The Very Best of: Only the Beginning

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The Very Best of: Only the Beginning
Compilation album by Chicago
Released	2 July 2002
Recorded	January 1969 - January 1995
Genre	Rock/Adult Contemporary
Length	2:37:44
Label	Rhino
Producer(s)	James William Guercio, Phil Ramone, Chicago, David Foster, Ron Nevison, Chas Sandford and Bruce Fairbairn
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
Chicago chronology
Chicago XXVI: Live in Concert (1999)	The Very Best of: Only the Beginning (2002)	The Box (2003)

The Very Best of: Only the Beginning is a two-CD greatest hits album by American rock band Chicago and was released in 2002. This collection marked the beginning of a long-term partnership with Rhino Records, who would go on to remaster and re-release Chicago's 1969 - 1980 Columbia Records catalogue throughout 2002 to 2005.

The Very Best of: Only the Beginning is notable for combining 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 bar 1979's Chicago 13 and Chicago XIV from 1980. Generally considered the definitive Chicago retrospective, The Very Best of: Only the Beginning has proven a lucrative seller, reaching #38 in the US - where it went double platinum, and providing Chicago with their highest UK position since 1970, peaking at #11. It should be noted that several songs appear in an edited form, presumably to allow the band to include more songs on the CD. Most notable are "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.

Contents 1 Track listing 1.1 Disc one 1.2 Disc two 2 Track listing (UK) 2.1 Disc one 2.2 Disc two

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Disc one

1. "Make Me Smile" (James Pankow) – 4:26
   • New Edit
2. "25 or 6 to 4" (Robert Lamm) – 4:50
3. "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" (Robert Lamm) – 3:20
4. "Beginnings" (Robert Lamm) – 6:26
5. "Questions 67 And 68" (Robert Lamm) – 4:52
6. "I'm A Man" (Jimmy Miller/Steve Winwood) – 5:44
   • New Edit
7. "Colour My World" (James Pankow) – 3:00
8. "Free" (Robert Lamm) – 2:17
9. "Lowdown" (Peter Cetera/Danny Seraphine) – 3:34
10. "Saturday in the Park" (Robert Lamm) – 3:56
11. "Dialogue (Part I & II)" (Robert Lamm) – 5:00
    • Single Version
12. "Just You 'N' Me" (James Pankow) – 3:42
13. "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" (Peter Cetera/James Pankow) – 4:14
14. "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" (James Pankow) – 4:29
15. "Wishing You Were Here" (Peter Cetera) – 4:36
16. "Call On Me" (Lee Loughnane) – 4:02
17. "Happy Man" (Peter Cetera) – 3:15
    • Edit from 1981's Greatest Hits, Volume II
18. "Another Rainy Day In New York City" (Robert Lamm) – 3:00
19. "If You Leave Me Now" (Peter Cetera) – 3:57

[edit] Disc two

1. "Old Days" (James Pankow) – 3:31
2. "Baby, What A Big Surprise" (Peter Cetera) – 3:06
3. "Take Me Back To Chicago" (Danny Seraphine/David Wolinski) – 2:57
   • Single Version
4. "Alive Again" (James Pankow) – 4:04
5. "No Tell Lover" (Peter Cetera/Lee Loughnane/Danny Seraphine) – 4:13
6. "Love Me Tomorrow" (Peter Cetera/David Foster) – 3:58
   • Single Version
7. "Hard to Say I'm Sorry/Get Away" (Peter Cetera/David Foster/Robert Lamm) – 5:05
8. "Stay The Night" (Peter Cetera/David Foster) – 3:50
9. "Hard Habit To Break" (Steve Kipne/John Parker) – 4:45
10. "You're The Inspiration" (Peter Cetera/David Foster) – 3:49
11. "Along Comes A Woman" (Peter Cetera/Mark Goldenberg) – 3:47
    • Single Version
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/Steve Kipner) – 3:51
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" (Diane Warren/Albert Hammond) – 3:57
17. "We Can Last Forever" (Jason Scheff/John Dexter) – 3:44
    • Single Version
18. "You're Not Alone" (Jim Scott) – 4:00
    • Single Version
19. "Chasin' The Wind" (Diane Warren) – 4:18
20. "Sing, Sing, Sing" - with the Gipsy Kings (Louis Prima) – 3:20

The Very Best of: Only the Beginning (Rhino 76170) reached #38 in the US during a chart stay of 25 weeks. It also peaked at #11 in the UK, under the title The Chicago Story: Complete Greatest Hits, and with a different tracklisting.

