Maps of Music

King of Hearts (1992)

Where the lyrics of King of Hearts take you, and where it was really made.

King of Hearts was put together from leftover Mystery Girl sessions after Orbison died, and it charted lower than the album before it.

Key places

Ocean Way Recording (1992)

Recording site Ocean Way Recording — Ocean Way Recording in Los Angeles is listed as a recording site for this album. The same studio also appears in the mixing credits. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

The Village (1992)

Recording site Village Recorders — The Village in Los Angeles is listed as a recording site for this album in the credits. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

House of David (1992)

Recording site House of David — House of David is listed as a recording site for this album in the credits. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Sun Studios (1992)

Recording site Sun Studio — Sun Studios in Memphis is listed as a recording site for this album in the credits. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Kingsway Studios, New Orleans (1992)

Recording site Mobile studio, 1305 Soniat Street — Kingsway Studios in New Orleans is listed as a recording site. The point marks the city centre only. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Ultrasonic Studios (1992)

Recording site Ultrasonic Studios — Ultrasonic Studios is listed as a mixing site for this album in the credits. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Conway Studios (1992)

Recording site Conway Recording Studios — Conway Studios is listed as a mixing site for this album in the credits. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• King of Hearts is a posthumous album by American singer Roy Orbison
• Jeff Lynne assembled it from recording sessions in the years shortly before Orbison's death
• It was Orbison's 23rd solo album and was released by Virgin Records
• The collection was originally released in October 1992 on CD, music cassette, and LP
• It is the second posthumous album of Orbison after his death

Background

• Orbison died on 6 December 1988, aged 52, of a heart attack in the middle of his career revival
• His new studio album Mystery Girl, which he had been working on until his death, was released in February 1989
• Several songs on King of Hearts were recorded during the Mystery Girl sessions, leaving enough material for another album
• Some songs on the album were recorded as demos
• Wild Hearts Run Out of Time came from the soundtrack of the 1985 film Insignificance
• Coming Home was first issued on the 1986 collaborative album Class of '55
• The duet with k.d. lang on Crying was released on the soundtrack of the 1987 film Hiding Out

Recording

• Several individuals produced the recordings, including Jeff Lynne
• Other producers listed are Don Was, David Was, Pete Anderson, Robbie Robertson, Will Jennings, David Briggs, Chips Moman, Guy Roche, Albert Hammond and Diane Warren
• Recording and mixing credits list Ocean Way Recording, The Village, House of David, Sun Studios and Criterion Studios in Hollywood
• Mixing credits also list Ultrasonic Studios and Conway Studios

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Roy Kelton Orbison (born April 23, 1936, Vernon, Texas; died December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist.
• He began singing in a country-and-western band as a teenager in Wink, Texas, formed the Wink Westerners in 1949 and later the Teen Kings.
• He was signed to Sun Records by Sam Phillips in 1956.

Career

• Known for a distinctive, powerful voice, complex song structures and dark, emotional ballads.
• Signed to Monument Records; from 1960 to 1966, 22 of his singles reached the Billboard top 40.
• Wrote or co-wrote almost all of his own top-10 hits, including "Only the Lonely", "Running Scared", "Crying" and "Oh, Pretty Woman".
• Suffered personal tragedies after the mid-1960s, including the deaths of his first wife Claudette and two sons, and his career faltered.
• Revived in the late 1980s after cover versions of his songs; co-founded the Traveling Wilburys with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne in 1988.
• Died of a heart attack in December 1988 at age 52.
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987; received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• AllMusic's William Ruhlmann said the album is nowhere near the quality of Mystery Girl, but it shares some of the same musicians and producers, so it has much the same sound
• Ruhlmann added that if the material is not of the same caliber, that is to be expected
• He wrote that tracks like "Crying" and "I Drove All Night" bring up the overall quality if they pad out the album

Records

• Billboard 200 (United States): peak position 179
• UK Albums Chart: peak position 23
• UK Singles Chart: "I Drove All Night" peaked at number 7 and "Heartbreak Radio" at number 36
• "Crying" reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart in 1992
• The duet "Crying" with k.d. lang won the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Coming Home was first issued on the 1986 album Class of '55, where it was Orbison's only solo lead vocal
• Wild Hearts Run Out of Time had been issued as a single in Canada, Australia and Europe in 1985 under the title Wild Hearts (...Time)
• Clarence Clemons played saxophone on We'll Take the Night
• I Drove All Night was another hit single from the album
• Crying, the duet with k.d. lang, was a larger hit in the UK in 1992 than in the US

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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