Give a Little Bit

"Give a Little Bit"
Single by Supertramp
from the album Even in the Quietest Moments...
B-side"Downstream"
Released27 May 1977 [1]
Recorded15 November 1976 [2]
StudioCaribou Ranch (Nederland, Colorado)
Genre
Length4:08
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Supertramp
Supertramp singles chronology
"Sister Moonshine"
(1976) 		"Give a Little Bit"
(1977) 		"Babaji"
(1977)
Official audio
"Give a Little Bit" on YouTube

"Give a Little Bit" is the opening song on Supertramp's 1977 album Even in the Quietest Moments... The song was released as a single that same year and became an international hit for the band, peaking at number 15 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart.[3] It was a chart hit in the band's native UK, reaching number 29 on the UK Singles Chart.[4] The single was re-released in 1992 to raise funds for the ITV Telethon Charity event, but failed to chart.

Recording and composition

"Give a Little Bit" was first written by Hodgson when he was 19 or 20 years old before it was introduced to the band for recording five to six years later. Hodgson stated that the song was inspired by The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love", released during the love and peace movement of the 1960s.[5][6][7]

Hodgson said:

Even at an unwizened young age when I wrote this song, I saw that the world needed love. I believed in love – it was always for love – and I just felt that was the most important thing in life. This song has really taken on a life of its own, and I think it’s even more relevant today than when I wrote it. Because we really are needing to value love in a much deeper way, and also we’re needing to care.[8]

Drummer Bob Siebenberg recounted that "Roger had been working at Malibu for quite a while on this tune. I'd hear the song in hotel rooms and places like that. He had the song on a little tape when I first joined the band so I was quite familiar with the tune. We tried out various drum things and it seemed right to ride it along on the snare drum […] giving it something almost like a train beat. So it's all on the snare and bass drum, with no tom-tom fills or anything."[9]

Its writing credits are given to Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson, although it is a Hodgson composition.[9] Hodgson and Davies shared writing credits from 1974 until 1983, when Hodgson left Supertramp.

Reception

Cash Box said that it "would be a great crack at a pop hit for any artist," that "the rhythm is gentle, yet persuasive; the harmonies are full of uplifting momentum" and "the lead vocal has a vulnerable quality similar to Peter Gabriel's work."[10] Record World praised "its easy, flowing style."[11]

Ultimate Classic Rock critic Nick DeRiso rated it as Supertramp's all time best song, calling it a "singalong paean to the Golden Rule."[12] Gary Graff of Billboard rated "Give a Little Bit" as Supertramp's 10th best song, praising its "chiming 12-string acoustic guitar and Hodgson’s keening vocals."[13]

Hodgson rated it as one of the top 10 songs he ever wrote.[8]

Live performances

"Give a Little Bit" was recorded to be released on the live album Paris, but the song was dropped because the band members found all the available recordings of the song to be of unacceptable quality.[14]

After Hodgson had left Supertramp, the song was included in almost all his live performances. The song has also been performed by Hodgson during his tour with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band in 2001; a recording appears on the album Ringo Starr and Friends. On Sunday 1 July 2007, Roger Hodgson sang this song as his finale for his short set at the Concert for Diana, held at Wembley Stadium in London. Princess Diana loved the song, and Hodgson said of the performance in her honor: "It was very wonderful when the audience all stood up, and the princes also, to sing 'Give a Little Bit' with me. That was a magical moment."[15] "Give a Little Bit" can also be found on Hodgson's album Classics Live, a collection of his live performances from acoustic, band and orchestra shows recorded on tour in 2010.[16]

After Hodgson's departure from Supertramp, the band included the song for the first time in their set list in 2002 during their One More for the Road Tour. The song was sung by Jesse Siebenberg. The band also played the song in their 70–10 Tour in 2010.[citation needed]

"Give a Little Bit" has been used in films such as Superman and The Invention of Lying and in some commercials, such as for the Gap and to encourage giving to charity drives.[12]

Track listings

7" vinyl single (1977)

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Give a Little Bit"3:20
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Downstream"4:00

CD single (1990)

