Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 12:56, 26 November 2007

Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Oxfordshire in 1986. The band comprises Thom Yorke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, electronics), Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, other instruments), Ed O'Brien (guitar, backing vocals), Colin Greenwood (bass guitar, synthesisers) and Phil Selway (drums, percussion).

Radiohead released their first single, "Creep", in 1992, followed by their debut album Pablo Honey (1993). Though it was initially unsuccessful, the song became a worldwide hit by the time it was reissued a year later. Radiohead's popularity in the United Kingdom increased with their second album, The Bends (1995). The band's dense, textured guitar atmospheres and Thom Yorke's expressive falsetto singing were warmly received by critics and fans. Radiohead's third album, OK Computer (1997), propelled them to greater attention. Featuring an expansive sound and themes of modern alienation, it was acclaimed worldwide, often being named a landmark record of the 1990s.

The band's next recordings, Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2001), saw Radiohead reach their peak of global popularity even as their music divided fans and critics. The period marked a change in the band's style, with influences including experimental electronic music as well as Krautrock and jazz. Radiohead's shift away from standard rock songwriting also resulted in greater flexibility, with each member playing a wider range of instruments in the studio and at live concerts. The band's sixth album, Hail to the Thief (2003), was seen to blend styles from throughout their career, mixing guitar-driven rock, electronic influences and contemporary lyrics.

Radiohead subsequently left their record label EMI, and released their seventh album, In Rainbows (2007), through their own website as a digital download for which customers could select their own price. Radiohead plan to release In Rainbows as a "discbox", as well as on a standard CD in December 2007, through XL Recordings and TBD Records. The band plan to embark on a world tour, beginning in late spring 2008.

History

Formation and first years: 1986–1991

The members of Radiohead all attended Abingdon School, a boys-only public school in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Yorke and Colin Greenwood were in the same year, O'Brien and Selway were one year older and Jonny Greenwood two years younger. In 1986, they formed the band "On a Friday", the name referring to the band's usual rehearsal day in the school's music room. On a Friday played their first gig at Oxford's Jericho Tavern in late 1986. Jonny Greenwood joined as a keyboard player but soon became the lead guitarist. For a time the band's lineup included three saxophone players from a nearby girls' school and a keyboardist.

Although Phil Selway, Thom Yorke, Colin Greenwood, and Ed O'Brien had left Abingdon by 1987 to attend university, the band continued to rehearse often on weekends and holidays. In 1991, when all the members except Jonny had completed their university degrees, On a Friday regrouped, but briefly changed their name to "Shindig." The band recorded demos, including the Manic Hedgehog demo tape, performed live around Oxford and appeared on the cover of a local music magazine Curfew. Although Oxfordshire and the Thames Valley had an active indie scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it centred around shoegazing bands such as Ride and Slowdive. On a Friday were never seen as fitting this trend and later commented that they had missed it by the time they returned from university.

As On a Friday's number of live performances increased, record labels and producers became interested. Chris Hufford, the co-owner of Oxford's Courtyard Studios, attended an early On a Friday concert at the Jericho Tavern. Impressed by the band, he and his partner Bryce Edge produced a demo tape and became On a Friday's managers. Hufford and Edge remain Radiohead's managers to this day. The band signed a six-album recording contract with EMI in late 1991, following a chance meeting between Colin Greenwood and label representative Keith Wozencroft at the record shop where Greenwood worked. At the request of the label, the band changed their name to Radiohead, inspired by the title of a song on Talking Heads' True Stories album.

Pablo Honey, The Bends and early success: 1992–1995

Drill, Radiohead's debut EP, was produced by Hufford and Edge at Courtyard Studios and released in March 1992. Its chart performance was poor, and consequently the band hired Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade, who had previously worked with the Pixies and Dinosaur Jr., to produce their debut album, Pablo Honey. The album was recorded in three weeks in an Oxford studio late in 1992.

