Stacey Q's Greatest Hits

Last updated
Stacey Q's Greatest Hits
Staceybestof.jpg
Greatest hits album by
ReleasedMay 16, 1995
Recorded1982–1995
Genre
Length57:52
Label Thump
Producer
Stacey Q chronology
Nights Like This
(1989)
Stacey Q's Greatest Hits
(1995)
Boomerang
(1997)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]

Stacey Q's Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by American singer Stacey Q, released on May 16, 1995 by Thump Records. It was re-released on February 6, 2007 under the title Queen of the 80's with a slightly different track listing. Although it is a greatest hits album, the compilation includes only songs from her studio album Better Than Heaven (1986) and her early career with the band SSQ. Some of the album's material was re-recorded, giving the originally dance-pop and synthpop songs house and eurodance music to achieve more commercial sound.

Contents

The compilation features fourteen tracks, including her hit singles "Two of Hearts" and "We Connect", as well as other songs from her studio album Better Than Heaven. Other songs were taken from the album Playback (1983), recorded with the band SSQ. The songs "Playback", "Video Girl" and "Music's Gone" had previously appeared on an extended play recorded with Q and the song "Shy Girl" appeared on the Stacey Q extended play. The previously unreleased songs on the album are "The Model" and "Heartless".

Track listings

Stacey Q's Greatest Hits (1995)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Two of Hearts"
  • John Mitchell
4:54
2."Love or Desire"4:16
3."Insecurity"4:20
4."We Connect"
  • Willie Wilcox
4:36
5."Big Electronic Beat"4:06
6."Shy Girl"4:51
7."Too Hot for Love"
  • Carlo Zanella
  • Acacia Smith
  • Swain
4:06
8."Screaming In My Pillow"
  • St. James
  • Elizabeth Roberts
4:32
9."Synthicide"
  • St. James
3:29
10."PlayBack"
  • St. James
5:53
11."The Model"
  • St. James
  • Swain
2:28
12."Video Girl"
  • St. James
2:55
13."Music's Gone"
  • St. James
3:25
14."Heartless"
  • St. James
  • Swain
  • Zanella
4:01
Total length:57:52
Queen of the 80's (2007)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Shy Girl"
  • Hahn
  • St. James
  • Swain
4:52
2."We Connect"
  • Wilcox
4:37
3."Insecurity"
  • West
4:20
4."Two of Hearts"
  • Mitchell
4:55
5."Love or Desire"
  • St. James
4:14
6."Synthicide"
  • St. James
3:29
7."Big Electronic Beat"
  • St. James
  • Van Tongeren
4:06
8."Video Girl"
  • St. James
2:54
9."PlayBack"
  • St. James
5:51
10."The Model"
  • St. James
  • Swain
2:29
11."Heartless"
  • St. James
  • Swain
  • Zanella
4:02
12."Too Hot for Love"
  • Zanella
  • Swain
  • Smith
4:06
Total length:49:55

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Stacey Q's Greatest Hits. [2]

Related Research Articles

Stacey Lynn Swain, known by her stage name Stacey Q, is an American pop singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. Her best-known single, John Mitchell's "Two of Hearts", released in 1986, reached number one in Canada, number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the top ten in five other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turn It into Love</span> 1988 single by Kylie Minogue

"Turn It into Love" is a single released by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was taken from her debut studio album Kylie (1988). The single was released in December 1988 in Japan only. The B-side was a new song "Made in Heaven", which also served as the B-side to both "Je ne sais pas pourquoi" and "It's No Secret" in other international territories.

SSQ is a synthpop outfit consisting of Stacey Swain, Jon St. James, and past members include Dan Van Patten and John Van Tongeren, Rich West, Karl Moët and Skip Hahn. Their debut album Playback received praise from critics when released in 1983. As of 2020, Jon St. James and Stacey Swain resurfaced as SSQ, releasing a full length album of new material titled Jet Town Je t’aime. As Stacey Q, Swain had a solo hit with her single “Two of Hearts” in 1986. SSQ members stayed on as her band for television and concert performances.

