"Two of Hearts" is a song recorded by American singer Stacey Q for her debut studio albumBetter Than Heaven. Sue Gatlin co-wrote the song along with John Mitchell and Tim Greene. Although Gatlin did record her own version, Stacey Q released her version first and it would become her biggest hit. Musically, "Two of Hearts" is a Hi-NRG song. It utilizes vocal sampling with the repetitive usage of the line "I need you" in its hook. The song's lyrics revolve around love and romance. "Two of Hearts" received positive reviews from music critics and was a commercial success around the globe. It entered the US BillboardHot 100 in mid-July 1986, breaking into the top 40 in mid-August and peaking at number three during the autumn of that same year to become one of the highest-selling singles of 1986. "Two of Hearts" was ranked number 27 on VH1's "100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the '80s". The accompanying music video for "Two of Hearts" was directed by Peter Lippman. It depicts Stacey Q dancing in front of a white background in various outfits and performing at a nightclub. "Two of Hearts" has been covered by a number of artists and has appeared in feature films such as Nowhere, Little Nicky, Party Monster and Hot Rod.
Background and recording
After the release of the albumPlayback with the bandSSQ, Stacey Q began working with Jon St. James on her solo material. St. James brought her the song "Two of Hearts," suggesting that she record it. "Two of Hearts" was a tune St. James initially produced for Sue Gatlin, who co-wrote the song with John Mitchell and Tim Greene, recording her own version. At first, Stacey Q refused to record a song written by someone else, but later she changed her mind and decided to record it. Stacey Q's first recording of the tune was released by On The Spot Records in 1985 and featured on her self-titled debutEP from the same year. Meanwhile, Gatlin had recorded her own version of the tune, although it would not be released until the following year. Stacey Q's version was later taken by Atlantic Records and re-recorded to be released as the lead single from Q's debut studioalbumBetter Than Heaven.
Cover versions
Japanese singer Yōko Nagayama covered the song on her 1986 album Venus.
Vietnamese singer Ngoc Tuyet covered the song, but titled "Đoi Tim Nong Say" in the fall of 1986.
Kelly Osbourne's cover of the song appears as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of her 2005 album Sleeping in the Nothing.