With the release of the "Creep" single in late 1992, the band began to receive attention in the British music press, although not all of it was favourable. NME described them as "a lily livered excuse for a rock band," and the song was not played on BBC Radio 1 because it was deemed "too depressing". Radiohead released another single, "Anyone Can Play Guitar" in February 1993, followed closely by Pablo Honey later that month. Neither did well commercially, especially Pablo Honey, which peaked at #32 in the UK and is considered by critics and the band to be their weakest album. A non-album single, "Pop is Dead", and the last single from Pablo Honey, "Stop Whispering" followed later that year; both of which also performed poorly.

However, "Creep" unexpectedly built momentum in the United States, spreading from popularity in Israel to a San Francisco college radio station. By the time Radiohead began their first United States tour in early 1993, "Creep" was in heavy rotation on MTV. The song rose to #2 on the Billboard modern rock charts and to #7 in the UK singles chart when rereleased later that year. Radiohead nearly broke up due to the pressure of sudden success as the Pablo Honey supporting tour extended into its second year. The album continued to rise in popularity internationally, fuelled by "Creep", which remains Radiohead's largest worldwide hit. The band later said, however, that the tour had been a miserable experience because towards its end they were "still playing the same songs that we'd recorded two years previously...it was almost like being held in a time warp." Template:Sample box start Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end After the American tour, Radiohead began work on their second album, hiring veteran Abbey Road studios producer John Leckie. Tensions were high, as the band felt smothered both by "Creep"'s success and the mounting expectations for a superior follow-up. According to Leckie, "It was either going to be 'Sulk', 'The Bends', 'Nice Dream', or 'Just'. We had to give those absolute attention, make them amazing, instant smash hits, number 1 in America. Everyone was pulling their hair and saying, 'It's not good enough!' We were trying too hard".

The band sought a change of scenery, touring Australasia and the Far East in an attempt to reduce the pressure. However, confronted again by their new popularity, singer Thom Yorke felt discomfort at being "right at the sharp end of the sexy, sassy, MTV eye-candy lifestyle" he felt he was helping to sell. The 1994 EP My Iron Lung, featuring the single of the same title, was the band's reaction, marking a transition towards the greater depth they aimed for on their second album. The single was promoted through underground radio stations; it sold better than expected, starting a loyal fan base for the band. Having developed the other new songs on tour, Radiohead completed the album in the UK in late 1994, releasing The Bends in May 1995.

While the Britpop scene dominated the media's attention, Radiohead were finally successful in their home country with The Bends. The album was driven by dense riffs and ethereal atmospheres from the band's three guitarists, as well as greater use of keyboards than their debut. The singles "Fake Plastic Trees", "Just", and "High and Dry", featuring Yorke's expressive falsetto, achieved some chart success. Looking back in 1998, Jonny Greenwood said, "I think the turning point for us came about nine or 12 months after The Bends was released and it started appearing in people's polls for the end of the year. That's when it started to feel like we made the right choice about being a band, I think." Yet major success for the album did not come until the release of the final single "Street Spirit (Fade Out)", which hit #5 in the UK, the band's highest chart position to that point.

In mid-1995, Radiohead toured in support of R.E.M., one of their formative influences and at the time one of the biggest rock bands in the world. Introducing his opening act, Michael Stipe said, "Radiohead are so good, they scare me". The buzz generated by such famous fans, along with a series of distinctive music videos such as "Just" and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)", helped to expand Radiohead's popularity outside the UK. Drummer Phil Selway said, "When The Bends came out everyone went on about how uncommercial that was. Twelve months later it was being hailed as a pop classic. The record company were worried there wasn't a single on it- and we ended up with five top 30 hits from it!" However, while critically acclaimed, the album and its singles failed to match the worldwide commercial success of "Creep".

OK Computer, fame and critical acclaim: 1996–1998

Yorke said that The Bends succeeded because Radiohead "had to put ourselves into an environment where we felt free to work. And that's why we the next ourselves, because the times...on the last record were when we were just completely communicating with ourselves, and John Leckie wasn't really saying much, and it was just all happening".

