No Matter What (Badfinger song)

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"No Matter What"
NMW.jpg
Cover of the 1970 UK single
Single by Badfinger
from the album No Dice
B-side
  • "Better Days" (UK)
  • "Carry on Till Tomorrow" (US)
Released6 November 1970 (1970-11-06)
RecordedMay 1970
Genre
Length2:57
LabelApple
Songwriter(s)Pete Ham
Producer(s)Mal Evans
Badfinger singles chronology
"Come and Get It"
(1969) 		"No Matter What"
(1970) 		"Day After Day"
(1971)
"No Matter What"
Def-Leppard-No-Matter-What-single.jpg
Single by Def Leppard
from the album Yeah!
Released2005
GenreHard rock
LabelBludgeon Riffola - Mercury
Songwriter(s)Pete Ham
Def Leppard singles chronology
"Four Letter Word"
(2003) 		"No Matter What"
(2005) 		"Rock On"
(2006)

"No Matter What" is a song originally recorded by Badfinger for their album No Dice in 1970, written and sung by Pete Ham and produced by Mal Evans.

Recording[]

As a demo, "No Matter What" was originally recorded at a slower tempo by Ham on acoustic guitar (as heard on the posthumous Ham solo CD 7 Park Avenue). A group demo version of the song played at the same tempo as Ham's acoustic demo was recorded by Badfinger on April 18, 1970 [4] with Mal Evans producing. The song was recorded again in a more rockier version at a faster tempo by the band in May 1970 at Abbey Road Studios and it was this version that appeared on the album and single.

Although the song and recording was a favourite of Badfinger's shortly after it was recorded, the hierarchy at Apple reportedly was not inclined to release it in any format. It was not until Al Steckler, the American director of Apple in New York, hearing the tape in August 1970 and considering it a strong entry by the band, that it was remixed by engineer/producer Geoff Emerick[5] and slotted for the upcoming LP and as a single release.

This song is also noted for its false ending, after the final chorus, where, after a short pause, the song repeats the last line twice before its final ending chord.

Release[]

In the United States (October 12, 1970), Canada, The Philippines and a few other countries [6] the single was released with the Tom Evans–Pete Ham song "Carry On Till Tomorrow", the theme song for the movie The Magic Christian, as the B-side. This was an edited version of the recording that appeared on Badfinger's previous album, Magic Christian Music. In all other countries, the single was backed with the Tom Evans–Joey Molland song "Better Days", which also appeared on No Dice.

Reception[]

It was the band's first UK Top 10 single to be composed by Badfinger, reaching number 5 in the UK in January 1971. In the US it peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.[7] In South Africa it topped the charts. The band also scored with "Come and Get It", number 4 in the UK in January 1970, which was composed by Paul McCartney, and "Day After Day", number 10 in the UK in January 1972.

The song is notable for being one of the first successful records associated with the power pop sound, using all of the elements attributed to the genre. A subsequent single released by Badfinger, "Baby Blue" (Billboard number 14, 1972), along with several album tracks in a similar vein, succeeded in categorising the band themselves as power pop. This song is ranked number 1 on VH1's "20 Essential Power Pop Tracks That Will Be Stuck In Your Head Forever".[8]

In film and television[]

  • Wayne's World 2, 1993 (the song was later edited out due to lack of publishing clearances)
  • Now and Then, 1995
  • Outside Providence, 1999
  • The In-Laws, 2003
  • Will & Grace, 2003 (television program)
  • 20th Century Boys (manga)
  • Horrible Bosses 2, 2014 (the song's melody was used as a doorbell chime and the full song was used in the closing credits)
  • Divorce, 2018, Season 2 Episode 2, "Happy Now?" (almost all of the song played over the closing credits)
  • A.P. Bio, 2018, Season 1 Episode, "Eight Pigs and a Rat". Played before closing credits.

Personnel[]

Badfinger version[]

Def Leppard version[]

Chart performance[]

References[]

  1. ^ Unterberger, Richie. Badfinger - No Matter What at AllMusic. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  2. ^ Runtagh, Jordan (8 April 2016). "Catchy, Loud and Proud: 20 Essential Power Pop Tracks That Will Be Stuck In Your Head Forever". VH1. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  3. ^ Joe, Bosso (21 November 2010). "Badfinger's Joey Molland on The Beatles, Apple Records reissues and tragedy". MusicRadar. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  4. ^ "The Iveys & Badfinger recording sessions".
  5. ^ "The Iveys & Badfinger recording sessions".
  6. ^ "Badfinger singles: No Matter What".
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 42.
  8. ^ "Catchy, Loud and Proud: 20 Essential Power Pop Tracks That Will be Stuck in Your Head Forever".
  9. ^ Hung, Steffen. "Forum - Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts - 1980s (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  10. ^ "Ultratop.be – Badfinger – No Matter What" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  11. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3733." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  12. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – No Matter What". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  13. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Badfinger – No Matter What" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  14. ^ "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  15. ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  16. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  17. ^ "Badfinger Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  18. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Badfinger – No Matter What". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 20 February 2019. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON Badfinger"
  19. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca. 17 July 2013.
  20. ^ "Australian Chart Book". Austchartbook.com.au. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  21. ^ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1971". Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  22. ^ 1971 in British music#Best-selling singles

External links[]

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