Elton John's Greatest Hits Volume II

Infobox Album |
Name = Elton John's Greatest Hits Volume II
Type = Greatest hits
Artist = Elton John

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Released = September 13 1977 (UK)
October 1 1977 (U.S.)
Recorded = 1971,1974-1976
Genre = Rock
Length = 49:51
Label = Polygram/MCA Records
Producer = Gus Dudgeon
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3dzsa9rgb23a link]
*Robert Christgau (B+) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=elton+john link]
Last album = "Blue Moves"
(1976)
This album = "Elton John's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2"
(1977)
Next album = "A Single Man"
(1978)

"Elton John's Greatest Hits Volume II" is a compilation album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1977. The original 1977 US version features 1 song from 1971 that wasn't on the first greatest hits album, 2 songs from 1974 that weren't on the first greatest hits volume either. It also features several hit songs from 1975, and 2 hit singles from Elton's last year of performing in 1976.

History

There are several versions of the album. There were two original versions, one in the United States and Canada and another for Great Britain and the rest of the world, both released in 1977. The British version, released on DJM Records, included "Bennie and the Jets", a song that had appeared on the 1973 album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" but had only recently been released as a single (1976) in Elton John's home country. In North America, where the album was released by MCA Records, this song had already appeared on the first volume of "Greatest Hits". It was replaced with "Levon", an even older song (from 1971's "Madman Across the Water" album) that had not yet been collected.

The album also contained two songs that would later be replaced, "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" both from 1976. These were the newest songs on the collection, and the only two not owned by DJM/This Record Company. They had been released on Elton John's own Rocket Records and were owned by his own royalty collection company, Sackville Productions. They appeared on this DJM album by mutual agreement. In North America, all his records were released by MCA (the singles from 1976 as well as the Blue Moves album also carried the Rocket logo), so for now no agreement was necessary.

The original album contained a booklet containing lyrics to the songs (even to the covers of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "Pinball Wizard"), plus an illustration for each song.

In 1992, a new version was released worldwide. Elton John had moved to Polygram Records, who got the rights to all of his DJM recordings (pre-1976.) MCA now controlled his post-DJM recordings, including his later work on Geffen Records which had been taken over by MCA. "Greatest Hits Volume III" was deleted and replaced with "Greatest Hits: 1976-1986", which also contained "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" from the original version of "Greatest Hits - Volume 2." On the new edition, those two songs were replaced with two singles not on the original version, 1971's "Tiny Dancer" and 1975's "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)." Meanwhile, since the current edition of "Greatest Hits Volume One" now included "Bennie and the Jets" worldwide, Volume 2 now included "Levon" worldwide.

Track listing

The Original 1977 UK Version

Side 1
# "The Bitch Is Back"
# "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
# "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"
# "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (duet with Kiki Dee)
# "Someone Saved My Life Tonight"

Side 2
# "Philadelphia Freedom"
# "Island Girl"
# "Grow Some Funk Of Your Own"
# "Bennie and the Jets"
# "Pinball Wizard"

The Original 1977 US Version

Side 1
# "The Bitch Is Back"
# "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
# "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"
# "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (duet with Kiki Dee)
# "Someone Saved My Life Tonight"

Side 2
# "Philadelphia Freedom"
# "Island Girl"
# "Grow Some Funk Of Your Own"
# "Levon"
# "Pinball Wizard"

1992 Version:

# "The Bitch Is Back"
# "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
# "Tiny Dancer"
# "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)"
# "Someone Saved My Life Tonight"
# "Philadelphia Freedom"
# "Island Girl"
# "Grow Some Funk of Your Own"
# "Levon"
# "Pinball Wizard (from "Tommy")"