Al Green's Greatest Hits is a 1975 greatest hits release by soul singer Al Green. In 2003, the album was ranked number 52 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time,[5] maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list.[6] The album's ranking dropped to number 456 in the 2020 revised list.[7] The compilation has consistently ranked as one of the best executed 'greatest hits' albums in history. The album peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Top Soul LPs chart and No. 17 on the Top LPs chart.[8][9]
| Al Green's Greatest Hits | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Greatest hits album by | ||||
| Released | April 1975 | |||
| Genre | Soul | |||
| Length | 36:34 | |||
| Label | Hi/Right Stuff/EMI | |||
| Producer | Willie Mitchell | |||
| Al Green chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 Al Green's Greatest Hits: Deluxe Edition | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic (1995 CD) |  [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide (1975 LP) | A[2] |
| Pitchfork (1995 CD) | 9.7/10[3] |
| The Village Voice (1995 CD) | A+[4] |
Track listing
editOriginal LP
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tired of Being Alone" | Al Green | Al Green Gets Next to You (1971) | 2:43 |
| 2. | "Call Me (Come Back Home)" | Al Green; Willie Mitchell; Al Jackson Jr. | Call Me (1973) | 3:03 |
| 3. | "I'm Still in Love with You" | Al Green; Willie Mitchell; Al Jackson Jr. | I'm Still in Love with You (1972) | 3:14 |
| 4. | "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" | Al Green; Mabon "Teenie" Hodges | Call Me | 4:14 |
| 5. | "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" (replaced by "Love and Happiness" in later reissues) | Barry Gibb; Robin Gibb | Let's Stay Together (1972) | 6:22 |
| 6. | "Let's Stay Together" | Al Green; Willie Mitchell; Al Jackson Jr. | Let's Stay Together | 3:18 |
| 7. | "I Can't Get Next to You" | Barrett Strong; Norman Whitfield | Al Green Gets Next to You | 3:52 |
| 8. | "You Ought to Be with Me" | Al Green; Willie Mitchell; Al Jackson Jr. | Call Me | 3:19 |
| 9. | "Look What You Done for Me" | Al Green; Willie Mitchell; Al Jackson Jr. | I'm Still in Love with You | 3:06 |
| 10. | "Let's Get Married" | Al Green | Livin' for You (1973) | 3:23 |
| Total length: | 36:34 | |||
1995 CD re-release
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tired of Being Alone" | Al Green | Al Green Gets Next to You (1971) | 2:43 |
| 2. | "Call Me (Come Back Home)" | Al Green; Willie Mitchell; Al Jackson Jr. | Call Me (1973) | 3:03 |
| 3. | "I'm Still in Love with You" | Al Green; Willie Mitchell; Al Jackson Jr. | I'm Still in Love with You (1972) | 3:14 |
| 4. | "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" | Al Green; Mabon "Teenie" Hodges | Call Me | 4:14 |
| 5. | "Love and Happiness" | Al Green; Mabon "Teenie" Hodges | I'm Still in Love with You | 5:03 |
| 6. | "Let's Stay Together" | Al Green; Willie Mitchell; Al Jackson Jr. | Let's Stay Together (1972) | 3:18 |
| 7. | "I Can't Get Next to You" | Barrett Strong; Norman Whitfield | Al Green Gets Next to You | 3:52 |
| 8. | "You Ought to Be with Me" | Al Green; Willie Mitchell; Al Jackson Jr. | Call Me | 3:19 |
| 9. | "Look What You Done for Me" | Al Green; Willie Mitchell; Al Jackson Jr. | I'm Still in Love with You | 3:06 |
| 10. | "Let's Get Married" | Al Green | Livin' for You (1973) | 3:23 |
| 11. | "Livin' for You" | Al Green; Willie Mitchell | Livin' for You | 3:11 |
| 12. | "Sha La La (Make Me Happy)" | Al Green | Al Green Explores Your Mind (1974) | 3:02 |
| 13. | "L-O-V-E (Love)" | Al Green; Willie Mitchell; Mabon "Teenie" Hodges | Al Green Is Love (1975) | 3:08 |
| 14. | "Full of Fire" | Al Green; Willie Mitchell; Mabon "Teenie" Hodges | Full of Fire (1976) | 3:29 |
| 15. | "Belle" | Al Green; Fred Jordan; Reuben Fairfax Jr. | The Belle Album (1977) | 4:50 |
| Total length: | 52:55 | |||
Personnel
edit(The following credits refer to Al Green – Greatest Hits: Deluxe Edition.)
- James Mitchell – Baritone Saxophone, String Arrangements
- Cheryl Pawelski – Production Assistant
- Michael Allen – Piano
- Teenie Hodges – Guitar
- Charles Hodges – Organ, Piano
- Leroy Hodges – Bass
- Howard Grimes – Bongos, Drums, Conga
- Archie Turner – Piano
- Al Jackson Jr. – Drums, Percussion
- Andrew Love – Horn (Tenor)
- Wayne Jackson – Trumpet
- Jack Hale – Trombone
- Ed Logan – Horn (Tenor)
- Rhodes, Chalmers & Rhodes – Background vocals
- Willie Mitchell – Producer, Engineer, Remixing
- Tami Masak – Production Assistant
- Robert Vosgien – Remastering
- Richard Kriegler – Art Direction, Design
- Richard E. Roth – Art Direction, Design
- Kevin Flaherty – Producer
- Tom Cartwright – Executive Producer
- Howard Craft – Mastering
- Buddy Rosenburg – Photography
- Chris Clough – Producer
- Bob Levy – Photography
- Ali Muhammed Jackson – Bongos, Drums, Conga
- Susan Lavoie – Art Direction
- Charles Chalmers – String Arrangements
- Margaret Goldfarb – Production Assistant
- Dan Hersch – Mastering
- Bill Inglot – Mastering Consultant
- Kathy Kinslow – Production Assistant
- Charles Levan – Production Assistant
- Al Green – Producer
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[10] | Silver | 60,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[11] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Al Green's Greatest Hits at AllMusic
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: G". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 24, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Wolk, Douglas (April 17, 2009). "Let's Stay Together/I'm Still In Love With You/Greatest Hits Album Reviews". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (December 26, 1995). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 31 May 2009. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 22 September 2020.
- ^ "Al Green Al Green/Greatest Hits Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
- ^ "Al Green Greatest Hits Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
- ^ "British album certifications – Al Green – Greatest Hits". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
- ^ "American album certifications – Al Green – Al Green's Greatest Hits". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2 September 2023.