Tracklist
Michael Jackson– | Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' | 4:15 | |
The Jacksons– | Rock With You (Live) | 3:55 |
Notes
4th single from Thriller was released in the UK on 30 May 1983 on 7" & 12".
The bassline was taken from the album version of "Cerrone - Supernature" (1977).
Thriller Era Official Versions:
Album Version
Single Version
Single Instrumental
12" Extended Mix
95 Versions:
Brothers In Rhythm Mix
Tommy D's Main Mix
The bassline was taken from the album version of "Cerrone - Supernature" (1977).
Thriller Era Official Versions:
Album Version
Single Version
Single Instrumental
12" Extended Mix
95 Versions:
Brothers In Rhythm Mix
Tommy D's Main Mix
Versions
Filter by
41 versions
Image | , | – | In Your Collection, Wantlist, or Inventory |
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Version Details | Data Quality | |||
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7"
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Epic – 34 03914 | Canada | 1982 | Canada — 1982 |
Recently Edited
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Single, Promo, Pitman Pressing, Company Sleeve
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Epic – 34-03914 | US | 1982 | US — 1982 |
New Submission
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Single, Promo
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Epic – ES 877 | Australia | 1982 | Australia — 1982 |
Recently Edited
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
12", 33 ⅓ RPM, Single
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CBS/Sony – AAP 98 | Hong Kong | 1982 | Hong Kong — 1982 |
Recently Edited
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
12", 45 RPM, Maxi-Single, Stereo
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Epic – EPCA 12-3427 | Europe | 1983 | Europe — 1983 | ||||
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
12", 33 ⅓ RPM
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Epic – 49-03915 | US | 1983 | US — 1983 |
Recently Edited
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
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Epic – A3427 | Europe | 1983 | Europe — 1983 |
Recently Edited
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Single, Injection-Moulded Labels
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Epic – A3427 | UK | 1983 | UK — 1983 |
Recently Edited
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
12", Single
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Epic – ES 12068 | Australia | 1983 | Australia — 1983 |
Recently Edited
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' / Rock With You (Live)
12", 45 RPM, Single
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Epic – TA 3427 | UK | 1983 | UK — 1983 | ||||
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
12", 33 ⅓ RPM, Promo
|
Epic – 49-03915 | US | 1983 | US — 1983 |
Recently Edited
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
12", 33 ⅓ RPM, Single
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Epic – 12EXP 03915 | Canada | 1983 | Canada — 1983 |
Recently Edited
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Reissue, Styrene
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Epic – 55-03914 | US | 1983 | US — 1983 |
Recently Edited
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Single
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Epic – EPC A 3427 | Spain | 1983 | Spain — 1983 | ||||
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", Single, 45 RPM
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Epic – A3427 | 1983 | — 1983 |
Recently Edited
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Styrene, Pitman Pressing
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Epic – 34-03914 | US | 1983 | US — 1983 |
Recently Edited
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' = スタート・サムシング
7", 45 RPM, Single, Promo
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Epic – 07・5P-232 | Japan | 1983 | Japan — 1983 |
New Submission
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
12", 45 RPM
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Epic – EPC A 12.3427 | Spain | 1983 | Spain — 1983 |
New Submission
|
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Single, Grey Injection Labels
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Epic – EPC A 3427 | 1983 | — 1983 |
Recently Edited
|
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![]() |
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' = スタート・サムシング
7", 45 RPM, Single
|
Epic – 07・5P-232 | Japan | 1983 | Japan — 1983 |
New Submission
|
|||
![]() |
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", Single, 45 RPM
|
Epic – ES 877 | Australia | 1983 | Australia — 1983 |
Recently Edited
|
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![]() |
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", Single, 45 RPM
|
Epic – ES 877 | New Zealand | 1983 | New Zealand — 1983 | ||||
|
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
12", 33 ⅓ RPM
|
CBS – AAP 98 | US | 1983 | US — 1983 |
