| "Start!" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by The Jam | ||||
| from the album Sound Affects | ||||
| B-side | "Liza Radley" | |||
| Released | 11 August 1980[1] | |||
| Genre | Rock[2] | |||
| Length | 2:16 | |||
| Label | Polydor (UK) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Paul Weller | |||
| Producer(s) | Vic Coppersmith-Heaven and The Jam | |||
| The Jam singles chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
 Start!, back of single cover | ||||
"Start!" is the eleventh UK single release by the band The Jam and their second number-one, following "Going Underground"/"Dreams of Children".[3] Upon its release on 15 August 1980, it debuted at number three, and two weeks later reached number one for one week.[4] Written by Paul Weller and produced by Vic Coppersmith-Heaven and The Jam, "Start!" was the lead single from the band's fifth album Sound Affects. The single's B-side is "Liza Radley".
"Start!" is based on both the main guitar riff and bass riff of the Beatles' 1966 song "Taxman" from the album Revolver, written by George Harrison.[5] "To be Someone" and "Liza Radley" also utilise the "Taxman" bassline as does "Dreams of Children", B-side to "Going Underground", played then as a lead guitar riff.[6][7] Bassist Bruce Foxton commented on the similarity:
We were listening a lot to The Beatles' Revolver album. It wasn't intentional, but 'Taxman' subconsciously went in and when we came up with the idea for 'Start!' that's what went in. It isn’t exactly the same thankfully, otherwise I'm sure Paul McCartney would have thought about suing us![8]
The album version of the song runs at 2:30 and features trumpets in the final section.
- ^ "The Jam - Single - Start! | The Jam Information Pages by Kevin Lock". Thejam.org.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
- ^ Segretto, Mike (2022). "1980". 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Minute - A Critical Trip Through the Rock LP Era, 1955–1999. Backbeat. pp. 379–380. ISBN 9781493064601.
- ^ Martin Roach (ed) (2008) The Virgin Book of British Hit Singles, Virgin Books, London
- ^ "Jam - Full Official Chart History". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
- ^ "Music – Review of The Jam – Sound Affects". BBC. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
- ^ "Start by The Jam". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
- ^ Feeling Like a Number One ISBN 978-1-326-52514-9 p. 138
- ^ Chamberlain, Rich. "Bruce Foxton of The Jam's 11 career-defining songs: "Start isn't exactly the same as Taxman... otherwise I'm sure Paul McCartney would have thought about suing us!"". MusicRadar.