In a new interview with Emilee Capogni, Sweet guitarist Andy Scott spoke about the similarities between the opening riff of Mötley Crüe’s 1989 song Kickstart My Heart and the 1973 Sweet track Hell Raiser.
He said (as transcribed by blabbermouth.net), “I’ll tell you who played [Kickstart My Heart] to me the first time. We were gonna go and see Mötley Crüe and Skid Row in Sweden. I was in Sweden producing a band called Sha-Boom and [the guys from the Swedish band] Europe came into the studio and they said, ‘Come with us tonight. We’re gonna see Mötley Crüe.’ They said, ‘Our keyboard player went to see them last night in Gothenburg and we’re gonna see them in the ice hockey place in Stockholm.’ I said, ‘Yeah, as long as these guys are okay.’ And [they] said, ‘Oh, they’re coming with us.’ So we all got in taxis and cars and lobbed up there. And when we were on our way there, one of the guys, on a portable player, played me the start to Kickstart My Heart. And he wouldn’t tell me who it was. I went, ‘Well, somebody’s using my guitar riff.’ I said, ‘You know, it happens.’ And when we got to the gig, they started the whole show with the stripper, which is what we did in the ’70s, and the first song they played was Kickstart My Heart. And we used to do Hell Raiser. And the whole of Europe, the band, who were in the audience when we used to play in Sweden back in the ’70s, were all laughing now looking at my face, me going, ‘Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Good. Lovely.'” (Listen to a comparison below).
Mötley Crüe bassist and main songwriter Nikki Sixx has admitted to being a Sweet fan, although Hell Raiser is actually credited to the Chinnichap songwriting team of Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, who also wrote hit songs for MUD, Suzi Quatro and many others.
Three members of the original Sweet — Brian Connolly, Steve Priest and Mick Tucker — have since died while remaining bandmate Andy Scott is still alive and has formed his own version of the group, which tours the U.K. and Australia.
In July of 2024, Sweet announced their final studio album called, Full Circle. Further details, about the album, can be found, here.
11 Responses
Holy Mötley, what a rip off, they are lucky Chinnichap did not sue for copyright infringement.
What about “Bad Motor Scooter” by Montrose? That opening riff is almost identical to “Kickstart My Heart”
And my thing is, it’s been 36 years and they’re just noticing this now? I wonder what Hagar thinks about KMH and BMS?
Yes, Eddie wrote the same thing to me about Bad Motor Scooter, but it’s only the “reved up” intro, this riff from Sweet, is practically the same one Mars plays after the Montrose “reved up” riff, which to me, is even worse.
Dana, I agree 100%!
Speaking of rip offs, I still say Michael Jackson ripped off REO Speedwagon’s “Back On The Road Again” with “Beat It,” the guitar riff is almost identical as well!
I don’t know that REO Speedwagon song, let me listen and I will be right back…ABSOLUTELY, you correct, what a rip off! LOL!! Shame…
Yea I’m surprised REO never sued MJ!
They sure as heck have a good case, especially seeing how successful Thriller was, sheesh.
Sweet were phenomenal. Incredible players. Glam rock royalty! Speaking of glam rock, David Johansen of the New York Dolls and Buster Poindexter fame, is dying. The Sweet Relief Musician’s Fund is helping him. If you dig David, please donate to help his medical costs. Without the Dolls, there would be no Hanoi Rocks and absolutely no LA glam scene in 80s.
Dang I thought Wendy Dio took up the guitar for a second .
Ooof-LOL!!