Greatest Hits (CD - 1974)

Personnel includes: Elton John (vocals, piano, electric piano, organ, Mellotron); Davey Johnstone (acoustic & electric guitars, banjo, background vocals); Frank Clark (acoustic guitar); Clive Hicks (guitar, 12-string guitar); Colin Green (guitar); Jean-Louis Chautemps, Alain Hatot (saxophone); Ivan Jullien (trumpet); Jacques Bolognesi (trombone); Brian Dee (organ); Ken Scott, David Hentschel (ARP synthesizer); Dee Murray (bass, background vocals); Dave Richmond (bass); Nigel Olsson (drums, maracas, background vocals); Barry Morgan (drums); Ray Cooper (tambourine, bells); Carl Wilson, Toni Tenille, Bruce Johnston (background vocals).

Engineers include: Robin Geoffrey Cable, Ken Scott, David Hentschel.

Recorded at Trident Studios, London, England; Strawberry Studios, France; Caribou Ranch, Colorado between 1970 and 1974.

Personnel includes: Elton John (vocals, piano, electric piano, organ, Mellotron); Frank Clark (acoustic guitar); Davey Johnstone (acoustic & electric guitars, banjo, background vocals); Clive Hicks (guitar, 12-string guitar); Colin Green (guitar); Jean-Louis Chautemps, Alain Hatot (saxophone); Ivan Jullien (trumpet); Jacques Bolognesi (trombone); Brian Dee (organ); Ken Scott, David Hentschel (ARP synthesizer); Dave Richmond (bass); Dee Murray (bass, background vocals); Nigel Olsson (drums, maracas, background vocals); Barry Morgan (drums); Ray Cooper (tambourine, bells); Carl Wilson, Bruce Johnston, Toni Tenille (background vocals).

Engineers: Robin Geoffrey Cable (tracks 1, 9); Ken Scott (tracks 2-3, 6, 10); David Hentschel (tracks 4-5, 7, 11); Clive Franks (track 8).

Recorded at Trident Studios, London, England; Strawberry Studios, France; Caribou Ranch, Colorado between 1970 and 1974.

All songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

This Gold Disc includes one track, "Candle In The Wind," that isn't on the standard CD release.

Personnel: Elton John (vocals, flute, piano, electric piano, organ, Farfisa, Mellotron, keyboards); Bruce Johnston (vocals, background vocals); Davey Johnstone (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, background vocals); Clive Hicks (guitar, 12-string guitar); Colin Green (guitar); Frank Clark (acoustic guitar); Jean Louis Chautemps, Alain Hatot (saxophone); Ivan Julian, Ivan Jullien (trumpet); Jacques Bolognesi (trombone); Brian Dee (organ); David Hentschel, Ken Scott (synthesizer); Dee Murray (bass guitar, background vocals); Dave Richmond (bass guitar); Nigel Olsson (drums, maracas, background vocals); Barry Morgan (drums); Ray Cooper (tambourine, bells); Lesley Duncan, Madeline Bell, Roger Cook, Toni Tennille, Tony Burrows, Tony Hazzard, Carl Wilson, Kay Garner, Billy Hinsche (background vocals).

Recording information: Caribou Ranch, CO (03/1970-01/1974); Caribou Ranch, Colorado, U.S.A (03/1970-01/1974); Strawberry Studios, France (03/1970-01/1974); Trident Studios, London, England (03/1970-01/1974).

Photographers: Terry O'Neill; David Larkham.

Arranger: Paul Buckmaster.

Rarely has a greatest-hits collection been as effective as Elton John's first compilation of Greatest Hits. Released at the end of 1974, after Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Caribou had effectively established him as a superstar, Greatest Hits is exactly what it says it is -- it features every one of his Top Ten singles ("Your Song," "Rocket Man," "Honky Cat," "Crocodile Rock," "Daniel," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," "Bennie and the Jets," "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"), plus the number 12 "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" and radio and concert favorites "Border Song" and "Candle in the Wind." Despite the exclusion of a couple of lesser hits from this era, most notably "Levon" and "Tiny Dancer," Greatest Hits is a nearly flawless collection, offering a perfect introduction to Elton John and providing casual fans with almost all the hits they need. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

After Elton released 9 records in a four year span and undertook massive tours as well, GREATEST HITS was the second album he put out in 1974. The unprecedented success John had with lyricist Bernie Taupin resulted in a compilation of ten songs of which nine easily landed in Billboard's Top 20 at one point. John's enormous talents enabled him to shift gears from tender balladry ("Your Song") to raucous rock'n'roll ("Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting"), all the while pumping each song with abundant enthusiasm.

Such was the widespread appeal of these compositions that when "Bennie And The Jets" was initially released, many black radio stations added it to their playlists, assuming that the singer was black. Seeing as the former Reginald Dwight had long been enamored of rhythm & blues, this was an easily made mistake. If "Crocodile Rock" gave EJ an outlet for expressing his love of early rock music, then "Border Song" allowed him to display gospel's influence on his music-making, right down to the choir he chose to back him on this song. minimize