The sexiest song ever written, according to Thom Yorke
Radiohead was formed by frontman Thom Yorke and four of his music-obsessed friends at Oxfordshire’s Abingdon School in the mid-1980s. In their earliest incarnation, the band brought a moody, British slant to the concurrent grunge scene in the US. However, after achieving widespread success with the early single ‘Creep’ and the 1995 album The Bends, Radiohead began to show a deep passion for originality.
Now, the words sexy and Radiohead are not often uttered in the same breath, but their attractive melodies and Yorke’s arresting vocals have approached sensual territory on several occasions. One particular moment that comes to mind was the 1996 Street Spirit (Fade Out)’ B-side ‘Talk Show Host’.
Something about the guitar riff is markedly sumptuous and seemingly primed for a James Bond theme tune. Ultimately, the song was used in the soundtrack for Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, but Radiohead did actually try for prestigious James Bond theme consideration. After having the song ‘Man of War’ rejected for 2015’s Spectre, the band recorded the orchestral ballad ‘Spectre’, but unfortunately, the 007 producers decided to use Sam Smith’s ‘Writing’s on the Wall’ instead.
It is unclear when Radiohead will reunite, let alone try for another Bond theme. Still, if you’re looking for another sexual Radiohead performance, you may not have come across the band’s cover of Carly Simon’s ‘Nobody Does It Better’. Simon recorded the song for the 1977 James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me, starring Roger Moore.
With such a solid canon of universally praised bangers, Radiohead seldom perform covers as a staple element of their live shows. However, when they do decide to honour their influences, it’s always a unique experience. The band has famously treated Joy Division’s ‘Ceremony’, Björk’s ‘Unravel’, and The Smiths’ ‘The Headmaster Ritual’ to cracking reimagined versions imbued with that distinctive Radiohead DNA.
The video below sees Yorke, Greenwood and the gang tackling Simon’s ‘Nobody Does It Better’, but it wasn’t the first time they performed the song on stage. Clearly a cherished part of Radiohead’s warm-up routine at the time, even some shows back in 1995 bore witness to the cover. During one show on the Bends tour, Yorke announced to the crowd that it was the “sexiest song ever written”.
Listen to Carly Simon’s ‘Nobody Does It Better’ below and see if you think Radiohead did “it better” in 1997.
