"No Matter What" is a song from the 1996 musicalWhistle Down the Wind that was popularised by IrishboybandBoyzone in 1998 when they recorded it to tie in with the show's first UK production. The song was written byAndrew Lloyd Webber andJim Steinman, who also produced the song withNigel Wright. The song was also featured on the US edition of the soundtrack to the 1999 filmNotting Hill, and was released to American radio on 10 May 1999.
The song became Boyzone's fourth number-one on theUK Singles Chart, with its three-week stay atop the chart making it Boyzone's longest-running number-one single as well as being their best-selling UK single, selling 1.4 million copies there as of February 2025.[1] It was also the first ever winner of the annualThe Record of the Year award held onITV in December 1998.[2] It also became the band's first and only song to have any chart success in the US. In New Zealand, the song spent six non-consecutive weeks at number one and ended 1998 as the country's most successful single.
"No Matter What" was written byAndrew Lloyd Webber andJim Steinman for the 1996 musicalWhistle Down the Wind, to be sung by a group of children at the end of Act 1.[3] In the musical, the song is about the naive adoration by the children towards someone they believe to be Jesus; however, for the version recorded by Boyzone, the lyrics have been modified significantly to become a teenage romantic love song.[4]
Ronan Keating said thatStephen Gately was a fan of Lloyd Webber and wanted to be involved inWest End theatre in some way. He approached Lloyd Webber for a song, and was given "No Matter What" to record. Gately first recorded a solo version before the other members ofBoyzone became involved to record the song.[5] Lloyd Webber, Steinman andNigel Wright produced the song, with additional production byFranglen & Lupino.
According to Lloyd Webber, the manager of BoyzoneLouis Walsh disliked the song and did not want to release the song as an A-side. Lloyd Webber chanced uponRichard Park fromCapital Radio at an event; later that day Park asked Lloyd Webber if he had any new material, and Lloyd Webber played for him the song that the label and manager of Boyzone did not want released. Park said: "Listen to Capital Radio in five hours' time because I'm playing this because this is the biggest hit that they will ever have." Park played the song and it became most successful song by Boyzone.[5][6]
British newspaperBirmingham Evening Mail wrote, "Tina Arena has already had one hit from theAndrew Lloyd Webber/Jim Steinman stage musical 'Whistle Down The Wind' - but expect this one to do even better. As a changeStephen Gately shares lead vocals on what is essentially a simple but hugely memorableballad. Prepare that number one spot now."[7] A reviewer fromDaily Record noted that it "shows a depth of maturity that bodes well for the future",[8] later adding that the band "are continuing their efforts to evolve into a group which will be able to appeal to an older audience."[9]
Amusic video was made to accompany the song. The music video was filmed at theRoundhouse in London. It shows an African man leaving in a hot air balloon. The members of Boyzone are standing on the ground watching him depart, joined by a shirtless boy with a guitar and an apple, a girl in a white tank top and grey trousers, and an East Asian woman. The African man eventually drops a small golden crucifix, in reference to the Christian themes ofWhistle Down the Wind.[10]
An alternate version was later produced as a tie-in forNotting Hill, using alternate footage of Boyzone from the same shoot as the original video and clips from the film.[11]
Credits are lifted from theBy Request album booklet.[18]
Studios
Recorded at Skratch Studios,Metropolis Studios,Sarm West Studios (London, England), FLM Studios (Hollywood, California), and Barking Dog Studios (New York City)
Personnel
Andrew Lloyd Webber – music, production, executive production
Jim Steinman – lyrics, production, executive production
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
