A Little Respect

"A Little Respect" is a song written and recorded by the English synth-pop duo Erasure, released in September 1988. It was written by Vince Clarke and Andy Bell. The lyrics are a plea to a lover to show compassion and respect. The heavily synthesized instrumentation is accentuated by acoustic guitar and Bell's vocal falsetto in the chorus. It was their tenth single and was taken from their third studio album, The Innocents. Known as one of their signature songs, the single reached number four on the UK Singles Chart and was Erasure's second consecutive top-20 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it made number 14, and reached number two on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart.

"A Little Respect"
Single by Erasure
from the album The Innocents
B-side
  • "Like Zsa Zsa Zsa Gabor"
  • "Love Is Colder Than Death"
Released10 September 1988
Recorded1988
Genre
Length3:32
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Stephen Hague
Erasure singles chronology
"Chains of Love"
(1988)		 "A Little Respect"
(1988)		 "Stop!"
(1988)
Music video
"A Little Respect" on YouTube

There are several remixes of the song. It was originally mixed by Mark Saunders and Phil Legg on the 1988 UK singles, and Justin Strauss for the original US release. In 2006 was remixed by Jadded Alliance for the Future Retro remix compilation sampling some elements of the Justin Strauss' remixes from 1988. In 2009 new remixes appeared: One in the Pop! Remixed UK EP, and one more in the Phantom Bride EP celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Innocents by Wayne G and Alan Allder, the same year, on Erasure's official web site two more mixes appeared for download: one by Glenn Nichols and a dub mix of the Wayne G and Alan Allder mix.

An acoustic version of appears on the Moon & the Sky Plus EP in the UK. And another country acoustic version on the live album On the Road to Nashville.

Critical reception

Darren Lee from The Quietus described it as "a song so giddily exuberant that even the tawdry spectre of Wheatus can't quite tarnish its lustre."[2]

Music video

A music video was made to accompany the song. It was published on YouTube in February 2009. As of November 2020, the video has received over 39 million views.

Impact and legacy

Metro Weekly placed "A Little Respect" at number-one in their ranking of Erasure's 40 Greatest Tracks in 2014.[3] Chris Gerard wrote,

"Opening with that distinct, stately keyboard riff before an acoustic guitar comes in and adds to the rhythm, "A Little Respect" is Erasure at their apex. Very few pop songs can be considered perfect, and this is one of them. It is guaranteed even to this day to get a room full of people singing at the top of their lungs. It just feels good. The heavily rhythmic background, the positive and self-affirming lyrics, Andy Bell's note-perfect vocal delivery… it's a combination that came together to form a song for the ages. It reached #14 in the US and #4 in the UK, but it's had the lasting impact of a #1 hit."

Treblezine included the song in their A History of Synth-Pop in 50 Essential Tracks.[4] They wrote,

"If there's a synth-pop Mount Rushmore, surely Vince Clarke is one of the figures carved on its rockface. He appears here twice, as does a former band, and there are a handful of other short-lived projects we left out. But Clarke's most enduring project is also his most purely pop, with the chart performance to prove it. Erasure had 13 top-10 singles in the UK since 1986, plus three US top-40 singles, including this standout opener of 1988′s The Innocents. At a lean 3:33, Clarke and Andy Bell compress synth-pop innovation and disco-pop immediacy into a perfect moment of transcendent pop glory."

Track listings

Charts and certifications

Wheatus version
"A Little Respect"
Single by Wheatus
from the album Wheatus
Released2 July 2001[20]
Recorded2000
GenrePop rock
Length3:19
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Wheatus
  • Philip A. Jimenez
Wheatus singles chronology
"Teenage Dirtbag"
(2000)		 "A Little Respect"
(2001)		 "Wannabe Gangstar" / "Leroy"
(2002)

American band Wheatus released the song on 2 July 2001 as the second single from their self-titled debut album. The single peaked at number three in the United Kingdom while reaching number 5 in Ireland and number 19 in Austria.

