Give a Little Bit

"Give a Little Bit"
File:Supertramp Give a Little Bit single cover.jpg
Single by Supertramp
from the album Even in the Quietest Moments...
B-side	"Downstream"
Released	27 May 1977
Genre	Progressive pop folk rock soft rock
Length	4:08
Label	A&M
Songwriter(s)	Rick Davies Roger Hodgson
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. It was a chart hit in the band's native UK, reaching number 29 on the UK Singles Chart. The single was re-released in 1992 to raise funds for the ITV Telethon Charity event, but failed to chart.

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

"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.

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."

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." Ultimate Classic Rock critic Nick DeRiso rated it as Supertramp's all time best song, calling it a "singalong paean to the Golden Rule." 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."

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.

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." "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.

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. They also played the song in their 70-10 Tour in 2010.

In popular culture

"Give a Little Bit" has been used in movies, such as Superman and commercials, such as for the Gap. It has also been used in to encourage giving to charity drives.

Track listings

7" vinyl single (1977)

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Give a Little Bit"	3:20

Side two

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Downstream"	4:00

CD single (1990)

No.	Title	Length
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.	Title	Length
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

Weekly charts

Chart (1977)	Peak position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	12
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)	26
Canada Top Singles (RPM)	8
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)	2
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)	14
Norway (VG-lista)	9
South Africa (Springbok)	4
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)	29
US Billboard Hot 100	15
U.S. Cash Box Top 100	12
West Germany (Official German Charts)	29

Year-end charts

Chart (1977)	Position
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)	71
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)	5
US Billboard Hot 100	78

Certifications

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
United Kingdom (BPI)	Silver	200,000
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Personnel

Credits listed by Matt Hurwitz of Mix.

• Roger Hodgson – 12-string acoustic guitars, 12-string Rickenbacker electric guitar, 6-string electric guitar, lead and backing vocals
• Dougie Thomson – Fender Jazz Bass
• Bob Siebenberg – drums and percussion
• Rick Davies – clavinet, piano, organ and backing vocals
• John Helliwell – saxophone

Goo Goo Dolls version

"Give a Little Bit"
File:Give a Little GGD Single.jpg
Single by Goo Goo Dolls
from the album Let Love In and Live in Buffalo: July 4th, 2004
B-side	"Sympathy"
Released	11 October 2004 (2004-10-11)
Length	3:35
Label	Warner 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.

Track listing

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

Charts

Chart (2005)	Peak position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)	45
Canada Hot AC Top 30 (Radio & Records)	1
Germany (Official German Charts)	78
US Billboard Hot 100	37
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)	5
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)	1
US Top 40 Tracks (Billboard)	30

Release history

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

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.

References

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