Background · Dear Mama (2-Track Single 1999)
Four years after its initial release, Dear Mama returned to European stores in 1999. The occasion was the double CD Greatest Hits, released in late 1998, which introduced the song to a new audience. Among the various variants of that year, this edition is the simplest: a CD with exactly two versions.
Four Labels Under One Roof
The fact that Jive and Death Row suddenly stand side by side on a 1995 single is explained by the legal situation following Tupac’s death. Greatest Hits was a joint release by Amaru, Death Row, Interscope, and Jive. It was under this very roof that the European reissues of the singles were released in 1999.
The sleeve explicitly lists the samples used: Joe Sample’s In My Wildest Dreams and an interpolation of Sadie by the Spinners. Musically, the edition offers nothing new. It is interesting primarily for collectors gathering all variants of the reissue.
Two Versions on One CD
The tracklist matches the CD single documented on Discogs.
The 1999 reissue brought forth three other European variants: the 4-Track, CD 1, and CD 2.