St Etienne 'may pen Olympic song'

By Mark Savage Entertainment reporter, BBC News

Saint Etienne's hits include Join Our Club and He's On The Phone

Pop group Saint Etienne say they have ambitions to write a song for the Olympic Games when they come to London in 2012.

The band previously made a film about east London's Lower Lea Valley, where the Olympic Stadium is being built.

"We would be the ideal band to do a soundtrack for the Olympics," singer Sarah Cracknell told the BBC.

"I'd love to do it," added songwriter Bob Stanley. "I'll drop Seb Coe a line, I'll send him an e-mail today."

Saint Etienne, who scored their first hit in 1991, have become known for their affinity for London - with lyrics documenting the cafes, Tube stations and streets of the capital.

Their film about the Lower Lea Valley - What Have You Done Today, Mervyn Day? - had its premiere in 2005 at the Barbican.

It documented the dilapidation of the area, focusing on the burnt-out cars and discarded fridges that have now been cleared away to make space for the Olympic Games.

Trafalgar Square plan

Stanley said the band had been approached about screening the film in Trafalgar Square during the run-up to the Olympic Games.

But he said the plans had been dropped since London Mayor Boris Johnson replaced Ken Livingstone in the position last year.

The Lower Lea Valley will be the site of the Olympic Stadium

The group, who release a greatest hits album, London Conversations, on 16 February, added they would still be "honoured to write something that represents the country" if they were asked by the Olympic organisers.

"It would be quite pressurised, but I'd love to," noted Stanley.

The official theme for the 2008 Beijing Olympics was You and Me, by Chinese composer Qigang Chen.

It was performed at the opening ceremony by Liu Huan and British singer Sarah Brightman.

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