Spectre

Album: Single release only (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Sam Smith was not the only artist that was asked to submit a theme song for the James Bond movie Spectre. Radiohead were also asked to come up with a track, but ultimately, the producers opted for Smith's "Writing's On The Wall" as the signature tune. This moody orchestral ballad is Radiohead's effort, which they made available as a free download on Soundcloud as a Christmas present for their fans.

    Singer Thom Yorke wrote on Twitter: "Last year we were asked to write a theme tune for the Bond movie Spectre. Yes we were. It didn't work out, but became something of our own, which we love very much. As the year closes we thought you might like to hear it. Merry Christmas. May the force be with you."
  • Guitarist Jonny Greenwood was phlegmatic about the song being rejected by the Bond producers. "It wasn't right for the film, what we did," he told BBC 6 Music's Matt Everitt. "So we thought 'Great! Then it's ours. So we can finish it how it's meant to be and we can release it.' So that side of it was really positive, you know?"

    "But I guess there's lots of people interested in who does it," Greenwood continued. "There's a lot riding on it, and the song we did was just too dark or whatever, so that's fine. Which means we get to have it back and it's ours and we got to put it out. We're really, really proud of it. Why be, like, attached to an old-fashioned idea of what a James Bond thing was and it being a big deal? It's like it's sort of stupid to get worked up about, really."
  • The song was included as a bonus track on the special edition box-set of A Moon Shaped Pool.
  • Thom Yorke gave the song its live debut during a solo show at Teatro Verdi in Florence on May 28, 2018. He performed a more sparse version, stripping the track right back.

    Six weeks later, Radiohead gave the song its full band live premiere during their concert at Chicago's United Center on July 7, 2018.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Joe Jackson

Joe JacksonSongwriter Interviews

Joe talks about the challenges of of making a Duke Ellington tribute album, and tells the stories behind some of his hits.

Dave Mason

Dave MasonSongwriter Interviews

Dave reveals the inspiration for "Feelin' Alright" and explains how the first song he ever wrote became the biggest hit for his band Traffic.

They Might Be Giants

They Might Be GiantsSongwriter Interviews

Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.

Randy Newman

Randy NewmanSongwriting Legends

Newman makes it look easy these days, but in this 1974 interview, he reveals the paranoia and pressures that made him yearn for his old 9-5 job.

Wolfgang Van Halen

Wolfgang Van HalenSongwriter Interviews

Wolfgang Van Halen breaks down the songs on his debut album, Mammoth WVH, and names the definitive Van Halen songs from the Sammy and Dave eras.

Maxi Priest

Maxi PriestSongwriter Interviews

The British reggae legend tells the story of his #1 hit "Close To You," talks about his groundbreaking Shabba Ranks collaboration "Housecall," and discusses his latest project with Robin Trower.