A Little Respect

"A Little Respect"
Single by Erasure
from the album The Innocents
B-side	"Like Zsa Zsa Zsa Gabor", "Love Is Colder Than Death"
Released	September 19, 1988
Format	12", 7", CD
Recorded	1988
Genre	New Wave, synthpop
Length	3:33
Label	Mute (UK) Sire (U.S.)
Writer(s)	Vince Clarke, Andy Bell
Producer	Stephen Hague
Erasure singles chronology
"Chains of Love" (1988) "A Little Respect" (1988) "Stop!" (1989)

"A Little Respect" is the title of a song written and recorded by British synthpop duo Erasure, released in September 1988 as their tenth single. It was issued as the third European (and second American) single from their album The Innocents.

Known as one of their signature tunes, "A Little Respect" continued Erasure's success on the UK Singles Chart, where it hit number four to become the band's fifth Top 10 single. It was also Erasure's second consecutive Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, where it climbed to number 14, and hit number two on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Songs chart. In the U.S. the remixes were made by Justin Strauss.

Written by Erasure members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, the heavily synthesized instrumentation is accentuated by acoustic guitar and Bell's use of falsetto in the chorus. The lyrics are an empowering plea to a lover to show compassion and respect.

An acoustic version of "A Little Respect" is featured on the Moon & the Sky Plus EP in the UK. The song was remixed in 2006 by Jaded Alliance for the Future Retro compilation, and again in 2009 by Avantara for the Pop! Remixed album and EP and by Wayne G & Andy Allder for inclusion on the Phantom Bride EP.

Erasure remixed and re-released the track in December 2010 as a digital download-only single for charity. Proceeds from the sale of the single benefit the Hetrick-Martin Institute, the home of the Harvey Milk High School in New York, and the True Colors Fund. Called the "HMI Redux", it includes additional vocals from the Hetrick-Martin Institute youth chorus. Numerous HMI youth were featured in the "HMI Redux" music video that accompanied the track. Produced by Laundry Service Media and directed by Jason Stein, the video premiered on the Huffington Post and was featured on Perez Hilton. ^[1][1]

Track listings

7" single (MUTE85)

1. "A Little Respect"
2. "Like Zsa Zsa Zsa Gabor"

12" single (12MUTE85)

1. "A Little Respect" (Extended Mix)
2. "Like Zsa Zsa Zsa Gabor" (Mark Freegard Mix)
3. "Love Is Colder Than Death"

Limited 12" single (L12MUTE85)

1. "A Little Respect" (Big Train Mix)
2. "Like Zsa Zsa Zsa Gabor" (Rico Conning Mix)
3. "Love Is Colder Than Death"

CD single (CDMUTE85)

1. "A Little Respect"
2. "A Little Respect" (Extended Mix)
3. "Like Zsa Zsa Zsa Gabor" (Rico Conning Mix)
4. "Love Is Colder Than Death"

US 12" single (Sire 21059-0)

1. "A Little Respect" (12″ Vocal)
2. "A Little Respect" (12″ House Mix)
3. "A Little Respect" (Extended Mix)
4. "A Little Respect" (Big Train Mix)
5. "Like Zsa Zsa Gabor" (Rico Conning Mix)

US cassette single (Sire 927738-4)

1. "A Little Respect"
2. "Like Zsa Zsa Gabor"

Chart performance

Wheatus version

"A Little Respect"
Single by Wheatus
from the album Wheatus
Released	July 9, 2001
Format	7", CD
Genre	Pop rock
Length	3:19
Label	Columbia
Writer(s)	Vince Clarke, Andy Bell
Producer	Wheatus Philip A. Jimenez
Wheatus singles chronology
"Teenage Dirtbag" (2001) "A Little Respect" (2001) "Wannabe Gangstar" / "Leroy" (2002)

American band Wheatus released the song in July 2001 as their second single from their debut album. The single peaked at number three in the United Kingdom, while reaching number 19 in Austria and number 41 in New Zealand.

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."^[2]

Music video

The music video was directed by The Malloys and premiered in July 2001. It featured actor Shawn Hatosy and actress Brittany Murphy.^[3]

Chart performance (Wheatus version)

Other cover versions

• In 1992, ABBA tribute band Bjorn Again covered the song, scoring a UK #25 hit with their version.
• In 1998, the song was recorded by the Portuguese band Silence 4 for their album Silence Becomes It.
• In 1999, Argentine rock band Attaque 77 included a indie-rock version of "A Little Respect" sung in Spanish in their album Otras Canciones.
• In 2009, Canadian dance/pop act Audio Playground released a cover of the song titled "(A Little) Respect".
• In 2011, Kim Wilde covered the song for her new album "Snapshots".
• In 2011, CoLD SToRAGE recorded a chiptune cover of the track. [1]

Popular culture

• An episode of Scrubs, "My Best Friend's Mistake," repeats the song throughout, comparing it to 'a virus' that keeps spreading.
• In the movie D.E.B.S., Lucy Diamond lip-syncs to this song.
• This song features as downloadable content for the Rock Band video game series.

References