Faith Talks About The Hits

9/5/2007 Stephen L. Betts   It's been almost fifteen years since Faith Hill recorded her debut album, Take Me As I Am. Reflecting on that, and looking ahead to the release of her career-spanning collection, The Hits, due Oct. 2, Faith says, "It feels like yesterday when I said goodbye to my family and packed up the car to come to Nashville so that I could follow my dream. "I remember singing wherever and whenever I could and calling home for the safety of my family’s encouragement; dejected, but never discouraged. My persistence was finally rewarded when I met [then-Warner Bros. executive] Martha Sharp. The rest as they say is history. I had my record deal." Faith recalls hearing her first hit (and first No. 1) “Wild One” on the radio for the first time, and says of her first television appearance,  on the TNN show, Nashville Now, "that’s a tough one to watch now," adding, "I can remember that feeling when I received my first Gold album. But it wasn’t until I began to put The Hits together that I started to think about all the songs, all the songwriters, all the people that have supported me throughout my career and all of the fans that were responsible for making my dream come true. It’s for you that The Hits was put together. Admitting that selecting the songs for The Hits was a difficult process, Faith says, "When we decided to focus on what you’d want, the decisions became much clearer. We’re planning on newer, different versions of some songs and we’ve got a few new surprises on The Hits. Leave it to me, I would’ve made a whole album of surprises, but then it wouldn’t have been The Hits. Although she knows some would consider the release of a ‘greatest hits’ the end of a chapter, Faith says she prefers to call it "an interlude, because I’d never want to close the chapter on what’s gotten me to the party. In my dressing room I have a small chalkboard that sits on top of one of my road cases. On it is written a saying from Vincent Van Gogh that asks, 'What would life be, if we had no courage to attempt anything?' It serves as a reminder for me of not only where I’ve been, but of where I hope to go." The Hits Track Listing:  Red Umbrella Stronger Lost Mississippi Girl Cry There You’ll Be The Way You Love Me Breathe Secret of Life Let Me Let Go This Kiss It Matters To Me Piece of My Heart Wild One I Need You