Listen to & download Radiohead's rejected Bond theme for SPECTRE
Radiohead were last year invited to write the Bond theme for SPECTRE but eventually lost out to Sam Smith’s Writing’s On The Wall…
“It didn’t work out”, as the band have today revealed via their Facebook page, “but became something of our own, which we love very much.”
As a treat for fans Radiohead have uploaded their take on the theme to Soundcloud. You can take a listen below. What do you think? Leave a comment and let us know.
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[…] be available online, apparently. The B-side will be Spectre, the rejected Bond theme which the band gave away as a free download on Christmas Day […]
Beautiful – and appropriately dark. The doubters need to listen more carefully – it’s complex but rewarding. I don’t rate the film that highly so maybe it was for the best that SS was chosen instead – a commercial rather than an artistic decision – and both theme song and Spectre soulless as a result…
I like this quite a bit, but what idiot thought Radiohead were going to produce some radio-friendly/credits-friendly pop song to open a Bond film with? It kind of like going to John Williams and saying, “Could you give us a club song?”
It’s not Radioheads best but even so it’s always going to be head and shoulders above anything that Sam Smith can produce. Just different leagues.
Cool song. Would love a collection of the best submitted songs that didn’t make the cut. Still love the Scott Walker song not used in “World is Not Enough”…best tuneful song he did since the 60’s!
So this is the reason why a gentleman put £10K on Radiohead releasing the Spectre theme! Shame after a quick few seconds listen it sounds pretty good. The Sam Smith version works really well in the movie though. A little predictable for him to have recorded it would had made a change for an alternative version (Pulp missed out too remember!)
The perfect theme for Daniel Craig era Bond movies. Brilliant, it picks you up out of your seat and transports you through the movie screen. Love “the name is Yorke; Thom Yorke” promo photo as well!
I thought as a song I liked it, as a Bond theme it needs a little bit of reworking before it could be used. The words need to be heard which they are not that clear and the music needs a little editing to get it into more of a theme but I could have seen that work.
For me though, all the best Bond themes were done in the Barry era.
It’s a new Radiohead track. Christmas is complete.
Don’t like both however prefer this one over the Sam Smith song.
Its weird – did Radiohead Google Radiohead and James Bond and find this song ? Its almost a pastiche.
Aweful. No melody whatsoever. Rightfully rejected.
Well, as for REM? Radiohead has been for years an overrated band… Nothing to do with it ! The brother’s band (“Unbelievable truth”) was 100 times better !
Anything is better than Sam Smith. And “integrity”? Garbage.
Brilliant! It’s both very Radiohead and very Bond.
Give me Dame Shirls any day. :)
*geahoooooldfingaaaaahhhhhrrrrr!*
This is totally brilliant. I love this tune.
Both terrible
They used to a cover of the theme from The Spy Who Loved Me in their early live shows.
…poor boring Sam Smith…
No Bond theme will ever be as bad as the assault my ears had to take after Madonna performed Die Another Day. What a dance floor Disco horror! Having listened to Spectre’s theme, hHonestly, I don’t like Sam Smith’s Bond theme at all. His voice goes tremulous, with arching, falsetto passages that just begin to grate on my nerves. Radiohead gave us something dark, elegant, dreamlike. THIS SONG, I do like!
Agreed 100 per cent.
Madonna’s song for Die another day was the worst ever.
Sam Smith’s ranks really low, though. One of the worst. Just like the movie. Terrible.
Radiohead’s effort is hauntingly beautiful and almost too good for this mess of a movie.
Its not bad. I still think its cool to do a Bond theme !
Why would Radiohead even want to be associated with a Bond film. Integrity or what? It’s OK but nothing more.
It’s still pretty cool to do a Bond theme, I think, whether you’re Radiohead or Take That.
When have Radiohead ever kept time?, it’s not stunning but it’s better than what the film makers went with which was commercial dirge
Not bad at all, but certainly not commercial enough for a Bond movie!
Maybe, but it would have been even weirder if they’d suddenly written something really commercial and Bond-like!
It’s 10 times better than the song chosen, it’s got character, depth and mystery, I like it.
Brilliant! Very Bond/John Williams in spirit!
Was the drummer on drugs? What a mess…
Oh dear, it’s dreary and all over the place. glad it wasn’t picked for the film.