<i>The Food Album</i> 1993 compilation album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

The Food Album is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on June 22, 1993, by Scotti Brothers Records. The release features ten of Yankovic's song parodies, all of which pertain to food. A similar album, The TV Album, which features songs entirely about television, would be released two years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Two of Hearts (song)</span> 1986 single by Stacey Q

"Two of Hearts" is a song by American singer Stacey Q, first issued as an independent 12-inch dance club single by On the Spot Records, then picked up by Atlantic after achieving regional sales. Written by John Mitchell, the song was Stacey Q's biggest hit; its global sales success fueled the recording of her debut album Better Than Heaven (1986), which included the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Connect</span> 1986 single by Stacey Q

"We Connect" is a song recorded by American singer Stacey Q for her debut studio album Better Than Heaven (1986). Written by Willie Wilcox and produced by Jon St. James and Wilcox, the song was the follow-up to her hit single "Two of Hearts".

<i>Hard Machine</i> 1988 studio album by Stacey Q

Hard Machine is the second studio album by American singer Stacey Q, released in February 1988 by Atlantic Records. After the international success of her song "Two of Hearts" and debut album Better Than Heaven (1986), Swain began working on her sophomore record. She again collaborated with her bandmates from SSQ. Produced by Jon St. James, Hard Machine is a dance-pop album, which is influenced by new wave, contemporary R&B and rock music.

<i>Stacey Q</i> (album) 1985 EP by Stacey Q

Stacey Q is the first extended play by American singer Stacey Q, released in 1985 by On the Spot Records. It was only released in cassette format limited to 500 copies. Produced by Jon St. James, the EP features an early version of her hit song "Two of Hearts", which would later peak at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and become one of the highest-selling singles of 1986. Other songs on the EP include "Dancing Nowhere," later featured, along with the updated version of "Two of Hearts," on her debut album Better Than Heaven (1986) and "Dancing in the Dark", a cover version of Kim Wilde's song. "Shy Girl" was released as a single.

<i>Better Than Heaven</i> 1987 studio album by Stacey Q

Better Than Heaven is the debut studio album by American singer Stacey Q, released on October 17, 1987 by Atlantic Records. Produced by Jon St. James, Better Than Heaven is predominantly a dance-pop album with elements of Hi-NRG, freestyle and new wave music. She collaborated with the same line-up of musicians with whom she had previously performed in the band SSQ. They later continued to work on her other solo albums, Hard Machine (1988) and Nights Like This (1989).

<i>Playback</i> (SSQ album) 1983 studio album by SSQ

Playback is the first studio album by the American synthpop band SSQ, released in 1983 by Enigma and EMI America Records. It was the only album released by the band as SSQ until the release of their second album Jet Town Je t'aime in 2020, though the band members later worked on lead singer Stacey Q's debut album Better Than Heaven (1986) and follow-up album, Hard Machine (1988).

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (The Doors album) 1980 greatest hits album by the Doors

Greatest Hits is a compilation album by American rock band the Doors, released in 1980. The album, along with the film Apocalypse Now, released the previous year, created for the band an entirely new audience of the generation that did not grow up with the Doors. The album went on to become one of the highest-selling compilations of all time, with combined CD and vinyl sales of 5,000,000 in the United States alone.

Jon St. James is an American guitarist, songwriter–composer, producer and recording engineer. His Casbah Recording Studio was a part of Orange County, California's new music scene in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. St. James' first album was as leader–frontman–songwriter of the progressive rock group French Lick. St James was a pioneer of techno pop and dance music, using Moog synthesizers, electronic effects, and tape loops. St. James lived in France for two years, studying Musique concrète with French composers.

<i>Barbra Streisands Greatest Hits</i> 1970 greatest hits album by Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album recorded by American vocalist Barbra Streisand. It was released in January 1970, by Columbia Records. The record is a compilation consisting of 11 commercially successful singles from the singer's releases in the 1960s, with a majority of them being cover songs. The songs on Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits originally appeared on one of the singer's eight previous albums and span in release from 1963 to 1968. It contains her most commercially successful tracks, including her first Billboard Hot 100 top ten single "People" and top 40 entry "Second Hand Rose". The album was distributed on compact disc in 1986 and rereleased under the title The Hits in 2006.

