Mr Gorbachev is said to be pleased with the environmental aspect

Ex-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, former US President Bill Clinton and actress Sophia Loren won a Grammy for their recording of the Russian folk tale Peter and The Wolf.

It took the prize for Best Spoken World Album for Children.

The narrators, who did not take part in Sunday's awards ceremony, are donating their fees to charity.

The music for the recording was performed by the Russian National Orchestra and conducted by Grammy-award winning director Kent Nagano.

We chose former politicians, who have a great ability to communicate Conductor Kent Nagano

Mr Gorbachev narrates the introduction and the epilogue to the story.

Sophia Loren tells the classic tale to Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev's score.

And a new composition by Jean-Pascal Beintus, re-telling the story from the wolf's perspective, is narrated by Mr Clinton.

Mr Nagano says former politicians were chosen to make use of their "great ability to communicate".

Good causes

Mr Gorbachev will donate the money he earns for his performance to Green Cross International - the environmental organisation he founded in 1993.

Ms Loren has chosen the Magic of Music, a Russian National Orchestra arts therapy programme for young people.

Mr Clinton is donating his fee to the International Aids Trust, whose advisory committee he co-chairs.