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An excellent choice for Elbow to be picked for the 2012 coverage, will be interesting to see how the opening titles to the Olympic coverage will fit with the music but nothing has beaten the Sydney titles so hopefully they would be beaten 12 years on!
Sounds like the ´óÏó´«Ã½ us at the forefront of making sure the Olympics are in the mind for 2012 and it feels like it will be more then the 2/3 weeks of Sporting Events.

Elbow? I’ll expect something pretty pedestrian like the rest of their stuff. Come on ´óÏó´«Ã½ it’s the Olympics, not Antiques Roadshow (which incidentally would probably be a better theme) - Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised, I hope so.

Interesting choice, seeing as Elbow's "One Day Like This" was very much part of the soundscape of the Beijing 2008 Games (in fact, ultimately, it is the more memorable piece to accompany music from the Games - much like Heather Small's "Proud" was actually first used by the ´óÏó´«Ã½ in Sydney 2000 for its Games coverage, 5 years before London 2012 used it).

No doubt Elbow will be a "safe pair of hands" - after the mascots, logo and posters, that's probably a good thing.

In the sake of transparency - were Elbow approached by the ´óÏó´«Ã½ or did you scout around a few artists?

fantastic choice ´óÏó´«Ã½ !!!!!!

Thanks for an interesting and informative Blog and Video Clip.
How typical of the UK that comment #2, in response to so much inspirational work and effort by thousands of people to create something, had to be negative. What a miserable life some people must have!

I for one, like the choice of Elbow for the Olympics. They are completely non-offensive and do not feel the need to "sex up" their songs or videos.

Some great musicians who are well respected in the industry, and few can claim that they are anything but "squeaky clean" in terms of image.

I look forward to this, but the only negative I can find is that Elbow are not the most inspirational and therefore it is not going to be the most uplifting of anthems.

Perhaps the bigger and more satisfying news today is that the ´óÏó´«Ã½ will have World Athletics back for 2015 and 2017 particularly with the latter being in London. As for the tune well I can still hum the tunes for the 1964 and 1968 coverage, and I remember the tremendous use of Chariots of Fire in 1984. Odd that I can't remember any of the others-although I thought the Sydney titles were first class. Getting the music right definitely matters.

@6:

Elbow have made some of the most uplifting music, it's a pity it doesn't all get heard by most people. Fugitive Motel, One Day Like This and The Bones Of You are my personal favourites. Oh, and Mirrorball - uplifting in a completely beautiful way.

I think they've chosen the best possible band for the ´óÏó´«Ã½ theme, Elbow are a rare breed in being able to blend contemporary music with classical undertones. Their session at AbbeyRoad with Chantage and the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Philharmonic sticks out in my mind and is well worth a watch if you can find it.

A bit surprised that a London artist wasn't chosen, given the (excellent) choice of the Stone Roses' This Is The One for the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games. I suppose you have to get your defence in first before the inevitable outcry that the Olympics are too London-centric.

That said, Elbow are an incredible band - totally deserving of their belated success -and I await the theme music with interest.

I agree Graham - I assumed a London band would be the preference and hope this isn't some attempt to make the games "British" rather than "London".

To be honest though I couldn't care less about the cultural element - it's the Olympics coming to town which is the main attraction. not the ever present Proms and Shakespeare.

And great news about the athletics - though now the red button is unwisely being chopped to one stream I hope the Diamond League gets a regular slot on ´óÏó´«Ã½2/3 next season. I wish the IOC and ´óÏó´«Ã½ would hurry up and get the Olympics beyond London sorted too.

Why not something typically British? The Blazin' Squad maybe? ;)

It occurs to me that there is a group, who are still playing, from the EastEnd of London who are quite high on the list of the best selling recording artists in history. They were at the forefront of a musical style which undoubtedly started in Britain
but generated huge record sales throughout the world for many years.

What's more the band are famous West Ham fans and the singer apparently wasn't far off making the Olympic fencing team at one time.

However, the ´óÏó´«Ã½ utterly refused to play any of their music even when they were about the most successful group in the country. Ha!

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