Just a Little (The Beau Brummels song)
Encyclopedia
"Just a Little" is a song by American
rock
group The Beau Brummels
. The song is included on the band's debut album, Introducing the Beau Brummels
, and was released as its second single, following "Laugh, Laugh
". "Just a Little" became the band's highest-charting U.S. single, peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100
in June 1965. It also reached the top 10 of the charts in Canada and Australia.
Written by guitarist Ron Elliott
with frequent collaborator Bob Durand, the song was produced by Sylvester Stewart, later known as Sly Stone
. A live version of the song recorded during a 1974 concert was released on the band's 2000 Live!
album. "Just a Little" has been covered
by such artists as The Young Rascals
, Them
, Nils Lofgren
, The Smithereens
, and Frank Black.
with frequent collaborator Bob Durand, "Just a Little" begins with acoustic guitar strums with ascending minor-key harmonies, while electric guitar chords are heard during the chorus.
With these musical elements, "Just a Little" is considered an early example of folk rock
,
though it also bears a stylistic similarity to British beat
.
Elliott said that the band's folk rock sound was a coincidence, not intentional. He explained, "We only had acoustic and electric guitars, so every chance we got, we'd try to add some variety. We couldn't do it much with playing or style differences, because everybody had limited chops, including myself. The only way you could get variety was to go [to] a harmonica
during the song, or get an acoustic in this space, get different moods that way".
The song was produced by Sylvester Stewart, later known as Sly Stone
of Sly and the Family Stone. Elliott credited Stone as having a positive influence on the band, and for "pull[ing] a lot of loose ends of the band together".
in April 1965
and peaked two months later at number eight to become the band's highest-charting single in that country.
It spent nine weeks in the top 40 portion of the chart.
The song peaked at number four in Canada
and number ten in Australia.
A 1965 Billboard
review of the single commended its "plaintive lyric and strong vocal".
In his 2000 book Urban Spacemen and Wayfaring Strangers: Overlooked Innovators and Eccentric Visionaries of '60s Rock, author Richie Unterberger
noted that the song "brought the incipient folk rock of the band to maturation", adding that "with its vocal blends and mix of electric and acoustic guitars, it anticipated—barely—the official birth of folk rock, usually ascribed to The Byrds
' "Mr. Tambourine Man
", which entered the charts a month after 'Just a Little'".
and the 1996 three-disc box set San Fran Sessions
.
A live version from a 1974 concert near Sacramento, California
appears on the band's 2000 Live!
album.
The Young Rascals
recorded a cover version
of the song for their 1966 eponymous debut album
.
The Lotus, a Hong Kong
Pop band with Sam Hui (許冠傑)
as the lead singer, covered it on their 1967 SP album Just A Little/Cute Little June with the local Diamond Records.
Them
covered it on their 1970 eponymous album.
In 1974, Sam Hui (許冠傑)
, former lead singer of The Lotus, re-wrote the lyrics in Chinese
and recorded it in Cantonese
language under title name of 等玉人, on his 鬼馬雙星 LP album with Polydor Records
.
Ruby Starr
's rendition of the song appears on her 1977 album Smokey Places.
Nils Lofgren
released a cover version of "Just a Little" as a 1992 single,
and the song also appears on his album Crooked Line, released the same year.
The Smithereens
included their rendition of the song on the 1995 rarities album Attack of the Smithereens.
Frank Black's cover version appears on his 2000 compilation album Oddballs
.
Bill Popp & the Tapes performed the song on their 2008 album My Lonely Mind.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
group The Beau Brummels
The Beau Brummels
The Beau Brummels were an American rock band. Formed in San Francisco in 1964, the band's original lineup included Sal Valentino , Ron Elliott , Ron Meagher , Declan Mulligan , and John Petersen...
. The song is included on the band's debut album, Introducing the Beau Brummels
Introducing the Beau Brummels
Introducing the Beau Brummels is the debut album by American pop rock band The Beau Brummels. It was produced by Sly Stone, lead singer of Sly & the Family Stone. Unlike most debut albums of the era, ten of the twelve songs on this album are originals. The album peaked at number 24 on the U.S...
