Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit
"Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" | ||||
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File:Ooh Aah...Just a Little Bit.jpg | ||||
Single by Gina G | ||||
from the album Fresh! | ||||
Released | 25 March 1996 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:24 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Steve Rodway | |||
Gina G singles chronology | ||||
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1997 Japanese/US release cover | ||||
File:Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit 2.jpg | ||||
Official audio | ||||
"Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" on YouTube |
"Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" is the debut solo single of Australian singer Gina G. The song was written by British songwriters Simon Caldwell and Steve Rodway, and released on 25 March 1996 as the first single from her debut album, Fresh! (1997). It reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart almost two months later and was also a number-one hit in Israel. In the US, the song peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was the United Kingdom's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996, held in Oslo, Norway, where it finished in eighth place. It was successful on the charts in Europe, Australia and the US, and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording.
BuzzFeed listed the song at No. 25 in their list of "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s" in 2017.[4]
Critical reception
Scottish newspaper Aberdeen Evening Express described the song as a "slice of cheesy Europop", adding that "you'll grow to either love or hate it!"[5] AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it a "great guilty pleasure".[6] A reviewer from Austin American-Statesman deemed it "perky".[7] J. D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun said that "from its Moog-style synthesizer hook to the galloping electrobeats that drive the chorus, Gina G's "Ooh Aah . . . Just a Little Bit" is clearly a throwback to the sort of synth-pop that owned the airwaves in the late '80s."[8] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that "adorable Australian ingénue has already enjoyed massive pop success throughout Europe with this instantly infectious hi-NRG dance ditty. It's easy to predict this single scoring similarly high marks here, thanks in large part to her kewpiedoll vocals and the song's tasty, sugarcoated melody. You'll be singing along to the song's chorus before the track's close, while a bevy of meaty remixes will have you happily twitching around the room."[9] Richard Paton from The Blade declared it as a "smash", that "kicks off" the album of "vibrant dance pop".[10] Can't Stop the Pop described it as a "rollicking tour-de-force" and "relentless, dizzying rush from start to finish". They stated that "the timing of Ooh Aah…Just A Little Bit was perfect; it bottled the Eurodance sound of the early '90s and siphoned it down into a traditionally structured pop song."[11] Swedish newspaper Expressen called it a "sticky yummy pop pastry".[12]
Tom Ewing from Freaky Trigger opined it as a "glossy hi-tack" song. He added further, "It's brisk, good-quality bubblegum: a springy keyboard part, a chugging rhythm, and a few fine lines – "Every night makes me hate the days" – laid down with enough conviction to cross the line between corny and effective."[13] Göteborgs-Tidningen deemed it a "danceable naughty pop song".[14] L.A. Weekly wrote that it is "an expert confection of interlocking speed-stuttered repetitious-trance electro-breakdance beats, above which Gina G breathily metronomes too-childlike-to-be-suggestive "ooh ahh"s as if she were a Kit-Cat clock ticking and tocking its way to the bank, its Cheshire smile bursting with catnip."[15] British magazine Music Week rated it four out of five, adding that "its immediacy, jollity and credibility should stand it in good stead."[16] NME described it as a "frenzy of techno-friendly tunefulness",[17] noting its "unshakeable" chorus.[18] A reviewer from People Magazine stated that Gina G is adding a "dusky undercurrent and a teasing touch of sultriness" to the song.[19] Pop Rescue viewed it as "incredibly catchy".[20] Dan Barrow from The Quietus wrote that the song "enters the realms of unguilty pleasure mostly through its chorus, where the vocal drops registers of excitement to an almost-whisper, just as the arpeggios hit their peaks of Euro-trance intensity, the memory of house piano – the signifier of anticipation and release – leaking through the chorus. The high, almost toxic sheen of its opening fanfare of notes, a gateway drug to more louche pleasures."[21] John Everson from SouthtownStar said it "should be the dance club sensation of the year", describing it as "a pure hair-flipping bit of flirting, teasing fun. This is just the sort of fodder to form into a perfect pop hit". He also noted its "Erasure-esque galloping beat".[22] Charles Aaron from Spin called the song a "synthy magic carpet".[23]
Chart performance
"Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" initially entered the UK singles chart at No. 6 on Sunday 31 March and two weeks later climbed to No. 2. The song spent another five weeks in the top 3, climbing to No. 1 (in its 8th week) the day after Gina's performance at Eurovision, on 19 May[24] and would spend a further 15 weeks in the top 75. As of 2021, the song is still the last Eurovision entry of the United Kingdom to peak at the top of the country's chart. In Israel the single reached No. 1. In Australia, Denmark, Hungary and Norway it peaked within the top 5. And in Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, Scotland and Sweden the song peaked within the top 10. On the European Eurochart Hot 100 it peaked at No. 9.
