Just A Little Bit

Album: Outsideinside (1968)
Charted: 92
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Just a Little Bit" is one of two Blue Cheer singles to break the Billboard 100, and the only of their originals to do so (the other was their remake of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues").

    Blue Cheer will never be mistaken for poets with "Just a Little Bit" lyrics like:

    You have a strange desire
    When you walk across the ground
    Then you set the world on fire


    But poetry was never the band's calling card. Blue Cheer was all about volume, and "Just a Little Bit" stands as a proud testament. The song comes right out of the gate with distortion, frenetic drumming, and Dickie Peterson's snarling vocals. There's no softening or fade out at the end, either. It ends as it began, a sonic assault way ahead of its time.
  • The reliance on noise in this track wasn't always appreciated. In a particularly harsh review from the era, Mike Jahn of Pop Scene Service (November 1, 1968) wrote of Outsideinside, "Dick Peterson plays bass as though it was made out of a wash-tub and sings very much like an asthmatic frog... Blue Cheer is just not to be taken seriously, not by real musicians and certainly not by those who buy records."

    Despite the critics' feelings, Blue Cheer won their place in music history as one of the formative influences of the heavy metal genre. "Just a Little Bit" stands as one of their landmark songs.
  • In 2004, Rush made an album of covers titled Feedback. On that album, they did a version of "Summertime Blues" that combined the Who's version with Blue Cheer's, closing with the drum pattern from the latter.

Comments: 1

  • Dan Gillespy from Courtenay BcA good classic rock song that deserves more credit than it gets.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?Fact or Fiction

Bradley Cooper, Michael J. Fox, Rami Malek, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and George Clooney: Which actors really sang in their movies?

Alan Merrill of The Arrows

Alan Merrill of The ArrowsSongwriter Interviews

In her days with The Runaways, Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock And Roll," which Alan Merrill co-wrote - that story and much more from this glam rock pioneer.

Dino Cazares of Fear Factory

Dino Cazares of Fear FactorySongwriter Interviews

The guitarist/songwriter explains how he came up with his signature sound, and deconstructs some classic Fear Factory songs.

Rob Halford of Judas Priest

Rob Halford of Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford dives into some of his Judas Priest lyrics, talking about his most personal songs and the message behind "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

Crystal Waters

Crystal WatersSongwriter Interviews

Waters tells the "Gypsy Woman" story, shares some of her songwriting insights, and explains how Dennis Rodman ended up on one of her songs.