Queen of Hearts (song)
| "Queen of Hearts" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Juice Newton | ||||
| from the album Juice | ||||
| Released | June 8, 1981 | |||
| Recorded | 1981 | |||
| Genre | Country pop | |||
| Length | 3:23 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Writer(s) | Hank DeVito | |||
| Producer | Richard Landis | |||
| Juice Newton singles chronology | ||||
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"Queen of Hearts" is the title of a country-pop song written by Hank DeVito, who was the pedal steel guitarist in Emmylou Harris' backing group The Hot Band in the early '80s.
The song first appeared on Dave Edmunds's 1979 album Repeat When Necessary, and it was released as a single that reached #11 in the UK that year. Following an appearance of the 1980 Rodney Crowell album But What Will the Neighbors Think - on which the song's composer Hank DeVito played guitar - "Queen of Hearts" had its highest profile incarnation via inclusion on the 1981 album Juice by Juice Newton; the last-named album's second single release, "Queen of Hearts" would afford Newton her career record.
In September 1981, Newton's "Queen of Hearts" reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 (the top spot being held by the Diana Ross and Lionel Richie juggernaut "Endless Love"). Newton's version sold more than a million copies in the United States and achieved Top Ten hit status in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Switzerland with more moderate success in Austria, Germany and the Netherlands. For her recording of the song, Juice Newton earned a 1982 Grammy nomination for Best Female Vocalist in the C&W category, "Queen of Hearts" having been a #14 C&W hit.[1]
"Queen of Hearts" is featured prominently in Oliver Stone's 1986 film Salvador, as well as in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in which it plays on the fictional radio station K-Rose. The song is also featured in the film Boogie Nights (1997).
Chart performance/ Juice Newton version
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[2] | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary[2] | 2 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 6 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 8 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 3 |
[edit] Covers
Citing Juice Newton as one her idols (on her official website), country singer Melanie Laine released her version of "Queen of Hearts" in 2006.
In 1982, Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the Juice Newton version for their album Chipmunk Rock.
In 1981, French singer Sylvie Vartan released a French-language version of "Queen of Hearts," entitled "Quand tu veux" ("When You Want It").
In 1983 The Shadows released an instrumental version on their album XXV.
Also in 1983 Czech singer Hana Zagorová covered "Queen Of Hearts on her single for Supraphon recording company. This Czech-language version was entitled "Spěchám" ("I Rush") and the lyrics were written by Pavel Žák. Zagorová was joined by Petr Kotvald and Stanislav Hložek in the song, as well as its semi-live renditions.
[edit] References
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 104.
- ^ a b Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications), page 258.
