Biography: The Greatest Hits

Biography: The Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits compilation album by British recording artist Lisa Stansfield. Released by Arista Records on 3 February 2003, it features seventeen tracks, hits and rare songs, including: "All Around the World," "This Is the Right Time," "Change," "All Woman," "The Real Thing" and "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up." The album, which garnered positive reviews from music critics, peaked at number three in the United Kingdom and was certified Gold.

Background

In June 2001, Stansfield released Face Up, her final studio album with Arista Records. The obligatory compilation, Biography: The Greatest Hits was issued in February 2003. Four months later, Arista Records remastered all of Stansfield's studio albums and re-released them with bonus tracks. The Complete Collection box set was also issued at the same time.

Content

The European edition of Biography: The Greatest Hits includes three songs from Affection ("This Is the Right Time," "All Around the World," "Live Together"), four tracks from Real Love ("Change," "All Woman," "Time to Make You Mine," "Set Your Loving Free"), three songs from So Natural ("In All the Right Places," "So Natural," "Little Bit of Heaven"), two tracks from Lisa Stansfield ("The Real Thing," "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up") and one song from Face Up ("Let's Just Call It Love"). It also contains few non-album tracks: "People Hold On" (from Coldcut's album, What's That Noise?), "Down in the Depths" (from charity compilation, Red Hot + Blue), "Someday (I'm Coming Back)" (from The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album) and "These Are the Days of Our Lives" (from charity EP, Five Live). The North American edition includes "You Can't Deny It" and "Never Gonna Fall" instead of "Little Bit of Heaven" and "Set Your Loving Free." In Europe, limited edition with bonus remix CD was also issued. Biography: The Greatest Hits was released simultaneously on DVD which includes most of Stansfield's music videos and a bonus material.

Singles

The album does not include any new recordings. Arista Records issued promotional singles with new remixes of "All Around the World" created by Norty Cotto. The single was released in the United States on 28 April 2003 and reached number thirty-four on the Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs. A remix by Junior Vasquez was also created. In 2014, these remixes of "All Around the World" were included on the deluxe 2CD + DVD re-release of Face Up (also on The Collection 1989–2003).

Reception

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]

Biography: The Greatest Hits received positive reviews from music critics. Heather Phares from AllMusic gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars and wrote that it is a must for die-hard fans and an excellent primer for casual listeners.^[1]

Commercial reception

Biography: The Greatest Hits peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart and at number four in Italy. It also reached top forty in Belgium Flanders. The album was certified Gold in the United Kingdom.^[2]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Change" (Edit)	Lisa Stansfield, Ian Devaney, Andy Morris	Devaney, Morris	4:33
2.	"Someday (I'm Coming Back)"	Stansfield, Devaney, Morris	Devaney, Morris	4:56
3.	"This Is the Right Time"	Stansfield, Devaney, Morris	Coldcut	4:30
4.	"The Real Thing"	Stansfield, Devaney	Devaney, Peter Mokran	4:18
5.	"People Hold On" (featuring Coldcut)	Stansfield, Matt Black, Jonathan More	Coldcut	3:58
6.	"In All the Right Places" (Edit)	Stansfield, Devaney, Morris, John Barry	Devaney, Morris	5:16
7.	"So Natural"	Stansfield, Devaney	Devaney	5:05
8.	"Time to Make You Mine" (Edit)	Stansfield, Devaney, Morris	Devaney, Morris	4:10
9.	"Live Together" (Edit)	Stansfield, Devaney, Morris	Devaney, Morris	4:35
10.	"Little Bit of Heaven"	Stansfield, Devaney	Devaney	4:27
11.	"Set Your Loving Free" (Edit)	Stansfield, Devaney, Morris	Devaney, Morris	4:09
12.	"Let's Just Call It Love" (Edit)	Stansfield, Devaney, Richard Darbyshire	Devaney	3:59
13.	"Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" (Edit)	Barry White	Devaney, Mokran	3:51
14.	"These Are the Days of Our Lives" (with Queen and George Michael)	Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon	George Michael, Queen	4:43
15.	"Down in the Depths"	Cole Porter	Devaney, Morris, Stansfield	4:27
16.	"All Woman"	Stansfield, Devaney, Morris	Devaney, Morris	5:16
17.	"All Around the World"	Stansfield, Devaney, Morris	Devaney, Morris	4:22

North American edition
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Change"	Stansfield, Devaney, Morris	Devaney, Morris	4:33
2.	"Someday (I'm Coming Back)"	Stansfield, Devaney, Morris	Devaney, Morris	4:56
3.	"This Is the Right Time"	Stansfield, Devaney, Morris	Coldcut	4:30
4.	"The Real Thing"	Stansfield, Devaney	Devaney, Mokran	4:18
5.	"People Hold On" (featuring Coldcut)	Stansfield, Black, More	Coldcut	3:58
6.	"In All the Right Places"	Stansfield, Devaney, Morris, Barry	Devaney, Morris	5:16
7.	"So Natural"	Stansfield, Devaney	Devaney	5:05
8.	"Time to Make You Mine"	Stansfield, Devaney, Morris	Devaney, Morris	4:10
9.	"Live Together"	Stansfield, Devaney, Morris	Devaney, Morris	4:35
10.	"You Can't Deny It" (Edit)	Stansfield, Devaney, Morris	Devaney, Morris	4:20
11.	"Never Gonna Fall" (Edit)	Stansfield, Devaney	Devaney, Mokran	4:35
12.	"Let's Just Call It Love"	Stansfield, Devaney, Darbyshire	Devaney	3:59
13.	"Never, Never Gonna Give You Up"	White	Devaney, Mokran	3:51
14.	"These Are the Days of Our Lives" (with Queen and George Michael)	Mercury, May, Taylor, Deacon	Michael, Queen	4:43
15.	"Down in the Depths"	Porter	Devaney, Morris, Stansfield	4:27
16.	"All Woman"	Stansfield, Devaney, Morris	Devaney, Morris	5:16
17.	"All Around the World"	Stansfield, Devaney, Morris	Devaney, Morris	4:22

