Noel Gallagher Didn't Want To Be Number 1

Guitarist says he would prefer to share the wealth   25-Oct-11

Noel Gallagher reached 'number 1' in the UK album charts last week, but the guitarist has commented that he would have preferred not to have reached the position.

The ex-Oasis man topped the charts with his first solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, but says that he is not bothered about chart positions. In fact, he would have 'shared the wealth' with X-Factor's Matt Cardle. Noel told BANG Showbiz:

"Matt Cardle seems like a nice bloke. I'd have preferred it if he got it - share the wealth and all that, and he's a young lad just starting out.

"I was glad I made the record and when I finally heard the finished thing it was good but anything else is out of your hands. When I heard Matt Cardle was out the same day there was a collective sigh because it's 'The X Factor' and these crazy school girls tend to buy a lot of records for some reason.

"But [topping the chart] didn't make me feel any greater or more special than I did the minute before someone told me it was number one. I like the record and if people like it, that's it, other than that whatever happens, happens."

In another humble statement, Noel also expressed nonchalance about his award from Q Magazine. The Q Icon award did not flatter the guitarist:

"These are given to you by journalists and its nice to pick them up, but the ones voted by people, the readers - they're the most important ones. But it's like the charts isn't it - if you're going to release something, you might as well be number one, and if you're going to go to these, you might as well win one."

Rich Beech
@sonicamped