Nothing Else Matters

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"Nothing Else Matters"
Single by Metallica
from the album Metallica
B-side Enter Sandman(live)
Enter Sandman (live)/Harvester of Sorrow(live)/Nothing Else Matters (Demo)
Released 1992
Format CD single
Recorded October 1990 - June 1991
One on One Recording
Los Angeles, California
Genre Rock
Length 6:28
Label Elektra
Writer(s) James Hetfield
Lars Ulrich
Producer James Hetfield
Lars Ulrich
Bob Rock
Metallica singles chronology
"The Unforgiven"
(1991)
"Nothing Else Matters"
(1992)
"Wherever I May Roam"
(1992)
"Nothing Else Matters (Live)"
Single by Metallica
from the album S&M
B-side For Whom the Bell Tolls (S&M Version)/- Human
Released 2000
Recorded April 21-22, 1999, at Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, California
Genre Rock
Length 6:47
Label Elektra
Writer(s) James Hetfield
Lars Ulrich
Producer Bob Rock
James Hetfield
Lars Ulrich
Michael Kamen
Metallica singles chronology
"Die, Die My Darling"
(1999)
"Nothing Else Matters '99"
(2000)
"No Leaf Clover"
(2000)
Music sample

"Nothing Else Matters" is a song by heavy metal band Metallica. It was first released in 1991 on the self-titled Black Album which includes the hit single Enter Sandman. The song reached #11 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks Charts in 1992.

Contents

[edit] History

Singer and rhythm guitarist James Hetfield initially wrote it to a former girlfriend, but now he cannot remember why;[citation needed] some say it meant that "no matter how far" he was (since Metallica spent most of their time on tours), he was still "so close" with the heart. He considered it a very personal song and was not going to publish it, until drummer Lars Ulrich heard it and wanted it on Metallica. Now Metallica considers it a song dedicated to all their fans and it has become a staple of their live performances.

Its intro is an E minor arpeggio beginning with the open E, G, B and high E strings. It was first rumoured, and then confirmed by Hetfield on Classic Albums: The Black Album DVD, that he started composing it while he was on the phone with his girlfriend and only had one free hand.

It is one of the few Metallica songs in which Hetfield, rather than Hammett, plays the guitar solo being that Hetfield recorded all rhythm and most harmony tracks on the band's first five albums. It is also the only Metallica song that does not feature Hammett's playing (excluding Cliff Burton's bass solo (Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth). In response to a question asked by a fan in So What!, the magazine of Metallica's official fan club, Hetfield confirmed that he recorded every guitar track on the song.

The video was premiered on MTV on February 26, 1992. It was directed by Adam Dubin; it consists of parts of the "A year and a half..." video tape which was shot during the recordings of the Black Album. MTV will however not air the video during day hours any more because it features nudity in the form of pin up posters that are taped up in the studio. It also has a picture of frontman Kip Winger, in which Lars Ulrich is seen throwing darts at him. The video was removed from Youtube.com in December 2008 due to 'copyright claims by a third party'. The Single would hit the top 10 in the UK - reaching number 6.

For its appearance on S&M, its orchestration was arranged by Michael Kamen conducting the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. This live version is found on the S&M album. This version was also released as the single "Nothing Else Matters '99", which included the B-sides "−Human", and the S&M version of "For Whom The Bell Tolls", on January 4, 2000.

There is also an acoustic remix of "Nothing Else Matters" that is called the "elevator version" with no electric guitars (replaced by acoustic guitars, even for the solo), Kamen's orchestrations, and Hetfield's voice only; it appears as the B-Side to Sad But True.

[edit] Covers

Because of the song's popularity (and ease of play (compared to Metallica's other material)) it has been covered many times, by both artists within and outside the rock genre. Bands who have covered the song include:

[edit] Track listing

[edit] UK/France

  1. "Nothing Else Matters (Edit)" (James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich) - 6.30

[edit] U.S./UK/Australia/France/Germany/Japan

  1. "Nothing Else Matters" (Hetfield, Ulrich) - 6.30
  2. "Enter Sandman (Live)" (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) - 5.26

"Enter Sandman" recorded live on September 28, 1991 at Tushino Air Field, Moscow, Russia

One Australian version included a t-shirt.

[edit] UK/Brazil/Germany/Mexico

  1. "Nothing Else Matters" (James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich) - 6.30
  2. "Enter Sandman (Live)" (Kirk Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) - 5.26
  3. "Harvester of Sorrow (Live)" (Hetfield, Ulrich) - 6.02
  4. "Nothing Else Matters (Demo)" (Hetfield, Ulrich) - 5.52

"Enter Sandman" recorded live on September 28, 1991 at Tushino Air Field, Moscow, Russia

"Harvester of Sorrow" recorded live on September 11, 1991 at the Liebenau, Graz, Austria

[edit] Italy

  1. "Nothing Else Matters" (James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich) - 6.30
  2. "Non me la danno mai" by Dario Vergassola

Jukebox promo with a song by an Italian artist on the B-side.

[edit] Live at Wembley Stadium

This single was named "Nothing Else Matters UK Tour Single" and was Released in Europe in 1992. It contained the three songs Metallica played at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert on April 20, 1992 at Wembley Stadium.

  1. "Enter Sandman" (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich)
  2. "Sad But True" (Hetfield, Ulrich)
  3. "Nothing Else Matters" (Hetfield, Ulrich)

It was mixed the next day by Flemming Rasmussen and was one of the first pieces of Metallica Merchandise to feature James' "Scary Guy" logo.

[edit] Nothing Else Matters (Live) (Australia/Germany)

  1. "Nothing Else Matters" (Hetfield, Ulrich) - 6.53
  2. "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (Hetfield, Cliff Burton, Ulrich) - 4.53
  3. "- Human" (Hetfield, Ulrich) - 4.19
  4. "Nothing Else Matters (Video)"

All tracks are taken from S&M album

[edit] Nothing Else Matters (Live) (Germany)

  1. "Nothing Else Matters" (Hetfield, Ulrich) - 6.53
  2. "- Human" (Hetfield, Ulrich) - 4.19

All tracks are taken from S&M album

[edit] Chart performance

Country Position
Australia
8
Austria
6
Denmark
23
Finland
14
France
10
Netherlands
4
Norway
3
Sweden
12
Switzerland
5
United Kingdom
6

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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