Discover the story of the song > Start Me Up – The Rolling Stones

- In 1981, the Rolling Stones were preparing a major world tour that would last until the following year, and needed new songs for the concerts.
- A new album would also reassure the fans about the future of the band, because of the conflicting relations between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
- With the tour approaching and time running out to create an album, sound engineer Chris Kimsey suggested the Stones look at takes from the previous three or four albums to find songs they could work on.
- Kimsey found "Start Me Up," which Richards had set aside because he thought it sounded "like something I'd heard on the radio before."
- The guitar riff was originally a reggae riff, but Kimsey found takes of the riff in a rock tone and brought the tapes back to the band.
- They immediately worked on the song and recorded it in six hours.
- While Jagger usually liked to take recorded songs and edit them, he left "Start Me Up" as is, with a raw sound.
- Interestingly, Keith Richards never really liked the song.