One new song was already recorded: "Lucky", released as a single to promote the War Child charity's The Help Album. Radiohead also contributed two songs to Baz Luhrmann's 1996 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet; "Talk Show Host" and "Exit Music (For a Film)". The former was a remix of one of the B-sides to "Street Spirit (Fade Out)", while the latter was a new song, eventually included on the band's next album.

With the assistance of audio engineer Nigel Godrich, their collaborator on "Lucky" and "Talk Show Host," Radiohead produced their next album themselves, beginning work in early 1996. By July they had recorded four songs with Godrich at their rehearsal studio, Canned Applause, a converted apple shed in the countryside near Didcot, Oxfordshire. They decided to perfect the songs live, touring as an opening act for Alanis Morissette, before completing the record. The rest of the album was recorded in actress Jane Seymour's 15th-century mansion, St. Catherine's Court, near Bath. The recording sessions were relaxed, with the band playing at all hours of the day, recording songs in different rooms, and listening to The Beatles, DJ Shadow, Ennio Morricone and Miles Davis for inspiration. Recording on the album was completed by the end of 1996, and by March 1997, it was mixed and mastered. Template:Sample box start Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end Radiohead released their third album, OK Computer, in June 1997 to widespread critical acclaim. Largely composed of melodic rock songs, the new record also found Radiohead experimenting with song structures and incorporating ambient, noise, and electronic influences. OK Computer was the band's first #1 UK chart debut, eventually propelling Radiohead to commercial success around the world. Despite peaking at #21 in the American charts, the album was eventually acclaimed as highly there, receiving a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album and a nomination for Album of the Year. The band released "Paranoid Android", "Karma Police" and "No Surprises" as singles from the album, of which "Karma Police" was most successful in the U.S., peaking at #14.

Yorke admitted that he was "actually amazed got the reaction it did. None of us fucking knew any more whether it was good or bad. What really blew my head off was the fact that people got all the things, all the textures and the sounds and the atmospheres we were trying to create."

The release of OK Computer was followed by the "Against Demons" world tour. Grant Gee, the director of the "No Surprises" video, accompanied and filmed the band on their tour. The resulting video was released as the 1998 "fly on the wall" documentary Meeting People Is Easy. The film portrays the band's disaffection with the music industry and press, showing their burnout as they progressed from their first tour dates in mid-1997 to mid-1998, nearly a year later. During this time the band released 7 Television Commercials, a compilation of music videos, and two EPs which compiled B-sides from OK Computer.

Kid A, Amnesiac and a change in sound: 1999–2001

Radiohead were largely inactive following their 1997-1998 tour; after its end, their only public performance in 1998 was at an Amnesty International concert in Paris. Yorke later admitted that during that period the band came close to splitting up, and that he had developed severe depression: "New Year's Eve was one of the lowest points of my life... I felt like I was going fucking crazy. Every time I picked up a guitar I just got the horrors. I would start writing a song, stop after 16 bars, hide it away in a drawer, look at it again, tear it up, destroy it."

In early 1999, Radiohead began work on a follow-up to OK Computer. Although there was no longer any pressure or even a deadline from their record label, tension during this period was high. The members all had different visions for the band's future, and Yorke was still experiencing writer's block, influencing him toward a more abstract, fragmented form of songwriting. Eventually, all the members agreed on a new musical direction, redefining their instrumental roles in the band. For the first time the band recorded without considering live performance, secluding themselves with producer Nigel Godrich in a series of different studios from Paris to Copenhagen to Gloucester, to their newly completed studio in Oxford. In the process, they pared 40 newly recorded songs to the 30 which were ultimately released on their subsequent two albums and accompanying B-sides. Template:Sample box start Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end Radiohead's new tracks featured a minimalist and textured style with less overt guitar parts, as opposed to being a stylistic sequel to OK Computer . The tracks also featured more diverse instrumentation, going beyond the traditional rock setup of guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards by including the ondes martenot, programmed electronic beats, strings and jazz horns. "The trick is to try and carry on doing things that interest you, but not turn into some art-rock nonsense just for its own sake", Colin Greenwood said of the recording sessions, which were completed in April 2000, after nearly 18 months.

