Name: King of Hearts
Brand: Virgin
SKU: 336275
Price: 5.42 GBP
Availability: InStock

EAN

0077778652021

Writer

Roy Orbison

Country

USA

Studio/Live

Studio

Label

Virgin

Dimensions

14 x 12.5 x 1.1 centimeters (0.10 kg)

Performer Notes

Contains material from the MYSTERY GIRL sessions.
Personnel: Roy Orbison (vocals, guitar); k.d. lang (vocals); Dean Parks (guitar, mandolin); Mark Goldenberg (guitar, accordion, mandolin); Robbie Robertson, T-Bone Burnett, Brent Rowan, Larry Byrum, David Hidalgo, Reggie Young, J.R. Cobb, Josh Sklair, Steve Gibson (guitar); Joel Derouin, Berj Garabedian, Armand Garabedian, Charles Bicharat, Bruce Dukov (violin); Tom Talley (viola); Larry Corbett, Suzie Katayama (cello); Mike Utley, Sid Paige, Ezra Killinger, Pavel Farkas, Henry Corbett, David Campbell, Maria Newman (strings); Terry Lee McMillan (harmonica); Clarence Clemons (saxophone); Jim Cox, Larry Knechtal (piano); Bobby Emmons, Bobby Wood (keyboards); David Briggs (keyboards, synthesizer); Benmont Tench, Don Was (Hammond B-3, background vocals); Booker T. Jones (Hammond B-3), Larry Klein (bass, keyboards); Buel Neidlinger (acoustic bass), Larry Paxton, James Hutchinson, James Johnson, Mike Leech, T-Bone Wolk (bass); Alex Acuna (drums, percussion); Kenny Buttrey, Ricky Fataar, Jeff Porcaro, Gene Chrisman, Jim Keltner (drums); Lenny Castro (percussion); Tony Warren, Alex Brown, Jackie Gouche, Willie Greene, Everette Drake, Wayne Murray, Francine Reed, Andrew Gold, Diane Warren, Barbara Orbison, Albert Hammond, Doug Fieger, Michael J. Libow (background vocals).
Producers include: T-Bone Burnett, Robbie Robertson, Will Jennings, Don Was, Jeff Lynne.
Engineers include: Rik Pekkonen, George Massenburg, Jim Scott.
Personnel: Roy Orbison (vocals, guitar); Jeff Lynne (vocals); Dean Parks (guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin); T-Bone Burnett (guitar, acoustic guitar); Reggie Young (guitar, electric guitar); David Hidalgo, Larry Byrum, J.R. Cobb , Josh Sklair, Larry Byrom, Robbie Robertson, Steve Gibson , Brent Rowan (guitar); Mark Goldenberg (electric guitar, mandolin, accordion); Armand Garabedian, Joel Cerouin, Joel Derouin, Bruce Dukov, Berj Garabedian, Charlie Bisharat (violin); Tom Tally (viola); Suzie Kattayama, Suzie Katayama, Larry Corbett (cello); David Campbell , Sid Paige, Ezra Killinger, Henry Corbett, Pavel Farkas, Maria Newman (strings); Terry McMillan (harmonica); Clarence Clemons (saxophone); James Cox, Jim Cox, Larry Knechtel, Benmont Tench (piano); David Briggs (keyboards, synthesizer); Larry Klein, Bobby Emmons, Bobby Wood (keyboards); Buell Neidlinger (upright bass); Alex Acua (drums, percussion); Gene Chrisman, Jeff Porcaro, Jim Keltner, Kenny Buttrey, Ricky Fataar (drums); Lenny Castro (percussion); Don Was, Francine Reed, Jackie Gouch, Everett Brake, Michael J. Libow, Wayne Murray, William "Bill" Greene, Doug Gieger, k.d. lang, Albert Hammond, Alex Brown, Andrew Gold, Tony Warren, Barbara Orbison, Diane Warren, Everett Drake (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Don Smith ; Ed Cherney ; George Massenburg; Greg Penny; Guy Roche; Jim Scott ; k.d. lang; Albert Hammond; Richard Dodd; Ben Mink.
Recording information: 03/10/1987.
Photographer: Robert Sebree.
Arrangers: David Campbell ; Mike Utley.
Although Roy Orbison's album Mystery Girl was issued eight weeks after his death on December 6, 1988, it was apparently in finished form and thus only technically a posthumous release. Orbison's widow Barbara says she has been asked frequently since "whether Roy had recorded enough material for one more album. The answer is yes," she replies in her liner notes to King of Hearts. An examination of the album's contents puts qualifications on this simple affirmative. The ten tracks include Orbison's Grammy-winning remake duet of "Crying" with k.d. lang from 1987, for instance, as well as the original demo of "Careless Heart," a song featured in its finished form on Mystery Girl. There is also a cover of the Cyndi Lauper hit "I Drove All Night." The previously unheard recordings include sessions produced by T-Bone Burnett, Barbara Orbison, George Massenburg, Jeff Lynne, and Don Was, among others, apparently at different times during the '80s. Barbara Orbison acknowledges that sessions were held after Orbison's death to add overdubs to unfinished recordings and demos. So, that simple "yes" is really fairly complicated. That said, this collection of leftovers from various sources is not bad at all. It certainly isn't near the quality of Mystery Girl, but, employing some of the same musicians and producers, it has much the same sound. If the material isn't of the same caliber, that's to be expected. And tracks like "Crying" and "I Drove All Night," if they pad the album out, also bring up its overall quality. ~ William Ruhlmann

Professional Reviews

Entertainment Weekly (10/30/92, p.86) - "...[a] respectfully assembled posthumous coda..." - Rating: B

Q (12/92, p.150) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...outstanding...the fragile quavering voice sounding battered and broken by despair, yet still radiating a monumental warmth and passion..."

Stereo Review (1/93, p.88) - "...the remake of `Crying' with K.D. Lang is worth the price by itself..."

Audio Magazine (1/93, p.149) - "...much more than a posthumous collection of leftovers...you won't want to miss this one..."

Album: King of Hearts
#	Song Title	Time
1)	You're the One
2)	Heartbreak Radio
3)	We'll Take the Night
4)	Crying
5)	After the Love Has Gone
6)	Love in Time
7)	I Drove All Night
8)	Wild Hearts Run Out of Time
9)	Coming Home
10)	Careless Heart - (original demo)

Album: King of Hearts
#	Song Title	Time
1)	You're the One
2)	Heartbreak Radio
3)	We'll Take the Night
4)	Crying
5)	After the Love Has Gone
6)	Love in Time
7)	I Drove All Night
8)	Wild Hearts Run Out of Time
9)	Coming Home
10)	Careless Heart - (original demo)