Critical reception

Ayhan Sahin of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that the version is "surprisingly polished, paying serious homage to Brit synth popsters Andy Bell and Vince Clark." He goes on to say that the structure of the song stays "intact, as does that super-sticky chorus, with acoustic and electric guitars playing back and forth in place of the '80s electronic beats."[21]

Music video

The music video was directed by The Malloys and was released in July 2001. It featured Shawn Hatosy and Brittany Murphy.[22]

Charts and certifications

Other cover versions
  • In 1992, ABBA tribute band Bjorn Again covered the song, scoring a UK number 25 hit with their version.
  • In 1998, the portuguese band Silence 4 covered the song.
  • In 2009 Jody Watley covered the song for her mixed covers/original album 'The Makeover', included only on the international release.[36]
  • In 2011, CoLD SToRAGE recorded a chiptune cover of the track.[37]
  • In 2013, Anna Meredith released a cover of the track on her second EP for Moshi Moshi, Jet Black Raider, under the title "ALR".[38]
  • In 2014, Juice Vocal Ensemble included an arrangement of the track on their second album, Laid Bare: Love Songs.[39]
  • In 2017, JD McPherson covered the track.[40]

References
  1. "Erasure: From Moscow to Mars - An Erasure Anthology". 13 July 2017.
  2. Lee, Darren (27 February 2009). "Erasure – TOTAL POP! ERASURE'S FIRST 40 HITS". The Quietus. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  3. Gerard, Chris (17 September 2014). "Erasure's 40 Greatest Tracks". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  4. "A History of Synth-Pop in 50 Essential Tracks". Treblezine. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  5. "RPM 100 Singles" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49 no. 20. 13 March 1989. p. 6. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  6. Danish Singles Chart 21 October 1988
  7. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 5 no. 44. 29 October 1988. p. 24. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  8. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – A Little Respect". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  9. "Charts.nz – Erasure – A Little Respect". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  10. "Notowanie nr359" (in Polish). LP3. 7 January 1989. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  11. "Swisscharts.com – Erasure – A Little Respect". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  12. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  13. "Erasure Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  14. "Erasure Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  15. "Erasure Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  16. "Erasure Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  17. "Offiziellecharts.de – Erasure – A Little Respect". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  18. Scaping, Peter, ed. (1991). "Top 100 Singles: 1988". BPI YearBook 1989/90. London, England: British Phonographic Industry. pp. 64–65. ISBN 978-0-9061-5410-6.
  19. "British single certifications – Erasure – A Little Respect". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  20. Stavenes Dove, Siri (21 July 2001). "Airborne" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 19 no. 30. p. 14. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  21. Taylor, Chuck, ed. (14 July 2001). "Reviews & Previews – Singles" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 113 no. 28. p. 26. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  22. Featured in Wheatus Music Video 'A Little Respect'. Archived 11 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  23. "Austriancharts.at – Wheatus – A Little Respect" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  24. "Ultratop.be – Wheatus – A Little Respect" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  25. "Ultratop.be – Wheatus – A Little Respect" (in French). Ultratip.
  26. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 19 no. 30. 21 July 2001. p. 11. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  27. "Offiziellecharts.de – Wheatus – A Little Respect". GfK Entertainment Charts.
  28. "Italiancharts.com – Wheatus – A Little Respect". Top Digital Download.
  29. "Charts.nz – Wheatus – A Little Respect". Top 40 Singles.
  30. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  31. "Swisscharts.com – Wheatus – A Little Respect". Swiss Singles Chart.
  32. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  33. "Ireland – Top Singles for 2001". Allcharts. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  34. "The Official UK Singles Chart 2001" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  35. "British single certifications – Wheatus – A Little Respect". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  36. https://www.discogs.com/Jody-Watley-The-Makeover-International-Edition/release/2026570
  40. "Song premiere: JD McPherson covers 'A Little Respect'". The Current. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
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