Heartbeat (Don Johnson album)

Heartbeat is the debut studio album by American actor and singer Don Johnson, released on September 30, 1986, by Epic Records.^[2] In the United States, the album peaked at number 17 on the Billboard 200 in October 1986 and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) the following month.^[3][4] The title track peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100.^[5]

Heartbeat
Studio album by Don Johnson
Released	September 30, 1986
Studio	Criteria (Miami, Florida)
Genre	Pop rock
Length	42:16
Label	Epic
Producer	Chas Sandford
Don Johnson chronology
Heartbeat (1986) Let It Roll (1989)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

In 1998, the album was reissued by Razor & Tie with six additional tracks from Johnson's follow-up album, Let It Roll (1989).^[1]

Background

In a 1987 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Johnson stated, "I wanted the record to be modern, tough rock and I think I achieved that on some level. I didn't want it to sound like something that other people designed and I just stopped by for a few minutes to do the vocals. And I made it clear to Walter [Yetnikoff, then president and CEO of CBS Records] that I would walk away from it if I didn't think it was credible. I was prepared every step of the way to throw it away and walk away."^[6]

Musician reviewer J. D. Considine wrote: "Don Johnson sings as well as Glenn Frey acts."^[7] Anita Sarko in Spin commented that with 'Johnson having a voice, should maybe rethink his fascination with Southern boogie and L. A. AOR'. ^[8]

Track listing

All tracks produced by Chas Sandford, except tracks 11–16, produced by Keith Diamond.

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Heartbeat"	Eric Kaz Wendy Waldman	4:20
2.	"Voice on a Hotline"	Kathy Wakefield Bill LaBounty	4:05
3.	"The Last Sound Love Makes"	Tony Sciuto Sam Egorin John Capek	4:27
4.	"Lost in Your Eyes"	Tom Petty	4:33
5.	"Coco Don't"	Peter Kaye Nan O'Byrne	3:33

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"Heartache Away"	Steve Cochran	4:49
7.	"Love Roulette"	Don Johnson Mark Leonard	4:20
8.	"Star Tonight"	Bob Seger	2:54
9.	"Gotta Get Away"	Chas Sandford	4:27
10.	"Can't Take Your Memory"	Johnson Curly Smith	4:30
Total length:			42:16

1998 reissue bonus tracks^[1]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"Other People's Lives"	Diane Warren	5:28
12.	"Angel City"	Johnson Keith Diamond Michael Des Barres Dave Resnik	4:25
13.	"When You Only Loved Me"	Jeff Daniels Harold Allen	3:57
14.	"Let It Roll"	Johnson Diamond	4:21
15.	"What If It Takes All Night"	Clyde Lieberman Jeffrey Pescetto Richard James Burgess	3:48
16.	"Little One's Lullaby"	Johnson Diamond	3:23
Total length:			67:51

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Heartbeat.^[9]

Musicians

• Don Johnson – lead vocals (all tracks)
• Chas Sandford – guitar (all tracks); guitar solo (track 1); background vocals (tracks 3, 5, 7); piano, tambourine (track 6)
• Mark Leonard – bass (all tracks)
• Curly Smith – drums (tracks 1–10)
• Charles Judge – keyboards (tracks 1–4, 9, 10)
• Bill Champlin – background vocals (tracks 1–3, 5, 7); keyboards (tracks 2, 5); organ (track 6)
• Tamara Champlin – background vocals (tracks 1–3, 5, 7)
• Dweezil Zappa – guitar solo (track 3)
• Bonnie Raitt – harmony vocals (tracks 4, 6)
• Earl Gardner – horns (tracks 5, 7)
• Lenny Pickett – horns (tracks 5, 7); sax solo (track 5); horn arrangements
• Michael Des Barres – background vocals (track 5)
• Ron Wood – acoustic guitar (track 6); guitars, harmony vocals (track 7)
• Stevie Ray Vaughan – guitar solo (tracks 6, 7)
• Dickey Betts – guitars (track 7)
• Jamie Skylar – background vocals (track 7)
• Willie Nelson – solo, harmony vocals (track 8)
• Mickey Raphael – harmonica (track 8)

Technical

• Chas Sandford – production, mixing^[a]
• Gary McGachan – engineering, mixing^[a]
• Dave Axelbaum – second engineer
• Stephen Marcussen – mastering
• Stuart Furusho – mastering^[b]

Artwork

• Frank Olinsky (Manhattan Design) – art direction
• Roberta Ludlow – cover illustration
• Mary Ellen Mark – back cover photo, inside photo (left)
• Stephen Frailey – inside photo (right)
• Jerry Tobias – collage photos, inner sleeve photo
• Glenn Watson – collage photos
• Diane Sillan – collage photos
• Mark Penberthy – inner sleeve illustration

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Heartbeat Chart (1986–1987) Peak position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[10] 44 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[11] 3 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[12] 21 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[13] 20 European Albums (Music & Media)[14] 22 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[15] 5 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[16] 3 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[17] 7 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 34 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 7 US Billboard 200[3] 17

Year-end charts 1986 year-end chart performance for Heartbeat Chart (1986) Position Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[20] 92 1987 year-end chart performance for Heartbeat Chart (1987) Position Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[21] 19 European Albums (Music & Media)[22] 57 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[23] 28 Norwegian Fall Period Albums (VG-lista)[24] 9

Certifications

Certifications for Heartbeat

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[25]	Platinum	100,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[26]	Gold	28,470[26]
Germany (BVMI)[27]	Gold	250,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[28]	Gold	25,000^
United States (RIAA)[4]	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

1. Mixed at Criteria Recording Studios (Miami, Florida)
2. Mastered at Precision Lacquer (Hollywood, California)