Heaven (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Heaven


Artist = Bryan Adams
from Album = Reckless
Released = 1985
Format = 7" single (America)
12" Maxi (Europe)
Recorded = June 6–7, 1983
Genre = Rock
Length = 4:04
Label = Badman/Polydor
Writer = Bryan Adams
Jim Vallance
producer = Bob Clearmountain
Certification = Gold (Canada)
Last single = "Somebody"
(1985)
This single = "Heaven"
(1985)
Next single = "Summer of '69"
(1985)
Misc ="Heaven" is a rock song written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance for Adams fourth studio album "Reckless" (1984); it was the third single released from the album. The song topped the "Billboard" Hot 100 and peaked at number 9 on the "Billboard" Rock Tracks chart. The song has appeared on all of Adams' compilation albums with the exception of "The Best of Me". The single was certified Gold in Canada in 1985.cite web
url=http://www.cria.ca/cert_db_search.php?page=1&wclause=WHERE+artist_name+like+%27%25Bryan+Adam%25%27+ORDER+BY+cert_date%2C+cert_award+&rcnt=63&csearch=40&nextprev=1
title=CRIA Certifications
publisher=Canadian Recording Industry Association
accessdate=2008-10-03 ]

Writing and recording

After a tour supporting his breakthrough album "Cuts Like a Knife" he recorded "Heaven" on June 6 and 7.cite news
title=Album notes for Anthology by Dave Marsh (CD booklet). A&M Records (A&M 5613).
date=2005-10-18] The song was recorded in Little Mountain Sound, Vancouver, Canada for the film A Night in Heaven, and was mixed on June 16, 1984 with Jim Vallance in New York.

Adams didn't think "Heaven" was suitable for Reckless, a feeling that was echoed by producer Jimmy Iovine, who was working for Adams at the time. Iovine thought the song was too "light' for the album and recommended that Adams not include it. At the last moment, Adams changed his mind."cite web | url=http://jimvallance.com/01-music-folder/songs-folder-may-27/pg-song-adams-heaven.html |title=Heaven| publisher=JimVallance.com | accessdate=2008-10-03]

Half way through the recording session drummer Mickey Curry announced that he had to leave since he committed in advance to a "Hall and Oates" session. Curry had warned Adams about his limited availability that day. The recording session for "Heaven" was running behind schedule and Adams called Journey drummer Steve Smith. Smith happened to be in New York at the time and he filled Currey's drumming position.

While writing "Heaven", Adams and Vallance were influenced by Journey's music and lyrical style, particular their song "Faithfully".

Reception

In 1984 "Heaven" won the Procan Award (Performing Rights Organization of Canada) for Canadian radio airplay, in 1985 it won the BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) Citation of Achievement for U.S. radio airplay and ten years later it won a Socan Classics Award for more than 100,000 Canadian radio performances.

"Heaven" has been covered by numerous artists. One of the first cover recordings was by rock artist Gerd Rube on "The Way I Feel" (1992). R&B singer Kate DeAraugo covered the song on "A Place I've Never Been" (2005). "American Idol" contestants Elliott Yamin and David Archuleta performed the song on the show in 2006 and 2008, respectively. Scottish singer-actor John Barrowman's version appears on his cover album "Another Side" (2007). The highest-charting cover was recorded by DJ Sammy and Yanou in 2002, who created a dance version that topped the UK Singles Chart and reached the top ten in the US, Australia and many other European countries.

Chart performance

"Heaven" first appeared on the "A Night in Heaven" soundtrack album in 1983 and received substantial airplay on album-oriented rock radio stations, reaching number 9 on "Billboard"'s Rock Tracks chart in early 1984. It was released as the third single from the album "Reckless" in April 1985 and reached number 1 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. The song also re-entered the Rock Tracks chart in 1985, peaking at number 27.

In Canada "Heaven" was officially released to radio on January, 1985. The song reached the top twenty on the Canadian Singles Chart and remained in the top twenty for another month. "Heaven" was the highest charting single from Reckless with "Summer of '69".

The song was released in Australia, Europe and New Zealand in 1985. "Heaven" reached the UK top forty, while "Summer of '69" peaked at the top fifty. "Heaven" continued the trend of higher-charting singles when it debuted and peaked at top twenty in most of the European countries in which it charted. Adams' previous singles had charted much weaker in Europe and "Heaven" would be Adams' first single to chart in mainland Europe.

Although "Heaven" reached the top ten in Sweden and Norway and then the top twenty in Austria, Ireland, Switzerland and Sweden, it was a moderate top hundred success in Germany where it peaked at number 62.

Music video

The video was shot in London, England, and was directed by the Irish Steve Barron.cite web
url=http://www.clipland.com/Summary/944433655/
title=Steve Barron - Heaven
publisher=Clipland
accessdate=2008-06-24 ] The music video was nominated for the MTV Video Music Awards in one category for Best Cinematography. The song didn't win the award but was one of four singles from the album which had been nominated for an MTV Video Music Award.cite news
url=http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/1985/
title=VMA - 1985
work=MTV
accessdate= 2008-10-03] The video features Adams singing the song in a live concert setting; behind him, stacked video monitors show his band playing along. Video monitors also occupy each seat of the otherwise empty theater.

Personnel

* Bryan Adams – rhythm guitar, lead vocals
* Jim Vallance – percussion
* Keith Scott – lead guitar
* Tommy Mandel – keyboards
* Dave Taylor – bass
* Mickey Curry – drums

Chart positions

References