European limited edition bonus CD
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Change" (Knuckles Mix)	Stansfield, Devaney, Morris	Devaney, Morris, Frankie Knuckles	6:25
2.	"Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" (Knuckles Mix)	White	Devaney, Mokran, Knuckles	8:41
3.	"People Hold On" (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Mix)	Stansfield, Black, More	Coldcut, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels	6:11
4.	"The Line" (Black Science Orchestra Mix)	Stansfield, Devaney, Terry Gamwells	Devaney, Mokran, Black Science Orchestra	5:58
5.	"8-3-1" (David Morales Club Mix Long Intro)	Stansfield, Devaney, Darbyshire	Devaney, David Morales	8:28
6.	"Never Gonna Fall" (Junior Vasquez Mix)	Stansfield, Devaney	Devaney, Mokran, Junior Vasquez	8:24

Japanese edition bonus CD
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Change" (Knuckles Mix)	Stansfield, Devaney, Morris	Devaney, Morris, Knuckles	6:25
2.	"Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" (Knuckles Mix)	White	Devaney, Mokran, Knuckles	8:41
3.	"People Hold On" (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Mix)	Stansfield, Black, More	Coldcut, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels	6:11
4.	"The Line" (Black Science Orchestra Mix)	Stansfield, Devaney, Gamwells	Devaney, Mokran, Black Science Orchestra	5:58
5.	"8-3-1" (David Morales Club Mix Long Intro)	Stansfield, Devaney, Darbyshire	Devaney, Morales	8:28
6.	"Never Gonna Fall" (Junior Vasquez Mix)	Stansfield, Devaney	Devaney, Mokran, Vasquez	8:24
7.	"Baby Come Back"	J.C. Crowley, Peter Beckett	Devaney, Mokran	3:34

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2003)	Peak position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[3]	37
European Albums (Top 100)^[4]	16
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[5]	46
Irish Albums (IRMA)^[6]	42
Italian Albums (FIMI)^[7]	4
Scottish Albums (OCC)^[8]	7
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)^[9]	43
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[10]	58
UK Albums (OCC)^[11]	3
UK R&B Albums (OCC)^[12]	5

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)^[13]	Gold	100,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Year-end charts

Chart (2003)	Position
Italian Albums (Hit Parade)^[14]	70
UK Albums (OCC)^[15]	123

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format	Catalog
Europe	3 February 2003	Arista	CD	74321 98954 2
Europe	3 February 2003		2CD	82876 50222 2
North America	18 February 2003		CD	07822 10616 2
Australia	24 February 2003		CD	74321 98954 2
Japan	26 March 2003		2CD	BVCA-28003～BVCA-28004

References

^ ^a ^b Phares, Heather. "Lisa Stansfield > Biography: The Greatest Hits > Overview > Review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
^ "British album certifications – Lisa Stansfield". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 September 2013. Select albums in the Format field. Type Lisa Stansfield in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
^ "Ultratop.be – Lisa Stansfield – Biography - The Greatest Hits" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
^ "Lisa Stansfield > Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
^ "Lisa Stansfield - Biography: The Greatest Hits" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 7, 2003". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
^ "Italiancharts.com – Lisa Stansfield – Biography - The Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
^ Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
^ "Swisscharts.com – Lisa Stansfield – Biography - The Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
^ "Lisa Stansfield | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
^ id MUST BE PROVIDED for UK CERTIFICATION.
^ "Gli album più venduti del 2003" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
^ "The Official UK Albums Chart 2003" (PDF). OCC. Retrieved 20 May 2015.

[allmusic-1] Phares, Heather. "Lisa Stansfield > Biography: The Greatest Hits > Overview > Review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 23 April 2013.

[2] "British album certifications – Lisa Stansfield". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 September 2013. Select albums in the Format field. Type Lisa Stansfield in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.

[ac_Flanders_Lisa_Stansfield-3] "Ultratop.be – Lisa Stansfield – Biography - The Greatest Hits" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 May 2015.

[4] "Lisa Stansfield > Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 May 2015.

[5] "Lisa Stansfield - Biography: The Greatest Hits" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 20 May 2015.

[ac_Ireland_-6] "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 7, 2003". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 28 July 2014.

[ac_Italy_Lisa_Stansfield-7] "Italiancharts.com – Lisa Stansfield – Biography - The Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 May 2015.

[ac_Scotland_-8] "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 May 2015.

[9] Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.

[ac_Switzerland_Lisa_Stansfield-10] "Swisscharts.com – Lisa Stansfield – Biography - The Greatest Hits". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 May 2015.

[ac_UK_Lisa_Stansfield-11] "Lisa Stansfield | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 20 May 2015.

[ac_UKR&B_Lisa_Stansfield-12] "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 October 2015.

[United_KingdomLisa_StansfieldLisa_StansfieldalbumCertRef-13] MUST BE PROVIDED for UK CERTIFICATION.

[14] "Gli album più venduti del 2003" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Retrieved 20 May 2015.

[15] "The Official UK Albums Chart 2003" (PDF). OCC. Retrieved 20 May 2015.

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