The
Rolling Stones (est. 1962) Pt. III
Compilations 1966-2005
Which album may I show you?
1966 
Big
Hits (high tide and green grass)- The
Stones' first compilation LP issued for world-wide release was
marketed quite differently in the States as it was across the
Atlantic. Released in the US prior to Aftermath,
this first Big Hits set would follow Aftermath
in the UK. It would remain as the only Stones title to be
out-of-order when attempting to cronologically list albums. The
US version contained four (4) #1's but only two were home-grown
chart-toppers. The alternate UK version has six (6) #1's
including Little Red Rooster and Paint
It Black, neither of which appeared on the US
pressing.
rating:****
| Origin | RELEASE | HCP | LABEL | CAT No. | SALES | Select Feature(s) |
| U.K. | 1966, Nov. 4 | #4 | Decca | TXS/TXL/101 | unknown | |
| U.S. | 1966, Apr. 2 | #3 | London | NPS/NP/1 | 2,000,000+ |
1967 
Flowers - Though important for any Rolling Stones
anthologist (if there is such a word), this is by today's
standards a rather unnecessary collection of tracks from 1965-67.
Yet still an interesting mix of songs of which some were
previously unavailable in the United States on LP format. A
much-welcomed set in 1967 that did not translate well in later
years, though surprisingly remained popular. It contains both
tracks unique to US pressings of albums Aftermath
and Between the Buttons, as well as the
songs on the UK pressings that they substituted. For those that
need absolutely everything, the highlight of the album is
probably either My Girl or Ride
On Baby, neither which appear on any other legal
compact disc.
rating:**
| RELEASE | U.S. HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | SALES | select feature |
| 1967, July 15 | #3 | London | PS/LL3/509 | 500,000+ | My Girl |
1969 
Through The Past, Darkly (big hits vol.
2)- Released around the same time in the US
and UK, this 100% Jagger/Richards-penned compilation includes
seven (7) US top-ten hits [4 UK] including the first album
appearance of the #1 single Honky Tonk Women.
Despite representing only about three (3) years of recordings,
this buries other single-disc Stones (or for that matter any
artist's) compilations with its steady flow of rock classics.
There are many differences between the US and UK pressings as far
as arrangement. Once again, the UK failed to include I
Wanna be Your Man on an LP, something they would
finally do in 1971. Upon its initial release, this album sported
a unique hexagon-shaped cover which was soon discontinued in
favor of the standard square cover. There is an epitaph written
on the inner cover in memory of the recently-deceased Brian
Jones.
rating:****
| Origin | RELEASE | HCP | LABEL | CAT No. | SALES | Select Feature(s) |
| U.K. | 1969, Sep. 12 | #2 | Decca | SKL/LK/5019 | unknown | 'Sittin' On The Fence' was no "Big Hit" |
| U.S. | 1969, Sep. 13 | #2 | London | NPS-3 | 1,000,000+ | Dedicated to Brian Jones |
1969 
The Rolling Stones Promotional Album-
This is by far the most famous of Rolling Stones promotional
albums. Compiled for radio station use prior to the release of Let
It Bleed, it was a funky sample of tracks from
their US LP catalog. Not concentrating on hits, it includes
rarities such as 2000 Man, Walkin'
The Dog, and She Said Yeah.
Not a great collection of songs but clearly a collector's item
worth searching for. Beyond its obvious appeal, it contains an
alternate take of Love In Vain [this information is currently in dispute], available from no other source. For
more information on this title, please visit the US
LP Label History section.
rating:**
| RELEASE | HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | PRINT RUN | select feature |
| 1969, ?? | - | Decca/London | RSD 1 | 400 | Love In Vain (alternate) |
1971 
Stone
Age- The first in an endless series of
British Rolling Stones compilation LPs in an attempt by Decca
to squeeze every last drop of blood from the Stone(s.) The plus
here for UK listeners is the inclusion of Blue Turns
to Grey [album cut], One More Try
[album cut], The Spider and the Fly
[b-side], and My Girl [album cut],
which previously were only released on US LP's.
rating:*
| RELEASE | U.K. HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | SALES | select feature |
| 1971, Apr. 3 | #4 | Decca | SKL 5084 | unknown |
1971 
Hot
Rocks 1964-1971- An impressive collection of tracks from
the Decca/London catalog that does not limit itself to hit
singles as the previous Big Hits albums did. Skipping on
several hit songs from 1964 which they did not write and passing
up 1963 altogether, Hot Rocks 1964-1971
concentrates on their most effective and influential recordings
up to and including Brown Sugar. There
are six (6) US #1 singles featured, as well as album tracks Gimme
Shelter, Under My Thumb,
the complete Sympathy For the Devil,
and Midnight Rambler (live) from Ya-Ya's.
Overlaps 6 of the 12 U.S. Big Hits (high tide and
green grass) selections, and 7 of the 11
from Through the Past, Darkly (big hits v. 2).