<i>The Very Best of TLC: Crazy Sexy Hits</i> 2007 greatest hits album by TLC

The Very Best of TLC: Crazy Sexy Hits is the second greatest hits album by American girl group TLC. It was released exclusively in the United Kingdom on August 20, 2007, by Sony BMG. Having a similar track listing to that of the group's first compilation, Now & Forever: The Hits (2003), the album contains TLC's most successful singles from four of their studio albums, which have been credited to many of the group's producers such as Dallas Austin and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds.

<i>In All Languages</i> (Godflesh album) 2001 compilation album by Godflesh

In All Languages is the first compilation album by English industrial metal band Godflesh, released on 24 July 2001 through Earache Records. It is a double album, and a companion music video DVD was also released in 2001. In All Languages' first disc acts as a greatest hits collection spanning from Godflesh's 1988 self-titled EP to their 1999 studio album, Us and Them. The second disc compiles rare and unreleased tracks.

<i>Color Me Cinnamon</i> 2010 studio album by Stacey Q

Color Me Cinnamon is the fifth and final studio album by American singer Stacey Q, released on February 14, 2010 by Hydra Productions. It was her first release in thirteen years since her last album, Boomerang (1997). The work on the album started in 2008, after Shawn Winstian asked Jon St. James to remix a few singles for Hydra Productions’ compilation album, Liquid. An early version of the song "Trip" appeared on the compilation and Swain agreed to record a full-length album. Produced by Jon St. James, Color Me Cinnamon is a musical return to Stacey Q's synthpop and Hi-NRG roots but also features elements of techno-influenced eurodance and rock. Swain collaborated with St. James, Shawn Winstian and Shane Condo on writing the songs for the album.

Tlot Tlot were an Australian pop rock band formed in 1986 as Man in the Wood. The original line-up was Owen Bolwell on bass guitar and lead vocals, Andrew Briant on lead guitar, and Stanley Paulzen on drums and lead vocals. Briant left in 1991 and the band name was changed to Tlot Tlot. Their 1995 single, "The Girlfriend Song", reached the ARIA Singles Chart Top 100 and was nominated for Best Pop Release at ARIA Music Awards of 1995. The group issued four albums, A Day at the Bay (1991), Pistolbuttsa'twinkle (1992), The Live Set - Volume 1 (1993) and Fashion Takes a Holiday (1995), before disbanding in 1997.

<i>Back to Boomtown: Classic Rats Hits</i> 2013 greatest hits album by The Boomtown Rats

Back to Boomtown: Classic Rats Hits is the fifth greatest hits album by Irish band The Boomtown Rats. It was released by Virgin EMI on 9 September 2013. The album was announced in June 2013 along with news of the band's UK and Ireland tour. Back to Boomtown: Classic Rats Hits is the first album to be released since The Boomtown Rats reunited and the band's first greatest hits album since 2003's The Best of The Boomtown Rats. The album contains fourteen of the group's singles, as well as two new tracks, "The Boomtown Rats" and "Back To Boomtown". The digital version of the album features two additional songs. Following its release, Back to Boomtown: Classic Rats Hits debuted at number thirty-five on the Irish Albums Chart.

Skip Hahn is an American record producer, musician, singer and songwriter. Hahn is known for work with the American band SSQ (1982-1988), on Playback; and, with SSQ backing Stacey Q on their Better Than Heaven and Hard Machine albums. On a side project during the months recording the Better Than Heaven album, Hahn collaborated with Jon St. James on James's album, Fast Impressions, writing, performing and producing. Guest artists included guitarists Allan Holdsworth; Ray Gomez; and Scott Bowers. From 2005-2007, Hahn and St. James worked together as a duo named Echo Junkies, releasing the art-rock album, Echo Junkies, in 2007. This time special guest artists included their SSQ bandmate/singer/songwriter, Stacey Q, Jason Freese (saxophone), Danny Mantel on tabla.

American singer Stacey Q has released five studio albums, one compilation album, one extended play, thirteen singles, four promotional singles, and six music videos. Born Stacey Swain, she first served as the lead singer of the band SSQ put together by producer Jon St. James.

References

  1. Stacey Q's Greatest Hits at AllMusic. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  2. Stacey Q's Greatest Hits (Media notes). Stacey Q. Thump Records. 1995. THCD 9945.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)