New Submission
|
|||
![]() |
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Single, Promo
|
Epic – A3427 | UK | 1983 | UK — 1983 |
New Submission
|
|||
![]() |
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Single, Paper Labels
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Epic – A 3427 | UK | 1983 | UK — 1983 |
Recently Edited
|
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
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Epic – A 3427 | Ireland | 1983 | Ireland — 1983 |
New Submission
|
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo, Carrollton Pressing, Company Sleeve
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Epic – 34-03914 | US | 1983 | US — 1983 |
New Submission
|
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Single Sided, Promo, Stereo
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Epic – PRO 323 | Netherlands | 1983 | Netherlands — 1983 |
New Submission
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' = Quieres Comenzar Algo
7", 45 RPM, Single
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Epic – 7201 | Peru | 1983 | Peru — 1983 |
New Submission
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Reissue
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Collectables – 55-03914 | US | 1983 | US — 1983 |
New Submission
|
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Single, Blue Injection Labels
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Epic – A3427 | 1983 | — 1983 |
New Submission
|
||||
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Single Sided, Single, Promo
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Epic – EPC A 3427 | Spain | 1983 | Spain — 1983 |
New Submission
|
|||
![]() |
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Single, Blue Injection Labels
|
Epic – A3427 | 1983 | — 1983 |
New Submission
|
||||
![]() |
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", Single
|
Epic – EN 5475 | South Africa | 1983 | South Africa — 1983 |
New Submission
|
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Single, Promo, Styrene, Stereo, Pitman Pressing, Picture Sleeve
|
Epic – 34-03914 | US | 1983 | US — 1983 |
New Submission
|
|||
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", Single
|
Epic – EN 5475 | Zimbabwe | 1983 | Zimbabwe — 1983 |
New Submission
|
|||
![]() |
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Single, Paper Labels
|
Epic – A 3427 | UK | 1983 | UK — 1983 |
New Submission
|
|||
![]() |
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin’
12", 45 RPM, Promo
|
Epic – ES 12068 | Australia | 1983 | Australia — 1983 |
Recently Edited
|
|||
![]() |
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Single, Styrene, Stereo, Carrollton pressing
|
Epic – 34-03914 | US | 1983 | US — 1983 |
New Submission
|
|||
![]() |
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7", 45 RPM, Single, Grey Injection Labels
|
Epic – EPC A 3427 | 1983 | — 1983 |
New Submission
|
Recommendations
Reviews
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Nice sounding but I hear a bit of sibilance in the vocals. I don't hear the sibliance on the version on the full album.
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Anyone else have a copy of this where the labels are incorrect? (Instrumental is labeled with the vocal and the vocal is the instrumental)
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I have the Holland pressed one, 11-003427-20, distributed in by CBS Disques. I can't find it anywhere.
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Edited 14 years ago"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is the opener of the "Thriller" album and was a club favourite way back in 1983. As the album version was played in the clubs, it was a logical consequence this being a single.
The album version was only extended with three small pieces of extra music, making this version 30 seconds longer than the album version and therefore and "extended version".
With its closing chant "ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-kossa", the song has a clear reference to Manu Dibango's classic "Soul Makossa".
One of the most remarkable things about "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is that it has enriched the Dutch dictionary. The aforementioned closing chant is often misheard as a Dutch phrase named "Mama appelsap", meaning something like "Mother apple juice". Several years later, a Dutch radio program adopted the phrase and invited listeners to send their misheard foreign languages lyrics in Dutch. Since then, the term "Mama Appelsap" refers to hearing Dutch language words or phrases in songs of non-Dutch language. Lots of websites are devoted to this phenomenon and several groups about the subject can be found on various social networks.
Please do not confuse a "Mama Appelsap" with a "mondegreen", which refers to mishearing something in the SAME language, like "the dogs say goodnight" instead of "the dark sacred night" in Louis Armstrong's "What a wonderful world".
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