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Kickstart My Heart

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For the song of the same name by Alannah Myles, see Alannah Myles (album).
"Kickstart My Heart"
Single by Mötley Crüe
from the album Dr. Feelgood
B-side"She Goes Down"
ReleasedNovember 20, 1989
Recorded1988–89
GenreGlam metal[1]
Length4:48
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)Nikki Sixx
Producer(s)Bob Rock
Mötley Crüe singles chronology
"Dr. Feelgood"
(1989) 		"Kickstart My Heart"
(1989) 		"Without You"
(1990)

"Kickstart My Heart" is a song by American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, originally released on their 1989 album, Dr. Feelgood. Released as the album's second single in 1989, "Kickstart My Heart" reached #27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States in early 1990.[2] The track has been used in various media, and was also included on the soundtrack album to the 2019 biographical film The Dirt.

Background

In a 2015 interview, Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx related the origins of "Kickstart My Heart,” which he wrote while the band was already working on Dr. Feelgood. Sixx was playing acoustic guitar in his house while scribbling words on a piece of paper. When the group’s former manager read the words, he encouraged Sixx to share it with the rest of the band. Sixx was reluctant, but eventually did show the band and the track came together quickly.[3] The phrase "kickstart my heart" supposedly refers to Sixx's overdose incident where a paramedic injected his heart with adrenaline; Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler disputes the accuracy of the story, saying he revived Sixx before the paramedics arrived.[4] The introduction is a classic example of a Floyd Rose bridge trick, in which Mick Mars drops three consecutive strings resulting in sound similar to a motorcycle shifting gears. The song's ending features a prominent example of talkbox effects.

Music video

1989 video

The video clip was shot at the Whisky a Go Go on October 5, 1989 during Mötley Crüe's warm-up show before embarking on the Dr. Feelgood world tour. Sam Kinison is featured at the start of the video in a short cameo as the band's chauffeur.

As part of their cross-promotion with the Mötley Crüe Final Tour and to celebrate the song's 25th anniversary in 2014, Dodge remixed the music video, replacing some of the action scenes with footage of Dodge's performance cars on the track.[5]

2011 video

In 2011 Mötley Crüe made a new video for the song which included multiple clips from their U.S. tour with Poison and New York Dolls. Soon after the band issued the following statement: "We documented the whole tour, top to bottom (the good, the bad and the ugly) and as we were looking through all the amazing footage, we thought how cool it would be to cut together a 'best of visual' for the fans who made this tour happen. This one is just for the fans, from us."

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1989–1990) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[6] 27
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[7] 18
Chart (2019) Peak
position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[8] 9
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[9] 17

References

  1. ^ "Readers' Poll: The 10 Greatest Hair Metal Songs". Rolling Stone. February 5, 2014. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  2. ^ "Allmusic (Motley Crue charts & awards) Billboard singles".
  3. ^ Robinson, Will (2015-12-22). "Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx shares the stories behind the band's biggest songs". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2016-08-15.
  4. ^ Childers, Chad. "Steven Adler on Motley Crue's 'Kickstart My Heart' Actual Origins". Loudwire.
  5. ^ Dodge (July 10, 2014). "Mӧtley Crüe & Dodge: Kickstart My Heart 25th Anniversary Special Edition". YouTube. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  6. ^ "Motley Crue Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  7. ^ "Motley Crue Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  8. ^ "Motley Crue Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  9. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
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