Producers include: Victor Van Vugt, Dr. Robert, Ben Watt, William Orbit, The Chemical Brothers.

Recorded between 1993 & 2002. Includes liner notes by Sean O'Hagan.

Personnel: Beth Orton (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar); Terry Callier (vocals, guitar, background vocals); Ryan Adams (vocals, electric guitar, piano); Ted Barnes (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bouzouki, mandolin); Ben Watt (guitar, keyboards, programming); William Orbit (guitar, keyboards); Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals (guitar); Mordy Ferber (acoustic guitar); Lucy Wilkins, Howard Gott, Richard George, Dave Williams, Brian G. Wright , Jacqueline Norrie, Ruth Gottlieb, Dmitri VanZwanenburg, DeLa Mare, Calina, Tim Myall, Christopher Koh, Wendy DeSaint Paer, Nia Bevan, Beki Doe, Catherine Browning (violin); Vincent Greene, Robert Spriggs, Sophie Sarota, Becca Ware (viola); Sara Wilson, Oliver Kraus, Andy Nice (cello); Electric Strings (strings); Y Cee (flute); Sean Read (piano, harmonium, keyboards); Martin Duffy (piano, organ); Dr. John, Dean Ross (piano); Dave Boulter (harmonium, organ); Lee Spencer, Adam Peters, Peven Everett (keyboards); Dave Friedman (vibraphone); Ali Friend (double bass, bass guitar); Fred Smith , Henry Olsen (electric bass); Jerry Meyhan, Sebastian Steinberg (bass guitar); Will Blanchard (drums, tambourine); Matt Johnson (drums); Scott Minor, Daniel Moreno, Lascelles Gordon, Bosco d'Olivera (percussion); Victor Van Vugt (programming); Tasha Lee McCluney (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Mark "Spike" Stent; Andrew Weatherall; Sean Read; Victor Van Vugt; William Orbit; Brian O'Shaughnessy.

Audio Remixers: Joachim "Joe" Clausell; Jerome Sydenham.

Liner Note Author: Sean O'Hagan.

Recording information: Bark Studios, England; Guerilla Studios, London, England; Little Joey's; Matrix Studios; Ridge Farm; September Sound; The Church Studios; The Coach House, Bristol, England; Wessex Studios, England.

Photographers: Ellen Nolan; Jeff Peters; Sam Harris .

BMG UK gathered nearly all of Beth Orton's brightest moments for Pass in Time: The Definitive Collection. This double-disc set does a decent job presenting Orton's undeniable gift as an artist, and those who are introduced to her for the first time here will be thoroughly impressed. Those longtime fans who already own her first three albums and the Best Bit EP might be puzzled at Pass in Time's unfashionably early arrival; however, the 24-song compilation merits the same consideration given to Orton's previous work. The second disc of B-sides, rarities, and remixes is more than enough to warrant attention, for the ten-song selection includes her stunning collaborations with the Chemical Brothers ("Where Do I Begin"), Terry Callier ("Dolphins"), and William Orbit ("Water from a Vine Leaf"). The original B-side to "She Cries Your Name," "It's Not the Spotlight" was exclusively reworked for Pass in Time, but the biggest surprise lies in the inclusion of two tracks from her Superpinkymandy album. With a little nudge from Orbit, Orton first introduced herself with this experimental-dance effort, which was only available in Japan and is now out of print. The glittering electronic twist of John Martyn's "Don't Wanna Know 'Bout Evil" and the gentle humming of "Where Do You Go?" give a glimpse of Orton's pre-commercial solo days. Pass in Time is a worthwhile collection, but the time of its release remains in question. Orton has just gotten started and her work is far from conclusive. ~ MacKenzie Wilson

As the original boundary-breaker between British folk and electronica, Beth Orton brought coffee and sunshine down to the still-awake-at-seven-A.M. crowd with her guest shot on early William Orbit and Chemical Brothers albums, warming things up with her honeyed vocals. The rest is the history, as collected on this two-disc set of hits, guest appearances, b-sides, remixes, singles, and rarities. Disc One picks the gems off Orton's first three albums, including "She Cries Your Name" and the comforting title track (guest vocal by Terry Callier).

The second disc, however, gets deep and diverse, with two tracks from a rare, Japanese-only release called SUPERPINKYMANDY (the weepy "Where Do You Go" could be at home on an Enya or Cowboy Junkies disc). A dance remix of "Central Reservation" rocks out in spirited style, while "Pedestal" warrants Orton's frequent Sandy Denny comparisons with its sublime folksy grace. There's another nod to '60s folk-rock with Fred Neil's "Dolphins," also with Callier, and Orbit returns for "Water from a Vine Leaf"--recorded expressly for this compilation--a dose of moving, late-night electronica that brings the proceedings full circle.