Kid A, released in October 2000, was the first of two albums created from these recording sessions. Radiohead's greatest commercial success to date, Kid A debuted at number 1 in many countries, including the United States, where its debut atop the Billboard chart marked a first for the band, though it fell off the chart soon after. This commercial success has been variously attributed to hype; to the availability of the entire album on the Internet file-sharing network Napster a few months before its release; and to anticipation after OK Computer. Although Radiohead did not release any singles from Kid A, promos of "Optimistic" and "Idioteque" received some radio play, and a series of "blips", or short videos set to portions of tracks, were played on music channels and released freely on the Internet.

In early 2001, Kid A received a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album and a nomination for Album of the Year. However, Kid A did not receive universal praise; criticism of the album in independent music circles focused on Radiohead's appropriation of underground styles of music and unfairly receiving credit, while some mainstream critics saw Kid A as a "commercial suicide note". The band's fans were similarly divided; along with those who were appalled or mystified, there were many who saw Kid A as the band's best work. Yorke, however, denied that Radiohead had purposely set out to eschew commercial expectations, saying, "I wouldn't be involved if I wasn't aware that it was going to be a product. I always wanted whatever I did to end up in , no matter what it was, because to me, there isn't anywhere else to go...it's music! And I'd be wary of thinking...'s challenging, because that's not it."

On previous tours, Radiohead had performed in large, corporate-sponsored venues, but had expressed distaste for them. While promoting Kid A, the band, having read Naomi Klein's anti-globalization book No Logo, decided to mount a tour of Europe in a custom-built tent free of advertising. Radiohead also performed a mere three concerts in North America, their first performances there in over two years, selling out smaller theatres. Along with songs from Kid A, the band used the tour to perform unreleased songs that had been recorded at the same time as Kid A.

Amnesiac, released in June 2001, comprised those additional tracks. A distinct sequence of songs from Kid A, Amnesiac saw Radiohead's sound coalesce into a similar hybrid of electronic music and art rock, though in contrast to Kid A it featured more direct jazz influence. The piano ballad "Pyramid Song" was released as Radiohead's first single since 1997, hitting the UK top 5, and the guitar single "Knives Out" followed. Although criticised for a lack of cohesion and for being self-indulgent, Amnesiac was critically acclaimed and a commercial success worldwide, reaching #2 in the US and being nominated for a Grammy award. After Amnesiac's release, the band embarked on a world tour, visiting North America, Europe and Japan. "I Might Be Wrong," initially planned as a third single for release during this time, expanded into the band's first and thus far only live record. I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings, released in November 2001, featured live performances of songs from Kid A and Amnesiac, and an acoustic performance of the previously unreleased "True Love Waits".

Hail to the Thief and a hiatus: 2002–2004

During July and August 2002, Radiohead toured Portugal and Spain, using this opportunity to play new songs before an audience of their fans. The band then completed the album in two weeks in a Los Angeles studio with Nigel Godrich, with a few additional recordings done later in Oxford. Band members described the recording process as relaxed, in contrast to the tense Kid A/Amnesiac sessions.

Radiohead released their sixth album, Hail to the Thief, in June 2003. Upon its release, Hail to the Thief was noted for having a mix of influences from throughout Radiohead's career, combining guitar rock with an electronic sound and topical lyrics. Although the album was critically acclaimed, critics felt that the band was treading water creatively rather than continuing the "genre-redefining" trend that OK Computer had begun. Nevertheless, Hail to the Thief enjoyed commercial success in the U.S., debuting at #3 on the Billboard chart with the band's highest first week sales to date, but falling off soon after. The album's lead single, "There There", peaked at #4 in the UK, while subsequent singles "Go to Sleep" and "2+2=5" charted at #12 and #15 respectively. At the 2003 Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for Best Alternative Album, while producers Nigel Godrich and Darrell Thorp received the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album.

