King of Hearts

by Roy Orbison

Overview

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

Product Details

Release Date:	10/14/2022
Label:	Legacy Recordings / Sony Music
UPC:	0196587137526

Tracks

1. You're the One [Album Version]
2. Heartbreak Radio
3. We'll Take the Night [Album Version]
4. Crying
5. After the Love Has Gone [Album Version]
6. Love in Time [Album Version]
7. I Drove All Night [Album Version]
8. Wild Hearts Run Out of Time
9. Coming Home [Album Version]
10. Careless Heart [Album Version]

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Roy Orbison   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
k.d. lang   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Doug Fieger   Choir/Chorus
Josh Sklair   Guitar
Jim Cox   Piano
Jim Keltner   Drums
Ricky Fataar   Drums
Reggie Young   Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
Albert Hammond   Vocals (Background)
Alex Brown   Vocals (Background)
Alex Acuna   Drums,Percussion
David Campbell   Strings,Conductor
Willie Greene   Vocals (Background)
Pavel Farkas   Strings
Joel Cerouin   Violin
James Johnson   Bass,Bass
Doug Gieger   Vocals (Background)
Henry Corbett   Strings
Armand Garabedian   Violin
William "Bill" Greene   Vocals (Background)
Ezra Killinger   Strings
Wayne Murray   Vocals (Background)
Michael J. Libow   Choir/Chorus,Vocals (Background)
David Briggs   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Suzie Kattayama   Cello
Booker T. Jones III   Organ (Hammond)
James Cox   Piano
Everett Brake   Vocals (Background)
Jackie Gouche   Vocals (Background)
Larry Byrum   Guitar
Sid Paige   Strings
Jeff Lynne   Vocals
Jeff Porcaro   Drums
Lenny Castro   Percussion
Steve Gibson   Guitar
Robbie Robertson   Guitar
Mike Leech   Bass
Brent Rowan   Guitar
Diane Warren   Vocals (Background)
Tom Tally   Viola
Buell Neidlinger   Bass,Bass (Upright)
Everett Drake   Vocals (Background)
Berj Garabedian   Violin
T-Bone Wolk   Bass
T-Bone Burnett   Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic)
Terry McMillan   Harmonica
Suzie Katayama   Cello
Maria Newman   Strings
Bobby Emmons   Keyboards
Bobby Wood   Keyboards
Booker T. Jones   Strings
J.R. Cobb   Guitar
Larry Byrom   Guitar
Clarence Clemons   Saxophone
James "Hutch" Hutchinson   Bass
Benmont Tench   Piano,Choir/Chorus,Organ (Hammond)
Don Was   Organ (Hammond),Vocals (Background)
Charlie Bisharat   Violin
David Hidalgo   Guitar
Mark Goldenberg   Mandolin,Accordion,Choir/Chorus,Guitar (Electric)
Andrew Gold   Choir/Chorus,Vocals (Background)
Larry Corbett   Cello
Kenny Buttrey   Drums
Bruce Dukov   Violin
Larry Paxton   Bass
Barbara Orbison   Choir/Chorus,Vocals (Background)
Tony Warren   Vocals (Background)
Larry Klein   Bass,Keyboards
Larry Knechtel   Piano
Francine Reed   Vocals (Background)
Gene Chrisman   Drums
Joel Derouin   Violin
Dean Parks   Guitar,Mandolin,Guitar (Acoustic)

Technical Credits

Mick Haggerty   Art Direction
Jerry Lynn Williams   Composer
Roy Orbison   Composer,Producer
k.d. lang   Mixing,Performer
Martin Brumbach   Assistant Engineer
Albert Hammond   Mixing,Composer,Producer
David Cherry   Engineer
George Massenburg   Mixing,Engineer
David Campbell   Arranger,String Arrangements
Carrie McConkey   Production Coordination
Marsha Burns   Production Coordination
Robert Sebree   Photography
Steve Marcusson   Mastering
David Briggs   Producer
Jared Levine   Assistant Producer
Tom Dolan   Cover Design
Guy Moon   Keyboard Arrangements
Tom Hitchcock   Assistant Engineer
Young Dan Bosworth   Assistant Engineer
Jeff Lynne   Producer
Mark Bingham   Engineer
Pete Anderson   Producer
Robbie Robertson   Producer
Jerry Williams, Jr.   Composer
Jim Scott   Mixing,Engineer
Richard Dodd   Mixing,Engineer
Mike Utley   Leader,Arranger
Tom Kelly   Composer
Guy Roche   Mixing,Producer
Diane Warren   Composer,Producer
Brett Swain   Mixing Assistant
T-Bone Burnett   Producer
Maria Newman   Arranger
Chips Moman   Engineer,Producer
Chris Hufford   Engineer
Ben Mink   Mixing
Frankie Miller   Composer
Greg Penny   Mixing
Don Was   Producer
David Was   Producer
Troy Seals   Composer
Sid Page   Arranger
Bill Dees   Composer
Billy Steinberg   Composer
William Dees   Composer
J.D. Souther   Composer
Barbara Orbison   Producer,Executive Producer
Will Jennings   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Joe Melson   Composer
Ed Cherney   Mixing
Rik Pekkonen   Engineer
Don Smith   Mixing
Doug Sax   Mastering,Compilation Producer
Lynn Peterzell   Engineer