The song was also successful in the United States, a rarity for Eurovision entries. Released in the US in November 1996, it peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1997, and spent a total of 30 weeks on the Hot 100. It also reached No. 13 on the Rhythmic Top 40, No. 5 on the Mainstream Top 40, No. 25 on the Adult Top 40, No. 4 on the Hot Dance/Club Play Songs, and No. 11 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart. It is the fourth highest charting Eurovision entry in the US behind "Nel blu dipinto du blu (Volare)" (No. 1 in 1958), "Waterloo" (No. 6 in 1974) and "Eres tú" (No. 9 in 1974); it remained the last Eurovision entry to chart in the US until "Arcade", the 2019 winning entry, did so (No. 30 in 2021).[25]
Such was the song's success in the United States, it was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 1998 Grammy Awards.[26] In 2012, "Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" was ranked No. 45 in NME's list of the "50 best-selling tracks of the 90s", adding that the song sold 790,000.[27]
Performance at Eurovision 1996 final
![]() | |
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Eurovision Song Contest 1996 entry | |
Country | |
Artist(s) | |
Language | English |
Composer(s) | |
Lyricist(s) | Simon Tauber |
Conductor | Ernie Dunstall |
Finals performance | |
Final result | 8th |
Final points | 77 |
Entry chronology | |
◄ "Love City Groove" (1995) | |
"Love Shine a Light" (1997) ► |
On the night of the Eurovision 1996 final – held on 18 May 1996 in Oslo Spektrum, Norway – "Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" was performed 2nd in a field of 23 songs being preceded by the Turkish entry "Beşinci Mevsim", with the Spanish entry "¡Ay, qué deseo!", following as the 3rd entry of Eurovision 1996. Conductor Ernie Dunstall orchestrated and conducted "Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" on stage with a minimal orchestral accompaniment. A tiny string accompaniment was added to the backing track produced by Rodway.[28] Two female dancers dressed in pink and yellow backed up Gina G, dressed in a short thigh-skimming glittery metal dress. The dress was originally custom made for Cher by Paco Rabanne, but she left it unused hanging in the offices at Warner Bros. Records until Gina G stumbled across it just a few days before the contest. The dress was then shortened slightly for Ms G.[29]
In 1996, the rules required every instrument used on the backing track to appear on stage. The backing track used for the UK entry relied heavily on computer generated sounds and techno beats. As a result, two Apple Mac personal computers were on the stage - one beside each synthesizer. United Kingdom and Gina G received 12 points from two countries: Portugal and Belgium. The song finished in 8th place overall,[30] the winner being Ireland with "The Voice", sung by Eimear Quinn. The result led to a big overhaul in the contest's voting system, with the introduction of televoting in several participating countries the following year, a practice rolled out across the board in 1998.
Music video
The song's music video was directed by Fruit Salad with photography directed by Peter Sinclair.[31] It features Gina G with three background female dancers performing in a passageway with a brightly lit ceiling, teasing a pair of well-dressed guys. The song's lyrics are used in a sexually suggestive, but playful manner.[32] While it had airtime on several music video channels globally, the video would also be the first song to be "banned" after being voted on by MTV's 12 Angry Viewers in 1998, despite never receiving much airtime on the US channel. MTV's sister channel VH1 gave the video more moderate airplay time.[citation needed]
Track listings
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Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
Certifications
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Release history
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
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United Kingdom | 25 March 1996 |
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[78] | |
United States | 26 November 1996 | Rhythmic contemporary radio | Warner Bros. | [79] |
References
- ^ Vincent, Peter (1 May 2014). "Australian Eurovision invasion predates Jessica Mauboy". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (19 October 1996). "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. – via Google Books.
- ^ "Eurovision: the best losers, from Gina G to Baccara". www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ^ "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
- ^ Aberdeen Evening Express. 19 March 1996. p. 26. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Gina G. - Fresh". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ^ "Just a Little Bit' singer sees pop as therapeutic". Austin American-Statesman. 22 February 1997. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ^ Considine, J.D. (13 March 1997). "NEW ON CD". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ^ Flick, Larry (19 October 1996). "New & Noteworthy" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- ^ Paton, Richard (4 May 1997). "SOUNDS: "FRESH!" Gina G". The Blade. p. 47. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Gina G – Ooh Aah…Just A Little Bit". Can't Stop the Pop. 23 March 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
- ^ Expressen. 21 March 1997.
