Personnel: Mark Jaimes, Carl Sturken (guitar); James McMillan (trumpet, horns); Pete Murray (piano); Postmaster (keyboards, programming); Steve Jordan (drums); Cindy Mizelle, Evan Rogers, Priscilla Jones (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Al Hemberger; Rob Chiarelli; Brad Gilderman.

Recording information: Quietmoney Studios, Barns Green, West Sussex, England; The Little Big Room, Burbank, CA; The Loft, Bronxville, NY.

Photographer: Mike Segal.

Arranger: James McMillan.

Unlike most of its competitive reality-TV brethren, AMERICAN IDOL refreshingly eschews much of the winner-takes-all attitude. Although rivalries certainly appear and controversies flare up, contestants frequently display a spirit of camaraderie. This good-natured attitude finds its way onto this AMERICAN IDOL compilation. Released before the dust even settled on the third season, GREATEST SOUL CLASSICS features finalists side-by-side with contestants already voted down. Individually and together, they put their spin on tried-and-true R&B standards.

Fantasia Barrino--along with Latoya London and Jennifer Hudson, part of a trio of candidates referred to by many as the Three Divas--opens the set with a powerful rendition of "Chain of Fools," followed by George Huff's evocative recreation of "Me and Mrs. Jones." No one vying for the third-season crown hits a false note, and other standouts include Diana DeGarmo's remarkably worldly take on "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and a subdued, sweet "Neither One of Us (Want to Be the First to Say Goodbye)," performed by Jennifer Hudson, who was controversially rejected from the show. The collection ends, fittingly enough, with the whole cast getting together on a rousing chorus of the always-inspiring "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."