No.TitleLength
1."Give a Little Bit"4:07
2."The Logical Song" (Live version)3:41
3."Bloody Well Right" (Live version)6:11

CD single (1992)

No.TitleLength
1."Give a Little Bit"4:10
2."Give a Little Bit" (Live version)4:03
3."Breakfast in America"2:38

CD single (2012)

Give a Little Bit (with choir)

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[34] Platinum 60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[35] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

Credits listed by Matt Hurwitz of Mix. [36]

Goo Goo Dolls version

"Give a Little Bit"
Single by Goo Goo Dolls
from the album Let Love In and Live in Buffalo: July 4th, 2004
B-side"Sympathy"
Released11 October 2004 (2004-10-11)
Length3:35
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Rick Davies, Roger Hodgson
Producer(s)Goo Goo Dolls, Rob Cavallo
Goo Goo Dolls singles chronology
"Sympathy"
(2002) 		"Give a Little Bit"
(2004) 		"Better Days"
(2005)

In 2004, American rock band Goo Goo Dolls covered the song, releasing it as a single in October of that year. It peaked at number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in February 2005. It was first covered (partially) in 2001, when guitarist and lead vocalist Johnny Rzeznik appeared in an ad for The Gap singing the song along with other artists. The song opened the live album Live in Buffalo: July 4th, 2004, and later appeared as a track on their hit album Let Love In. In May 2006, their version of "Give a Little Bit" was honored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) in recognition of being one of the most played songs in the ASCAP repertoire in 2005.[37]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Give a Little Bit"3:35
2."Sympathy"2:58
3."Give a Little Bit" (acoustic version)3:35

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2005) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[38] 45
Canada Hot AC Top 30 (Radio & Records)[39] 1
Germany (GfK)[40] 78
US Billboard Hot 100[41] 37
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[42] 5
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[43] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (2004) Position
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[44] 60
Chart (2005) Position
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[45] 8
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[45] 4

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States 11 October 2004 (2004-10-11) Hot adult contemporary radio Warner Bros. [46]
29 November 2004 (2004-11-29) Contemporary hit radio [47]

Other versions

In January 2005, cover versions produced and arranged by John Fields were recorded by John Ondrasik and UNICEF ambassadors Clay Aiken and India Arie. The covers were created as part of the "Kids Help Out" public service announcement campaign designed by Cartoon Network to inspire viewers to support relief efforts toward the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. For the campaign, Hodgson also provided a new recording with an 80-piece orchestra and choir.[48]

References

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  2. ^ Hurwitz, Matt (3 April 2018). "Classic Tracks: Supertramp's "Give a Little Bit"". Mixonline. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  3. ^ "allmusic – Supertramp – Billboard singles". Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  4. ^ "The Official Charts Company – Supertramp – Give a Little Bit". Official Charts. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  5. ^ "Supertramp founder Roger Hodgson". Songfacts. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  6. ^ "Roger Hodgson - Events". K-Earth 101. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  7. ^ "Giving A Little Bit - A Conversation With Roger Hodgson". DPRP.net. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  8. ^ a b Hodgson, Roger (20 March 2023). "Supertramp's Roger Hodgson: the 10 best songs I've written". Prog. Louder Sound. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  9. ^ a b Melhuish, Martin (1986). The Supertramp Book. Toronto, Canada: Omnibus Press. pp. 119–137. ISBN 0-9691272-2-7.
  10. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 14 May 1977. p. 22. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  11. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 21 May 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  12. ^ a b DeRiso, Nick (22 July 2013). "Top 10 Supertramp Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  13. ^ Graff, Gary (10 October 2017). "Supertramp's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  14. ^ Melhuish, Martin (1986). The Supertramp Book. Toronto, Canada: Omnibus Press. pp. 163–165. ISBN 0-9691272-2-7.
  15. ^ "Give a Little Bit - Songfacts". Songfacts. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  16. ^ "Classics Live CD". rogerhodgsonstore.com. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
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  48. ^ DeMott, Rick (12 January 2005). "Cartoon Network Animates PSAs for Kids to 'Give a Little Bit' to Tsunami Victims". Animation World Network. Retrieved 25 January 2022.