‘How to Disappear Completely’ and the mutual adoration of Michael Stipe and Thom Yorke
R.E.M. played a crucial role in shaping the landscape of alternative rock, particularly in their early years. Their influence resonated strongly with bands like Radiohead, who drew inspiration from R.E.M.’s sound and approach. In Radiohead’s early work, the interplay of Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Ed O’Brien’s guitars reflected the jangly, melodic style pioneered by Peter Buck of R.E.M. This influence can be heard in a lot of Radiohead’s music, especially in their first chapter, as they navigated the alternative rock scene with a sound indebted to the pioneering contributions that came before them.
Whether it be the start of ‘You’ or even the harmonious, atmospheric verses of ‘Creep’, in the Pablo Honey era, Radiohead had a distinctly dark edge, which was spiritually connected to the overlooked work of R.E.M.’s early 1980s period, when their southern gothic angle was most prominent on the likes of Murmur and Reckoning.
It wasn’t just the guitars, though, with the dramatic vocal performances of Yorke also related to that of Michael Stipe, from the preference for melisma to the swarthy lyrics. Speaking to Marc Maron on his WTF podcast in 2013, the Radiohead frontman explained how R.E.M. changed his life. He said: “I love Queen, they are great when I was really small […] and then as I hit as a teenager, the band that really changed my life was R.E.M. and Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division and Bob Dylan.”
Yorke would also recall how much Stipe meant to him in his formative years when appearing on Desert Island Discs: “When I was a kid, they were the link for me between the art student part of me and the musician part of me,” he noted, adding, “Michael Stipe, the singer of R.E.M., was my hero, and now I’m friends with him, you know?”
Given that both outfits share so much in common, it makes sense that there is a mutual appreciation of each other’s work, with Stipe now a close friend and confidant of Yorke’s. According to the Radiohead lead, when his band were at the peak of their fame, Stipe gave him advice on how to stay grounded and, more significantly, sane as fame took its toll.
The musical connection is also intriguing, as both men would write pieces directly inspired by each other with very similar titles. According to Stipe, he wrote the 2001 Reveal track, ‘Disappear’, after being subliminally influenced by the Kid A highlight ‘How To Disappear Completely’, which was, in turn, brought to life by a conversation both men had when Yorke was grappling with the intensity of stardom.
Stipe said: “I wrote this song called ‘Disappear’, and then days later realised it was a Radiohead song called ‘How To Disappear Completely’. I called Thom Yorke and left him a message saying, ‘Thom, I think I stole your song,’ and he didn’t call me back. I was so upset. Finally, a few weeks later, I heard from him, and he said, ‘Michael, that song came from a conversation we had four years ago!'”
Listen to ‘How To Disappear Completely’ below.
