Give a Little
Encyclopedia
"Give a Little" is the second single
written and performed by American pop/rock band Hanson
from their eighth studio album Shout It Out
(2010). Lead vocals are provided by Taylor Hanson
, with Isaac Hanson
and Zac Hanson
as backing vocals.
The single
was announced by the band on January 13, 2011 on the Hanson.NET members e-mail. It was released on April 05, 2011 on iTunes
as a digital single
including remixes produced by the band. A 4-track US promo CD single surfaced on eBay mid. February and was sold for about $79.
To further promote the song, the band performed the song on twelfth season of Dancing with the Stars
, on April 26, 2011.
The song is featured at the opening scene from the 2010 movie Trust. The movie is about a teenage girl who is targeted by an online sexual predator.
. The song acts as the follow-up to Thinking 'Bout Somethin'
. "'Give a Little' is the perfect connector to the first single," Taylor Hanson told MTV News
. "There's this energy to it. Strangely, there's this dance theme. We're not known for our dancing, but dancing is this metaphor that's in the record." "[The metaphor] is kind of 'Get out there and let loose,' " Taylor added. "Spring will be here before we know it, and the song is upbeat and hopefully engaging."
, Taylor Hanson
and Zac Hanson
.
UK Digital Release Tracklisting
, performing first their hit MMMBop
on April 25, 2011 and later "Give a Little", on April 26, 2011. The band also performed it on Jimmy Kimmel Live
.
" and was released on VH1.com on Feb. 22 2011. It features dancers from the "Thinking 'Bout Somethin'
" video, now having a dance-off on a white studio. The band also recreates some elements from the Shout It Out
album cover using the same colors and imagery.
Family members as daughters and sons, brothers, sisters and wives are also pictured dancing on the video as well.
said the guys have a new mission with this video. "With the 'Give A Little' video, we're more thinking, 'Hey this is about creating a template, a backdrop that just makes you love the song more,' " he explained to MTV News
. "The difference with this song and the video is that it's much simpler and much more about getting the song ingrained in your mind, thus was a very different thing." "When we made the video, it was kind of the release after the high production of 'Thinking 'Bout Somethin', " Taylor explained. "With the 'Give a Little' video, it's almost back to the blank slate. We invited all these dancers. We just set up a room, cranked up the music and threw a party and let people dance. The attitude is not about everyone doing the same moves; it's about putting a unique twist." "There's this energy to it," Taylor said. "Strangely, there's this dance theme. We're not known for our dancing, but dancing is this metaphor that's in the record. Kind of, 'Get out there and let loose.'
has said, positively, that: ""Give A Little" features the brothers Hanson playing their instruments in front of a simple white backdrop. The song starts off slow as they sing about wooing ladies (something that Hanson knows just a little bit about), while the video cuts to different couples getting their dance on. The momentum builds, and pretty soon there's paint being splattered everywhere, and everyone on the set is getting down. Like I said, adorable.And we're totally digging the low-budget video thing. "Give A Little" is a snappy pop song with a to-the-point video that focuses on the catchiness of the track. No bells and whistles, just singing, dancing and Taylor Hanson wearing Ray-Bans. What else do you need in life? NOTHING...in my opinion". Jocelyn Vega also from MTV
was also very positive with the video, saying: " The sparse performance video for the Shout It Out track seamlessly includes dancers of all backgrounds showing off their skills. It's a far cry from last year's over-the-top clip for "Thinking 'Bout Somethin'
," an homage to the Blues Brothers. She said, that: "The video is, in fact, pretty simple: It features cardboard cutouts, ballerinas, dancing couples, some paint splatter and even hip-hop dancers. The guys get in the action during a big dance break, playing instruments while surrounded by the clip's various performers". "Spring will be here before we know it, and the song is upbeat and hopefully engaging, conclued Vega."
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
written and performed by American pop/rock band Hanson
Hanson (band)
Hanson are an American pop rock band formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by brothers Isaac , Taylor , and Zac Hanson . They are best known for the 1997 hit song "MMMBop" from their major label debut album Middle of Nowhere, which earned three Grammy nominations...
from their eighth studio album Shout It Out
Shout It Out (Hanson album)
Shout It Out is the eighth studio album released by American pop group Hanson. The album is the third release through their own label 3CG Records.Shout It Out was released on June 8, 2010 in the US, and July 14, 2010 in Japan....
