Muse set to release first of five official Olympic anthems
Wednesday 27 June 2012
Related articles
Anyone lucky enough to have heard the Cup of Life by Ricky Martin knows that official anthems to accompany sporting events couldn’t possibly be a bad idea. So thank goodness London 2012 has not one but five.
The first, Survival by Muse - perhaps explaining the group’s lead singer Matt Bellamy’s surprise running with the torch on the second day of the relay - is out now.
Stirring shots of tearful rowers, euphoric sprinters and portly Kazakhs triumphantly raising above their heads more than the combined weight of the Devon three piece, accompany lyrics such as “It’s a race / I’m gonna win / Yeah I’m gonna win.”
The band say the song is about "total conviction and pure determination to win", so no doubt they will be pleased at the considerable head start they will get on the four other Olympic anthems yet to come.
The next offering comes from “Elton John vs Pnau”, Pnau being an Australian dance music two piece, which is released on July 16th, then at weekly intervals thereafter, others from Delphic, the Chemical Brothers and finally Dizzee Rascal on August 6th.
The Muse track will be played as athletes enter the stadium, and for medal ceremonies.
A Locog spokesperson said the profits from the anthems will be split between Universal, the official music publisher and licensee, and Locog themselves, who need privately to raise £2bn to cover the cost of staging the games.
Organisers have also revealed that, hidden across the 650 sessions of sport will be 13 “surprise” rock performances from different bands, including the Scissor Sisters, the hip hop duo Rizzle Kicks and the dance music producer Sub Focus. The other ten remain a secret.
They have also produced 32 short “mood VTs”, featuring atmospheric music spliced together with shots of previous Olympic glory and tragedy, to play in the venues prior to races.
Across 12 sports, including athletics and gymnastics, in-ear commentary will be available to spectators, for £10, which will explain what’s going on, and how far an athlete might need to jump or throw to make it to win or qualify. This has never been done before.
BBC presenters including Matt Smith, Gethin Jones and Dan Walker will also address the crowd live from the field of play, explaining what’s going on - another Olympic first.
A library of 2,012 songs have been selected for use at the venue, and it has emerged that a number of bands are disgruntled at how little they have been offered. The music industry website Quietus reported that one band, that have remained nameless, had been approached by Locog and offered a £250 fee for the track's publishing and distribution online for the rest of the year, citing the level of exposure the games will give them as suitable compensation.
An official Olympic anthem is not a first. The Beijing games released “Beijing Welcomes You”, featuring dozens of Chinese artists, including Jackie Chan, which has not lived long in the world’s collective memory.
Sport blogs
iBet: Favourites have a good record in the Coventry stakes
Today’s St James Palace looks a cracker and there has been sustained money for Dawn Approach since t...
by Gareth Purnell
18 June 2013 02:01 AM
Newcastle don’t need a football director – they need a new medical team after finishing bottom of the injury league
Newcastle United have shocked their fans by appointing Joe Kinnear as director of football but new f...
by Alex Miller
17 June 2013 04:39 PM
iBet: Italy may be more focused on the Confederations Cup than Mexico
Italy come here with pretty much a full strength squad and can be very relaxed about their World Cup...
by Gareth Purnell
15 June 2013 02:01 AM
-
ACT Brumbies v British and Irish Lions - player ratings
-
Alan Pardew set to issue Joe Kinnear with a warning: I am still the manager of Newcastle United
-
The best and worst Premier League kits for the 2013/14 season
-
In pictures: Royal Ascot 2013 - Opening day
-
Exclusive: Cristiano Ronaldo advised to stay at Real Madrid for further 18 months before making possible switch to Manchester United
- 1 Freedom fighters? Cannibals? The truth about Syria’s rebels
- 2 Breaking the Silence: In the reality of occupation, there are no Palestinian civilians – only potential terrorists
- 3 Special Report: US troops are stationed in Japan to protect the nation. But to sex workers in Okinawa, they bring fear, not security
- 4 Vice pulls 'breathtakingly tasteless' fashion shoot glorifying the suicides of famous female authors from Sylvia Plath to Virginia Woolf
- 5 Iran to send 4,000 troops to aid President Assad forces in Syria
Get your summer started with British Military Fitness
BMF is the UK’s biggest and best loved outdoor fitness classes
How will you make today delicious?
Tell us how you plan to make today delicious and you could win a £50 M&S gift card.
Learn a new language
Add another string to your bow with Rosetta Stone, whether it's Spanish, Italian or Mandarin...
Making reading fun for kids
Nook is donating eReaders to volunteers at high-need schools and participating in exclusive events throughout the campaign.
Introducing the 'Get Reading' campaign
Get the latest on The Evening Standard's campaign to get London's children reading.
Enter the latest Independent competitions
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
Business videos from commercial thought leaders
Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.
Day In a Page
Scandi-geeks descend on Nordicana for fan-convention
Female aristocrats battle to inherit the title
In pictures: JFK's visit to Berlin in 1963
Mark Hix gets creative with English peas
Seasoned to taste: Food institutions




Comments