This very first compilation album of Kim Wilde tracks was released by EMI Records in 1984, near to the release date of the album Teases & dares, which Kim recorded for MCA Records. It was a strategy EMI Records would use many times, years later.
For more than 15 years, the Japanese CD of this compilation was the only CD to contain the elusive track Bitter Is Better.
Apparently Kim was not too happy with the release of this album, because it incorporated many album tracks and because she was not involved in the making of it.
Tracks
This album contains the tracks Kids in America, Chequered Love, Water on Glass, 2 6 5 8 0, Boys, Our Town, Everything We Know, You’ll Never Be So Wrong, Cambodia, View From a Bridge, Love Blonde, House of Salome, Dancing in the Dark, Child Come Away, Take Me tonight, Stay Awhile.
Bitter Is Better is included as track 1 on the Japanese LP and as track 17 on the Japanese CD.
Formats
‘The Very Best of Kim Wilde’ was released on LP, CD and tape.
See also this page in the discography.
Kim about ‘The very best of Kim Wilde’
I really hated the picture on the cover, the lack of thought behind it, that it actually contained several LP tracks, and I’ve never really forgiven EMI for it. (1)
Chart performance
Germany: 61 (1 week)
Switzerland: 25 (3 weeks)
United Kingdom: 78 (4 weeks)
Interview source
(1) Kim Wilde, Record Collector (UK), September 1993