"Heart" is a 1987 song recorded by Pet Shop Boys from the group's second studio album, Actually. Heart reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in April 1988, becoming their fourth and final chart-topper to date in the UK. The group had initially written the song for Madonna, though they never asked her to record it, instead keeping it for themselves.
Song
Written by Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, "Heart" was the fourth and final single from the duo's second studio album, Actually. A new mix different to the album version was released as a single in March 1988, ascending to the top of the charts to become the duo's fourth—and, to date, last—UK number one single. It was also a massive hit across Europe. The genesis of the song goes back to the sessions for the duo's first album Please in early 1986 with Shep Pettibone. Originally the duo had planned to offer it to Hi-NRG singer Hazell Dean or—more notoriously—Madonna, but they ultimately kept it for themselves. The duo's version of the song was intended to be used in the Steven Spielberg-produced film Innerspace, but the dance sequence it was intended for was at the wrong tempo for the song. The song was originally called "Heartbeat", but was changed after Culture ClubdrummerJon Mossannounced the formation of a group Heartbeat UK. The lyrics are more traditional than most Pet Shop Boys songs, being a straightforward declaration of love—a characteristic common in many pop songs. On the commentary of the live Pet Shop Boys DVD Cubism, Tennant reveals that the "oh – ah – oh'oh ah" refrain which repeats throughout the song features the vocals of himself, Pavarotti and Wendy Smith. The song was re-recorded for Actually with producer Andy Richards, and was mixed by Julian Mendelsohn. The single remix is an edit of the Richards' version with the use of wah-wah guitar, giving the song more of a '70s sound. Despite topping the UK charts for three weeks and being a huge worldwide hit, the duo themselves tend to dismiss it, with Lowe stating in 2001: "It just shows that chart positions aren't the be all and end all. 'Heart' isn't in the same league as 'Being Boring'." However, many fans regard the song highly and Pet Shop Boys like it enough to have performed the song on their 1989 tour, the Fundamentalworld tour in 2006 and 2007 as well as their Pandemonium tour in 2009/2010. When included on the retrospective collection, the album version of the track was used for the UK release rather than the hit single mix, the reason for this is unknown. The single mix was included on the US release.
Music video
Directed by Jack Bond, director of the band's 1987 filmIt Couldn't Happen Here, the music video for "Heart" is based on the 1922 filmNosferatu. The video opens with Tennant and his bride being driven to a castle with Lowe as his chauffeur. As he goes to bed with his bride, the vampire, played by Ian McKellen, spies them. Later, he seduces the bride and bites her. Finally, Lowe drives Nosferatu and his bride away, leaving Tennant to stare bitterly after them from a castle window. The video was shot in Mokrice Castle, Slovenia, then one of the Yugoslavia republics.
