Behind The Song: Classic Rock Chronicles

The Rolling Stones’ hit song that almost never happened


Listen Later

By 1981, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were barely talking, having differing opinions on the direction of The Rolling Stones. Making new music together seemed out of the question, but they were booked on a world tour, and needed an album to tour behind. That’s when engineer Chris Kimsey stepped in to save the day, poring over forgotten outtakes from the band’s previous sessions to cobble together what would become the Tattoo You album. The lead track, “Start Me Up,” was the biggest surprise to Keith Richards, who had written it as a reggae song but never liked what he heard when it was recorded. But, Kimsey found a diamond in the rough: when Richards and Charlie Watts briefly went into the rockin’ version we fans have come to know in one of those forgotten sessions. That outtake, after a little polishing, became one of the biggest hits of the Stones’ career, and it’s a miracle it was ever found to begin with. Get into the story in this episode of the Behind The Song podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Behind The Song: Classic Rock ChroniclesBy Gamut Podcast Network

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

376 ratings


More shows like Behind The Song: Classic Rock Chronicles

View all
Sound Opinions by Sound Opinions

Sound Opinions

1,959 Listeners

Song Exploder by Hrishikesh Hirway

Song Exploder

5,953 Listeners

The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music Nerds by Nate Goyer, Record Collector, Music Fan, Vinyl Maniac

The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music Nerds

509 Listeners

Rolling Stone Music Now by Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone Music Now

1,005 Listeners

The Drive's Classic Rockstar Interviews - with Seaver by The Drive | Hubbard Radio

The Drive's Classic Rockstar Interviews - with Seaver

3 Listeners

Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia by Slate Podcasts

Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia

2,046 Listeners

Cocaine & Rhinestones: The History of Country Music by Tyler Mahan Coe

Cocaine & Rhinestones: The History of Country Music

8,129 Listeners

Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond by Pushkin Industries

Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond

4,096 Listeners

Lost Notes: Groupies by KCRW

Lost Notes: Groupies

705 Listeners

The 500 with Josh Adam Meyers by Next Chapter Podcasts, Josh Adam Meyers

The 500 with Josh Adam Meyers

1,244 Listeners

Strong Songs by Kirk Hamilton

Strong Songs

1,952 Listeners

Everything 80s by Jamie Logie | 1980s Pop Culture & Nostalgia

Everything 80s

342 Listeners

Bob Stroud's One 45 of the Week by The Drive | Hubbard Radio

Bob Stroud's One 45 of the Week

12 Listeners

Something About the Beatles by Evergreen Podcasts

Something About the Beatles

347 Listeners

The Sherman & Tingle Show by The Drive | Hubbard Radio

The Sherman & Tingle Show

8 Listeners

Word In Your Ear by Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Alex Gold

Word In Your Ear

64 Listeners

The Story Behind The Song by Consequence Podcast Network

The Story Behind The Song

48 Listeners

Professor of Rock by Gamut Podcast Network

Professor of Rock

58 Listeners