Template:Sample box start Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end Although Hail to the Thief's title was assumed to be a comment on the controversial 2000 American presidential election, Yorke has denied this, explaining that he first heard the phrase during a Radio 4 discussion of John Quincy Adams, "who stole the election and who was known as 'The Thief' throughout his presidency". Yorke explained that the album was influenced by world events of late 2001 and early 2002, but he also said, "It struck me as the most amazing, powerful phrase... I feel really strongly that we didn't write an protest record, we didn't write a political record."

After the release of Hail to the Thief, Radiohead embarked on an international tour, which began with a June 2003 headlining performance at the Glastonbury Festival, and finished in mid-2004 with a performance at the Coachella Festival. The band released COM LAG in 2004, an EP compiling most of the b-sides from Hail to the Thief, fulfilling their contractual obligations to EMI. Following the tour, the band began writing and rehearsing in their Oxford studio, but soon went on hiatus, as both O'Brien and Colin Greenwood were expecting sons, and needed some time with their respective families. Free of any contractual obligations, Radiohead spent the remainder of 2004 resting and working on solo projects. The band released a DVD version of their webcast television show The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All Time in December 2004.

In Rainbows and "Pay what you want": 2005–present

Radiohead began work on their seventh album in February 2005. In September 2005, the band recorded a piano-based song, "I Want None of This", for the War Child charity album Help: A Day in the Life. The album was sold online, with "I Want None of This" being the most downloaded track, although it was not released as a single. At the time, Radiohead were without a record contract, having fulfilled their recording contract with EMI in 2004. In interviews in 2006, they admitted that "for the first time, we have no contract or release deadline to fulfill — it's both liberating and terrifying". But shortly before the band began writing new songs for the album, Yorke told Time, "I like the people at our record company, but the time is at hand when you have to ask why anyone needs one. And, yes, it probably would give us some perverse pleasure to say 'Fuck you' to this decaying business model."

In mid-2006, Radiohead toured Europe and North America, debuting thirteen songs they had been working on. Although the band began recording with Mark "Spike" Stent, since late 2006 they recorded with producer Nigel Godrich in several rural locations in England. The album was completed in June 2007 and was mastered the following month. Starting in late September 2007, visitors to the band's website were redirected to a new website set up to take orders for the album, which was released in two formats. One form was a digital download for which the customer was able to name their own price, the other a "discbox" which included the In Rainbows CD, a bonus CD from the recording sessions, a vinyl edition of In Rainbows contained in two vinyl records, and a hardcover book. This discbox was available for purchase from the "In Rainbows" website for £40 (US$82), and will be shipped to customers in early December.

Radiohead initially released their seventh album, In Rainbows, solely as a digital download in October 2007. It was reported that on the day of its release, 1.2 million copies of In Rainbows had been sold as digital downloads. Radiohead's management, however, have not released any official sales figures for In Rainbows, claiming that the Internet-only distribution was intended only to boost sales of the physical album. In Rainbows received overwhelmingly positive reviews, among the best of Radiohead's career. Some critics praised the album for having a more accessible sound and personal style of lyrics than their past work. Template:Sample box start Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end Explaining the reasons behind the album's unusual delivery, Jonny Greenwood said, "partly just to get it out quickly, so everyone would hear it at the same time, and partly because it was an experiment that felt worth trying, really." As for letting people name the price they pay for the album, he said "It's fun to make people stop for a few seconds and think about what music is worth."

It was announced in early November that In Rainbows would be released in physical form in late December 2007 on XL Recordings, while TBD Records would distribute the album in North America.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). The first single from the album, "Jigsaw Falling into Place", will be released in the UK on 14 January 2008. Radiohead are to embark on a world tour from May 2008 to the end of that year, playing larger-scale venues than those played during their 2006 tour.

