No Matter What (Badfinger song)

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.

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.

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 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]

• 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.

• Lillian Axe – released as a single in 1992, and also appears on the album Poetic Justice (1992)
• A – recorded for the soundtrack of the Rob Schneider movie The Animal (2001)
• R.E.M. (vocals by Mike Mills) – from the fanclub Christmas single (2002)
• Great White – on their cover album Recover recorded in 1989 and released in 2002
• Def Leppard – released as a single in 2005, and also appears on the albums Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection, (2005) and Yeah! (2006)
• Shaw Blades – for the Japanese version of their cover album Influence (2007)
• The Clarks - on their 2005 album Between Now and Then[9]
• Dogstar - on their 1996 album Our Little Visionary
• Jellyfish - on Disc 2 of their Fan Club (2002) (box set of demos, rarities and live performances)

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
• No Matter What (Remastered 2010) on YouTube