1942 replies to this topic

[ACE]

"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."

https://m.soundcloud...diohead/spectre

 

 

SPECTRE

 

I'm lost, I'm a ghost

Dispossessed, taken host

My hunger burns a bullet hole

A spectre of my mortal soul

 

These rumors and suspicion

Anger is a poison

The only truth that I could see

Is when you put your lips to me

Futures tricked by the past

Spectre, how he laughs

 

Fear puts a spell on us

Always second-guessing love

My hunger burns a bullet hole

A spectre of my mortal soul

 

The only truth that I can see

Spectre has come for me

 

lyrics by Thom Yorke

[Harmsway]

We've been talking about this in the "Writing's on the Wall" thread.

It's tremendously better than what we got. It's easy to see why Sony and EON would want something with commercial appeal, something Radiohead's theme lacks, but I wish they'd had the courage to push ahead with this.

[marktmurphy]

So much better, and works cinematically in a way that the Smith one doesn't.

[marktmurphy]

 

I don't think anyone is trying to.

 

You did when you questioned whether I was actually a fan since "Spectre" is similar to a lot of stuff on King of Limbs. "Soundscapes and mood" may be what Radiohead do now, but it's not all they've ever done.

 

 

No, I asked what I asked: which was whether you've heard any of their recent stuff, as Spectre sits alongside that. That's a completely different suggestion from saying their old and new stuff is the 'exact same style'. 

[coco1997]

 

 

I don't think anyone is trying to.

 

You did when you questioned whether I was actually a fan since "Spectre" is similar to a lot of stuff on King of Limbs. "Soundscapes and mood" may be what Radiohead do now, but it's not all they've ever done.

 

 

No, I asked what I asked: which was whether you've heard any of their recent stuff, as Spectre sits alongside that. That's a completely different suggestion from saying their old and new stuff is the 'exact same style'. 

 

 

You asked if I was a Radiohead fan, to which I responded yes, but that I wasn't necessarily the biggest fan of their most recent album, whose material "Spectre" closely resembles. I put forth "Big Boots" (a song from the mid-90s, and hence more in line with my preferred Radiohead era) as an alternative for what a Radiohead-penned Bond theme could sound like.

[Simon]

Found it to be a right royal drag.

 

Just more of their rather typical, 'music to die by'.

 

In my humblest of opinions, of course.

[MrKidd]

That was crap. Even with title visuals ( nice job btw)

[Professor Pi]

Maybe Writing's on the Wall isn't a good Bond song, but it seems to have been the best choice available.  It's too bad the producers didn't opt for a big main title theme and then have a ballad (like WOTW) over the closing credits.  When a "rejected" Bond song surfaces, while some are interesting and good, most of the time it seems the right song was chosen. 

 

While Ace of Base, Blondie, and Alice Cooper gave us interesting alt Bond titles, their competition at the time was better (although in Lulu's case this has more to do with Barry integrating the title song into the score of TMWTGG than the song itself.)  The only exceptions to this are David Arnold's songs--Surrender and No Good About Goodbye being clearly better than the main titles chosen.  I could live with another Thomas Newman score if the producers at least tapped David Arnold to write the next Bond song.

 

But this Radiohead entry....not distinctive at all.  At least Sam Smith had some Bondian buildup and a melody, which renders it as not a bad instrumental either, nor song for that matter.  Just not Bond.

[Vauxhall]

I tend to prefer Radiohead's music anyway, and I like the orchestration - but, irrespective of whether it's an improvement on Sam Smith, I would have been equally disappointed if this had been unveiled as the SPECTRE theme back in October.

[AMC Hornet]

I think Radiohead's offering makes WotW sound more like the right choice.

[marktmurphy]

 

 

 

I don't think anyone is trying to.

 

You did when you questioned whether I was actually a fan since "Spectre" is similar to a lot of stuff on King of Limbs. "Soundscapes and mood" may be what Radiohead do now, but it's not all they've ever done.

 

 

No, I asked what I asked: which was whether you've heard any of their recent stuff, as Spectre sits alongside that. That's a completely different suggestion from saying their old and new stuff is the 'exact same style'. 

 

 

You asked if I was a Radiohead fan, to which I responded yes, but that I wasn't necessarily the biggest fan of their most recent album, whose material "Spectre" closely resembles. I put forth "Big Boots" (a song from the mid-90s, and hence more in line with my preferred Radiohead era) as an alternative for what a Radiohead-penned Bond theme could sound like.

 

 

So where did I try to argue that they're the exact same style of music? I have no idea what you're on about.

[Guy Haines]

When it comes to the choice of the theme tune for the new film, knowing what we now know, the words "rock" and "hard place" seem apt.

[Harmsway]

Assuming the Del Rey track was an actual submission, I think EON turned down two tracks that were superior to what we got.

I don't think either of the rejected tracks were brilliant, but WOTW is so offensively bad that almost anything is an improvement.

[Hockey Mask]

Assuming the Del Rey track was an actual submission, I think EON turned down two tracks that were superior to what we got.
I don't think either of the rejected tracks were brilliant, but WOTW is so offensively bad that almost anything is an improvement.

until you hear the horrid Radiohead piece.

[Dustin]

Let's put it like this: all three artists are somewhat controversial; all three* have shown in the past that they can do better. Why they didn't is anybody's guess.


*That is if we want to include Del Rey's effort as 'rejected' which I don't think was confirmed anywhere; in which case it's just a song that's easier on some people's ears than WOTW.