Style and songwriting

Musical influences

Among Radiohead members' earliest influences were Queen and Elvis Costello; post-punk acts such as Joy Division and Magazine; and 1980s alternative rock bands such as R.E.M., Pixies, The Smiths, and Sonic Youth. But by the mid-1990s, Radiohead began to mention an interest in electronic music, especially that of trip-hop act Massive Attack and the instrumental hip hop of DJ Shadow, which Radiohead claimed as major influences on the sound of OK Computer. Other influences on the album were Miles Davis and Ennio Morricone, along with 1960s pop groups such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys. Jonny Greenwood also cited composer Krzysztof Penderecki as an inspiration on the sound of OK Computer. During this era, critics noted musical similarities between OK Computer and progressive rock bands such as Pink Floyd, however, the band have denied that their musical style is directly influenced by progressive rock.

The electronic style of Kid A and Amnesiac was the result of Yorke's admiration for glitch, ambient techno and IDM as exemplified by Warp Records artists such as Autechre, Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada and Squarepusher. The jazz of Charles Mingus and Alice Coltrane, and 1970s Krautrock bands such as Can and Neu!, were other major influences during this period. Greenwood's interest in 20th century classical music continued to play a role, as the influence of Penderecki and Olivier Messiaen was increasingly apparent; for several tracks on Kid A and subsequent albums, Greenwood has played the Ondes Martenot, an early electronic instrument popularised by the composer.

With Hail to the Thief, Radiohead continued their electronic influences of their previous two albums, although with renewed emphasis on guitar rock. Though The Beatles and Neil Young were sources of musical inspiration during this period, the band also continued to cite their influence by classical musicians and Can. Since 2005, while working on In Rainbows, the band have continued to mention experimental rock, electronic, and hip hop musicians as influences; such as Liars, glitch act Modeselektor, and Spank Rock. Band members have also emphasized their interest in reggae and dub music, as shown by the 2007 Trojan Records release Jonny Greenwood Is the Controller, a compilation of songs Greenwood selected by his favourite dub artists.

Changing roles

Radiohead's evolving musical style has been seen as a consequence of band members' varied tastes and accomplishments. Lead guitarist Jonny Greenwood is the only classically-trained member of the band and served as the BBC's Composer in Residence. Greenwood is a multi-instrumentalist; aside from guitar and keyboard, he plays the Ondes Martenot, banjo, viola and harmonica. He also in recent years has done electronic and digital manipulation. However, not all of these instruments have appeared on record. Greenwood has also arranged string orchestrations for Radiohead songs, including "Climbing Up the Walls", "How to Disappear Completely" and "Pyramid Song". Yorke plays guitar and piano and, at Exeter University, was once a DJ and part of a techno group, "Flickernoise". In recent years he has focused on the digital manipulation of sound, claiming in 2003 that if forced to choose, he would rather make music only on computer than only on guitar.

Since their formation, Radiohead have, lyrically and musically, been dominated by Yorke. In a 2000 interview, referring to the working of the band, Yorke said, "We operate like the UN, and I'm America." An exception to this dynamic is songwriting. Although Yorke is responsible for writing nearly all the lyrics, songwriting is actually a collaborative effort, as interviews have revealed that all members have had an integral songwriting role. As a result, all the band's songs are officially credited to "Radiohead".

The Kid A/Amnesiac sessions brought about a change in Radiohead's musical style, and an even more radical change in the band's working method. Ed O'Brien described the situation in 2000: "If you're going to make a different-sounding record, you have to change the methodology... everyone feels insecure. I'm a guitarist and suddenly it's like, well, there are no guitars on this track, or no drums. Jonny, me, Coz, and Phil had to get our heads round that." Since the band's shift from standard rock music instrumentation toward an emphasis on electronic sound, band members have had greater flexibility and now regularly switch instruments depending on the particular song requirements. On Kid A and Amnesiac, Yorke sometimes played keyboard and bass, while Jonny Greenwood often played ondes martenot rather than guitar, bassist Colin Greenwood worked on sampling, and O'Brien and Selway branched out to drum machines and digital manipulations, also finding ways to incorporate their primary instruments, guitar and percussion, respectively, into the new sound.

