This Little Light
Encyclopedia
"This Little Light" is a song by the British hip-hop act LZ7
, and is based around a sample of the 20th century gospel
track "This Little Light of Mine
". It originally featured on the group's 2008 EP
Gasoline, before being remixed in 2010 for inclusion on their second studio album, Light. This remix was released as LZ7's first official single on 26 September 2010, and was sold by independent label Fierce! exclusively as a digital download
. The track was downloaded over 11,000 times in the UK, which gave it a chart peak of Number 26 on the UK Singles Chart
and Number 4 on the UK Indie Chart
.
Although largely ignored by the mainstream media, "This Little Light" received mostly positive reviews and was selected as the theme song for both the UK government's Shine Week 2010 and The Message Trust
's Shine Your Light campaign—profits from sales of the single were donated to Shine Your Light. A different music video for "This Little Light" was produced for each different version. The first video, which accompanied the original 2008 version, was filmed at Rose Bridge High School in Wigan
and features LZ7 members Lindz West and Louis Read handing out glowing lightbulbs from an ice cream van. The second music video, used to promote the 2010 single release, shows three examples of people being generous and the band performing in front of a tower block
estate.
Gasoline, which was released in the UK in August 2008. It was then remixed in 2010 for inclusion as track one on the band's second studio album, Light, and was used as a theme song for both The Message Trust's charitable initiative Shine Your Light and the UK government's Shine Week 2010. LZ7 launched the 2010 remix at a gig at the Manchester Apollo
, before promoting the track at summer festivals and an eight-date schools tour around Manchester
. The band encouraged people to make a note of the release date and to download the single, with Lindz West, LZ7's frontman, remarking: "What we don't want is anyone phoning up stations and saying 'Why aren't you playing this song?', because that just creates a bad name for us in the first place. What we do want is people buying it and getting it to the position where it has to go on the radio airplay lists and the stations have to play it."
"This Little Light" was officially released in the UK exclusively as a digital download at midnight on 26 September through download stores such as iTunes
and 7digital
. It featured alongside remixes from Kenny Hayes and Starz Angels as part of a four-track EP, which was sold by record label Fierce! as a charity record
to benefit Shine Your Light. After selling over 11,000 copies in the UK, "This Little Light" charted at Number 26 on the UK Singles Chart and Number 4 on the UK Indie Chart.
and few reviews from mainstream music critics. What reviews it did receive were generally favourable. Tony Cummings
of Cross Rhythms
gave the single eight out of ten, and said that it had "all the mixture of pop savvy and street vibe that could connect with a mass audience". Jono Davies of Louder Than the Music gave "This Little Light" five stars out of five, calling it a "very catchy pop Hip Hop song". Natalie Clark of SouthSonic gave the song four out of five, and described it as a "definite buy for alternative music lovers". A slightly more mixed review came from James Masterton
of Yahoo! Music
, who said that "as a pop record it isn't half bad", but that it was "never going to be particularly cool, no how hard anyone tries".
, and begins by showing a group of teenagers in detention. An ice cream van, driven by LZ7 members Lindz West and Louis Read, drives onto the school grounds and parks next to the detention hall. Read begins playing "This Little Light" through the van's stereo system—hearing the song, the young people in detention rush over the window, then run downstairs to the van. West begins handing out glowing lightbulbs to some of the teenagers at the van, who hold them in the air. This sequence is interspersed with shots of LZ7 performing "This Little Light" live in front of a large group of young people outside Rose Bridge Sports & Community Centre. The video was uploaded to The Message Trust
's official YouTube
channel in November 2008. , it has been viewed nearly 268,000 times.
A second music video for "This Little Light" was specially filmed in 2010 to accompany the release of the new remixed version. It begins with shots of the members of LZ7 walking towards a tower block
estate, in front of which they then perform the song. The video features three stories of people being either generous or compassionate: the first shows a young man delivering a bottle of milk to an elderly lady, the second shows another young man helping someone push start their car, and the final story shows a young woman consoling another young woman, who is crying. These stories are cut between shots of LZ7 performing "This Little Light" both in front of the tower block and in front of garages. This second video was uploaded to The Message Trust's official YouTube channel in August 2010. , it has been viewed over 246,000 times.
LZ7
LZ7 are a Christian rap and dance group from Manchester. The band was formed in 2005 by Lindz West, a member of dance band The Tribe, who had split up the previous year...
, and is based around a sample of the 20th century gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
track "This Little Light of Mine
This Little Light of Mine
"This Little Light of Mine" is a gospel children's song written by Harry Dixon Loes in about 1920. Loes, who studied at the Moody Bible Institute and the American Conservatory of Music, was a musical composer, and teacher, who wrote, and co-wrote, several other gospel songs. The song has since...
". It originally featured on the group's 2008 EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Gasoline, before being remixed in 2010 for inclusion on their second studio album, Light. This remix was released as LZ7's first official single on 26 September 2010, and was sold by independent label Fierce! exclusively as a 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...
. The track was downloaded over 11,000 times in the UK, which gave it a chart peak of Number 26 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and Number 4 on the UK Indie Chart
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
.
Although largely ignored by the mainstream media, "This Little Light" received mostly positive reviews and was selected as the theme song for both the UK government's Shine Week 2010 and The Message Trust
The Message Trust
The Message Trust is an award-winning Christian charity working to improve the lives of young people in Greater Manchester, UK and beyond through the Eden Network....
