It is June 1985. A raspy-voiced Canadian with a penchant for denim is standing on top of the world. "Heaven" has just hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100, knocking Tears for Fears’ "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" off the throne. It’s the kind of song that feels like it was etched into the DNA of the eighties from day one. But here is the kicker: Bryan Adams almost left it on the cutting room floor.
He thought it was too soft. Too light. Honestly, he didn’t think it fit the "rocker" image he was building with Reckless. Even his producer at the time, the legendary Jimmy Iovine, reportedly told him to ditch it.
Imagine that. One of the most iconic prom songs in history, a track that has been covered by everyone from DJ Sammy to Do, nearly vanished because it wasn't "gritty" enough.
The Journey Connection You Probably Didn't Notice
Most people hear the piano intro and think of high school slow dances. They don't think of Steve Perry. But Bryan Adams: Heaven owes its life to the band Journey.
Back in 1983, Adams was the opening act for Journey’s Frontiers tour. He was playing over 100 dates with them, watching from the wings every night. He and his long-time songwriting partner, Jim Vallance, were obsessed with Journey’s hit "Faithfully." They wanted to capture 그 resonance—that soaring, stadium-sized emotional weight.
You can hear it in the drums. When they went to record the song at the Power Station in New York, their session drummer, Mickey Curry, had to bolt early for a Hall & Oates gig. Adams called up Steve Smith, the drummer for Journey, who just happened to be in town. Smith stepped in, and suddenly, the song had that authentic Journey heartbeat.
A Soundtrack for a Flop
Before it was a global smash on the Reckless album, "Heaven" was buried on the soundtrack of a movie called A Night in Heaven.
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Ever heard of it? Probably not.
It was a 1983 flick about a female teacher falling for a male stripper. Critics absolutely trashed it. The movie flopped hard, and for a while, it looked like the song would go down with the ship. It sat there for a year and a half, gaining some traction on rock radio but mostly existing as a "hidden gem" for die-hard fans.
It wasn't until Adams decided to include it on Reckless at the very last second that the song got its second life.
Why This Song Actually Works (Even if it’s "Simple")
Critics sometimes give Adams a hard time for his lyrics. They say they’re too straightforward. In "Heaven," he’s basically just saying, "I love you, and being with you feels like heaven."
There’s no complex metaphor. No hidden political subtext.
But that’s exactly why it works. It’s vulnerable. Adams’ voice—that famous "gravel and honey" tone—carries a sense of urgency that the lyrics don't even require. He sounds like he’s fighting for his life while singing about a happy relationship.
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- The Dynamics: It starts with just piano and voice, building slowly.
- The Guitar: Keith Scott’s solo isn't flashy, but it’s melodic as hell.
- The Payoff: That final chorus where the drums kick in and everything explodes.
It follows the "Power Ballad Blueprint" perfectly, yet it feels more authentic than the hair metal ballads that followed. It’s less about the hairspray and more about the heartbreak—or in this case, the lack thereof.
The 2002 Dance Resurgence
Fast forward nearly twenty years. A Spanish producer named DJ Sammy releases a trance cover of "Heaven."
Purists hated it.
Yet, it went to number one in the UK and top ten in the US. It proved that the melody Vallance and Adams wrote in 1983 was indestructible. Whether it was a power ballad or a 140 BPM club banger, people just wanted to scream that chorus.
The Legend of the Music Video
If you watch the music video today, it’s a total time capsule. Directed by Steve Barron—the guy who did Michael Jackson’s "Billie Jean"—it features Adams performing in a dark, empty theater.
There are these weirdly haunting shots of fans’ faces on monitors in the seats. It’s moody. It’s cinematic. And it perfectly captured the transition of Bryan Adams from a "bar band" rocker to a video-era superstar.
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How to Appreciate "Heaven" Today
If you want the real experience, skip the radio edit. Go find the Unplugged version from 1997.
In that recording, Adams is older. His voice has a bit more wear and tear, and when he sings about "thinking about our younger years," it actually carries weight. In 1983, he was only 23 or 24. Singing about "younger years" back then was a bit of a stretch. But at 37? You can feel the nostalgia.
Actionable Insights for the Music Fan:
- Listen to "Faithfully" by Journey immediately followed by "Heaven." The DNA link is undeniable once you hear the drum fills and the piano phrasing.
- Check out the Jim Vallance website. He has incredible, detailed notes on the specific equipment and the day-by-day struggle of recording this track.
- Watch the live version from Lisbon (2005). It shows how Adams can still command a stadium with just three chords and a lot of grit.
"Heaven" isn't just a song. It’s a masterclass in how to write something that lasts. It survived a bad movie, a skeptical producer, and a techno remix. It’s still here.
To truly master the Bryan Adams catalog, your next step is to dive into the Into the Fire album. It’s the darker, more political follow-up to Reckless that many fans overlook, featuring tracks like "Victim of Love" that show a much grittier side of his songwriting evolution.