The pop star reckons he had given up hope of returning to the stage until he listened to Coldplay's first studio album, 'Parachutes'.

He said in an interview with The Sun: "I spent years telling everyone around that I didn't want to be an artist again. I didn't sing for six or seven years.

"I seldom sang on demos and if I could get someone else to sing then I would, right until I heard the first Coldplay album.

"I realised that you could be in a rock band and not have a husky rasp - Chris has the most beautiful voice. I thought for the first time, 'I could see myself doing that again'. For the first time in years I could see that place.

"I have told Chris that story - it's all part of the journey, passing the baton from band to band."

Barlow went on to say: "I was so inspired by that stuff. I used to play and sing it on my own. So when I came back I imagined that sound and the guitars and imagined the stadium sound of a Coldplay song.

"I thought that could work for us, especially as a vocal group as well.

"Obviously there are not usually many harmonies with Coldplay but I hear them and I could hear where they would fit.

"I thought that was very much a direction that could work for us."

Watch Gary Barlow and Chris Martin perform 'Back For Good' at Barlow's 40th birthday bash here: