Fans were dished up a real treat with the 2000 release of
The Very Best of Tina Charles. A comprehensive foray into the singer's 1976/1977-era material, this collection spans her hits and misses, and then adds even more besides. Taking the title track,
Charles' 1976 smash "I Love to Love (But My Baby Loves to Dance)," and reaching out from there, it's a snappy spin through the best of her canon, from the earliest hits, "Dance Little Lady Dance" and "Dr. Love," and continuing on through the
Biddu-fired passions of "I'll Go Where Your Music Takes Me" and "Love Bug." And that's just the hits. A host of other
Charles cuts makes up the rest of this 18-track album, including the often-forgotten "You Set My Heart on Fire," "World of Emotions," and a cover of
First Choice's 1973 hit "Smarty Pants." Although there are a few glaring omissions, most notably 1976's "Disco Fever," and although the end of the 1970s are woefully forgotten,
The Very Best of Tina Charles makes up for it with a few more notable covers, including distinctive interpretations of
Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" and
Freda Payne's "Band of Gold." Thus, while it could have been far more complete in terms of its scope, this compilation is by far the best-available collection of
Charles' unique body of work, one that will surely allow fans to finally file away their scratchy, old vinyl copies of their favorite songs.