's Shine Your Light campaign—profits from sales of the single were donated to Shine Your Light. A different music video for "This Little Light" was produced for each different version. The first video, which accompanied the original 2008 version, was filmed at Rose Bridge High School in Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
and features LZ7 members Lindz West and Louis Read handing out glowing lightbulbs from an ice cream van. The second music video, used to promote the 2010 single release, shows three examples of people being generous and the band performing in front of a tower block
Tower block
A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, office tower, apartment block, or block of flats, is a tall building or structure used as a residential and/or office building...
estate.
Background and release
"This Little Light" is based around "This Little Light of Mine", a gospel song written by American composer Harry Loes in the early 20th century. It first appeared on LZ7's EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Gasoline, which was released in the UK in August 2008. It was then remixed in 2010 for inclusion as track one on the band's second studio album, Light, and was used as a theme song for both The Message Trust's charitable initiative Shine Your Light and the UK government's Shine Week 2010. LZ7 launched the 2010 remix at a gig at the Manchester Apollo
Manchester Apollo
O2 Apollo Manchester is a concert venue in Manchester, England. Locally known as The Apollo, it is a listed building, with a capacity of 3,500 ....
, before promoting the track at summer festivals and an eight-date schools tour around Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. The band encouraged people to make a note of the release date and to download the single, with Lindz West, LZ7's frontman, remarking: "What we don't want is anyone phoning up stations and saying 'Why aren't you playing this song?', because that just creates a bad name for us in the first place. What we do want is people buying it and getting it to the position where it has to go on the radio airplay lists and the stations have to play it."
"This Little Light" was officially released in the UK exclusively as a digital download at midnight on 26 September through download stores such as iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
and 7digital
7digital
7digital is a privately held digital media delivery company based in the United Kingdom, offering downloadable music, video and movies to customers primarily within major European markets...
. It featured alongside remixes from Kenny Hayes and Starz Angels as part of a four-track EP, which was sold by record label Fierce! as a charity record
Charity record
A charity record is a release of a song for a specific charitable cause. Some of the earliest charity records came from the Music for UNICEF Concert, with ABBA's Chiquitita and the Bee Gees' Too Much Heaven among them released as singles, with all the royalties going to UNICEF...
to benefit Shine Your Light. After selling over 11,000 copies in the UK, "This Little Light" charted at Number 26 on the UK Singles Chart and Number 4 on the UK Indie Chart.
Critical reception
As it was released on Fierce!—an independent label—"This Little Light" received little radio airplayAirplay
* Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay...
and few reviews from mainstream music critics. What reviews it did receive were generally favourable. Tony Cummings
Tony Cummings
-Biography:His journalistic career started in 1973 as a writer for Black Music magazine. Over the next few years he interviewed such artists as Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind & Fire, Michael Jackson and hundreds more. He stopped writing for the magazine in 1976 and converted to Christianity in 1980...
of Cross Rhythms
Cross Rhythms
Cross Rhythms is a Christian media organisation based in Stoke-on-Trent, England.-History:The roots of what was to become Cross Rhythms go back to two separate sources which merged in 1991. In 1983, broadcaster Chris Cole started a 30-minute weekly Christian music radio show on Plymouth Sound FM, a...
gave the single eight out of ten, and said that it had "all the mixture of pop savvy and street vibe that could connect with a mass audience". Jono Davies of Louder Than the Music gave "This Little Light" five stars out of five, calling it a "very catchy pop Hip Hop song". Natalie Clark of SouthSonic gave the song four out of five, and described it as a "definite buy for alternative music lovers". A slightly more mixed review came from James Masterton
James Masterton
James Masterton is a headline columnist for the music website Yahoo! Launch. He writes a weekly column analysing new entries in the UK Singles Chart...
of Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
, who said that "as a pop record it isn't half bad", but that it was "never going to be particularly cool, no how hard anyone tries".
Music videos
Two official music videos for "This Little Light" were produced, one for each version of the song. The first video, filmed in 2008, was used to promote the original version of "This Little Light" that featured on Gasoline. It was filmed at Rose Bridge High School in WiganWigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
, and begins by showing a group of teenagers in detention. An ice cream van, driven by LZ7 members Lindz West and Louis Read, drives onto the school grounds and parks next to the detention hall. Read begins playing "This Little Light" through the van's stereo system—hearing the song, the young people in detention rush over the window, then run downstairs to the van. West begins handing out glowing lightbulbs to some of the teenagers at the van, who hold them in the air. This sequence is interspersed with shots of LZ7 performing "This Little Light" live in front of a large group of young people outside Rose Bridge Sports & Community Centre. The video was uploaded to The Message Trust
The Message Trust
The Message Trust is an award-winning Christian charity working to improve the lives of young people in Greater Manchester, UK and beyond through the Eden Network....
's official YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel in November 2008. , it has been viewed nearly 268,000 times.
A second music video for "This Little Light" was specially filmed in 2010 to accompany the release of the new remixed version. It begins with shots of the members of LZ7 walking towards a tower block
Tower block
A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, office tower, apartment block, or block of flats, is a tall building or structure used as a residential and/or office building...
estate, in front of which they then perform the song. The video features three stories of people being either generous or compassionate: the first shows a young man delivering a bottle of milk to an elderly lady, the second shows another young man helping someone push start their car, and the final story shows a young woman consoling another young woman, who is crying. These stories are cut between shots of LZ7 performing "This Little Light" both in front of the tower block and in front of garages. This second video was uploaded to The Message Trust's official YouTube channel in August 2010. , it has been viewed over 246,000 times.
Track listing
Chart performance
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
External links
- "This Little Light" at Last.fmLast.fmLast.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m ....