Give Me Just a Little More Time

Album: Chairmen of the Board (1970)
Charted: 3 3
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Songfacts®:

  • After writing 130 charting songs for Motown Records, the songwriting/production team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland left the label in 1968 in a dispute over royalties - Berry Gordy's refusal to pay them. The trio formed their own labels: Invictus and Hot Wax, and signed Freda Payne, The Honeycone, Laura Lee, and One Hundred Proof Soul. Chairmen of the Board were their stars, with Dozier explaining: "We called them that because of their extraordinary talents. They each played several instruments, sang and wrote songs as well."

    Released on the Invictus label, this had the distinctive Motown sound, with the writing and production from Holland-Dozier-Holland and music by members of Motown's house band The Funk Brothers, including Dennis Coffey on guitar and Bob Babbitt on bass. The song is typical of HDH, with the singer pleading with a girl to give him time to prove his love.
  • Because of their legal battle with Motown, Holland-Dozier-Holland couldn't put their names on the label as songwriters, which made it more difficult for them to promote their songs. They used the pseudonym "Edythe Wayne" on the label. The trio considers their Invictus/Hot Wax work some of their best, but it never achieved the success of their Motown releases, as running a business in addition to creating songs was very difficult. It got ugly in 1972 when Dozier left the team, and the Hollands sued him. It was another 10 years before the trio started talking again.
  • Kylie Minogue covered the song in 1992, taking it to #2 on the UK Singles Chart. Her version marked a shift in Kylie's career; it was her final Top 10 hit with Stock, Aitken & Waterman, signaling her move towards more artistic control.

    "It was my idea," remarked Pete Waterman on Channel 5's Greatest Pop Videos of 1992. "The sales had started to go down and I remember getting up at 4 in the morning, thinking I have to turn this around. So I went through my record collection and up popped Chairman of the Board's "Give Me Just a Little More Time."

Comments: 5

  • Leonard Starr from Steub. Oh.The showmen and Chairmen of the board are one & same !
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyPer: http://www.oldiesmusic.com/news.htm {01-13-2018}...
    Danny Woods, singer with the Detroit-based Chairmen of the Board on such hits as "Give Me Just A Little More Time" (#3 in 1970) and "Pay To The Piper" (#13 in 1971), died Friday (January 12th, 2018).The Atlanta native was 73...
    The group was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 1999...
    May he R.I.P.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn May 16th 1970, the Chairmen of the Board performed "Give Me Just a Little More Time" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
    Two months earlier on March 15th, 1970 it had peaked at #3 {for 1 week} and stayed on the Top 100 for 15 weeks...
    It reached #8 on Billboard's R&B Singles chart...
    On the same 'Bandstand' show the quartet also performed "You Got Me Dangling On A String"; at the time it was at #59 on the Top 100, and on June 7th, 1970 it would peak at #38 {for 1 week} and it spent 9 weeks on the chart...
    They had four other Top 100 records; "Everything's Tuesday" {#38}, "Pay to the Piper" {#13}, "Chairmen of the Board" {#42}, and "Finder's Keepers" {#59}.
  • Camille from Toronto, OhOkay, about this song, "Give Me Just A Little More Time". It rocks. Loved it when I was 12 years old and it was popular. Never knew till now, 2012, that the group was comprised of black members. I love the part in the song where the singer does the 'brrrrrrrrrr'. And the way he sings and pleads the whole way through, as tho there truly is a tear in his voice. This tune is not played often enough on oldies radio.
  • Camille from Toronto, OhWow. Who knew? I followed the Songfacts link to "more songs written by Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland or Brian Holland, and here's an amazing list:
    (Love Is Like a) Heat Wave - Martha & the Vandellas
    1-2-3 - Len Barry
    Baby I Need Your Loving - The Four Tops
    Baby Love - The Supremes
    Band of Gold - Freda Payne
    Bernadette - The Four Tops
    Can I Get A Witness - Marvin Gaye
    Come and Get These Memories - Martha & the Vandellas
    Forever Came Today - The Supremes
    Give Me Just a Little More Time - Chairmen of the Board
    How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You - Marvin Gaye
    I Hear a Symphony - The Supremes
    In and Out of Love - The Supremes
    Jimmy Mack - Martha & the Vandellas
    Leaving Here - Eddie Holland
    Love Is Here and Now You're Gone - The Supremes
    Nothing But Heartaches - The Supremes
    Nowhere to Run - Martha & the Vandellas
    Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes
    Reach Out I'll Be There - The Four Tops
    Reflections - The Supremes
    Stop! In the Name of Love - The Supremes
    Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While) - The Doobie Brothers
    The Happening - The Supremes
    There's A Ghost In My House - R. Dean Taylor
    This Old Heart Of Mine - The Isley Brothers
    When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes - The Supremes
    Where Did Our Love Go - The Supremes
    You Can't Hurry Love - The Supremes
    You Keep Me Hangin' On - The Supremes
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