"Ace of Hearts"
Single by Chris Rea
from the album Wired to the Moon
B-side"True Love"
Released14 September 1984[1]
Length
  • 4:29 (album version)
  • 3:49 (single version)
LabelMagnet
Songwriter(s)Chris Rea
Producer(s)
Chris Rea singles chronology
"Touche D'Amour"
(1984)		 "Ace of Hearts"
(1984)		 "Stainsby Girls"
(1985)
"All Summer Long"
(1985)
"Ace of Hearts"
(1985)
"It's All Gone"
(1986)

"Ace of Hearts" is a song by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, which was released by Magnet in 1984 as the fourth and final single from his sixth studio album Wired to the Moon. The song was written by Rea, and produced by Rea and Dave Richards.[2]

"Ace of Hearts" reached number 79 in the UK Singles Chart in October 1984. A re-issue saw the single peak one position higher at number 78 in November 1985.[3] In 1988, Rea re-recorded "Ace of Hearts" for his album New Light Through Old Windows.[4]

Critical reception

Upon its release as a single, Jerry Smith of Music Week stated, "An excellent ballad whose bouncy rhythm, intricate keyboards and sparkling sax plus the effective vocals and vibrant guitar should guarantee plenty of radio exposure. Could do well."[5] In a review of the 1985 re-issue, Paul Benbow of the Reading Evening Post wrote, "Old gravel voice with a re-release due to popular demand."[6]

In a retrospective review of Wired to the Moon, Sharon Mawer of AllMusic described the song as a "soft rock number – almost MOR" and one which is "crying out for daytime radio play or a top-selling commercial artist to cover [it]".[2] In a 2021 retrospective on Rea's "30 best tracks for the open road", Dig! picked "Ace of Hearts" as number 12 on the list. They considered the song to be a "soft rock slow burner" and felt the lyrics were "as much about a heartbroken soul longing for love as it is about a down-on-his-luck gambler waiting for a winning hand".[7]

Track listing

7-inch single (UK release)[8]

  1. "Ace of Hearts" (Special Remix) – 3:49
  2. Excerpts from "I Can Hear Your Heart Beat" (Recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival) – 7:00

7-inch double-pack single (UK release)[9]

  1. "Ace of Hearts" (Special Remix) – 3:49
  2. Excerpts from "I Can Hear Your Heart Beat" (Recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival) – 7:00
  3. "Bitter Sweet" – 1:13
  4. "Auf Immer" – 4:41

7-inch single (German and French release)[10][11]

  1. "Ace of Hearts" (Special Remix) – 3:49
  2. "True Love" – 3:40

12-inch and cassette single (UK release)[12][13]

  1. "Ace of Hearts" (Special Remix) – 6:34
  2. "I Can Hear Your Heart Beat" – 3:28
  3. "From Love to Love" – 3:31
  4. "True Love" – 3:40
  5. "Smile" – 3:27

12-inch single (German release)[14]

  1. "Ace of Hearts" (Special Remix) – 6:34
  2. Excerpts from "I Can Hear Your Heart Beat" (Recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival) – 7:00

12-inch single (French release)[15]

  1. "Ace of Hearts" – 6:34
  2. "I Can Hear Your Heart Beat" – 3:28
  3. "Love to Love" – 3:31
  4. "True Love" – 3:40

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the UK CD1 and CD2 liner notes and the Wired to the Moon sleeve notes.[8][16]

"Ace of Hearts"

  • Chris Rea – vocals, guitar, fretless bass, keyboards, piano
  • Jerry Stevenson – guitar, all acoustics
  • Kevin Powell – bass
  • Jeff Seopardi – drums, brushes

Production

Other

  • The Artful Dodgers – sleeve design

Charts

Chart (1984) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[17] 26
UK Singles (OCC)[18] 79
Chart (1985) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[18] 78

References

  1. ↑ "Record News: Other Releases". Melody Maker. 15 September 1984. p. 4.
  2. 1 2 Mawer, Sharon. "Wired to the Moon - Chris Rea; Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "CHRIS REA; full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  4. ↑ "New Light Through Old Windows: The Best Of Chris Rea - Chris Rea; Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  5. ↑ Smith, Jerry (6 October 1984). "Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 28. ISSN 0265-1548. Retrieved 11 November 2022 – via World Radio History.
  6. ↑ Benbow, Paul (2 November 1985). "Singles". Reading Evening Post. p. 15.
  7. ↑ "Chris Rea Songs: The 30 Best Tracks for the Open Road". Dig!. 3 March 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  8. 1 2 Ace of Hearts (UK 7-inch single sleeve notes). Chris Rea. Magnet Records. 1984. MAG 269.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ↑ Ace of Hearts (UK 7-inch double-pack single sleeve notes). Chris Rea. Magnet Records. 1984. MAG 269X, CHRIS 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ↑ Ace of Hearts (German 7-inch single sleeve notes). Chris Rea. Magnet Records. 1984. 881 470-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ↑ Ace of Hearts (French 7-inch single sleeve notes). Chris Rea. Magnet Records. 1984. PB 61553.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ↑ Ace of Hearts (UK 12-inch single sleeve notes). Chris Rea. Magnet Records. 1984. MAGT 269.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ↑ Ace of Hearts (UK special collector's mini-cassette single liner notes). Chris Rea. Magnet Records. 1984. ZCMAG 269.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ↑ Ace of Hearts (German 12-inch single sleeve notes). Chris Rea. Magnet Records. 1984. 881 471-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ↑ Ace of Hearts (French 12-inch single sleeve notes). Chris Rea. Magnet Records. 1985. PC 61554.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ↑ Wired to the Moon (UK vinyl LP sleeve notes). Chris Rea. Magnet Records. 1984. MAGL 5057.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Ace of Hearts". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  18. 1 2 "Chris Rea: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
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