, and was released as its second single, following "Laugh, Laugh
Laugh, Laugh
"Laugh, Laugh" is a song by American rock group The Beau Brummels, written by guitarist Ron Elliott and produced by Sylvester Stewart, later known as Sly Stone. Released in December 1964 as the band's debut single, the song reached number 15 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart the following February...
". "Just a Little" became the band's highest-charting U.S. single, peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in June 1965. It also reached the top 10 of the charts in Canada and Australia.
Written by guitarist Ron Elliott
Ron Elliott (musician)
Ron Elliott on October 21, 1943) is an American musician, composer and producer, best known as songwriter and lead guitarist of rock band The Beau Brummels. Elliott wrote or co-wrote the band's 1965 U.S...
with frequent collaborator Bob Durand, the song was produced by Sylvester Stewart, later known as Sly Stone
Sly Stone
Sly Stone is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, most famous for his role as frontman for Sly & the Family Stone, a band which played a critical role in the development of soul, funk and psychedelia in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1993, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of...
. A live version of the song recorded during a 1974 concert was released on the band's 2000 Live!
Live! (The Beau Brummels album)
Live! is a live album by American rock group The Beau Brummels. The album, released in August 2000 by Dig Music, was recorded in February 1974 near Sacramento, California, shortly after it was announced that the band had reunited...
album. "Just a Little" has been covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by such artists as The Young Rascals
The Rascals
The Rascals were an American blue-eyed soul group initially active during the years 1965–72. The band released numerous top ten singles in North America during the mid- and late-1960s, including the U.S. #1 hits "Good Lovin'" , "Groovin'" , and "People Got to Be Free"...
, Them
Them
Them or THEM may refer to:*Them, the English third person accusative plural personal pronoun; see English personal pronouns* Them, Denmark, a town in Silkeborg municipality* Them , an Northern Irish rock band featuring Van Morrison...
, Nils Lofgren
Nils Lofgren
Nils Hilmer Lofgren is an American rock music recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
, The Smithereens
The Smithereens
The Smithereens are a rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio , Jim Babjak , Mike Mesaros , and Dennis Diken...
, and Frank Black.
Composition
Written by the band's guitarist Ron ElliottRon Elliott (musician)
Ron Elliott on October 21, 1943) is an American musician, composer and producer, best known as songwriter and lead guitarist of rock band The Beau Brummels. Elliott wrote or co-wrote the band's 1965 U.S...
with frequent collaborator Bob Durand, "Just a Little" begins with acoustic guitar strums with ascending minor-key harmonies, while electric guitar chords are heard during the chorus.
With these musical elements, "Just a Little" is considered an early example of folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
,
though it also bears a stylistic similarity to British beat
Beat music
Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a pop and rock music genre that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1960s. Beat music is a fusion of rock and roll, doo wop, skiffle, R&B and soul...
.
Elliott said that the band's folk rock sound was a coincidence, not intentional. He explained, "We only had acoustic and electric guitars, so every chance we got, we'd try to add some variety. We couldn't do it much with playing or style differences, because everybody had limited chops, including myself. The only way you could get variety was to go [to] a harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
during the song, or get an acoustic in this space, get different moods that way".
The song was produced by Sylvester Stewart, later known as Sly Stone
Sly Stone
Sly Stone is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, most famous for his role as frontman for Sly & the Family Stone, a band which played a critical role in the development of soul, funk and psychedelia in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1993, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of...
of Sly and the Family Stone. Elliott credited Stone as having a positive influence on the band, and for "pull[ing] a lot of loose ends of the band together".
Release and reception
"Just a Little" debuted at number 81 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in April 1965
and peaked two months later at number eight to become the band's highest-charting single in that country.
It spent nine weeks in the top 40 portion of the chart.
The song peaked at number four in Canada
and number ten in Australia.
A 1965 Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
review of the single commended its "plaintive lyric and strong vocal".
