Greatest Hits (Earth, Wind & Fire album)

Greatest Hits is a compilation album by American R&B group Earth, Wind & Fire, released on November 17, 1998, by Columbia/Legacy Records. The album reached No. 40 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.[1][2]

Greatest Hits
Compilation album by Earth, Wind & Fire
Released	November 17, 1998
Recorded	1973-1981
Genre	R&B
Length	70:22
Label	Columbia/Legacy
Producer	Maurice White, Al McKay, Charles Stepney, Joseph Wissert
Compiler	Leo Sacks
Earth, Wind & Fire chronology
In the Name of Love (1997) Greatest Hits (1998) The Ultimate Collection (1999)

Overview

The album was re-issued in 2008 by Columbia/Legacy.[1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Detroit Free Press	[4]
Chicago Sun Times	(favourable)[5]

Terry Lawson of the Detroit Free Press called Greatest Hits a "stellar single disc distillation" and a "shimmering state of sonic funk perfection".[4] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic described the LP as "a terrifically entertaining and valuable disc."[3] Jim DeRogatis of the Chicago Sun Times also described the album as "worth owning."[5]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Shining Star" (from That's the Way of the World, 1975)	Philip Bailey, Larry Dunn, Maurice White	2:50
2.	"That's the Way of the World" (from That's the Way of the World)	Charles Stepney, M. White, Verdine White	5:43
3.	"September" (from The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1, 1978)	Al McKay, M. White, Allee Willis	3:34
4.	"Can't Hide Love" (from Gratitude, 1975)	Skip Scarborough	4:07
5.	"Got to Get You Into My Life" (from The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1)	John Lennon, Paul McCartney	4:10
6.	"Sing a Song" (from Gratitude)	McKay, M. White	3:22
7.	"Gratitude" (from Gratitude)	Bailey, Dunn, M. White, V. White	3:27
8.	"Serpentine Fire" (from All 'n All, 1977)	Sonny Burke, M. White, V. White	3:50
9.	"Fantasy" (from All 'n All)	Eduardo DelBarrio, M. White, V. White	4:36
10.	"Kalimba Story" (from Open Our Eyes, 1974)	M. White, V. White	4:00
11.	"Mighty Mighty" (from Open Our Eyes)	M. White, V. White	3:03
12.	"Reasons" (from That's the Way of the World)	Bailey, Stepney, M. White	4:58
13.	"Saturday Nite" (from Spirit, 1976)	Bailey, McKay, M. White	4:01
14.	"Let's Groove" (from Raise!, 1981)	Wayne Vaughn, M. White	5:35
15.	"Boogie Wonderland" (with The Emotions) (from I Am, 1979)	Jon Lind, Willis	4:47
16.	"After the Love Has Gone" (from I Am)	Bill Champlin, David Foster, Jay Graydon	4:24
17.	"Getaway" (from Spirit)	Peter Cor, Beloyd Taylor	3:55

Personnel

Robert Appere: Engineer Dorothy Ashby: Harp Philip Bailey: Congas, Percussion, Vocals Marilyn Baker: Viola Roland Bautista: Guitar Delores M. Bing: Cello George Bohannon: Trombone Oscar Brashear: Trumpet Elmer Brown: Trumpet Garnett Brown: Trombone Sherman Bryana: Violin Bobby Bryant: Trumpet Denyse Buffum: Viola David Campbell: Viola Ronald Clark: Violin Ronald Cooper: Cello Larry Corbett: Cello Steve Crimmel: Engineer Paulinho Da Costa: Percussion Rollice Dale: Viola Rahmlee Michael Davis: Flugelhorn, Trumpet Eduardo del Barrio: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer George Del Barrio: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer Marci Dicterow: Violin Assa Drori: Violin David Duke: French Horn James Dunham: Viola Larry Dunn: Associate Producer, Organ, Piano, Programming, Synthesizer The Emotions: Vocals (Background) Pavel Farkas: Violin Marie Fera: Cello Henry Ferber: Violin Chuck Findley: Trumpet David Foster: Keyboards, Piano, String Arrangements, Synthesizer Winterton Garvey: Violin Pamela Gates: Violin Harris Goldman: Concert Master, Violin Joseph Goodman: Violin Richard Goodman: Engineer Jack Gootkin: Violin Janice Gower: Concert Master Gary Grant: Trumpet Mick Guzauski: Engineer Michael Harris: Flugelhorn, Trumpet