- ^ Ewing, Tom (21 November 2013). "GINA G – "Ooh Aah… Just A Little Bit"". Freaky Trigger. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
- ^ Göteborgs-Tidningen. 14 May 1996.
- ^ (8 May 1997). "Music". p. 38. L.A. Weekly.
- ^ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 24 February 1996. p. 23. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
- ^ "GINA G Fresh". NME. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- ^ "50 best-selling tracks of the '90s". NME. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Fresh!". People. 12 May 1997. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- ^ "REVIEW: "FRESH!" BY GINA G (CD, 1997)". Pop Rescue. 11 September 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ Barrow, Dan (4 August 2014). "Absolved! The Quietus Writers' 50 Favourite Guilt-Free Pleasures". The Quietus. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ Everson, John (27 March 1997). "'Fresh!' makes a good sound to chew on". p. 20. SouthtownStar.
- ^ Aaron, Charles (1 September 1997). "Singles". Spin. p. 118. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 19 May 1996 - 25 May 1996". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ "Duncan Laurence's 'Arcade' Is First Eurovision Song Contest Winner to Hit Hot 100 in 45 Years". Billboard. 13 April 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
- ^ Campbell, Mary (7 January 1998). "Rock veterans Dylan, McCartney face off for album of year". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Block Communications. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
- ^ "50 best-selling tracks of the '90s". NME (21 May 2012). 21 May 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
- ^ "And the conductor is...Ernie Dunstall". andtheconductoris.eu.
- ^ "Eurovision UK: Interview with Gina G [part 1]". esctoday.com.
- ^ "Eurovision Song Contest : Entries to the Eurovision Final : ESC-History".
- ^ "Gina G - Ooh Aah... Just A Little Bit (1996) - IMVDb". IMVDb. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- ^ "Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" on YouTube
- ^ Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit (UK CD1 & Australian CD single liner notes). Gina G. Eternal Records, WEA. 1996. WEA041CD, 0630-14062-2.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit (UK CD2 liner notes). Gina G. Eternal Records, WEA. 1996. WEA041CDX, 0630-15099-2.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Gina G. Eternal Records, WEA. 1996. WEA041T, 0630-14369-0.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit (UK cassette single sleeve). Gina G. Eternal Records, WEA. 1996. WEA041C, 0630-14343-4.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit (European CD single liner notes). Gina G. Eternal Records, WEA. 1996. 0630-14343-9.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit (US CD single liner notes). Gina G. Warner Bros. Records. 1996. 2-17455.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Gina G. Warner Bros. Records. 1996. 7-17455.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit (US cassette single sleeve). Gina G. Warner Bros. Records. 1996. 4-17455.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit (US maxi-CD single liner notes). Gina G. Warner Bros. Records. 1996. 9 43802-2.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). Gina G. Warner Bros. Records. 1996. 0-43802.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ^ "Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 7770." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 27. 6 July 1996. p. 14. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 29. 20 July 1996. p. 15. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 22. 1 June 1996. p. 13. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ "Gina G: Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
- ^ "Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 32. 10 August 1996. p. 11. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (08.06.1996 – 14.06.1996)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 8 June 1996. p. 26. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Ooh Aah...Just a Little Bit". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ Israel Top 30: 1 week at No. 1 (14 May 1996)
- ^ "Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" (in Dutch). top40.nl. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ "GINA G - OOH AAH... JUST A LITTLE BIT" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit". Top 40 Singles.
- ^ "Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit". VG-lista.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ "Gina G – Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit". Singles Top 100.
- ^ "Gina G: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
- ^ "The RM UK On A Pop Tip Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 16 March 1996. p. 9. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
- ^ "Gina G Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ "Gina G Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ "Gina G Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ "Gina G Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ "Gina G Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ "Gina G Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ a b "1996 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1996" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ "RPM Year-End Dance Top 50". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ "1996 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 51/52. 21 December 1996. p. 12. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- ^ "Årslista Singlar, 1996" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
- ^ "everyHit.com – Top 10 Singles of 1996". Everyhit.com. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1997". Longboredsurfer.com. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
- ^ "British single certifications – Gina G – Just a Little Bit". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
- ^ "News File" (PDF). Music Week. 30 March 1996. p. 3. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
- ^ "New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1173. 22 November 1996. p. 38. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
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- 1996 debut singles
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