In his 2000 book Urban Spacemen and Wayfaring Strangers: Overlooked Innovators and Eccentric Visionaries of '60s Rock, author Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger is a US author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing.-Life and writing:Having worked as a DJ at WXPN in Philadelphia, he started reviewing records for Op magazine in 1983...
noted that the song "brought the incipient folk rock of the band to maturation", adding that "with its vocal blends and mix of electric and acoustic guitars, it anticipated—barely—the official birth of folk rock, usually ascribed to The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
' "Mr. Tambourine Man
Mr. Tambourine Man
"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
", which entered the charts a month after 'Just a Little'".
Other versions
Alternate takes of "Just a Little" appear on the Beau Brummels' 1994 rarities album Autumn of Their YearsAutumn of Their Years
Autumn of Their Years is a compilation album by American rock band The Beau Brummels. It was released in 1994 by Big Beat Records, and re-released in 2003 by Ace Records...
and the 1996 three-disc box set San Fran Sessions
San Fran Sessions
San Fran Sessions is a box set compilation which collects 60 demos, outtakes, rarities and unissued performances recorded by The Beau Brummels from 1964 to 1966...
.
A live version from a 1974 concert near Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
appears on the band's 2000 Live!
Live! (The Beau Brummels album)
Live! is a live album by American rock group The Beau Brummels. The album, released in August 2000 by Dig Music, was recorded in February 1974 near Sacramento, California, shortly after it was announced that the band had reunited...
album.
The Young Rascals
The Rascals
The Rascals were an American blue-eyed soul group initially active during the years 1965–72. The band released numerous top ten singles in North America during the mid- and late-1960s, including the U.S. #1 hits "Good Lovin'" , "Groovin'" , and "People Got to Be Free"...
recorded a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the song for their 1966 eponymous debut album
The Young Rascals (album)
The Young Rascals is the debut album by rock band The Young Rascals. The album was released on March 28, 1966, and rose to #15 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and #10 in Cashbox....
.
The Lotus, a Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
Pop band with Sam Hui (許冠傑)
Samuel Hui
Samuel Hui Koon-kit , usually known as Sam Hui, is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, lyricist and film actor. He is credited with popularizing Cantopop both with the infusion of Western-style music and using popular, street Cantonese jargon in his lyrics writing...
as the lead singer, covered it on their 1967 SP album Just A Little/Cute Little June with the local Diamond Records.
Them
Them (band)
Them were a Northern Irish band formed in Belfast in April 1964, most prominently known for the garage rock standard "Gloria" and launching singer Van Morrison's musical career...
covered it on their 1970 eponymous album.
In 1974, Sam Hui (許冠傑)
Samuel Hui
Samuel Hui Koon-kit , usually known as Sam Hui, is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, lyricist and film actor. He is credited with popularizing Cantopop both with the infusion of Western-style music and using popular, street Cantonese jargon in his lyrics writing...
, former lead singer of The Lotus, re-wrote the lyrics in Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
and recorded it in Cantonese
Cantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
language under title name of 等玉人, on his 鬼馬雙星 LP album with Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
.
Ruby Starr
Ruby Starr
Ruby Starr was born Constance Henrietta Mierzwiak in Toledo, Ohio. Starr started performing at the age of nine under the stage name Connie Little and later joined Ruby Jones in 1969. In 1971 they were signed to Curtom Records and recorded their first album, Ruby Jones...
's rendition of the song appears on her 1977 album Smokey Places.
Nils Lofgren
Nils Lofgren
Nils Hilmer Lofgren is an American rock music recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
released a cover version of "Just a Little" as a 1992 single,
and the song also appears on his album Crooked Line, released the same year.
The Smithereens
The Smithereens
The Smithereens are a rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio , Jim Babjak , Mike Mesaros , and Dennis Diken...
included their rendition of the song on the 1995 rarities album Attack of the Smithereens.
Frank Black's cover version appears on his 2000 compilation album Oddballs
Oddballs (album)
Oddballs is a compilation album by Frank Black, released in 2000. The album includes various b-sides and outtakes that were recorded between 1994 and 1997. The album was only available for sale at Frank Black & the Catholics shows or on eMusic...
.
Bill Popp & the Tapes performed the song on their 2008 album My Lonely Mind.
Track listing
7" VinylChart performance
| Chart (1965) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 8 |
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100 Singles | 7 |
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
10 |
| Canadian Singles Chart RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
4 |