(2010). Lead vocals are provided by Taylor Hanson
Taylor Hanson
Taylor Hanson is an American musician best known as a member of the pop rock band Hanson. He sings both lead and back-up vocals, and plays keyboard, percussion , guitar, harmonica, and piano...
, with Isaac Hanson
Isaac Hanson
Isaac Hanson is an American musician best known as a member of the pop rock trio Hanson, which includes his two younger brothers Taylor and Zac...
and Zac Hanson
Zac Hanson
Zachary Walker "Zac" Hanson is an American musician, best known as a member of the pop band Hanson. He plays drums, percussion, piano, guitar and also sings back-up and lead vocals...
as backing vocals.
The single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
was announced by the band on January 13, 2011 on the Hanson.NET members e-mail. It was released on April 05, 2011 on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
as a digital single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
including remixes produced by the band. A 4-track US promo CD single surfaced on eBay mid. February and was sold for about $79.
To further promote the song, the band performed the song on twelfth season of Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 12)
Dancing with the Stars returned for its twelfth season on March 21, 2011. Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Len Goodman returned to the show as judges, while Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke returned as hosts....
, on April 26, 2011.
The song is featured at the opening scene from the 2010 movie Trust. The movie is about a teenage girl who is targeted by an online sexual predator.
Background
The upbeat pop/rock number is the second single from American band Hanson's eighth studio album, Shout It OutShout It Out (Hanson album)
Shout It Out is the eighth studio album released by American pop group Hanson. The album is the third release through their own label 3CG Records.Shout It Out was released on June 8, 2010 in the US, and July 14, 2010 in Japan....
. The song acts as the follow-up to Thinking 'Bout Somethin'
Thinking 'Bout Somethin'
"Thinking 'bout Somethin" is a song written and performed by American pop/rock band Hanson. It is the first single from their album, Shout It Out . Lead vocals are provided by Taylor Hanson....
. "'Give a Little' is the perfect connector to the first single," Taylor Hanson told MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
. "There's this energy to it. Strangely, there's this dance theme. We're not known for our dancing, but dancing is this metaphor that's in the record." "[The metaphor] is kind of 'Get out there and let loose,' " Taylor added. "Spring will be here before we know it, and the song is upbeat and hopefully engaging."
Critical reception
Gregory Robson from Absolute Punk has said, that: "'Give a Little' seem to rely on the horn section to do most of the work, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing".Track listing
Written by Isaac HansonIsaac Hanson
Isaac Hanson is an American musician best known as a member of the pop rock trio Hanson, which includes his two younger brothers Taylor and Zac...
, Taylor Hanson
Taylor Hanson
Taylor Hanson is an American musician best known as a member of the pop rock band Hanson. He sings both lead and back-up vocals, and plays keyboard, percussion , guitar, harmonica, and piano...
and Zac Hanson
Zac Hanson
Zachary Walker "Zac" Hanson is an American musician, best known as a member of the pop band Hanson. He plays drums, percussion, piano, guitar and also sings back-up and lead vocals...
.
- "Give A Little" (Radio Mix) (3:35)
- "Give A Little" (RAC Mix) (3:41)
- "Give A Little" (Questlove Mix) (4:16)
- "Give A Little" (Album Mix) (3:53)
UK Digital Release Tracklisting
- "Give A Little" (Radio Mix - 3:35
- "Give A Little" (RAC Mix) - 3:41
- "Give A Little" (Questlove Mix) - 4:16
- "Give A Little" (Album Mix) - 3:53
- "Give A Little" (Mind the Gap Mix By Steven Charles Boone) - 3:53
- "Give A Little" (Lose Control Mix By Craig McClellan) - 3:37
Promotion
The band promoted the song on the twelfth season of Dancing with the StarsDancing with the Stars (U.S. season 12)
Dancing with the Stars returned for its twelfth season on March 21, 2011. Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Len Goodman returned to the show as judges, while Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke returned as hosts....
