"Whatever" is a song by British rock band Oasis, written by the band's lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. The song features extracts from Neil Innes' song "How Sweet to Be an Idiot". It was released 19 December 1994 as a stand-alone single bridging the gap between Oasis' debut album, Definitely Maybe, and their second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. "Whatever" entered the UK Singles Chart at #3, their first single to enter the top 5, something every single released since has also accomplished. The strings were played by the London Session Orchestra, arranged by Nick Ingham and Noel Gallagher. Image File history File links Image Source This image is the cover of an album or single. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Oasis are an English rock band, formed in Manchester in 1991. ... December 19 is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... A CD single is a music single in the form of a compact disc. ... In music, a single is a short (usually ten minutes or less) record, usually featuring one or two tracks as A-sides, often accompanied by several B-sides—usually remixes or other songs. ... The 12-inch [30 cm] single gramophone record gained popularity with the advent of disco music in the 1970s. ... Insert from the Winter cassette single by Tori Amos The cassette single was a music recording format that debuted in the 80s. ... Approximate extent of South Wales South Wales (Welsh: ) is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... Britpop was a British alternative rock genre and movement that was at its most popular in Great Britain in the mid 1990s. ... Rock is a form of popular music with a prominent vocal melody accompanied by electric guitars, a bass guitar, and drums. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... At least two different record labels called Creation Records have existed. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the performers, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes . ... Owen Morris is a music producer who has worked with rock bands such as Oasis and The Verve. ... Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born May 29, 1967 in Burnage, Manchester, England) is the lead songwriter, guitarist and occasional vocalist with the English rock band Oasis. ... A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... The UK Singles Chart is currently compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British record industry. ... Oasis are an English rock band, formed in Manchester in 1991. ... Cigarettes & Alcohol is a song by British rock band Oasis, written by Noel Gallagher. ... Some Might Say is a song by British rock band Oasis, written by the bands lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. ... Rock group (or later rock band) is a generic name to describe a group of musicians specializing in a particular form of electronically amplified music. ... Oasis are an English rock band, formed in Manchester in 1991. ... Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born May 29, 1967 in Burnage, Manchester, England) is the lead songwriter, guitarist and occasional vocalist with the English rock band Oasis. ... Neil Innes (born December 9, 1944) is an English writer and performer of comic songs, best known for playing in the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and later The Rutles. ... December 19 is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... A debut album is the first released record album by an artist or a band. ... An album is a collection of related audio tracks distributed to the public. ... Definitely Maybe is the highly acclaimed debut album of Britpop band Oasis, first released in 1994 on Creation Records. ... Sophomore album is a term for a band or artists second album. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The UK Singles Chart is currently compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British record industry. ... The London Session Orchestra was the recording name used by the London Symphony Orchestra for the 2004 Nightwish album Once. This name was used for legal reasons, as a reduced number of musicians played on the record. ...

The song joins the infectious pop-rock melodies of Definitely Maybe with the more sophisticated lyrics of (What's the Story) Morning Glory, preaching universal tolerance and the acceptance of all ideas and beliefs in a typically straightforward, Mancunian way. The first lines ("I'm free to be whatever I/Whatever I choose/And I'll sing the blues if I want") may have been Noel's reaction to his father's insistence that he join the building trade. Manchester is a major city and metropolitan borough within Greater Manchester in North West England. ...

"Whatever" was released as a contender for the coveted position of Christmas #1, 1994. It is a testament to Noel Gallagher's all-conquering self confidence that he should predict "Whatever"'s success before he was even given a record contract, saying "In the beginning, there was a masterplan, to the extent that I knew that 'Whatever,' one of the first songs I ever wrote, would be a Christmas Top Five hit, but I think anyone who heard the song could have told you that." Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday that marks the traditional birthdate of Jesus of Nazareth. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ...

When Oasis performed the song for Top of the Pops, they mimed and one of the cello players from the symphony was replaced by Bonehead, who clearly had no idea how his instrument is supposed to be played. Towards the end of the song, he gave up the pretense and started using the stick to conduct. A woman plays his rhythm guitar. The song was introduced by Damon Albarn who would later famously feud with Oasis.[1] Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a long-running British music chart television programme, made and broadcast by the BBC. It was originally shown each week, mostly on BBC One, from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. ... Paul Arthurs, (born on 23 June 1965, Manchester) is one of the founding members of British rock group Oasis and rhythm guitar player from 1991-1999. ... Albarn performing at a Blur concert. ...

"Whatever" has been performed live by Oasis many times, sometimes with the ambitious symphony which accompanies the single version, sometimes without. They often end live versions of the song with lyrics adapted from the Beatles song "Octopus's Garden." They have also been known to add the lines "All the young blues....carry the news...", in reference to the Mott the Hoople song "All The Young Dudes". The "blues" are the fans of the Gallaghers' beloved Manchester City F.C.. At their famous performances at Knebworth in August 1996, the song was accompanied throughout by harmonica player Mark Feltham and is generally regarded by fans as one of the highlights of their set. The Beatles were a highly influential English rock band from Liverpool. ... Octopuss Garden is a song written by Ringo Starr with some help from George Harrison, although it is credited solely to Starr. ... Mott the Hoople was a 1970s British rock and roll and glam rock band with strong R&B roots. ... Mott The Hoople’s first album for the Columbia Records label, All The Young Dudes, released in 1972 was a turning point for the struggling 1970s British band. ... Manchester City Football Club are an English football club based in the city of Manchester. ... Knebworth is a village in the north of Hertfordshire, England. ...

The B-Sides of "Whatever" were quite famous as well. One of them, "Slide Away" was already featured on their debut album, Definitely Maybe. The other two - "(It's Good) To Be Free" and "Half The World Away" - were later featured on The Masterplan, a collection of Oasis's best b-sides. "Slide Away" and "Half the World Away" would also be featured on Oasis' 2006 "greatest hits" album, Stop the Clocks, although "Whatever" itself was not included. For the song by The Verve, see Slide Away (Verve song). ... Definitely Maybe is the highly acclaimed debut album of Britpop band Oasis, first released in 1994 on Creation Records. ... Half The World Away is a song by British Rock band Oasis. ... The Masterplan is a compilation album by English rock band Oasis, comprising B-sides which never made it onto an album. ... For the song by The Verve, see Slide Away (Verve song). ... Half The World Away is a song by British Rock band Oasis. ... Stop the Clocks is a best-of album by British rock band Oasis, released in November 2006. ...

'Whatever' spent a total of 50 weeks in the UK Singles chart, more than any Oasis single to date.

Track listings

• CD CRESCD 195

1. "Whatever" - 6:21
2. "(It's Good) To Be Free" - 4:18
3. "Half The World Away" - 4:25
4. "Slide Away" - 6:31

• 7" CRE 195

1. "Whatever" - 6:21
2. "(It's Good) To Be Free" - 4:18

• 12" CRE 195T

1. "Whatever" - 6:21
2. "(It's Good) To Be Free" - 4:18
3. "Slide Away" - 6:31

• Cassette CRECS 195

1. "Whatever" - 6:21
2. "(It's Good) To Be Free" - 4:18

Half The World Away is a song by British Rock band Oasis. ... For the song by The Verve, see Slide Away (Verve song). ... For the song by The Verve, see Slide Away (Verve song). ...

Chart positions

External Links

• Promo Video at YouTube