Forty years after its release, Rod Stewart’s Every Beat Of My Heart remains one of the defining records of his mid-1980s period, producing major international hits including the title track and Love Touch while showcasing collaborations with some of the era’s most successful songwriters and producers.
by Paul Cashmere
Released in 1986, Rod Stewart’s fourteenth studio album, Every Beat Of My Heart, marked a significant moment in the singer’s career as he navigated the changing sound of the decade. The album reached the Top 5 in the UK and across much of Europe, generated four singles, and delivered one of Stewart’s biggest British hits of the decade with the title track, which peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart.
Four decades later, the album stands as a snapshot of a veteran artist adapting to the highly produced pop and rock landscape of the 1980s while retaining many of the characteristics that had made Stewart one of Britain’s most recognisable voices. The record arrived at a time when established rock artists were increasingly embracing contemporary production techniques, digital recording technology and outside songwriting collaborations to remain commercially competitive.
Recorded across several major Los Angeles studios including One On One Studios, Cherokee Studios, The Village Recorder and The Record Plant, Every Beat Of My Heart assembled an impressive creative team. Longtime Stewart collaborator Kevin Savigar played a central role, co-writing several songs including the title track and contributing extensively on keyboards.
The album’s biggest UK success came with “Every Beat Of My Heart”, written by Stewart and Savigar and produced by Bob Ezrin. The song reflected Stewart’s feelings about returning to Britain after extended periods living overseas and resonated strongly with audiences in the UK and Ireland. While it reached No. 2 in both countries, the track achieved only modest chart success in North America, highlighting the different directions Stewart’s audience had taken in various territories.
Songwriting was one of the album’s most notable strengths. “Another Heartache” reunited Stewart with Canadian songwriter Bryan Adams and Adams’ regular collaborator Jim Vallance. Stewart had previously worked with Adams on the 1984 hit “Infatuation”, which Adams co-wrote, and their creative relationship continued on this track. The song also carried a co-writing credit for Stewart himself alongside keyboard player Randy Wayne.
“Love Touch”, one of the album’s most commercially successful songs internationally, came from the songwriting partnership of Holly Knight and Mike Chapman, with Gene Black also credited on the album version. Knight was among the most sought-after songwriters of the decade, having penned hits including “Love Is A Battlefield” for Pat Benatar and “The Warrior” for Scandal. Chapman, meanwhile, had built a legendary career producing and writing hits for acts including Blondie, Suzi Quatro and The Sweet.
Although “Love Touch” reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became associated with the Robert Redford film Legal Eagles, Stewart later expressed reservations about the song, describing its lyrics in retrospect as among the weakest he had recorded. Despite its chart success, it has rarely appeared in his live performances.
Another notable inclusion was Stewart’s version of “In My Life”, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Stewart had long admired the Beatles catalogue and would return to Lennon-McCartney material multiple times throughout his career. Although his interpretation failed to chart as a single, it remains one of the album’s most discussed recordings and divided critics upon release.
The record also reunited Stewart with Scottish songwriter Frankie Miller on “In My Own Crazy Way”. Stewart had championed Miller’s work for years, recording several of his songs and frequently citing him as one of his favourite writers. That longstanding connection added another layer of familiarity to an album otherwise dominated by contemporary 1980s production values.
Behind the scenes, the project featured a remarkable roster of musicians. Producer Bob Ezrin, known for landmark albums by Alice Cooper and Pink Floyd, oversaw most of the record. Session players included keyboard legend Nicky Hopkins, guitarist Steve Cropper, and Nils Lofgren, alongside longtime Stewart associates Jim Cregan and Kevin Savigar.
Critical reaction at the time was mixed. Some reviewers viewed the album as an improvement over its predecessor, Camouflage, while others criticised its polished production and song selection. Over the years, however, opinions have softened, particularly regarding the title track, which has endured as one of Stewart’s signature 1980s recordings. The song’s combination of nostalgia, patriotism and emotional directness helped it become one of the defining moments of his later catalogue.
Forty years on, Every Beat Of My Heart remains an important chapter in Rod Stewart’s extensive recording history. It captured a major international artist balancing commercial expectations with personal songwriting, producing a record that continues to resonate with listeners who discovered Stewart during the decade when pop production was bigger, louder and more ambitious than ever before.
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