K-Chuck Radio: Break Out the Playing Cards!

It’s been a popular metaphor for pop music, ballads, breakup songs and the like.  A game of cards.  Whether it’s poker, bridge, Canasta, whatever – the deck of cards, and the games played with them, have worked their way into pop songs for the past fifty years.  And here on K-Chuck Radio, we’re taking the wrapper off a fresh batch of Bicycle blue-backs and we’re warming up the jukebox.  And here we go.

Wink Martindale, “Deck of Cards”

This song has been covered by many classic country  stars – I believe Tex Ritter has a definitive version of this song – but Wink Martindale, yes the old game show host, made this a Top 10 pop hit.  In the song, he tells the story of a man who uses a deck of playing cards as a mnemonic Bible.

Ned Miller, “From A Jack To A King”

Both Jim Reeves and Elvis Presley have covered this song.  This was songwriter Ned Miller’s biggest hit, and I believe it actually reached #1 on the country charts.

Juice Newton, “Queen of Hearts”

I think I’ve gotten to the point with this song that I can actually enjoy it, after having it get OVERPLAYED TO DEATH for the past 30 years.

Stacey Q, “Two of Hearts”

Sadly, this song still has “overplayed to death” stamped all over it.   Ah well..

KC and the Sunshine Band, “Queen of Clubs”

This was actually KC and the Sunshine Band’s first big hit, it was a monster smash all over Florida.  A few more songs followed – “Blow Your Whistle,” “Sound Your Funky Horn,” and then the rest of the world heard them through the song “Get Down Tonight.”

Motörhead, “Ace of Spades”

That’s right, Motörhead.  Or as they’re more colloquially known, “Music for deaf people.”

Kenny Rogers, “The Gambler”

What can I say?  He had a song that involves playing cards.  Therefore, he gets listed here.   QED.

Chris Rea, “Ace of Hearts”

Chris Rea had a Top 40 hit in the late 70’s with “Fool (If You Think It’s Over)”, this is a track that should have been his follow-up hit.

Motopony, “King of Diamonds”

Decent pop song, I don’t know a thing about Motopony, though… maybe if he keeps recording songs like these, I WILL hear of him some day.

The Carpenters, “Solitaire”

Back in the 1970’s, who would have realized that 1960’s singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka could return to the pop charts – not only with his own recordings (“Laughter in the Rain”), but with hits for other artists – he wrote “Love Will Keep Us Together” for the Captain and Tennille, but also this card-game-based song for the Carpenters.

The Alan Parsons Project, “The Turn of a Friendly Card”

Alan Parsons crafted an entire album based around the concept of luck and chance.  This was the title track from that LP.  You might know some of the other songs on that LP – “Games People Play” and “Time,” for example.

Okay, deal me in.  One-eyed Jacks, the King with the axe, deuces wild, jacks are better to open.