Radiohead’s lost James Bond theme
Nobody was surprised when Sam Smith was tapped to sing the theme song of
Spectre, the latest James Bond film — after all, he’s a logical follow-up to Adele, who lent her voice to Skyfall. But before Smith’s melodramatic Writing’s On
The Wall got the final nod, Radiohead recorded its own song for Spectre, as fans learned when frontman Thom Yorke shared the story behind the coolest Bond theme that never was. As Yorke wrote on Twitter, “it didn’t work out.” What a shame, since the British experimental rockers offer a more interesting take on the Bond theme’s traditional sweeping strings and melancholy melodies, swapping out Smith’s overblown vocals for Yorke’s reedy falsetto and adding a pulsing, uneasy piano line. Let’s hope the next Bond movie won’t make the same mistake.