"Give Me an Inch" (or "Give Me an Inch Girl" on some releases) is a song by English singer Robert Palmer, which was released in 1976 as the second single from his second studio album Pressure Drop (1975). The song was written by Palmer and produced by Steve Smith. "Give Me an Inch" reached No. 6 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chartUS Hot 100 Bubbling Under at Top40Weekly.com. Retrieved 20 October 2024. and No. 88 on the Cash Box Top 100 Singles chart.Billboard magazine - Bubbling Under the Hot 100 - 17 January 1976 - page 23Cash Box magazine - Cash Box Top 100 Singles - 13 March 1976 - page 4
Critical reception Upon release, Cash Box commented: "Fine, fine lyrics and a boiling production full of soaring strings, steady drums and sultry bass, flutes in the background. Palmer's voice personifies the storyline which intimates that he's ready for the love that's finally crossed his path."Cash Box magazine - Singles Reviews: Picks of the Week - January 24, 1976 - page 19 In a review of Pressure Drop, Billboard listed the song as one of the album's "best cuts". In a retrospective review of the album, David Jeffries of AllMusic commented: "...the soft songs are well written and convincing, especially the opening "Give Me an Inch"."
Track listing 7" single "Give Me an Inch" – 3:17 "Pressure Drop" – 5:28
Charts Chart (1976)PeakpositionUS Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 1006US Cash Box Top 100 Singles88
Ian Matthews version
In 1978, English singer-songwriter Iain Matthews recorded "Give Me an Inch" for his ninth studio album Stealin' Home. Matthews told The Huffington Post in 2014, "I was a peripheral Robert [Palmer] fan. I knew him when I lived in England and had followed his musical development. I heard the song and wanted to interpret it." Reviewing Stealin' Home for Rolling Stones syndicated record review column, Stephen Holden assessed Matthews' version as "more compelling" than the original preferring "Matthews' rock treatment [with its] eschewing [of] the pretentious string arrangements that mar much of Palmer's music."Regina Leader Post 9 December 1978 Rolling Stone by Stephen Holden p.83 Released as the followup single to the Top 20 hit "Shake It", "Give Me an Inch" afforded Matthews a final Billboard Hot 100 entry, peaking at No. 67 in April 1979.
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