Elton John has lent his vocal talents to "The Pink Phantom," a track from Gorillaz's upcoming album Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez.

You can watch the video for the song - which also features rapper 6LACK - below.

Gorillaz are a "virtual band" created in 1998 by Blur frontman Damon Albarn and visual artist Jamie Hewlett. Four animated characters - Stuart "2-D" Pot, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs - perform rock, hip-hop and world music, and regularly use guest vocalists and rappers on the group's songs.

In addition to John, other guests found on Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez, include Beck, Robert Smith of the Cure, former New Order bassist Peter Hook and St. Vincent. The album comes out on Oct. 23.

"I’ve always been a Gorillaz fan," John tweeted. "So when Damon reached out and asked me to get involved it was a no-brainer. The way the song turned out is just great – I can’t wait for you to hear it."

John's love of Albarn's work led to an awkward moment in 2012 when Blur released a studio outtake called "Sir Elton John's Cock" on their Blur 21 box set. As bassist Alex James recalled to the Irish Examiner, "I bumped into Sir Elton and he said, 'What's all this I hear about you and my cock?' I didn't know him well enough to tell him the proper answer."

But, as James explained to the Daily Star, it had less to do with lyrics about John's penis than the overall vibe of the track. "We wrote this song but realized it was too sentimental," he said. "One of us muttered, 'That's Elton John's cock.'" You can listen to the song below.

Last week, John announced that his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which has been postponed due to the coronavirus, would return to North America in 2022.

“I’ve been enjoying my time at home with the family while the world navigates its way through the COVID pandemic," he said. "But I really miss being on the road and performing for my beloved fans in my Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour. While the scientists are making great progress, we are making big plans for a return to touring that will allow us to ensure the health and safety of everyone.”

 

Elton John Through the Years

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