Greatest is a greatest hits compilation album released in 1998 by the band Duran Duran.
CD
Greatest was an update of the 1989 tenth anniversary compilation album, Decade: Greatest Hits. The new release included songs from their eponymous debut album through 1997's Medazzaland. The album includes all 14 songs featured in Decade: Greatest Hits, plus "New Moon on Monday" and four singles from the 90's, however both "Save a Prayer" and "Rio" are presented in their shorter US versions in order to fit on a single CD whereas they appeared in their full versions on the former compilation.
The album was released by EMI after parting ways with the band after the disastrous Medazzaland album release in 1997, and marked the first of many releases designed to capitalize on the band's extensive EMI-controlled back catalog.
To coincide with the release of the Greatest album in the United Kingdom, the song "Electric Barbarella" was released as a single. This track was originally released as a single in North America in 1997 to promote the Medazzaland album (which was never released in the UK).
As of 2009, the collection has sold over a million copies in the United States.[1]
To date, a full collection of Duran Duran's singles on one album still hasn't been released.
Track listing
- "Is There Something I Should Know?" – 4:10
- "The Reflex" [7" version] – 4:24
- "A View to a Kill" – 3:34
- "Ordinary World (Single Version)" – 4:42
- "Save a Prayer (US Single Version)" – 3:47
- "Rio (US Edit)" – 4:45
- "Hungry Like the Wolf (Edit)" – 3:25
- "Girls on Film" – 3:27
- "Planet Earth (Single Version)" – 3:57
- "Union of the Snake" – 4:22
- "New Moon on Monday" – 4:16
- "The Wild Boys" – 4:17
- "Notorious" – 4:00
- "I Don't Want Your Love (Shep Pettibone 7" Mix)" – 3:48
- "All She Wants Is (45 Mix)" – 4:26
- "Electric Barbarella (Edit)" – 4:17
- "Serious (Edit)" – 3:56
- "Skin Trade (Radio Cut)" – 4:26
- "Come Undone (Edit)" – 4:15
VHS Edition
The album release was followed in 1999 by the release of a videotape compilation of the band's groundbreaking music videos, also entitled Greatest. It was not released on DVD at the time, probably due to the band's disintegrating relationship with Capitol Records.
Video album track listing
- Planet Earth
- Girls On Film (Uncensored)
- The Chauffeur (Uncensored)
- Hungry Like The Wolf
- Save A Prayer
- Rio
- Is There Something I Should Know?
- Union Of The Snake
- New Moon On Monday
- The Reflex
- The Wild Boys (Extended Version)
- A View To A Kill
- Notorious
- Skin Trade
- I Don't Want You Love
- All She Wants Is
- Serious
- Burning The Ground
- Ordinary World
- Come Undone
- Electric Barbarella
DVD Edition
In November 2003, the videotape compilation was released in DVD format, titled Duran Duran: Greatest — The DVD, with hidden extra materials, including alternate versions of some of the videos and interviews of the band, however, this version is much criticised for its extensive use of easter egg features, which make difficult finding and playing the more interesting extra materials.
DVD Easter eggs
DVD one
A) Girls On Film (6:26 - long, uncensored version with an alternate ending):
- Plays alternately after watching the long uncensored version.
B) Union of the Snake (4:19 - Dancing On the Valentine version):
- Go to the "Union of the Snake" in the sub menu, then press the left arrow-button to access an icon, then press "play/enter".
C) New Moon On Monday (4 alternate versions):
- After playing the default, first version (the EP Version), return to the title and re-select the track to access a different version with every repetition.
- Dancing on the Valentine version, with moon shots – 5:30
- Original MTV long version, with intro dialogue – 5:00
- Alternate MTV version – 5:01
- MTV short version, without intro – 3:43
- Movie version, with extended dialogue, uses 12" version of song – 17:37
D) The Wild Boys (4:10 - Long Arena Version):
- Plays alternately after watching the 7" Edit Version
La Galerie De Duran
From the main menu, enter the "Galerie" by selecting the "A" in the word "GREATEST".
a) Planet Earth (4:05 - Club Version):
- Select the Duran Duran album shot, then the "Planet Earth" (2nd) single shot. Highlight the bottom pack shot ("Girls on Film"), and press left arrow button on remote. This will take you to a hot spot, press play/enter.
b) A Day In The Life featurette 2:26:
- Select the Rio album shot, highlight "My Own Way" single shot (3rd shot down), then press right arrow key which will highlight a hot spot. Press play/enter.
c) Girls On Film (3:24 - Censored/MTV version):
- Select the Duran Duran album shot, then the "Girls On Film" (bottom) single shot, go to the word "Play" at bottom and press play/enter.
d) Midsummer Night's Tube Feature (4:31 - Nick and Simon discuss the recording and production of the album Seven & The Ragged Tiger):
- Select the Seven album shot, highlight the word "next", then press up arrow key which will highlight a hot spot. Press play/enter.
e) Wild Boys Interview (8:53 - Paul Gambaccini talks to Roger, Andy and Simon):
- Select the Arena album shot, then the "Wild Boys" single shot. Highlight the word "play", press up arrow key which will highlight a hot spot. Press play/enter.
f) View to a Kill Interview (1:52 - Paul Gambaccini talks with John and Andy):
- Select the "View to a Kill" single shot, highlight the word "play", press right arrow to highlight a hot spot. Press play/enter.
