"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.
"Give a Little Bit" was a chart hit in the band's native UK, reaching number 29 on the UK Singles Chart.[3] 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.[4] 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."