MEGADETH: Full-Length Version Of 'A Tout Le Monde (Set Me Free)' Available For Streaming

MEGADETH's new version of the song "A Tout Le Monde", now retitled "A Tout Le Monde (Set Me Free)", is available for streaming in its entirety at this location (Windows Media).

"A Tout Le Monde", which originally appeared on the 1994 CD "Youthanasia", has created controversy because the song was cited in an online post by Dawson College killer Kimveer Gill as one of his favorites before his Montreal shooting spree last September. MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine contends that he wanted to give the song a second shot at success, as the original video for it had been banned by MTV, and most radio stations followed suit. The track ended up featuring Cristina Scabbia from Italian alt-metal act LACUNA COIL. "The first singer didn't work out," Mustaine told Straight.com, "the second one didn't work, and the third one was Lisa Marie Presley. She was on the way to the airport, and we had to call and say, 'Sorry, we changed our minds.' I would have loved to have heard what Lisa Marie Presley would have done, but because of the demographics of the LACUNA COIL fan base, and Cristina's reign in the heavy-metal business, it was the right thing to do."

A video clip of Cristina Scabbia talking about the video shoot for "A Tout Le Monde (Set Me Free)", which took place March 8-9 in Los Angeles, has been posted online at this location.

Commented Cristina: "[Dave Mustaine] actually asked me to be part of this duet, and I was really surprised about it because 'A Tout Le Monde' is a song that I've always loved, even if it's not like the new [version] because [the original song] [was released on] the album 'Youthanasia'. It was a big surprise for me to get this invitation — I was really honored to be part of it. And seriously, when I heard the final result, I was awesomely surprised 'cause I think that the two voices are fitting incredibly [well together]. I think that the version of 'A Tout le Monde' 2007 has a stronger attitude. If the original version was for the mellow mood, this one is way more rock, way more powerful. I totally love it. I was surprised myself, and I think that a lot of people will be pleasantly surprised.

"It was recorded, like an hour from Birgmingham [England]. So I flew in and recorded my parts with Andy Sneap [producer]. He's [Andy] an amazing guy — super professional — and the atmosphere in the studio was so relaxed. It was like a family vibe, and I think that's the most amazing thing when you have to work. You can work and still smile, you know, and be relaxed.

"I tracked the entire song because we weren't really sure what we had to do, so we just wanted to be totally sure, so we recorded all the parts that Dave sung with some improvisation with it, double vocals. We basically made anything possible, so they could pick up whatever they wanted to."

"A Tout Le Monde (Set Me Free)" will appear on MEGADETH's new album, "United Abominations", due on May 15 via Roadrunner Records.

MEGADETH taped a four-song performance yesterday (Sunday, March 25) at Musique Plus studios in Montreal, Quebec. The band played the tracks "Sleepwalker", "Gears of War", "Washington Is Next" and "A Tout Le Monde".

Musique Plus (the Canadian French-language cable television music specialty channel) will air the footage on May 15.