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]
All tracks produced by Chas Sandford, except tracks 11–16, produced by Keith Diamond .
Side one Title Writer(s) 1. "Heartbeat " 4:20 2. "Voice on a Hotline" 4:05 3. "The Last Sound Love Makes" 4:27 4. "Lost in Your Eyes" Tom Petty 4:33 5. "Coco Don't" 3:33
Side two Title Writer(s) 6. "Heartache Away" Steve Cochran 4:49 7. "Love Roulette" 4:20 8. "Star Tonight" Bob Seger 2:54 9. "Gotta Get Away" Chas Sandford 4:27 10. "Can't Take Your Memory" 4:30 Total length: 42:16
1998 reissue bonus tracks[ 1] Title Writer(s) 11. "Other People's Lives" Diane Warren 5:28 12. "Angel City" 4:25 13. "When You Only Loved Me" 3:57 14. "Let It Roll" 4:21 15. "What If It Takes All Night" 3:48 16. "Little One's Lullaby" 3:23 Total length: 67:51
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Heartbeat .[ 8]
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)
Chas Sandford – production, mixing[ a]
Gary McGachan – engineering, mixing[ a]
Dave Axelbaum – second engineer
Stephen Marcussen – mastering
Stuart Furusho – mastering[ b]
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
^ a b c Ankeny, Jason. "Heartbeat – Don Johnson" . AllMusic . Retrieved September 18, 2021 .
^ "Heartbeat by Don Johnson" . Apple Music . Retrieved September 20, 2021 .
^ a b "Billboard 200 – Week of October 18, 1986" . Billboard . Retrieved September 18, 2021 .
^ a b "American album certifications – Don Johnson – Heartbeat" . Recording Industry Association of America . November 10, 1986. Retrieved September 18, 2021 .
^ "The Hot 100 – Week of October 18, 1986" . Billboard . Retrieved September 18, 2021 .
^ Hilburn, Robert (August 24, 1986). "Don Johnson: Yes, He Can Really Sing" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved February 2, 2021 .
^ Considine, J.D. (November 1986). "Heartbeat". Musician .
^ Heartbeat (liner notes). Don Johnson . Epic Records . 1986. EPC 450103 2.{{cite AV media notes }}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link )
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 159. ISBN 0-646-11917-6 .
^ "Austriancharts.at – Don Johnson – Heartbeat" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0750" . RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved September 18, 2021.
^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Don Johnson – Heartbeat" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
^ "European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF) . Music & Media . Vol. 4, no. 9. March 7, 1987. p. 21. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava . ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5 .
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Don Johnson – Heartbeat" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts . Retrieved September 18, 2021.
^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Don Johnson – Heartbeat" . Hung Medien. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
^ "Swedishcharts.com – Don Johnson – Heartbeat" . Hung Medien. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
^ "Swisscharts.com – Don Johnson – Heartbeat" . Hung Medien. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
^ "Top 100 Albums of '86" . RPM . Vol. 45, no. 14. December 27, 1986. p. 9. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
^ "Jahreshitparade Alben 1987" . austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved September 18, 2021 .
^ "European Charts of the Year 1987 – Albums" (PDF) . Music & Media . Vol. 4, no. 51/52. December 26, 1987. p. 35. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1987" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved September 18, 2021 .
^ "Topp 40 Album Høst 1986" (in Norwegian). VG-lista . Archived from the original on September 9, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2021 .
^ "Canadian album certifications – Don Johnson – Heartbeat" . Music Canada . November 28, 1986. Retrieved September 18, 2021 .
^ a b "Don Johnson" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland . Retrieved September 18, 2021 .
^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Don Johnson; ' Heartbeat' )" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved September 18, 2021 .
^ "Gold & Platinum Awards 1987" (PDF) . Music and Media . Vol. 4, no. 51/52. December 26, 1987. p. 46. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.