Composers: Mick Jagger &
Keith Richards
Recording date:
October-December 1977 &
May-June 2021
Recording
locations: Pathé
Marconi Studios, Paris, France & RAK Studios,
London, England
Producers:
The Glimmer Twins
Chief engineer:
Chris Kimsey
Never
performed onstage
Probable line-up:
Drums: Charlie WattsTrackTalk
Start Me Up was a reggae track to begin with, totally different. It was one of those things we cut a lot of times; one of those cuts that you can play forever and ever in the studio. Twenty minutes go by and you're still locked into those two chords... (laughs)...
(I)mmediately after Miss
You was recorded, Start Me Up got straightened out. They'd
been throwing it around as a reggae song, but they rearranged
it and, within 24 hours of Miss
You', Start Me Up
was recorded. After they cut it, I said, That's bloody great! Come and
listen. However, when I played it back, Keith
said, Nah, it sounds
like something I've heard on the radio.Wipe it. Of
course, I didn't, but he really didn't like it, and I'm not
sure whether he likes it to this day. I don't think it's one
of his favourite songs, although it's obviously everyone's
favourite guitar riff; his guitar riff. Maybe because Keith
loves reggae so much, he wanted it to be a reggae song.