From a Jack to a King

Last updated
"From a Jack to a King"
Single by Ned Miller
from the album From a Jack to a King
B-side "Parade of Broken Hearts"
Released1957 (Did not chart). Re-released December 15, 1962
Recorded1957
Genre Country
Length2:10
Label Fabor
Songwriter(s) Ned Miller
Producer(s) Fabor Robison
Ned Miller singles chronology
"Dark Moon"
(1961)		"From a Jack to a King"
(1957)		"One Among the Many"
(1963)
Official audio
"From a Jack to a King" on YouTube

"From a Jack to a King" is a country music song. Originally a crossover hit for artist Ned Miller, who also wrote "Dark Moon", "A Falling Star", and many other country songs. It has been covered extensively by country music artists.

Contents

Ned Miller version

The original version was recorded by Ned Miller. First released in 1957 by both Fabor Records (for regional audiences) and Dot Records (for national distribution), Miller's version was unsuccessful until he persuaded his label to re-release it five years later. [1] Upon re-release, the song became a crossover hit, charting in the Top 10 on the Billboard U.S. country (#2), pop (#6), and adult contemporary (#3) charts. [2] In addition, Miller's version reached #1 on the Irish Singles Chart, while peaking at #2 on the UK Singles Chart. Furthermore, it was the sixth-most-played single of 1963 in the United Kingdom. [3] Miller's chart success was limited after the song, however, and by the 1970s he stopped recording entirely. [1]

The song was also recorded in 1962 by Jim Reeves on the occasion of his tour to South Africa in August and charted there that year.

Chart positions

Chart (1963)Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [4] 2
US Billboard Hot 100 [5] 6
US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [6] 3
UK Singles Chart2
Irish Singles Chart1
Canada (CHUM Chart) (5 weeks) [7] 1

Ricky Van Shelton version

"From a Jack to a King"
Single by Ricky Van Shelton
from the album Loving Proof
B-side "The Picture"
ReleasedDecember 24, 1988 [8]
RecordedJanuary 19, 1988 [8]
Genre Country
Length2:21
Label Columbia Nashville
Songwriter(s) Ned Miller
Producer(s) Steve Buckingham
Ricky Van Shelton singles chronology
"I'll Leave This World Loving You"
(1988)		"From a Jack to a King"
(1988)		"Hole in My Pocket"
(1989)

In December 1988, American country music artist Ricky Van Shelton released his own version of "From a Jack to a King". Shelton's version became his fifth consecutive Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts. [9]

Chart positions

Chart (1988–1989)Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [10] 1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks [11] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1989)Position
Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) [12] 52
US Country Songs ( Billboard ) [13] 58

Other versions

Bill Anderson covered the song on his 1963 album Still, released by Decca Records.

Elvis Presley recorded it in 1969 and the song was included on this Back in Memphis album released in 1970. Jerry Lee Lewis also released a version of the song. [14] Mud recorded the song in 1982.

South African singer Ray Dylan covered the song on his album Goeie Ou Country - Op Aanvraag. [15]

Oesch's die Dritten recorded it for their Unser Regenbogen CD, released March 16, 2012. Sung by Melanie Oesch, it was the Swiss family band's first recording of a song in English.

Dutch country singer Ben Steneker released his single of "From a Jack to a King" in 1963.

British guitarist Nigel Furness from the VI Blues Band [16] recorded a rock version in 2023 with Steven Gamble on vocals and James Furness on drums, produced by James Furness. [17]

The song features in E1 S3 of the historical drama television series The Crown . [18]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Ned Miller Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  2. ↑ "Ned Miller Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  3. ↑ "Articles - Chart Of All Time - 1963". UKMIX.org. Archived from the original on 2012-02-19. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  4. ↑ "Ned Miller Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  5. ↑ "Ned Miller Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  6. ↑ "Ned Miller Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  7. ↑ "CHUM Hit Parade - December 17, 1962".
  8. 1 2 Greatest Hits Plus (CD). Ricky Van Shelton. Columbia Records. 1992. 52753.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 310.
  10. ↑ "Ricky Van Shelton Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  11. ↑ "RPM 100 Country Singles" (PDF). RPM. March 13, 1989.
  12. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1989". RPM . December 23, 1989. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Best of 1989: Country Songs". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 1989. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  14. ↑ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Mercury Smashes...And Rockin' Sessions - Jerry Lee Lewis | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  15. ↑ "Ray Dylan, Goeie Ou Country - Op Aanvraag, CDS, Musica a World awaits - 6005298026996". Archived from the original on 2013-06-06. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
  16. ↑ http://www.thevibluesband.net
  17. ↑ http://www.thevibluesband.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/From-A-Jack-to-A-King.mp3
  18. ↑ "What music is in the Crown Season 3?".
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