Not pressed in Europe until 1990 and with a slightly alternate
track listing. Important note: the
earliest pressings of the US LP had alternate takes of both Brown
Sugar and Wild Horses, and is highly
sought after by collectors. Learn more about this rare initial
release in our Stones US LP Label History page.
rating:****
| RELEASE | U.S. HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | SALES | select feature |
| 1971, Nov. 15 | #3 | London | 2PS 606/607 | 12,000,000+ | First, and thus far only, RIAA Diamond Disc |
1972 
MileStones-
An unnecessary compilation consisting of few obvious hits such as
Satisfaction, Get Off Of My
Cloud and the first UK LP appearance of I
Wanna Be Your Man. Probably the worst Stones LP
jacket design to boot despite its attempt at emulating the Jimi Hendrix Experience's U.S. Electric
Ladyland
jacket. Album cut Yesterday's Papers
makes its first, yet not last, appearance on a Stones
"hits" collection. Otherwise, this LP offered nothing
new or exciting.
rating:*
| RELEASE | U.K. HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | SALES | select feature |
| 1972, Mar. 11 | #14 | Decca | SKL 5098 | unknown |
1972 
Rock 'n' Rolling
Stones- UK record buyers began to feel betrayed
as Decca farted out another set of previously-released Stones
tracks. Come On makes its second
appearance on an LP since 1966 and would appear again only three
years later on the more appropriate Rolled Gold
collection. There are no tracks compiled for the first time. To
top it off, I Just Wanna Make Love To You
had been included on a compilation only one year earlier. Live
tracks Little Queenie and Carol
were taken from Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out.
rating:*
| RELEASE | U.K. HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | SALES | select feature |
| 1972, Nov. 11 | #41 | Decca | SKL 5149 | unknown |
1972 
Necrophilia-
How this title was even granted a catalog number - AB4224 - is a
mystery. Much like the legendary unreleased 1966 Stones LP Could You Walk On Water?, this set was to have featured 15
previously-unreleased tracks including alternate takes of Heart of Stone, Out
of Time and Pay Your Dues, which was the original version of Street Fighting Man. Story has it that Andrew Loog Oldham
and Allen Klein had a major disagreement on the track selection -
more specifically on the extremely vulgar Andrew's
Blues. It
would have been unprecedented at the time for such a song to be
released to the public, but not as far-fetched an idea if you
consider that Lonesome
Schoolboy Blues [aka: C**ksucker
Blues] was
included for a limited time in an official 1984 German albums
boxed set. This title would be replaced by the friendlier More Hot Rocks but fans fear not, as nine (9) of these
selections later appeared in the 1975 LP Metamorphosis. Not surprisingly, Andrew's Blues has since become a popular bootleg track.
rating:**
| RELEASE | U.S. HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | PRINT RUN | select feature |
| planned/not released: 1972 | - | Abkco | AB4224 | unknown | Andrew's Blues |
1972 
More Hot Rocks (big hits and
fazed cookies)- A far more expansive collection of
songs will be found in this title of left-over hits, flip-sides
and oddities from 1963-72. As a compliment to the first Hot
Rocks, 9 of 10 remaining selections from the Big Hits
albums are featured. There are several songs which had not been
released on LP format including Child of the Moon,
Poison Ivy, their first single Come
On [1st US LP appearance], Money (that's
what i want), Long Long While, and I
Can't be Satisfied [1st US LP appearance.] With
help from the 2002 SACD remaster, the entire 4-track, 1964 UK EP Rolling
Stones has now been represented, as well as album tracks No
Expectations, What to Do,
Lady Jane, Sittin' On A
Fence, and Let it Bleed.
As with the first Hot Rocks, More
Hot Rocks was not
released in the UK until 1990 and again had a slightly alternate
track listing. A must for Stones fans but a long, strange trip
for uneducated collectors. note-the 2002
remastered 2SACD edition contains three (3) tracks which did not
appear on the 2LP set including a second version of Poison
Ivy [from the EP], album cut Everybody
Needs Somebody, and the original studio version of I've
Been Loving You Too Long.
rating:***
| RELEASE | U.S. HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | SALES | select feature |
| 1972, Dec. 1 | #9 | London/Abkco | 2PS 626/627 | 500,000+ | Child Of The Moon |
1973 
No Stone
Unturned- Jacket photo taken from the 1968 Jumpin'
Jack Flash picture sleeve, yet does not contain the
single. You will find JJF's flip-side track Child
Of The Moon that had just been released on the More
Hot Rocks 2LP set, but appeared on LP for the first
time in the UK. England's first attempt at a reasonable
collection is true to its name. All tracks were either flip-sides
or UK EP tracks. From 1963's Stoned, to
1966's Surprise Surprise [UK's 1971 Street
Fighting Man flip-side], this once unique LP was a catch in
its time.
