"Heartbeat" is a rockabilly song credited to Bob Montgomery and Norman Petty and originally recorded by Buddy Holly in 1958. The B-side of the single was "Well... All Right" (Buddy Holly, Norman Petty, Jerry Allison, Joe Mauldin).
"Heartbeat" was the last of Holly's singles to be released during his lifetime. It was a minor hit in the United States, reaching number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Holly's single had more chart impact in the UK, reaching number 30 in January 1959 and again upon its reissue in April 1960. In the interim between the two UK chartings of the Holly original, a remake by the England Sisters (catalogue number HMV POP 710) reached number 33 in the UK.
"Heartbeat" subsequently reached the UK Top Ten twice. Firstly in 1975 for Showaddywaddy, number 7 that September, and again in 1992 when the version Nick Berry recorded as the theme to the television series Heartbeat (in which Berry starred) reached number 2 that June.
Versions of "Heartbeat" have appeared on albums by:
Tommy Roe (Sheila, 1962)
Bobby Vee (I Remember Buddy Holly, 1963)
Herman's Hermits — who had originally been named the Heartbeats after the Buddy Holly song (Herman's Hermits on Tour, 1965)
Dave Berry (One Dozen Berries, 1966)
Skeeter Davis (Skeeter Sings Buddy Holly, 1967)
Cliff Richard (Don't Stop Me Now, 1967; also a non-charting US single release)
Humble Pie (Town and Country, 1969)
Cilla Black (It Makes Me Feel So Good, 1976)
Denny Laine, guitarist of Wings and Moody Blues fame, covered the song on his 1977 Buddy Holly tribute album, Holly Days, produced by Paul McCartney.
The Knack (Get the Knack, 1979)
The Hollies, who had named themselves after Buddy Holly, made their only attempt at having a hit remake of a Buddy Holly song with a 1980 single release of "Heartbeat", a midtempo version that failed to chart.
A Dutch rendering of "Heartbeat" was recorded in 1982 by Ciska Peters (nl).
"Heartbeat" served as the title cut for a 1993 album release by Hank Marvin. (Cliff Richard provided the background vocal on the instrumental track). Marvin's album reached no. 17 in the UK.
Connie Francis (With Love to Buddy, 1996)
Mike Berry (Buddy — a Life in Music, 1999)
Speedy Sparks (OK, Let's Play, 2001)
P. J. Proby (Sentimental Journey, 2003)
On the 2004 album, The Crickets and Their Buddies, which featured various vocalists fronting Buddy Holly's band the Crickets, Nanci Griffith provided the vocal on a remake of "Heartbeat".
Black Tambourine (Black Tambourine, 2010)
The B-side of the single, "Well... All Right", was covered by:
Blind Faith on their self-titled debut album.
Santana on the Inner Secrets album in 1978.
Alain Bashung on his album Osez Joséphine in 1991.
Albert Hammond, Jr. on his album Yours to Keep in 2006.
Kid Rock covered the song on the Buddy Holly tribute album, Rave On Buddy Holly, by various artists in 2011.
