Milton was born James Milton Campbell, Jr., in the Mississippi Delta town of Inverness and raised in Greenville by a farmer and local blues musician.[2] By age twelve he had learned the guitar and was a street musician, chiefly influenced by T-Bone Walker and his blues and rock and roll contemporaries.[2] In 1952, while still a teenager playing in local bars, he caught the attention of Ike Turner, who was at that time a talent scout for Sam Phillips' Sun Records. He signed a contract with the label and recorded a number of singles. None of them broke through onto radio or sold well at record stores, however, and Milton left the Sun label by 1955.[2]
After trying several labels without notable success, including Trumpet Records,[3] Milton set up the St. Louis based Bobbin Records label, which ultimately scored a distribution deal with Leonard Chess' Chess Records.[2] As a record producer, Milton helped bring artists such as Albert King and Fontella Bass to fame, while experiencing his own success for the first time.[2] After a number of small format and regional hits, his 1962 single, "So Mean to Me," broke onto the Billboard R&B chart, eventually peaking at #14.
Following a short break to tour, managing other acts, and spending time recording new material, he returned to music in 1965 with a more polished sound, similar to that of B.B. King. After the ill-received "Blind Man" (R&B: #86), he released back-to-back hit singles. The first, "We're Gonna Make It," a blues-infused soul song, topped the R&B chart and broke through onto Top 40 radio, a format then dominated largely by white artists. He followed the song with #4 R&B hit "Who's Cheating Who?" All three songs were featured on his album, We're Gonna Make It, released that summer.
Throughout the late 1960s Milton released a number of moderately successful singles, but did not issue a further album until 1969, with Grits Ain't Groceries featuring his hit of the same name, as well as "Just a Little Bit" and "Baby, I Love You". With the death of Leonard Chess the same year, Milton's distributor, Checker Records fell into disarray, and Milton joined the Stax label two years later.[2] Adding complex orchestration to his works, Milton scored hits with "That's What Love Will Make You Do" and "What It Is" from his live album, What It Is: Live at Montreux. He appeared in the documentary film, Wattstax, which was released in 1973.[4] Stax, however, had been losing money since late in the previous decade and was forced into bankruptcy in 1975.[2]
After leaving Stax, Milton struggled to maintain a career, moving first to Evidence, then the MCA imprint Mobile Fidelity Records, before finding a home at the independent record label, Malaco Records, where he remained for much of the remainder of his career.[2] His last hit single, "Age Ain't Nothin' But a Number," was released in 1983 from the album of the same name.[2] In 1988, Little Milton was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and won a W.C. Handy Award.[2] His most final album, Think of Me, was released in May 2005 on the Telarc imprint, and included writing and guitar on three songs by Peter Shoulder of the UK-based blues-rock trio Winterville.
The name 'Little Milton' was reused for Gerald Bostock, the fictional boy poet central to Jethro Tull's 1972 record Thick as a Brick.
Milton died on August 4, 2005 from complications following a stroke.
Just a Little Bit
Little Milton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't want much
I just want a little bit
No, I don't want it all, no no
I just want a little bit
Give me a eeny weeny bit
Just a teeny weeny bit of your love
Turn your light down low, oh baby
Kind of slip me a kiss
Turn your light down low right now
I just can't resist
From a teeny weeny bit
Just a eeny weeny bit of your love
Oh yeah, come on now
Oh my goodness, it's all right
Ooh wee baby, yeah
I tell you I need it
Ooh wee, girl, yeah
Oh come on, all right, baby
I tell you rt's all right
Right, right now
Give me a eeny weeny bit
Oh a teeny weeny bit of your love
Listen
I want you forever, yes I do
Not just for peace of mind
Please say you'll never
You'll never leave me
Now till the end of time
Gotta have a teeny weeny bit
Oh a eeny weeny bit of your love
Give me a teeny weeny bit
Oh a eeny weeny bit of your love
Oh I tell you I need it, oh baby
I've got to have tt
Won't you give it to me right now...
Little Milton's song Just A Little Bit is a classic R&B track released in 1957. The lyrics are about wanting just a little bit of love from someone special. The singer emphasizes that he doesn't want everything from his love interest, just a small portion of their affection. The lyrics start with the singer asking to be heard, and then goes on to express his desire to have just a teeny weeny bit of love, something that can be obtained just with the slip of a kiss, a little bit of light, and some tender moments together. The singer then proclaims that he needs this love forever and begs his love interest to never leave him.
The lyrics of the song showcase the classic themes of R&B music from that era, such as romantic love, intimacy, and desire. The song has been covered by many artists over the years and has become a staple of the genre. The song's simple yet effective lyrics make it a feel-good song, and the catchy melody ensures it remains a beloved classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh hear me now
Listen to me carefully
I don't want much
I don't need everything
I just want a little bit
I just need a small amount
No, I don't want it all, no no
I am not being greedy
Give me a eeny weeny bit
Give me a very small amount
Just a teeny weeny bit of your love
I only need a little bit of your affection
Turn your light down low, oh baby
Dim the lights, my love
Kind of slip me a kiss
Give me a soft and gentle kiss
Turn your light down low right now
Dim the lights immediately
I just can't resist
I am unable to control my feelings
Oh yeah, come on now
I am urging you to act now
Oh my goodness, it's all right
It is okay to do it
Ooh wee baby, yeah
You stir up intense emotions in me
I tell you I need it
I am expressing my desire for it
Ooh wee, girl, yeah
You have a strong effect on me
Oh come on, all right, baby
Please go ahead, my love
I tell you rt's all right
I am assuring you that it is okay
Right, right now
Immediately
Listen
Pay attention to what I am saying
I want you forever, yes I do
I desire you for the rest of my life
Not just for peace of mind
It is not just about being calm and relaxed
Please say you'll never
Promise me that you will not
You'll never leave me
You will never abandon me
Now till the end of time
Until the very end
Gotta have a teeny weeny bit
I have to possess a little amount
Oh a teeny weeny bit of your love
I only need a small amount of your love
I tell you I need it, oh baby
I insist that I require it
I've got to have tt
I must have it
Won't you give it to me right now...
Please give it to me immediately
Writer(s): Patrick L Brown, Patrick Brown, E. Washington, J. Thornton, R. Bass, J Thornton
Contributed by Jacob I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.