King of Hearts
Studio album by
Roy Orbison
ReleasedOctober 20, 1992[1]
Recorded1985 ("Coming Home"), 1987–1992
GenreRock, soft rock, country
Length41:21
LabelVirgin
ProducerVarious
Roy Orbison chronology
A Black & White Night Live
(1989) 		King of Hearts
(1992) 		One of the Lonely Ones
(2015)
Singles from King of Hearts
  1. "I Drove All Night"
    Released: June 22, 1992[2]
  2. "Crying"
    Released: August 10, 1992[3]
  3. "Heartbreak Radio"
    Released: 1992
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]

King of Hearts is a posthumous album of Roy Orbison songs put together from master sessions and demos by Jeff Lynne for Virgin Records, and Orbison's 23rd album overall. According to the authorized Roy Orbison biography,[5] the collection was originally released in October 1992 on CD, music cassette, and LP.

History

Roy Orbison died on December 6, 1988, aged 52, from a heart attack in the middle of his career revival. After Orbison's death, Mystery Girl was released. Several songs had been recorded during the sessions, and there was enough material for a new album. Some songs on this album were recorded as demos. Several individuals produced the recordings, including Lynne. They were: Don Was, David Was, Pete Anderson, Robbie Robertson, Will Jennings, David Briggs, Chips Moman, Guy Roche, Albert Hammond and Diane Warren.[citation needed]

Several songs had been previously released.

"I Drove All Night" was another hit single from the album.[citation needed]

Clarence Clemons performed saxophone on "We'll Take the Night".[citation needed]

Track listing

King of Hearts track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."You're the One"
T-Bone Burnett2:59
2."Heartbreak Radio"
Jeff Lynne2:57
3."We'll Take the Night"
Don Was4:55
4."Crying" (duet with k.d. lang)
3:48
5."After the Love Has Gone"
  • Orbison
  • Jerry L. Williams
Don Was4:38
6."Love in Time"
  • Orbison
  • Jennings
Robbie Robertson5:31
7."I Drove All Night"
Jeff Lynne3:46
8."Wild Hearts Run Out of Time"
  • Orbison
  • Jennings
4:10
9."Coming Home"
  • Orbison
  • Jennings
  • Souther
Chips Moman4:00
10."Careless Heart" (original demo)
  • Albert Hammond
  • Diane Warren
  • Guy Roche
  • Roy Orbison
5:15
2007 reissue bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
11."Life Fades Away"
Rick Rubin 

Charts

Chart performance for King of Hearts
Chart (1992) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[7] 25
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[8] 18
UK Albums (OCC)[9] 23
US Billboard 200[10] 179

Certifications

Certifications for King of Hearts
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[11] Gold 35,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "King of Hearts - Roy Orbison | Releases | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  2. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. June 20, 1992. p. 19.
  3. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. August 8, 1992. p. 19.
  4. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r55434
  5. ^ Orbison, Roy Jr. (2017). The Authorized Roy Orbison. Orbison, Wesley,, Orbison, Alex,, Slate, Jeff (First ed.). New York: Center Street. p. 248. ISBN 9781478976547. OCLC 1017566749.
  6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 305. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
  7. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Roy Orbison – King of Hearts". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  8. ^ "Charts.nz – Roy Orbison – King of Hearts". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  9. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  10. ^ "Roy Orbison Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  11. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1993 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
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