Queen of Hearts (Hank DeVito song)

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"Queen of Hearts"
Single by Juice Newton
from the album Juice
B-side "River of Love"
Released June 8, 1981
Recorded 1981
Genre Country pop, country rock
Length 3:23
Label Capitol
Writer(s) Hank DeVito
Producer(s) Richard Landis
Juice Newton singles chronology
"Angel of the Morning"
(1981)
"Queen of Hearts"
(1981)
"The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)"
(1982)

Queen of Hearts is the title of a country-pop song written by Hank DeVito, the pedal steel guitarist in Emmylou Harris' backing group The Hot Band, and introduced by Dave Edmunds on his 1979 album Repeat When Necessary: released as a single it reached number 11 in the UK that year. In 1997 a live version of "Queen of Hearts" was featured on the Dave Edmunds compilation album Rockin' .

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 its inclusion on the 1981 album Juice by Juice Newton who'd recall: "I did ["Queen of Hearts"] live for about a year...Then I brought it to [producer] Richard Landis when we started the Juice album. He wasn’t convinced at that point that it was a breakout song but I told him I think this is a real cool song...so we cut it."[1] Newton's own favorite cut on the Juice album,[2] "Queen of Hearts" was issued as the album's second single and would afford Newton her career record reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in September 1981, only behind "Endless Love" by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie. And while it was still at #2 Newton's "Queen of Hearts" was certified Gold for domestic sales of one million units.

"Queen of Hearts" also afforded Newton an international hit with Top Ten hit status in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Switzerland and 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.[3]

Newton re-recorded "Queen of Hearts" for her 1998 album The Trouble With Angels.

"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 100[4] 2
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs 14
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary[4] 2
Canadian RPM Top Singles 8
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 6
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks 3

Covers

In 1981 French singer Sylvie Vartan released a French rendering of "Queen of Hearts": "Quand tu veux" ("When You Want It").

In 1982 Austrian artist Nickerbocker (de) released the German rendering "Puppe (du bist a moderne Hex')" ("Doll (You're A Modern Witch)") which reached #3 in Austria.

Also in 1982, Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song for their album Chipmunk Rock.

In 1983 The Shadows released an instrumental version of "Queen of Hearts" on their album XXV.

Also in 1983 Swedish singer Kikki Danielsson recorded "Queen of Hearts" for her album Kikkis 16 bästa låtar - Varför är kärleken röd?, and Czech singer Hana Zagorová recorded the song rendered as "Spěchám" ("I Rush") (Czech lyrics were by Pavel Žák): Zagorová was joined by Petr Kotvald and Stanislav Hložek on the track, as well as its semi-live renditions.

Citing Juice Newton as one her idols (on her official website), country singer Melanie Laine released her version of "Queen of Hearts" in 2006.

Anke Pietrangeli recorded "Queen of Hearts" for her 2006 album Limbo.

A Cover performed by the Sam & Cat cast is in the Nickelodeon TV show Sam & Cat.

References

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  2. The Baltimore Sun June 24 1982
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  4. 4.0 4.1 Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications), page 258.