Elaine Paige: The Ultimate Collection

Summary

The Ultimate Collection is a compilation album from Elaine Paige, released on 12 May 2014 by Rhino UK/Warner Music UK to celebrate her 50th anniversary in show business.

The Ultimate Collection
Compilation album by
Released12 May 2014 (2014-05-12)
Recorded1978–2011
GenreVocal, show tune, pop, adult contemporary, dance-pop
Length77:19
Label
Elaine Paige chronology
Elaine Paige & Friends
(2010)
The Ultimate Collection
(2014)

Overview edit

The career-spanning retrospective features songs released between 1978 and 2011, including original hit recordings from Paige's most iconic roles in musical theatre, her favourite LP and single tracks, plus a recently commissioned remix by hit-makers Almighty. The compilation also notably features previously unreleased songs "It's Raining on Prom Night" and "What a Feeling" from the Warner Music vaults – both songs were out-takes from studio albums Paige released during the 1980s.

Promotion edit

On 16 May 2014, Paige was a guest on the ITV breakfast show This Morning and later on the day she appeared on the Sky News channel to promote her upcoming farewell tour, The Elaine Paige Show and The Ultimate Collection. In addition to this, she gave a few interviews for the British magazines, including gay magazine The Attitude and Woman's Weekly. Information about the release of this compilation also appeared in a number of TV guides, including TV Times, Total TV Guide and TV & Satellite Week.

In June 2014, Paige appeared on the cover of Saga Magazine. The Gay Times also published an interview with her in June issue.

Commercial performance edit

The album was released in the United Kingdom on 12 May 2014 and debuted at number 76 on the Official Albums Chart UK Top 100 with 1,225 copies sold in the first week.[1]

Track listing edit

The track listing for the album was announced on 9 April 2014 via Elaine Paige's official website.[2] The standard edition has 20 tracks and was released on a single CD and worldwide via digital download.

A limited edition 2CD version was also released containing the original album plus a bonus CD of Paige's favourite A and B-side singles (released between 1980 and 2010) – the bonus CD features 4 rare singles which debuted on CD format ("Oh Major", "My Knight in Black Leather", "Rocking" and "He's a Dream").[3]

Standard edition[2]
No.TitleWriter(s)AdditionalLength
1."Don't Cry for Me Argentina" (1978 version)From the musical Evita5:47
2."Memory" (1981 UK single version)
Theme from the musical Cats4:18
3."Ave Maria" 3:52
4."I Don't Know How to Love Him"
  • Andrew Lloyd Webber
  • Tim Rice
From the musical Jesus Christ Superstar3:55
5."What I Did for Love"From the musical A Chorus Line3:32
6."One Night Only"From the musical Dreamgirls3:09
7."Sometimes"Main theme from the film Champions2:34
8."Unchained Melody"From the film Unchained3:43
9."I Know Him So Well" (1984 UK single version with Barbara Dickson)From the musical Chess4:16
10."Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" 3:33
11."For You" 2:44
12."La Vie En Rose"From the musical play Piaf2:40
13."I Dreamed a Dream" (1994 live performance at the Birmingham City Hall)From the musical Les Misérables4:25
14."As If We Never Said Goodbye"From the musical Sunset Boulevard5:20
15."With One Look"
  • Andrew Lloyd Webber
  • Don Black
  • Christopher Hampton
  • Amy Powers
From the musical Sunset Boulevard3:28
16."The Prayer" (duet with Barry Manilow) 4:20
17."I'm Still Here"Stephen SondheimFrom the musical Follies5:34
18."It's Raining on Prom Night" (1983 out-take from Stages)From the musical Grease3:05
19."What a Feeling" (Ted Carfrae Mix – 1984 out-take from Cinema)From the film Flashdance4:12
20."Be on Your Own" (Almighty Remix – Radio Edit])Maury YestonFrom the musical Nine3:05
UK 2CD Special Edition – bonus CD tracks[3]
No.TitleWriter(s)AdditionalLength
21."If You Don't Want My Love" 3:53
22."How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns"Paul Simon 2:31
23."Far Side of the Bay"Dave Townsend 3:34
24."Oh Major" (debut on CD)
  • Littman
  • Bergman
 3:37
25."The Second Time"Theme from the film Bilitis4:08
26."My Knight in Black Leather" (debut on CD)
 4:06
27."Rocking" (debut on CD)
  • Traditional
  • Arrangement by Elaine Paige and Tim Rice
 2:26
28."Running Back for More"
From the musical Blondel3:14
29."Losing My Mind"Stephen SondheimFrom the musical Follies3:37
30."Be on Your Own (original version)"Maury YestonFrom the musical Nine2:42
31."Another Suitcase in Another Hall"From the musical Evita3:29
32."The Windmills of Your Mind"From the film The Thomas Crown Affair3:15
33."He's a Dream" (debut on CD)
  • Shandy Sinnanon
  • Ron Magness
From the film Flashdance3:45
34."Walking in the Air"Howard BlakeFrom the animated film The Snowman3:32
35."On My Own"From the musical Les Misérables3:49
36."All Things Considered"
 3:41
37."A Winter's Tale"
 3:58
38."Hymne à l'amour (If You Love Me)"From the musical play Piaf2:53
39."The Perfect Year"
From the musical Sunset Boulevard3:20
40."It's Only Life" (duet with Sinéad O'Connor)
 4:10

Personnel edit

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the standard edition of The Ultimate Collection.[4]

Release history edit

Region Date Format(s) Label Ref
United Kingdom 12 May 2014
  • CD
  • digital download
  • Special 2CD Edition
United States 20 May 2014
  • CD
  • digital download
  • Special 2CD Edition

References edit

  1. ^ "Official Charts Analysis: Jackson sells 47,764 to hit No.1 almost five years after death | Music Week". www.musicweek.com. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d "Unreleased songs debut on 'Elaine Paige – The Ultimate Collection'". ElainePaige.com. 9 April 2014. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d "Unreleased songs debut on 'Elaine Paige – The Ultimate Collection (Special Limited Edition)'". ElainePaige.com. 17 April 2014.
  4. ^ The Ultimate Collection (standard edition liner notes). Elaine Paige. Rhino. 2014. 825646306862.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

External links edit

  • Official website
  • Elaine Paige – The Ultimate Collection