[edit] Track listing (UK)

[edit] Disc one

1. "If You Leave Me Now" (Peter Cetera) – 3:57
2. "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" (Peter Cetera/David Foster/Robert Lamm) – 3:51
   • Single Version
3. "You're The Inspiration" (Peter Cetera/David Foster) – 3:49
4. "Hard Habit To Break" (Steve Kipne/John Parker) – 4:45
5. "Will You Still Love Me?" (David Foster/Tom Keane/Richard Baskin) – 4:12
6. "Baby, What A Big Surprise" (Peter Cetera) – 3:06
7. "Look Away" (Diane Warren) – 4:00
8. "What Kind Of Man Would I Be?" (Jason Scheff/Bobby Caldwell/Chas Sandford) – 4:14
9. "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" (Diane Warren/Albert Hammond) – 3:57
10. "Love Me Tomorrow" (Peter Cetera/David Foster) – 3:58
11. "Just You 'N' Me" (James Pankow) – 3:42
12. "Happy Man" (Peter Cetera) – 3:15
13. "You're Not Alone" (Jim Scott) – 4:00
14. "Chasin' The Wind" (Diane Warren) – 4:18
15. "Wishing You Were Here" (Peter Cetera) – 4:36
16. "No Tell Lover" (Peter Cetera/Lee Loughnane/Danny Seraphine) – 4:13
17. "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" (James Pankow) – 4:29
18. "Colour My World" (James Pankow) – 3:00
19. "You Come To My Senses" (Tom Kelly/Billy Steinberg) – 3:48
20. "We Can Last Forever" (Jason Scheff/John Dexter) – 3:44

[edit] Disc two

1. "25 Or 6 To 4" (Robert Lamm) – 4:50
2. "Saturday In The Park" (Robert Lamm) – 3:56
3. "Questions 67 And 68" (Robert Lamm) – 4:52
4. "I'm A Man" (Jimmy Miller/Steve Winwood) – 5:44
5. "Stay The Night" (Peter Cetera/David Foster) – 3:50
6. "Only You" (David Foster/James Pankow) – 3:54
7. "Dialogue (Part I & II)" (Robert Lamm) – 5:00
8. "Old Days" (James Pankow) – 3:31
9. "Beginnings" (Robert Lamm) – 6:26
10. "Lowdown" (Peter Cetera/[[Danny Seraphine) – 3:34
11. "Another Rainy Day In New York City" (Robert Lamm) – 3:00
12. "Call On Me" (Lee Loughnane) – 4:02
13. "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" (Peter Cetera/James Pankow) – 4:14
14. "Take Me Back To Chicago" (Danny Seraphine/David Wolinski) – 2:57
15. "Sing, Sing, Sing" - with the Gipsy Kings (Louis Prima) – 3:20
16. "Along Comes A Woman" (Peter Cetera/Mark Goldenberg) – 3:47
17. "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" (Robert Lamm) – 3:20
18. "Make Me Smile" (James Pankow) – 4:26
19. "Street Player" (Danny Seraphine/David Wolinski) – 4:22
    • Single Version

Chicago
Robert Lamm | James Pankow | Lee Loughnane | Walter Parazaider | Bill Champlin Jason Scheff | Tris Imboden | Keith Howland Terry Kath | Peter Cetera | Danny Seraphine | Laudir DeOliveira | Donnie Dacus | Chris Pinnick | Dawayne Bailey
Discography
Studio albums: The Chicago Transit Authority | Chicago | Chicago III | Chicago V | Chicago VI |Chicago VII | Chicago VIII | Chicago X | Chicago XI | Hot Streets Chicago 13 | Chicago XIV | Chicago 16 | Chicago 17 | Chicago 18 | Chicago 19 | Twenty 1 | Night & Day Big Band | Chicago XXX
Live albums: Chicago at Carnegie Hall | Chicago XXVI: Live in Concert
Compilations: Chicago IX - Chicago's Greatest Hits | Greatest Hits, Volume II | Greatest Hits 1982-1989 The Heart of Chicago 1967-1997 | The Heart of Chicago 1967-1998 Volume II | The Very Best of: Only the Beginning | Love Songs
Christmas albums: Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album | What's It Gonna Be, Santa?
Unreleased album: Stone of Sisyphus
Box sets: The Box