Malcolm Middleton’s ‘We’re All Going To Die’ for Xmas #1?
By: Thomas Hannan
Malcolm Middleton's excellent LP 'A Brighter Beat' was one of the first records Rockfeedback awarded five whole stars to in 2007, way back in February. And we still haven't heard a better opening track than 'We're All Going To Die', it's euphoric chorus of "You're gonna die, you're gonna die, you're gonna die alone..." just had something about it that really stuck with us.
Delighted we are then that the man who once co-fronted Arab Strap is releasing said song as a digital single on the 17th of December, just in time for it to perhaps clinch that coveted Christmas number one spot from out of the clutches of some inane X Factor twaddle (though that Leona Lewis song is alright, isn't it?). And given that it's recently had the backing of BBC Radio 1 big wigs like Scott Mills, Edith Bowman and Colin Murray, it might just stand a chance - bookmakers William Hill have slashed the odds of Malcolm claiming the number one position to 500/1. Not that impressive, you might think - but consider that they were previously at 1000/1 (the longest odds they'd ever given on a Christmas number one - now halved!), and there are still 32 happy downloading days til Christmas, and we might be in with a shot.
What does Malcolm Middleton himself have to say? "Christmas is the best time for a song like this to be released into the mainstream consciousness, especially now in 2007. People don't want to be lied to by Cliff Richard any more. It's maybe time they were told what's really waiting for them inside their Christmas stockings. And dying is a bit like writing a letter to Santa - unless you've been a good boy or girl, you're f**ked."
Merry Christmas.