Planet Telex by Radiohead

Album: The Bends (1995)

Charted: 17

License This Song

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

Lead singer Thom Yorke was drunk and improvising when he recorded the vocals. The band came to the studio after drinking a lot of wine, and Yorke lied on the floor and sang. He did only one take.
The original title was "Planet Xerox," but Xerox is a copyrighted name and would have caused problems if they used it.
The album title refers to a condition divers get when they come to the surface too fast. It is a commentary on Radiohead's sudden fame.
The drums in this song were cut up from different parts of other songs from the sessions for the album. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Charlie - Stittstown, Canada
Yorke: "The product of a single sex education, romantic novels and art college." >>>
Suggestion credit:
Bertrand - Paris, France

Comments: 8

Min@Max, so your favourite song on the album, except the rest! :-)
Daniel from Indianapolis, InI love how Thom Yorke sang this drunk, on the floor, in one take. Lmao
Peter from Leicester, United KingdomIt's also cut up and used in the background of Letter from God to Man, by Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip.
It's a good song, go listen to it :]
Max from Sydney, Australiamy most favourite song on the album, apart from "the Bends","street spirit" and so forth
Nick from Bridgeton, Meawesome song, love the drums
Keith from Slc, UtTelex is also a commercial name, belonging to an outfit which makes microphones and headsets. It is also the short form of "TeleType Exchange," a precursor to the Internet for commercial text transmission.
Gabe from Utica, NyThis is the first Radiohead song I ever heard. I think it's awesome! I like the special effects they use in the beginning of the song. And the lead guitar during verse 2 is just awesome.
Max from Montreal, Canadait was supposed to be called planet xerox but they couldn't get the rights to use the commercial name

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Lips Are MovinMeghan Trainor

Meghan Trainor wrote "Lips Are Movin" in just eight minutes with her writing partner Kevin Kadish.

RespectAretha Franklin

Props to Aretha Franklin: her song "Respect" introduced the term "propers" as a sign of proper respect.

Girl, You'll Be A Woman SoonNeil Diamond

Neil Diamond got a big boost in 1994 when Urge Overkill's cover of his song 'Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon" was used in the movie Pulp Fiction. His catalog sales ramped up, and suddenly he was cool.

PossessionSarah McLachlan

Sarah McLachlan's "Possession" contains passages from letters a stalker sent her. He sued her for using them but died by suicide before the trial.

Fool In The RainLed Zeppelin

In Led Zeppelin's "Fool In The Rain," the guy goes into a funk when he thinks he's been stood up, but is elated when he realizes he's been standing on the wrong corner, and it's all a terrible mess.

TrueSpandau Ballet

"True" by Spandau Ballet is about chief songwriter Gary Kemp's unrequited love for Altered Images singer and Gregory's Girl star Clare Grogan.