Jeanette Hawes: Vocals (Background) Jerry Hay: Horn Arrangements Marlo Henderson: Guitar William Henderson: Violin Jerry Hey: Trumpet Zakir Hussain: Tabla Wanda Hutchinson: Vocals (Background) Fred Jackson, Jr.: Saxophone Ralph Johnson: Drums, Percussion Thomas "Snake" Johnson: Tuba Dennis Karmazyn: Cello Jan Kelley: Cello Rick Kelly: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer Barbara Korn: French Horn Gina Kronstadt: Violin Carl LaMagna: Violin Azar Lawrence: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer Richard Lepore: Timpani Maxine Lewis: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer Linda Lipsett: Viola Joseph Livoti: Violin Charles Loper: Trombone Steve Lukather: Guitar Jacqueline Lustgarten: Cello Joy Lyle: Violin Steve Madaio: Trumpet Arthur Maebe: French Horn Virginia Majewski: Viola Miguel Martinez: Cello Harvey Mason, Sr.: Percussion George Massenburg: Engineer Lew McCreary: Trombone Al McKay: Guitar, Percussion, Producer, Vocals Bill Meyers: Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements Sidney Muldrow: French Horn Billy Myers: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer Don Myrick: Saxophone Ross Pallone: Engineer Richard Perissi: French Horn Tom Perry: Engineer Jerry Peters: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer The Phoenix Horns: Band Paul Polivnick: Viola Steve Porcaro: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer

Benjamin Powell: Trombone William Frank "Bill" Reichenbach Jr.: Trombone Jerome Reisler: Violin Jerome Richardson: Saxophone Herman Riley: Saxophone Marilyn Robinson: French Horn Dean Rod: Engineer James Ross: Viola Henry Roth: Violin Sheldon Sanov: Violin Louis Satterfield: Trombone Skip Scarborough: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer Sandy Seemore: Violin Anton Sen: Violin Leena Sherman: Violin Haim Shtrum: Violin Harry Shultz: Cello Daniel Smith: Cello Robert Spano: Engineer Maurice Spears: Trombone Charles Stepney: Arranger, Associate Producer, Keyboards, Piano, Producer, Synthesizer Linn Subotnick: Viola Ilka Talvi: Violin Judith Talvi: Violin Beloyd Taylor: Guitar, Vocals (Background) Barbara Thomason: Viola Tom Tom 84: Arranger, Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements Kevan Torfeh: Cello Rosmen Torfeh: Violin Wayne Vaughn: Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer Charles Veal: Concert Master John Walz: Cello Jerome Webster: Violin Fred White: Drums, Percussion Maurice White: Compilation Producer, Drums, Kalimba, Producer, Timbales, Vocals Verdine White: Associate Producer, Bass, Percussion, Vocals Sheila Whitt: Vocals (Background) Craig Widby: Engineer Mark Wilder: Mastering Joseph Wissert: Producer Larry Woods: Viola Andrew Woolfolk: Flute, Percussion, Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor) Benjamin F. Wright: Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements Ken Yerke: Violin[1]

Charts

Year	Chart	Peak position
1999	Japanese Albums (Oricon)	43[6]
2013	US Billboard 200	40[2]
	Italian Albums (FIMI)	89
	Dutch Midprice Top 50	6[7]
	Dutch Combi Album Top 100	55[7]
2016	French Albums	56[8]
	Swiss Albums (Hitparade)	89

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[9]	Gold	100,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Earth, Wind & Fire: Greatest Hits. Columbia Records. November 1998.
2. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Greatest Hits (Billboard 200)". Billboard.com.
3. Thomas Erlewine, Stephen. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Greatest Hits". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
4. Lawson, Terry (November 22, 1998). "Earth, Wind & Fire: Greatest Hits". newspapers.com. Detroit Free Press. p. 62.
5. DeRogatis, Jim (February 7, 1999). "Mixed bag of `great' hits - Best-of CDs put new slant on careers". newsbank.com. Chicago Sun Times. p. 7.
6. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
7. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Greatest Hits". dutchcharts.nl. Dutch Charts.
8. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Greatest Hits". lescharts.com.
9. "Japanese album certifications – Earth, Wind and Fire – Greatest hits" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 12 September 2019. Select 2006年7月 on the drop-down menu