Row ends Olympic duet plan - The Sun

MUSE have been studying at the Ed Sheeran school of secrets recently.

On Thursday Ed surprised everyone by saying he is playing the Olympics closing ceremony with Pink Floyd — though it has since been denied by the band.

Now Muse have let slip that their Olympics song, Survival, was originally a duet with Elton John.

Matt Bellamy said that Sir Elton initially asked the band to write a track for the Games while working as director of music for the event.

The frontman said: "Believe it or not, Elton John gave us a call and wanted to write a song for the Olympics.

"At one time Elton was actually the director of music for the Olympics.

"He contacted us and we thought, 'This is far out. We're going to do a song for the Olympics with Elton John.'

"So that's how the ball started rolling way back over a year ago.

"But then he pulled out of the Olympics."

Matt told an LA radio station: "He didn't want to be involved any more because he fell out with the organisers, so that left us with a half-baked idea.

"At that point we just let it go and carried on with making the album. Then the Olympics approached us again about the ending ceremony, for us to play, and that's when we played them that song.

"They said they loved it and wanted to make it an official song of some kind."

Elton should ask for royalties from that one.

He didn't appear too bothered by missing the Games this week after swapping London for the south of France.

The singer and David Furnish have taken their baby Zachary to St Tropez on holiday with Hollywood actor Neil Patrick Harris, his partner David Burtka and their 19-month-old twins.

The dummy collection for those nippers alone must be worth a few quid.