DVD two
From the main menu, enter the "Galerie" by selecting the "A" in the word "GREATEST".
a) Liberty album Electronic Press Kit (EPK):
- Select the Liberty album shot, highlight the "Serious" (top) single shot, press up arrow key. This will take you to a hot spot, press play/enter. The EPK contains the full length video for 'Violence Of Summer (Love's Taking Over)'
b) Serious (Multi-angle version):
- Select the Liberty album shot, then the "Serious" (top) single shot. Highlight the word "play", press right arrow key. This will take you to a hot spot, press play/enter.
- This may not work on some DVD players. Selecting the title "serious" as a track will also play the multi-angle video.
c) The Wedding Album Television Commercial
- Select the Wedding Album album shot, highlight the word "next", then press down arrow key. This will take you to a hot spot, press play/enter.
- This may not work on some DVD players. Selecting the title "the wedding album" as a track will also play the commercial.
d) Come Undone (Censored/MTV version)
- Select the Wedding Album album shot, then the "Come Undone" single shot, highlight the word "play" and then press left arrow key. This will take you to a hot spot, press play/enter
Full hidden track listing
The hidden tracks may be accessed directly using the number keys on a DVD player (or DVD remote control). This does not work from "inside" the disc's navigation menus—the disc must be fully stopped (sometimes by pushing the "stop" button two or three times). There are several duplicates of standard videos among the hidden tracks, in addition to the easter eggs.
DVD one
- 01 "Planet Earth" (3'59). Note Title 01 has 12 chapters and plays the 12 main menu clips in sequence. The duplicates at Titles 02 and 24 play this clip by itself.
- 03 "Girls on Film" (6'25). Uncensored "night version".
- 04 "Girls on Film" (6'25). Uncensored "night version" with alternate ending from 5'54, where the band members hold up a banner which reads "Some people will do anything to sell records".
- 05 "The Chauffeur" (5'00)
- 06 "Hungry Like the Wolf" (3'41). Duplicate at Title 27.
- 07 "Save a Prayer" (6'05). Note Title 07 has 12 chapters and cycles through the 12 main menu clips, starting from this one. The duplicates at Titles 08 and 28 play this clip by itself.
- 09 "Rio" (5'03). Duplicate at Title 26.
- 10 "Is There Something I Should Know?" (4'35). Duplicate at Title 30.
- 11 "Union of the Snake" (4'20). Standard version. Duplicate at Title 33.
- 12 "Union of the Snake" (4'20). Dancing on the Valentine EP version.
- 13 "New Moon on Monday" (5'30). Dancing on the Valentine EP version with long intro. Note Title 13 has 12 chapters and cycles through the 12 main menu clips, starting from this one. Duplicate at Title 14 plays this clip by itself.
- 15 "New Moon on Monday" (5'01). MTV version 1 with shortened intro.
- 16 "New Moon on Monday" (5'01). MTV version 2 with shortened intro. The only differences between this version and the previous one are some animated "sparkles" at 2'54, 3'13 and 3'21. Duplicate at Title 32.
- 17 "New Moon on Monday" (3'49). MTV version 3 with no intro, short version.
- 18 "New Moon on Monday" (17'42). 17-minute movie version set to 12" remix.
- 19 "The Reflex" (4'30). Duplicate at Title 31.
- 20 "The Wild Boys" (4'15). Standard (7") version. Duplicate at Title 34.
- 21 "A View To A Kill" (4'07). Duplicate at Title 35.
- 22 "The Wild Boys" (7'43). Long Arena version
- 23 "Girls on Film" (3'29). Short or MTV "day version"
- 25 "Planet Earth" (4'05). Rum Runner club version.
- 29 "A day in the life" featurette
- 36 Interview with John and Andy Taylor about "A View to a Kill"
- 37 Interview with Nick Rhodes and Simon Le Bon about Seven and the Ragged Tiger
- 38 Interview Simon Le Bon and Roger Taylor about "Wild Boys"
DVD two
- 01 "Notorious" (duplicates at 02, 10, 13)
- 03 "Skin Trade" (duplicate at 14)
- 04 "I Don't Want Your Love" (duplicate at 15)
- 05 "All She Wants Is" (duplicates at 06, 16)
- 07 "Serious" (standard version) (duplicate at 19)
- 08 "Burning The Ground" (duplicate at 17)
- 09 "Ordinary World" (duplicate at 21)
- 11 "Come Undone" (standard version - duplicate at 22)
- 12 "Electric Barbarella" (duplicate at 25)
- 18 Electronic Press Kit for Liberty; "Violence of Summer" video
- 20 "Serious" (multi-angle version)
- 23 "Come Undone" (censored/MTV version)
- 24 Television commercial for The Wedding Album
