Voice: The Best of Beverley Knight

• Artist: Beverley Knight
• Rating:
• Release Date: March 20, 2006
• Type: Compilation (best of), Enhanced CD-ROM
• Genre: Rhythm & Blues

Review

Beverley Knight was responsible for some classy soulful singles throughout the late '90s and into the new century but she had never managed however to attain much in the way of album sales, her best effort to date being the number seven Who I Am from 2002. So the climate was ripe for a greatest-hits collection which EMI hoped would place her in a more adult-oriented market. Voice was very representative of her body of work, containing 15 tracks in total and three bonus tracks, including a version of Chaka Khan's "Sweet Thing," and a live cover of Robbie Williams' career-defining hit "Angels," recorded for Radio 2 with a simple piano background and a gospel-style vocal. Of the 12 remaining tracks, every one had been a hit single from her debut back in 1995: "Flavour of the Old School," complete with its formulaic rap break, through to her then-most recent hits "Keep This Fire Burning," and a brave attempt at an R&B version of Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart." Her music ranged from the ultra smooth ballads "Gold" and "Who's Gonna Save Your Soul" to the Chic-"Good Times" sampled "Made It Back," and the '70s disco influenced "Greatest Day." Although she had been hitting the charts quite regularly since 1995, albeit not that close to the top, it was with the dance track "Shoulda Woulda Coulda" in 2002 that she finally broke through to the Top Ten and the album opens with this hit. In fact, the first four tracks were her two biggest singles, including 2004's "Come as You Are," and the two most recent hits: the Joplin track and "Keep This Fire Burning." ~ Sharon Mawer, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Shoulda Woulda Coulda		Beverley Knight	(3:32)
Keep This Fire Bruning	Johan Ekhé	Beverley Knight	(3:53)
Come as You Are (Lyrics)		Beverley Knight	(3:45)
Piece of My Heart (Lyrics)	Jerry Ragovoy	Beverley Knight	(4:09)
Gold [Version]		Beverley Knight	(4:49)
Made It Back [Good Times 7" Mix]		Beverley Knight	(3:20)
Get Up! (Lyrics)		Beverley Knight	(3:47)
Flavour of the Old School	Pule Pheto	Beverley Knight	(4:46)
Sista Sista	Beverley Knight	Beverley Knight	(4:43)
Not Too Late for Love (Lyrics)		Beverley Knight	(3:54)
Greatest Day [Mix]	Pule Pheto, Mark Birts	Beverley Knight	(4:42)
Made It Back [Version]		Beverley Knight	(4:09)
Sweet Thing [Live][*]	Tony Maiden, Chaka Khan	Beverley Knight	(3:53)
Angels [Live][*]		Beverley Knight	(4:41)
Who's Gonna Save Your Soul [*]		Beverley Knight	(5:58)

Credits

Jon P. (Engineer), Guy Chambers (Moog Synthesizer), Jeremy Stacey (Drums), Dillon Gallagher (Mixing), Jon P. (Mixing), Bengt Walker (Producer), Sheila Rock (Photography), Guy Chambers (Wurlitzer), Guy Chambers (Producer), Paul Stanborough (Assistant Engineer), Andy Kowalski (Mixing), Jack Clark (Mixing Assistant), Sheridan Tongue (Engineer), Derrick McIntyre (Bass), Jeff Knowler (Mixing Assistant), Guy Chambers (Arranger), Paul Long (Engineer), Derrick Joshua (Producer), Beverley Knight (Mixing), Tommy Uzzo (Engineer), Phil Spalding (Bass), Richard Flack (Engineer), Beverley Knight (Vocals), Richard Flack (Mixing), Oliver Kraus (Cello), Spike Drake (Producer), Dillon Gallagher (Engineer), Bryan Chambers (Vocals (Background)), Phil Spalding (Guitar (Electric)), Beverley Knight (Vocal Arrangement), Spike Drake (Mixing), Steve Walters (Bass), Beverley Knight (Vocals (Background)), Jimmy Hogarth (Guitar), Paul Long (Mixing), Derrick Martin (Producer), Chris Braide (Producer), Antonia Fuchs (Violin), Martin Lister (Piano), Mike Spencer (Keyboards), George W. Thomas (Engineer), Richard Flack (Producer), Billie Godfrey (Vocals (Background)), Neville Thomas (Producer), Jimmy Hogarth (Percussion), Guy Chambers (Guitar (Acoustic)), Ian Thomas (Drums), Nichol Thompson (Trombone), Jimmy Hogarth (Producer), Carlos Hercules (Drums), Guy Chambers (Organ (Hammond)), Mike Soul (Producer), James Dimmock (Photography), Hawk Wolinski (Producer), Chris Braide (Keyboards), Dillon Gallagher (Programming), Dominic Glover (Trumpet), Rod Gammons (Producer), Rob Harris (Guitar), Katherine Shave (Viola), Mike Spencer (Producer), Frank Ricotti (Percussion), Per Ekdahl (String Arrangements), Guy Chambers (Clavinet), Martin Lister (Keyboards), Pule Pheto (Producer), Louise Claire Marshall (Vocals (Background))