"Heartbeat"
Single by Steps
from the album Step One
A-side"Tragedy"
Released9 November 1998 (1998-11-09)
Recorded1998
StudioPWL (Manchester, England)
GenrePop
Length4:24
Label
Songwriter(s)Jackie James
Producer(s)
Steps singles chronology
"One for Sorrow"
(1998)		 "Heartbeat" / "Tragedy"
(1998)		 "Better Best Forgotten"
(1999)
Music video
"Heartbeat" on YouTube

"Heartbeat" is a song by British pop group Steps, from their debut studio album Step One (1998). Issued as a double A-side with their cover of the 1979 Bee Gees single "Tragedy", it was released on 9 November 1998 as the fourth single off the album. "Heartbeat" was solely written by Jackie James, and it was the first ballad released as a single by the group. While promoting the 2012 Hit Factory Live event, Pete Waterman revealed that the song had sat in a drawer for years before he gave it to the band to record.

"Heartbeat" / "Tragedy" reached number one in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. In the former country, it spent 30 weeks on the UK Singles Chart and sold more copies than all three previous Steps singles combined, with 1.21 million copies sold in the UK.[1] The music video for the song features the band trying to rescue member Ian "H" Watkins from the Ice Queen.

Music video

The music video for "Heartbeat" was directed by David Amphlett and is set in snowy surroundings. It begins with Steps riding a sleigh while an evil Ice Queen has her sights set on Ian "H" Watkins; she is watching an image on the tiny pond in her throne room. The group are staying in a lodge, and H goes out back to fetch some wood for the fire. The Ice Queen decides that this is the time to strike, and she sends her three dwarf guards to kidnap H. They jump H, and the Ice Queen casts a spell, knocking him out. By the time H wakes up, he is in the back of their sleigh. The rest of the group come out and find H is missing, finding only a little sword carried by one of the guards. On skis and snowmobiles, they set off to rescue H. Along the way to the Ice Queen's castle, they stop at a barn, finding absolutely nothing. Arriving at the castle, they break into the throne room where H is tied up in the middle of the frozen pond. Faye Tozer, Lee Latchford-Evans and Claire Richards easily take care of the guards (while H is able to free himself), and Lisa Scott-Lee defeats the Ice Queen with a karate kick to the chin. The group then returns to the lodge for a Christmas party.

Track listings

UK and Australian CD single[2][3]

  1. "Heartbeat" – 4:24
  2. "Tragedy" – 4:31
  3. "Heartbeat" (instrumental) – 4:24

UK cassette single and European CD single[4][5]

  1. "Heartbeat" – 4:24
  2. "Tragedy" – 4:31

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Step One.[6]

Recording

  • Recorded at PWL Studios, Manchester in 1998
  • Mixed at PWL Studios, Manchester
  • Mastered at Transfermation Studios, London

Vocals

  • Lead vocals – Claire Richards, Faye Tozer, Lisa Scott-Lee, Ian "H" Watkins
  • Background vocals – Lee Latchford-Evans

Personnel

  • Songwriting – Jackie James
  • Production – Karl Twigg, Mark Topham, Pete Waterman
  • Mixing – Pete Waterman, Dan Frampton
  • Engineer – Chris McDonnell
  • Drums – Chris McDonnell
  • Keyboards – Karl Twigg, Mark Topham

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Belgium (BEA)[28] Gold 25,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[29] Platinum 10,000*
Sweden (GLF)[30] Gold 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[31] Platinum 1,210,000[1]
United States — 98,000[32]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Version Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom "Heartbeat" / "Tragedy" 9 November 1998
  • CD
  • cassette
 [33]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Copsey, Rob (14 March 2017). "Steps' biggest selling singles revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  2. ↑ Heartbeat / Tragedy (UK CD single liner notes). Steps. Jive Records, Ebul Records. 1998. 0519142.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ↑ Heartbeat / Tragedy (Australian CD single liner notes). Steps. Mushroom Records, Jive Records. 1998. MUSH01842.2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. ↑ Heartbeat / Tragedy (UK cassette single sleeve). Steps. Jive Records, Ebul Records. 1998. 0519144.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ↑ Heartbeat / Tragedy (European CD single liner notes). Steps. Jive Records, Ebul Records. 1998. 0580062.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ↑ Step One (European CD album liner notes). Steps. Jive Records, Ebul Records. 1998. 0519112.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ↑ "Steps – Heartbeat / Tragedy". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  8. ↑ "Steps – Heartbeat / Tragedy" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  9. ↑ "Steps – Heartbeat / Tragedy" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  10. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 1–3. 16 January 1999. p. 7. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  11. ↑ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 9. 27 February 1999. p. 20. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  12. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Heartbeat / Tragedy". Irish Singles Chart.
  13. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 8, 1999" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  14. ↑ "Steps – Heartbeat / Tragedy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  15. ↑ "Steps – Heartbeat / Tragedy". Top 40 Singles.
  16. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  17. ↑ "Steps – Heartbeat / Tragedy". Singles Top 100.
  18. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  19. ↑ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company.
  20. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1998" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  21. ↑ "Best Sellers of 1998 – Singles Top 100". Music Week. London, England. 16 January 1999. p. 7.
  22. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1999". ARIA. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  23. ↑ "Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1999" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 1. 1 January 2000. p. 11. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  24. ↑ "Jaarlijsten 1999" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  25. ↑ "End of Year Charts 1999". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  26. ↑ "Årslista Singlar, 1999" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  27. ↑ "Best Sellers of 1999: Singles Top 100". Music Week. London, England. 22 January 2000. p. 27.
  28. ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 1999". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  29. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Steps – Heartbeat/Tragedy". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  30. ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1999" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  31. ↑ "British single certifications – Steps". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  32. ↑ "UK Pop Acts Have to Speak New Language". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 20. 19 May 2001. p. 85. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  33. ↑ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 7 November 1998. p. 33.
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