, performing first their hit MMMBop
MMMBop
"MMMBop" is a song written and performed by the American pop rock band Hanson from their 1997 album Middle of Nowhere. The song was nominated for two Grammys at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards in February 1998, and is the band's most successful single to date.By any measure, "MMMBop" was phenomenally...
on April 25, 2011 and later "Give a Little", on April 26, 2011. The band also performed it on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
.
Music video
The music video was shot on the same weekend as "Thinking 'Bout Somethin'Thinking 'Bout Somethin'
"Thinking 'bout Somethin" is a song written and performed by American pop/rock band Hanson. It is the first single from their album, Shout It Out . Lead vocals are provided by Taylor Hanson....
" and was released on VH1.com on Feb. 22 2011. It features dancers from the "Thinking 'Bout Somethin'
Thinking 'Bout Somethin'
"Thinking 'bout Somethin" is a song written and performed by American pop/rock band Hanson. It is the first single from their album, Shout It Out . Lead vocals are provided by Taylor Hanson....
" video, now having a dance-off on a white studio. The band also recreates some elements from the Shout It Out
Shout It Out (Hanson album)
Shout It Out is the eighth studio album released by American pop group Hanson. The album is the third release through their own label 3CG Records.Shout It Out was released on June 8, 2010 in the US, and July 14, 2010 in Japan....
album cover using the same colors and imagery.
Family members as daughters and sons, brothers, sisters and wives are also pictured dancing on the video as well.
Background
Taylor HansonTaylor Hanson
Taylor Hanson is an American musician best known as a member of the pop rock band Hanson. He sings both lead and back-up vocals, and plays keyboard, percussion , guitar, harmonica, and piano...
said the guys have a new mission with this video. "With the 'Give A Little' video, we're more thinking, 'Hey this is about creating a template, a backdrop that just makes you love the song more,' " he explained to MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
. "The difference with this song and the video is that it's much simpler and much more about getting the song ingrained in your mind, thus was a very different thing." "When we made the video, it was kind of the release after the high production of 'Thinking 'Bout Somethin', " Taylor explained. "With the 'Give a Little' video, it's almost back to the blank slate. We invited all these dancers. We just set up a room, cranked up the music and threw a party and let people dance. The attitude is not about everyone doing the same moves; it's about putting a unique twist." "There's this energy to it," Taylor said. "Strangely, there's this dance theme. We're not known for our dancing, but dancing is this metaphor that's in the record. Kind of, 'Get out there and let loose.'
Reception
Nicole James from MTV BuzzworthyMTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
has said, positively, that: ""Give A Little" features the brothers Hanson playing their instruments in front of a simple white backdrop. The song starts off slow as they sing about wooing ladies (something that Hanson knows just a little bit about), while the video cuts to different couples getting their dance on. The momentum builds, and pretty soon there's paint being splattered everywhere, and everyone on the set is getting down. Like I said, adorable.And we're totally digging the low-budget video thing. "Give A Little" is a snappy pop song with a to-the-point video that focuses on the catchiness of the track. No bells and whistles, just singing, dancing and Taylor Hanson wearing Ray-Bans. What else do you need in life? NOTHING...in my opinion". Jocelyn Vega also from MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
was also very positive with the video, saying: " The sparse performance video for the Shout It Out track seamlessly includes dancers of all backgrounds showing off their skills. It's a far cry from last year's over-the-top clip for "Thinking 'Bout Somethin'
Thinking 'Bout Somethin'
"Thinking 'bout Somethin" is a song written and performed by American pop/rock band Hanson. It is the first single from their album, Shout It Out . Lead vocals are provided by Taylor Hanson....
," an homage to the Blues Brothers. She said, that: "The video is, in fact, pretty simple: It features cardboard cutouts, ballerinas, dancing couples, some paint splatter and even hip-hop dancers. The guys get in the action during a big dance break, playing instruments while surrounded by the clip's various performers". "Spring will be here before we know it, and the song is upbeat and hopefully engaging, conclued Vega."
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United States | April 5, 2011 | digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
| United States | April 12, 2011 | Hot Modern/ Adult Contemporary Radio |