Ladies and gentlemen, Christmas ain’t over just yet. The great Radiohead have just unveiled a never-before-heard track, with a particularly interesting back-story to the track.
Taking to Twitter on Christmas Day, frontman Thom Yorke shared Spectre, a track that had originally been written for the James Bond film of the same name. Yes, that’s correct – before Sam Smith dropped his balladic theme, Yorke and co had been asked to step in.
Last year we were asked to write a tune for Bond movie Spectre. Yes we were ………..
— Thom Yorke (@thomyorke) December 25, 2015
… It didn't work out … but became something of our own which we love very much ….
— Thom Yorke (@thomyorke) December 25, 2015
.. As the year closes we thought you might like to hear it. Merry Christmas. May the force be with you … https://t.co/BXN8MQKJyQ
— Thom Yorke (@thomyorke) December 25, 2015
Spectre is wily and heartbreaking. It wails and it soars, pitting Yorke’s stark vocals against a sparse atmosphere equally romantic and shattering. A sound so unique to Radiohead, and a sound we haven’t heard so much since their pre-electro-centric Amnesiac and Hail To The Thief days.
There’s no extra information about the track, and we don’t know if it’s going to be appearing on any future releases, or if it’s a one-off Christmas gift. Either way, any new Radiohead is good Radiohead, and it sure is interesting to consider how the Bond film’s entire atmosphere may have been different, had they picked this over Smith’s rather saccharine offering.