Behind the Songs: Heartbeat

A selection of quotes from The Psychedelic Furs on the song "Heartbeat".

John Ashton: "Most of the [songs on Mirror Moves] aren't love songs at all. 'Heaven' is about nuclear war, 'Here Come Cowboys' and 'Highwire Days' are political, 'Heartbeat' is about life in the city, specifically about some people we know." (The Morning Call 1984)

Richard Butler: "When I write things I tend to like them very structured and not off-the-wall. I like this to be happening here, and that there, and everything to flow very smoothly. Without the edge that John adds, I think I'd end up hating my own songs. Also, a lot of the best songs tend to come off these weird riffs that John comes up with. They're not quite what you'd expect and so I tend to react to them differently vocally.

"Like 'Heartbeat', which is one of my favorite songs now. That was like a rock song and I just couldn't get along with it at all. But John did all these things to it, tweaked it about, and at the last moment I twigged and stuck a vocal on it. It was done the day before [Mirror Moves] was due to be taken and mastered actually... I always leave the vocals to the last minute anyway, but on this one I had to stick it down in two takes, and then John came up with an idea for the horn parts which we slapped on, and then it was gone!" (One Two Testing 1986)

Richard Butler (on being asked if The Furs or the record company were behind the remixes of "Heartbeat"): "We did the remixes. John actually mixed the remixes with Keith Forsey. I like the remixes. It's one of my favorite things he's ever done, I think. It's just like a different direction." (Radio Luxembourg 1987)

Richard Butler: "It was really funny the way ['Heaven'] worked out. We were a song short for the album Mirror Moves. The lyric was originally written for 'Heartbeat', but seemed to fit 'Heaven' much better." (Melody Maker 1988)

John Ashton: "I wrote the music. Richard wrote the lyrics. Ed Buller felt we should change the chorus—he was right. Mars Williams came up with this really whacked intro. Live, it only worked if you paid attention to Paul [Garisto] counting in the actual song, not Mars. Also, Paul being the drummer always had a handle on the situation and saved our bacon many a night." (Should God Forget liner notes, 1997)

Tim Butler (on the times him and Richard would have arguments about songs sounding good or not): "There's been instances where we'd have to cajole Richard for weeks, convince him that a tune is good... and finally, when it's been recorded and mixed, he'd turn around and say, 'That's really good.'

"A case in point is 'Heartbeat,' from Mirror Moves. Richard didn't like it, but we'd carry on in the studio after he'd gone, we'd change it around and add or subtract bits. One day, Keith Forsey played it back to him, and Richard said, 'What’s that?' 'Oh, this was the one you didn't like.'" (Ink 19 2011)

Tim Butler: "We did a remix with [Keith Forsey] of 'Heartbeat' off of Mirror Moves. We were in the studio when he did it, and it was fascinating. He did it in one-minute sections. That is a good remix -- the New York mix of 'Heartbeat.' I'm not really a huge fan of remixes and dance floor stuff when it came in the '80s, but I know New Order picked up on it and ran." (Westword 2013)

Photo: Gene Shaw