Radiohead fans were treated to a special gift on Christmas when the band shared a recording of "Spectre" that was intended for the 2015 James Bond film of the same name, but was never used. Listen above, via Radiohead's SoundCloud where it's also available as a free download.
It's an elegant number, with warm piano playing and York's signature vocals set against sweeping strings. With no obvious electronic instrumentation, this is much different from their last album, The King of Limbs, released in 2011. Time will tell whether this is a new direction for the band, or just something they did that would be appropriate for a Bond film.
The band left a brief comment on their Facebook page about the song:
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.
Instead of using this gem from Radiohead, the film creators chose to use Sam Smith's "Writing's On The Wall." The previous James Bond film, titled Skyfall, was paired with an Adele song of the same name which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2012.
2016 could be a big year for Radiohead. In an interview with Russian radio station Серебряный Дождь 100.1 FM, guitarist Jonny Greenwood said that the band has finished recording a new album, and planning a concert tour is next on their agenda.
For the latest music, news, and tour dates from Radiohead, check out their Zumic artist page.
Source: Radiohead SoundCloud