[marktmurphy]

 

Assuming the Del Rey track was an actual submission, I think EON turned down two tracks that were superior to what we got.
I don't think either of the rejected tracks were brilliant, but WOTW is so offensively bad that almost anything is an improvement.

until you hear the horrid Radiohead piece.

 

 

 

Radiohead's one is so much better.

[mummyboy11]

I'm no Sam Smith defender, but I really don't know what kind of appeal this Radiohead song can generate!

 

Either you're a fan of the band and you're trying to defend their rep or you can't seriously consider this for a Bond theme!!!

 

The only thing I can think the title sequence would be able to reproduce from this would be Bond lying on the floor with a hangover trying to get up but all f*** up.

 

I'm sorry but maybe it's too "alternative" for me. After all let's not forget Bond songs always try to reach for big audiences and not to satisfy culturally educated music connoisseurs or some kind of elite canon.

 

Anyway... Happy New Year to all! 

 

[The Shark]

Either you're a fan of the band and you're trying to defend their rep or you can't seriously consider this for a Bond theme!!!

 

Not really a Radiohead fan, but this so much more appropriate for not only the film but also Craig's portrayal of Bond. Ruthless and detached, yet with a Svengali-like pull on those around him. And that Johnny Greenwood instrumental break at the 1:35 mark is f*cking fantastic. Makes the orchestration on WOTW sound limp and by-the-numbers in comparison.

[sharpshooter]

I think Radiohead's offering makes WotW sound more like the right choice.

I agree. I've come to like Writing's on the Wall, especially in comparison to this dirge by Radiohead. I prefer the Sam Smith melody. I'm not upset about this at all, whereas I think No Good About Goodbye was a missed opportunity for QoS.

[Dustin]

Whatever else its faults may be, WOTW at least has that melody going for it. It may be a very slapdash affair Smith composed in a minimum of time - and falling back on his signature ability - but it's at least a melody that sticks. Radiohead's is an entirely different thingy, and it largely lacks just that melodic quality, but most likely that's on purpose.

[SecretAgentFan]

It goes to show that you can´t please everybody.  Somebody has to make a choice, and that has to be, of course, the creative side of things.

 

Personally, I think Radiohead´s song would have been just as hated and ridiculed as Smith´s song.  It´s just not a strong melody with the kind of Bond traditionalism that the mass audience expects.  If Smith´s song had not used any falsetto and been accompanied by a rhythm section people would have loved it, IMO.  To use the falsetto and strip it of a rhythm section was as bold as one can get with a Bond song at this point, it seems.

[sharpshooter]

Whatever else its faults may be, WOTW at least has that melody going for it.

Indeed.

[Harmsway]

Either you're a fan of the band and you're trying to defend their rep or you can't seriously consider this for a Bond theme!!!

Not really a Radiohead fan, but this so much more appropriate for not only the film but also Craig's portrayal of Bond. Ruthless and detached, yet with a Svengali-like pull on those around him. And that Johnny Greenwood instrumental break at the 1:35 mark is f*cking fantastic. Makes the orchestration on WOTW sound limp and by-the-numbers in comparison.

Yup.

[glidrose]

*That is if we want to include Del Rey's effort as 'rejected' which I don't think was confirmed anywhere; in which case it's just a song that's easier on some people's ears than WOTW.

"Nevertheless, on December 10, NME reports that Lana Del Rey said the rumors were completely false — but she would have gladly done the Spectre theme song if asked. Instead, it appears that it was Radiohead (and not Lana Del Rey) that recorded a sample theme song but Spectre never used it."

Let's put it like this: all three artists are somewhat controversial; all three* have shown in the past that they can do better. Why they didn't is anybody's guess.

All three songs are underwhelming. The Radiohead instrumental break at 1:35 is good enough, but the whole "song" is limp - not much melody is there? - and like Smith, Yorke's voice is too high. Only Del Rey has the right voice.

[marktmurphy]

I'm no Sam Smith defender, but I really don't know what kind of appeal this Radiohead song can generate!

 

Either you're a fan of the band and you're trying to defend their rep or you can't seriously consider this for a Bond theme!!!

 

 

No, I haven't enjoyed anything by Radiohead for years, but this is just a more mature and moody piece of work. Far more cinematic than the Smith one and actually evokes something of an emotional response. And yeah, as Shark says, the instrumental break is brilliant.

 

It wouldn't have got to number one though, and perhaps that's more important for the Bond team. Shame.

[Mr_Wint]

Not a huge fan of WOTW. But how anyone can prefer Radiohead's theme over WOTW is beyond my understanding.

[Dustin]

It's all about tastes and preferences, really not much to argue about.

Thanks for clearing that up about Del Rey, glidrose.

[tdalton]

It's a shame that these were the two songs that EON had to choose from for SPECTRE.  Either way they went they were getting a poor song.  Ultimately, though, I think they chose the better of the two.

[Surrie]

I don't like WOTW and I'm a huge fan of Radiohead, but even I can admit that they made the right choice. 

[glidrose]

I'm no Sam Smith defender, but I really don't know what kind of appeal this Radiohead song can generate!
 
Either you're a fan of the band and you're trying to defend their rep or you can't seriously consider this for a Bond theme!!!
 

 
No, I haven't enjoyed anything by Radiohead for years, but this is just a more mature and moody piece of work. Far more cinematic than the Smith one and actually evokes something of an emotional response. And yeah, as Shark says, the instrumental break is brilliant.

I haven't enjoyed anything by Radiohead for years either. Don't know what happened to them. Their early accessible work has some fantastic music & melodies. As for their more recent work, I feel like you need to be a heroin addict to get anything from it.