GHV2 (an abbreviation of Greatest Hits Volume 2) is the second greatest hits compilation album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 12, 2001, by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records. It contains the most popular songs from the 1990s up until 2001. It is the follow-up to the 1990 release, The Immaculate Collection. It does not contain any new recordings and was released to coincide with the live video release, Drowned World Tour 2001. The RIAA certified it Gold and Platinum on Dec 12, 2001, denoting one million shipments in the United States. Worldwide, the album has sold more than seven million units.[1] It was the 12th best selling album of 2001.[citation needed] A promotional only remix album,GHV2 Remixed: The Best of 1991—2001, was released to accompany it.
The album was originally titled Greatest Hits – The Second Coming,[5] but Madonna decided to name it change the name to GHV2 just before it was released as "it's a title you will remember" and also because of "laziness", due to the fact that she had just finished the Drowned World Tour and was about to begin filming Swept Away.[6] Other titles considered were Hit Lady – Greatest Hits Volume 2 and The Immaculate Collection Part Deux. The compilation was released on the eleventh anniversary of The Immaculate Collection, featuring a selection of hits ranging from "Erotica" (1992) to "What It Feels Like for a Girl" (2001). Madonna felt that because it was a "greatest hits", it should only contain previously released hit songs.
In an interview with BBC's Jo Whiley, Madonna said about the selection of the GHV2 tracks, "I only wanted songs that I could listen to five times in a row."Like The Immaculate Collection, there were many other popular singles excluded. "American Pie", which was a big hit, was excluded as a "punishment", because Madonna regretted putting it on the Music album. "It was something a certain record company executive twisted my arm into doing, but it didn't belong on the album so now it's being punished," she said. Also omitted were "This Used to Be My Playground" (1992), "I'll Remember" (1994), "You'll See" (1995), and "Rain" (1993), which had all appeared on the 1995 ballads compilation Something to Remember. Other hits, "Fever" (1993),"Bye Bye Baby" (1993), "Bad Girl" (1993), "You Must Love Me" (1996) and "Nothing Really Matters" (1999) were also left out. To avoid an "explicit lyrics" label, an edit of "Human Nature" was included, in which the line, "I'm not your bitch, don't hang your shit on me", is removed. Of the other 15 songs, ten other songs were also edited down from their original album versions.
The cover picture is from a 2001 photo shoot for the Drowned World Tour, by Regan Cameron. The logo in the right corner says "Madonna", and "GHV2". The Japanese lettering (モヂジラミミヂ) is the result of typing the letters 'M-A-D-O-N-N-A' on an English keyboard but with the keys re-mapped to their positions on a Japanese 'kana' keyboard. It can be pronounced as "Mo-Ji-Ji-Ra-Mi-Mi-Ji" and does not mean anything in Japanese. The proper translation for Madonna is: マドンナ.[7] "GHV2" can also be seen on the cover picture on Madonna's eye. Kevin Reagan contributed artwork to the inner sleeve. A special edition of GHV2, featuring the same track listing, but some additional artwork, was released in December 2001. Hidden in the inner sleeve album artwork of both editions of GHV2 is a quote from "Human Nature": "Express Yourself, Don't Repress Yourself." This was Madonna's most recent greatest hits collection until Celebration in 2009.
The album was given very little promotion with no singles released apart from the promotional only "GHV2 Megamix". Madonna did however make an appearance at the 2001 Turner Prize award ceremony and mentioned that she "had a new record out called GHV2". She gave the award to Martin Creed[8] and gave a controversial speech and said, "At a time when political correctness is valued over honesty I would also like to say right on motherfuckers!"[9] This was on live TV before the 9 p.m. "watershed", and an attempt to "bleep" it out was too late. Channel 4 were subsequently given an official rebuke by the Independent Television Commission.[10]
In 2001, six and five track CD samplers were released to radio stations to promote the release of GHV2. The samplers contained some of Madonna's biggest hit singles from 1991–2001.
In November 2001, Maverick released a promotional megamix to promote the album. It was never released commercially.
The "Thunderpuss GHV2 Megamix" was the most common version used by radio stations and the version used in the music video. The songs featured (in chronological order) were: "Don't Tell Me", "Erotica", "Secret", "Frozen", "What It Feels Like for a Girl", "Take a Bow" (these included on the Thunderpuss Club Mix Part I), "Deeper and Deeper", "Music" and "Ray of Light" (these included on the Thunderpuss Club Mix Part II). Other remixes were produced by Johnny Rocks & Mac Quayle and Tracy Young.
The remix went to #5 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in 2001 and charted under the title "Madonna Megamix". The original Thunderpuss version has some spoken words at the beginning of "Deeper and Deeper": this was a recorded message used on the early Internet to promote the album Bedtime Stories. The "Thunderpuss GHV2 Megamix" video is compiled of images of live performances and 23 Madonna videos. It was directed by Dago Gonzalez of Veneno Inc.
GHV2 Remixed: The Best of 1991–2001
In December 2001, Maverick Records also released a promotional album GHV2 Remixed: The Best of 1991-2001, featuring remixed versions of tracks from the greatest hits compilation GHV2. Like the promotional megamix single release, it was not made commercially available.[33]
This compilation contains a remix of every song from the album GHV2, except "Take a Bow", "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", and "The Power of Good-Bye". The album was released as a double CD and a triple 12" set. It contains songs remixed by Victor Calderone, Junior Vasquez, BT, Sasha, Timo Maas, and Hex Hector.
Shep Pettibone was given writing credits for "Secret" for the first time in the liner notes. The collection contained two previously unavailable remixes; the "Luscious Dub Mix" of "Bedtime Story", produced by Mark Picchiotti and Teri Bristol, previously appeared only on the "Bedtime Story: Chapter II" promotional 12" single that was released in 1995. The album also contains a previously unreleased remix of "What It Feels Like for a Girl" produced by Chris Staropoli.
The artwork for the collection contained a collage of small images of Madonna, also used in the liner notes for GHV2. The title includes the year 1991 but does not include any recording from that year, the first being the 1992 single "Erotica". The only releases in 1991 by Madonna were from the 1990 The Immaculate Collection greatest hits collection; "Rescue Me" (February 26, 1991), "Crazy for You (Remix)" (February 18, 1991, UK release) and "Holiday"/The Holiday Collection (June 4, 1991, UK release).