rating:***
| RELEASE | U.K. HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | SALES | select feature |
| 1973, Oct. ? | - | Decca | SKL 5173 | <60,000 | First B-side collection |
1975 
Metamorphosis- Abkco’s final milking of
the Stones’ unreleased Decca/London
vault has few exciting moments to offer. These songs (from
1964-69) are too far separated by time and experience to work
together in such a small set. It did however provide an
interesting challenge to collectors for as of only 2002 was it
offered officially in digital form. Not to be confused with true
Rolling Stones recordings, the Andrew Oldham
Orchestra (named for the Stones former manager)
provided the music for most of the earliest selections found in
this title. The collection ends with I’m Going
Down, which is by far the strongest track on both
the US and UK pressings. Some Things Just Stick in
Your Mind and We’re Wasting Time
did not appear in the US LP version, but it makes little
difference. Refreshing alternate takes of Memo from
Turner and Heart of Stone
offer some solace.
rating:*
| Origin | RELEASE | HCP | LABEL | CAT No. | SALES | Select Feature(s) |
| U.K. | 1975, June 1 | #45 | Decca | SKL 5212 | <60,000 | all 16 tracks not available on CD until 2002 |
| U.S. | 1975, June 1 | #8 | Abkco | ANA-1 | <500,000 | 14 tracks on original LP, 16 on SACD |
1975 
Rolled Gold (the very best
of the Rolling Stones)-
Originally slated to be a 3LP set entitled The History of The Rolling Stones with 36 tracks, this 2LP set has an
excellent selection of songs from 1963-69, and the main reason
that the two Hot Rocks sets were not released in the UK
until 1990. Overlaps half of the forty-six (46) selections from
the two US double-albums plus Come On, Little Red
Rooster, Carol and Yesterday's
Papers. The best Decca compilation available in
Europe on vinyl would have served no purpose in the US since 1989
as the Singles Collection 3CD set contains all but four Rolled
Gold titles.
rating:****
| RELEASE | U.K. HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | SALES | select feature |
| 1975, Nov. 29 | #7 | Decca | ROST 1/2 | 100,000+ | 28 tracks |
1989 
Singles Collection* the London Years-
A comprehensive collection of single releases from 1963-71 which
is far more than it proclaims in its title. This is the most
complete collection of Rolling Stones singles and b-sides
available on CD format. From their first in June of 1963 [Come
On b/w I Want to Be Loved], you will find
almost every aspect of the Stones singles material represented,
including British flip-sides and Decca/London singles released
after 1971. This 3CD/4LP set overlaps thirty-five (35) songs from
the 4-CD Hot Rocks collections, but offers an additional
twenty-three (23) selections. Remaining true to the singles,
songs such as Sympathy For the Devil, You
Can't Always Get What You Want, and Dandelion
are heard as they were in their original edited (or extended)
"single" form for this album. note-though it
would have been a great highlight, this collection does not
contain Street Fighting Man as it is
heard in its initial 7" form, that version remains otherwise
unavailable on any official CD or LP. When the song Wild
Horses was released as a single, its b-side Sway
was found in alternate form as well; that recording was not owned
by Decca/London, and thus not included in this collection.
rating:*****
| Origin | RELEASE | HCP | LABEL | CAT No. | SALES | Select Feature(s) |
| U.K. | 1989, Sep. ? | #138 | Abkco/Decca | ? | <60,000 | |
| U.S. | 1989, Sep. ? | #91 | Abkco/London | ? | 1,000,000 |
1993 
Jump Back: The best of the
Rolling Stones '71-'93-
The first title
released by the Stones new label, Virgin Records,
is a compilation of hit singles from 1971 to 1989. Far better
than the Rewind album from
1984, it does not overlook any major US hit single written by the
Glimmer Twins in this period. Best quality 20-bit tech sound on
eighteen (18) selections, of which only two are from their old Abkco
catalog. An even disbursement of representatives from each album
and Bitch to boot. It does skip on Heartbreaker
from 1973, but there is not too little or too much from any
single album and with exception only to Harlem
Shuffle, all were original compositions. Joining the two Big
Hits releases from 1966 and 1969, Jump
Back is among the best single-disc Stones comps
available. Large chunks of two songs were removed to make room on
a single CD, yet in the case of Rock And A Hard Place,
edited only by a shortened fade out. A total of six (6) of the
selections are edited, including three which are also found on
the rare Sucking In the Seventies CD.
The answer as to why it took Virgin Records almost 11 years [Aug.
2004] to print this for U.S. customers may be in the dogfight for
Rewind it caused on eBay which led many to shell out
$20+ for the import version of Jump
Back.
rating:****
| Origin | RELEASE | HCP | LABEL | CAT No. | SALES | Select Feature(s) |
| U.K. | 1993, Nov. 19 | #16 | Virgin | ?? | 600,000+ | |
| U.S. | 2004, Aug. 24 | #30 | Virgin | ?? | 1,000,000+ |