When a Heart Beats

{{Infobox song

| name = When a Heart Beats

| cover = When a Heart Beats.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| album = Radio Musicola (CD and Cassette versions only)

| B-side = Wild Horses

| released = 18 November 1985{{cite magazine |last=Smith |first=Robin |date=9 November 1985 |title=News Digest |magazine=Record Mirror |page=39 |issn=0144-5804}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre = * Pop rock

| length = {{ubl|4:30 (album version)|4:20 (single version)|6:21 (extended version)}}

| label = MCA

| writer = Nik Kershaw

| producer = Nik Kershaw

| prev_title = Don Quixote

| prev_year = 1985

| next_title = Nobody Knows

| next_year = 1986

| misc =

}}

"When a Heart Beats" is a song by the English singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw, released as the lead single from his third studio album, Radio Musicola (1986)—although the song does not appear on the LP version of the album, only on the cassette and CD editions. Kershaw's eighth single overall, it features the track "Wild Horses"—which was originally included on his previous studio album, The Riddle (1984)—as its B-side.

Background

Though it reached number 27 on the UK Singles Chart towards the end of 1985, "When a Heart Beats" marked the beginning of a downturn of Kershaw's fortunes on the singles charts, as it was the first time that a lead single from a Kershaw album failed to reach the top 20 in the UK; it also proved to be his last top-40 entry in the UK.

Track listings

7-inch single (MCA NIK 9)

: A. "When a Heart Beats" – 4:20

: B. "Wild Horses" – 3:50

12-inch single (MCA NIKT 9)

: A. "When a Heart Beats" (Extended Mix) – 6:21

: B. "Wild Horses" (Extended Mix) – 6:48

Charts

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+ Chart performance for "When a Heart Beats" ! scope="col" \| Chart (1985–1986) ! scope="col" \| Peak position
scope="row" \| Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book \|last=Kent \|first=David \|author-link=David Kent (historian) \|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 \|edition=illustrated \|location=St Ives, New South Wales \|publisher=Australian Chart Book \|year=1993 \|page=165 \|isbn=0-646-11917-6}} \| 92
scope="row" \| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles){{cite magazine \|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/80s/85/M&M-1985-12-09-OCR-Page-0004.pdf \|title=European Hot 100 Singles \|magazine=Music & Media \|volume=2 \|issue=49 \|date=9 December 1985 \|page=12 \|oclc=29800226 \|via=World Radio History}} \| 76
scope="row" \| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista){{cite book \|last=Pennanen \|first=Timo \|title=Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 \|language=fi \|edition=1st \|location=Helsinki \|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava \|year=2006 \|isbn=978-951-1-21053-5}} \| 21
{{single chart\|Ireland2\|14\|song=When a Heart Beats\|rowheader=true\|access-date=13 July 2022}}
{{single chart\|UKsinglesbyname\|27\|artist=Nik Kershaw\|artistid=21164\|rowheader=true\|access-date=13 July 2022}}
{{single chart\|West Germany\|55\|songid=23491\|artist=Nik Kershaw\|song=When a Heart Beats\|rowheader=true\|access-date=13 July 2022}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart performance for "When a Heart Beats"

! scope="col" | Chart (1985–1986)

! scope="col" | Peak
position

scope="row" | Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book |last=Kent |first=David |author-link=David Kent (historian) |title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 |edition=illustrated |location=St Ives, New South Wales |publisher=Australian Chart Book |year=1993 |page=165 |isbn=0-646-11917-6}}

| 92

scope="row" | Europe (European Hot 100 Singles){{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/80s/85/M&M-1985-12-09-OCR-Page-0004.pdf |title=European Hot 100 Singles |magazine=Music & Media |volume=2 |issue=49 |date=9 December 1985 |page=12 |oclc=29800226 |via=World Radio History}}

| 76

scope="row" | Finland (Suomen virallinen lista){{cite book |last=Pennanen |first=Timo |title=Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 |language=fi |edition=1st |location=Helsinki |publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava |year=2006 |isbn=978-951-1-21053-5}}

| 21

{{single chart|Ireland2|14|song=When a Heart Beats|rowheader=true|access-date=13 July 2022}}

{{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|27|artist=Nik Kershaw|artistid=21164|rowheader=true|access-date=13 July 2022}}

{{single chart|West Germany|55|songid=23491|artist=Nik Kershaw|song=When a Heart Beats|rowheader=true|access-date=13 July 2022}}

References

External links

{{discogs master|type=single|86907}}

Category:1985 singles

Category:1985 songs

Category:MCA Records singles

Category:Nik Kershaw songs

Category:Songs written by Nik Kershaw

Category:Song recordings produced by Nik Kershaw