DAMON ALBARN - ALBARN: 'I'M JEALOUS OF THE GALLAGHERS'

Singer DAMON ALBARN is jealous of his former rivals NOEL and LIAM GALLAGHER because they manage to keep OASIS together despite their notorious feuds - while Albarn has been unable to persuade guitarist GRAHAM COXON to return to BLUR.

Coxon, who's now enjoying a highly-acclaimed solo career, quit Blur in 2002 following an alleged musical dispute with his bandmates over the direction of their album THINK TANK.

And Albarn is envious of the Gallagher brothers for putting their music before their personal differences, because it's something he and Coxon will never achieve.

He complains, "It's a real shame there's been such a breakdown in communication. I can't play any of the stuff he worked on without him. I feel there's a horrible hole in the sound.

"I don't quite understand why there's such a tension. I would really like us to be mates and playing together again, but I don't know why - we're just different people.

"All credit to Oasis - the way they've managed to keep themselves together. They're threatening to be THE ROLLING STONES."