Spark to a Flame: The Very Best of Chris de Burgh

1989 greatest hits album by Chris de Burgh

Greatest hits album by

Chris de Burgh

Released

23 October 1989^[1]

Recorded

Ramport and Scorpio Studios

Genre

Rock

Length

67:58 (68:38 German)

Label

A&M

Producer

Chris de Burgh, Rupert Hine, Roy Thomas Baker, Robin Geoffrey Cable, Paul Hardiman and others

Chris de Burgh chronology

Flying Colours
(1988)

Spark to a Flame: The Very Best of Chris de Burgh
(1989)

High on Emotion: Live from Dublin
(1990)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	link

Spark to a Flame: The Very Best of Chris de Burgh is the third compilation album by Chris de Burgh, released by A&M Records in 1989. The album was released largely to capitalise on the resurgence of de Burgh's career after the smash hit of The Lady in Red three years earlier. As a result, most of the tracks are drawn from his 1980s albums The Getaway, Man on the Line, Into The Light and Flying Colours. Only "Spanish Train," and "A Spaceman Came Travelling" come from de Burgh's early output from the 1970s.

Also notable is the pairing of the songs "Borderline" and "Say Goodbye To It All" – originally from two different albums, which tell a story arc of a conscientious objector fleeing to be with his lover.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Chris de Burgh

UK release
No.	Title	Original Album	Length
1.	"This Waiting Heart"	previously unreleased	4:08
2.	"Don't Pay the Ferryman"	The Getaway (1982)	3:24
3.	"Much More Than This"	Man on the Line (1984)	2:55
4.	"Sailing Away"	Flying Colours (1988)	4:58
5.	"The Lady in Red"	Into the Light (1986)	4:17
6.	"Borderline"	The Getaway (1982)	4:33
7.	"Say Goodbye to It All"	Into the Light (1986)	5:04
8.	"Spanish Train"	Spanish Train and Other Stories (1975)	4:47
9.	"Ship to Shore"	The Getaway (1982)	3:47
10.	"Missing You"	Flying Colours (1988)	4:06
11.	"Fatal Hesitation"	Into the Light (1986)	4:14
12.	"Diamond in the Dark"	previously unreleased	3:29
13.	"Tender Hands"	Flying Colours (1988)	4:28
14.	"A Spaceman Came Travelling *"	Spanish Train and Other Stories (1975)	5:10
15.	"Where Peaceful Waters Flow"	The Getaway (1982)	3:53
16.	"High on Emotion"	Man on the Line (1982)	4:24

US/Canada release
No.	Title	Original Album	Length
1.	"This Waiting Heart"	previously unreleased	4:08
2.	"Don't Pay the Ferryman"	The Getaway (1982)	3:24
3.	"Much More Than This"	Man on the Line (1984)	2:55
4.	"Sailing Away"	Flying Colours (1988)	4:58
5.	"The Lady in Red"	Into the Light (1986)	4:17
6.	"Borderline"	The Getaway (1982)	4:33
7.	"Say Goodbye to It All"	Into the Light (1986)	5:04
8.	"Spanish Train"	Spanish Train and Other Stories (1975)	4:47
9.	"Patricia the Stripper"	Spanish Train and Other Stories (1975)	3:30
10.	"Ship to Shore"	The Getaway (1982)	3:47
11.	"Missing You"	Flying Colours (1988)	4:06
12.	"Diamond in the Dark"	previously unreleased	3:29
13.	"Tender Hands"	Flying Colours (1988)	4:28
14.	"A Spaceman Came Travelling *"	Spanish Train and Other Stories (1975)	5:10
15.	"Where Peaceful Waters Flow"	The Getaway (1982)	3:53
16.	"High on Emotion"	Man on the Line (1984)	4:24

West German/Australasian release
No.	Title	Original Album	Length
1.	"This Waiting Heart"	previously unreleased	4:08
2.	"Don't Pay the Ferryman"	The Getaway (1982)	3:24
3.	"Fire on the Water"	Into the Light (1986)	4:28
4.	"Sailing Away"	Flying Colours (1988)	4:58
5.	"The Lady in Red"	Into the Light (1986)	4:17
6.	"Borderline"	The Getaway (1982)	4:33
7.	"Say Goodbye to It All"	Into the Light (1986)	5:04
8.	"One Word (Straight to the Heart)"	Into the Light (1986)	4:16
9.	"A Spaceman Came Travelling *"	Spanish Train and Other Stories (1975)	5:10
10.	"Ship to Shore"	The Getaway (1982)	3:47
11.	"Missing You"	Flying Colours (1988)	4:06
12.	"Diamond in the Dark"	previously unreleased	3:29
13.	"Tender Hands"	Flying Colours (1988)	4:28
14.	"The Getaway"	The Getaway (1982)	3:52
15.	"Where Peaceful Waters Flow"	The Getaway (1982)	3:53
16.	"High on Emotion"	Man on the Line (1982)	4:24

The album features the remixed version of A Spaceman Came Travelling with a re-rerecorded vocal track, it is subsequently titled A Spaceman Came Travelling '89 on later compilations.^[which?]

" Not on LP-Version

Charts

Chart (1989)	Peak position
UK Albums Chart	4
Swiss Albums Chart	3

Sales and certifications

Certifications for *Spark to a Flame: The Very Best of Chris de Burgh*
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)^[2]	Gold	25,000^*
Canada (Music Canada)^[3]	Gold	50,000^{^}
Germany (BVMI)^[4]	Platinum	500,000^{^}
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)^[5]	Platinum	50,000^{^}
United Kingdom (BPI)^[6]	2× Platinum	600,000^{^}
^* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ "BPI".
^ "Austrian album certifications – Chris De Burgh – Spark to a Flame" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
^ "Canadian album certifications – Chris De Burgh – Spark to a Flame". Music Canada. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Chris De Burgh; 'Spark to a Flame')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Spark to a Flame')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
^ "British album certifications – Chris De Burgh – Spark to a Flame". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 22 July 2022.