Only the Beginning". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 7, 2013. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
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