No Regrets (Robbie Williams song)

"No Regrets"
Single by Robbie Williams
from the album I've Been Expecting You
A-side	"Antmusic"
B-side	"Deceiving Is Believing" "There She Goes" (live) "Sexed Up" (demo)
Released	30 November 1998 (1998-11-30)
Length	5:10 (album version) 4:00 (radio edit)
Label	Chrysalis
Songwriter(s)	Robbie Williams Guy Chambers
Producer(s)	Guy Chambers Steve Power
Robbie Williams singles chronology
"Millennium" (1998) "No Regrets" / "Antmusic" (1998) "Strong" (1999)
Music video
"No Regrets" on YouTube

"No Regrets" is a song by English singer Robbie Williams. It was released on 30 November 1998 as the second single from his second studio album, I've Been Expecting You (1998). The track was written by Williams and Guy Chambers and features backing vocals from Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys and Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy. In the United Kingdom, the song was released as a double A-side with a cover of Adam and the Ants' "Antmusic".

"No Regrets" / "Antmusic" became another top-five hit for Williams in the United Kingdom. "Antmusic" was also featured on the UK trailer to the Pixar animated film A Bug's Life (1998). One of the B-sides, "Sexed Up", was later re-recorded for the Escapology album and released as a single in 2003.

Background

Before performing the song on BBC Electric Proms 2009, Williams stated that it was about the group he used to be in, Take That. He also announced they had made up in 2008 and changed the last word in the lyrics to 'alive'.

Part of the song featured on Take That's Progress Live Tour in 2011.

Release and reception

Chrysalis Records released two CD singles and a cassette single of "No Regrets" on 30 November 1998, followed by a 7-inch single on 7 December.^[1][2] The song reached number four on the UK Singles Chart and went on to sell over 200,000 copies, being certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).^[3]

Music video

The video has Robbie Williams at first performing in a Vegas-like show. He then realises he cannot fake being happy and leaves the stage. He walks to a petrol station (which is in Hurley opposite the former East Arms Pub), gets some petrol in a jerry can, and begins walking through crowds and over roads, dribbling petrol in a line the whole way. Finally, a spark is dropped at the petrol station and lights up the whole trail as Williams narrates the last lines.

Track listings

UK CD1 and cassette single[4][5] "No Regrets" – 5:10 "Antmusic" – 3:31 "Deceiving Is Believing" – 4:30 UK CD2[6] "No Regrets" – 5:10 "There She Goes" (live at the Forum) – 2:51 "Sexed Up" (demo version) – 3:54 "There She Goes" (live at the Forum – enhanced video) – 2:51 UK 7-inch single and European CD single[7][8] "No Regrets" – 5:10 "Antmusic" – 3:31

European maxi-CD single[9] "No Regrets" – 5:10 "Antmusic" – 3:31 "Sexed Up" (demo version) – 3:54 "There She Goes" (live at the Forum) – 2:51 "There She Goes" (live at the Forum – enhanced video) – 2:58 French CD single[10] "No Regrets" (radio edit) – 4:00 "No Regrets" (album version) – 5:10 "Antmusic" – 3:31

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the I've Been Expecting You album booklet.^[11]

Studio

• Mastered at Metropolis Mastering (London, England)

Personnel

• Robbie Williams – writing, vocals
• Guy Chambers – writing, keyboards, piano, orchestral samples, bass synth, production, arrangement
• "Planet" Claire Worrall – backing vocals
• Neil Tennant – backing vocals
• Neil Hannon – backing vocals
• David Catlin-Birch – acoustic guitar
• Gary Nuttall – electric guitar
• Fil Eisler – bass guitar
• Chris Sharrock – drums
• Andy Duncan – percussion
• Steve Power – production, recording, mixing, programming
• Steve McNichol – programming
• Tony Cousins – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1998–1999) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[12] 34 Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[13] 5 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[14] 35 Europe (European Hit Radio)[15] 3 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[16] 16 France (SNEP)[17] 67 Germany (GfK)[18] 60 Greece (IFPI)[19] 7 Hungary (Mahasz)[20] 6 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[21] 4 Ireland (IRMA)[22] 15 Italy (Musica e dischi)[23] 21 Italy Airplay (Music & Media)[24] 5 Latvia (Latvijas Top 40)[25] 4 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[26] 71 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[27] 29 Scotland (OCC)[28] with "Antmusic" 3 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[29] 43 UK Singles (OCC)[30] with "Antmusic" 4

Year-end charts Chart (1999) Position Europe (European Hit Radio)[31] 58

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[3]	Silver	200,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 28 November 1998. p. 28. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
2. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 5 December 1998. p. 23.
3. "British single certifications – Robbie Williams – No Regrets". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
4. No Regrets / Antmusic (UK CD1 liner notes). Chrysalis Records. 1998. CDCHS 5100, 7243 8 86419 2 0.
5. No Regrets / Antmusic (UK cassette single sleeve). Chrysalis Records. 1998. TCCHS 5100, 7243 8 86419 4 4.
6. No Regrets (UK CD2 liner notes). Chrysalis Records. 1998. CDCHSS 5100, 7243 8 86421 0 1.
7. No Regrets / Antmusic (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Chrysalis Records. 1998. CHS 5100.
8. No Regrets (European CD single liner notes). Chrysalis Records. 1998. 7243 8 86398 2 8.
9. No Regrets (European maxi-CD single liner notes). Chrysalis Records. 1998. 7243 8 86399 0 3.
10. No Regrets (French CD single liner notes). Chrysalis Records. 1998. 7243 8 86399 2 7.
11. I've Been Expecting You (UK CD album booklet). Chrysalis Records. 1998. 497 8372.
12. "Robbie Williams – No Regrets" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
13. "Robbie Williams – No Regrets" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
14. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 51. 19 December 1998. p. 18. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
15. "EHR Top 50" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 6. 6 February 1999. p. 17. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
16. Pennanen, Timo (2021). "'Robbie Williams'. Sisältää hitin – 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.21" (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 283. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
17. "Robbie Williams – No Regrets" (in French). Le classement de singles.
18. "Robbie Williams – No Regrets" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
19. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 1–3. 16 January 1999. p. 9. Retrieved 8 June 2020. See LW column.
20. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 10. 6 March 1999. p. 12. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
21. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (26.2–5.3. 1999)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 26 February 1999. p. 10. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
22. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – No Regrets". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
23. "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 28 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Robbie Williams".
24. "Major Market Airplay: Italy" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 1–3. 16 January 1999. p. 19.
25. "The most popular songs in Latvia" (in Latvian). Lanet.lv. 31 January 1999. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
26. "Robbie Williams – No Regrets" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
27. "Robbie Williams – No Regrets". Top 40 Singles.
28. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
29. "Robbie Williams – No Regrets". Singles Top 100.
30. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
31. "European Radio 1999" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 1. 1 January 2000. p. 13. Retrieved 18 June 2021.