Rewrites and renunciations: The story of Radiohead’s rejected James Bond themes
Most artists only dream of being given the chance to pen a James Bond theme. It’s an opportunity afforded to the most acclaimed, most esteemed artists in the industry. From Paul McCartney to Adele, some of the best in the business have composed tracks for the legendary spy series, several of them taking home Academy Awards in the process. But back in the early 2010s, when Spectre was in the early stages of production, Radiohead squandered the opportunity not once but twice.
Radiohead had spent the 1990s and 2000s carving out a place for themselves as one of the most beloved alternative rock bands in music history, so they were well placed for a spot on the James Bond soundtrack by the 2010s. Their sound walked the line between arty experimentation and mainstream appeal, making them the perfect pick for the Bond theme. Plus, director Sam Mendes was already a fan.
The planets aligned, and Radiohead received an offer to submit a song for the next Bond movie. They responded with ‘Man of War’, a song the band had written and recorded almost two decades prior, in the late 1990s. Over gentle keys and grand strings, Thom Yorke sang of drunken confessions and hijacked affairs. It seemed like the perfect Bond theme, perhaps because this had been the initial inspiration for the track.
Although ‘Man of War’ would have fit into Spectre seamlessly, the song was rejected. This wasn’t because the Spectre producers disliked the track but rather because it had not been penned with the film in mind. They needed a song that had been written specifically for Spectre, so Radiohead returned to the studio in an attempt to concoct something new.
The result was ‘Spectre’. A contemplative track made up of strings and keys, with devastating vocals provided by Yorke. “My hunger burns a bullet hole,” he sings, “A spectre of my mortal soul.” It’s not quite as epic as ‘Man of War’—there is no “dressing for the kill”—but it was a suitable Bond theme nonetheless. However, it wouldn’t make it into the final cut of Spectre.
Rather than going with the melancholic, moody ‘Spectre’, the producers opted for another song they had been offered, Sam Smith’s ‘Writing’s on the Wall’, as the theme for Spectre instead. It was similarly dramatic, with potent keys and swirling strings, but it was ever so slightly less gloomy than Radiohead’s offering.
“For you, I have to risk it all,” Smith sang, “‘cause the writing’s on the wall,” before the track falls into gorgeous strings. It was a classic Bond tune, and the decision served the producers of the film well as it took the world by storm. Chart success, critical acclaim, and even an Academy Award for ‘Best Original Song’.
Radiohead were left without a Bond theme, but they released both attempts as part of their own catalogue anyway. ‘Spectre’ was unveiled in December of 2015, just a couple of months after ‘Writing’s on the Wall’ swept the charts and Spectre hit cinemas. A couple of years later, they put out ‘Man of War’ on their reissued record OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017.
Though the band may not have secured a spot in the soundtrack or taken home an Academy Award for their efforts, each track showed off their understanding of what a Bond theme requires. Perhaps the Spectre producers missed out when they opted not to include the alt-rockers in the film.