The relaxed 2003 recording sessions for Hail to the Thief led to a different dynamic in Radiohead, with Yorke admitting in interviews that " power within the band was absolutely unbalanced and would subvert everybody else's power at all costs. But it's not as bad as that any more. It's actually a lot more healthy now, democracy wise, than it used to be."

Collaborators

The band maintains a close relationship with their producers and engineers, in particular Nigel Godrich, as well as with graphic artist Stanley Donwood. Godrich made his name with Radiohead, working with the band ever since The Bends, and as coproducer ever since OK Computer. He has sometimes been dubbed the "sixth member" of the band in an allusion to George Martin's work with the Beatles. Donwood, another longtime associate of the band, has produced all of Radiohead's album covers and visual artwork since 1994. He often works directly with Yorke, whom he met at art school; Yorke is credited in these collaborations under the pseudonyms "Tchock" or "The White Chocolate Farm". Donwood's graphics work with the band has encompassed oil paintings, computer-generated imagery, collage and antique posters, as well as work on the band's official web site. In interviews, he has said that he works near where the band is recording so as to find a visual equivalent for their sound. Together with Yorke, Donwood won a Grammy in 2002 for a special edition of Amnesiac packaged as a library book.

Other collaborators include Graeme Stewart, Dilly Gent, and Plank. Stewart has been Radiohead's sound engineer since their Kid A/Amnesiac sessions. He has also engineered Jonny Greenwood's and Yorke's respective solo albums Bodysong and The Eraser. Gent has been responsible for commissioning all Radiohead music videos since OK Computer, working closely with the band to find a director suitable for each project. The band's live technician, Peter Clemens, or "Plank", has worked with the band since The Bends, setting up their instruments for both studio recordings and live performances.

Legacy

Despite the increasing profile and popularity that Kid A and Amnesiac brought to the band, the continued popularity of The Bends and OK Computer ensured the influence of Radiohead's earlier style on British rock music. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, many critics compared the sound of contemporary bands to that of Radiohead at some time during their recording output, and in some cases, these bands used the band's own producers Nigel Godrich or John Leckie. When asked in 2001 by MTV, "How do you guys feel about the fact that bands like Travis, Coldplay and Muse are making a career sounding exactly like your records did in 1997?", Yorke replied, "Good luck with Kid A." However, other bands such as Bloc Party claimed to be influenced by Radiohead's later albums, and acts in various genres including The Roots, Hanson, Ace of Base, The Flaming Lips, and John Mayer, as well as jazz and classical musicians, have covered Radiohead songs from their Kid A and Amnesiac period. In 2005, Radiohead was ranked #73 in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the greatest artists in history.

Band members

• Thom Yorke – vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, electronics
• Jonny Greenwood – lead guitar, Ondes Martenot, string arrangements, keyboards, electronics
• Ed O'Brien – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, percussion, effects
• Colin Greenwood – bass, synthesizers, electronics
• Phil Selway – drums, percussion, live backing vocals

Solo work

In 1998, Thom Yorke collaborated with Drugstore on the single "El President", and contributed vocals to the UNKLE track "Rabbit in Your Headlights", a collaboration with DJ Shadow. Later that year, he participated in the Velvet Goldmine soundtrack, singing Roxy Music cover songs as part of the fictional band "Venus in Furs". In 2000, he sang duets with Björk and PJ Harvey on their respective albums Selmasongs and Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea. In 2006, Yorke's solo album, The Eraser, was released on XL Recordings, debuting at #2 in the US. It was nominated for the Mercury Prize and a Grammy.

Jonny Greenwood's solo work has primarily been that of classical music compositions. In 2003 he released Bodysong, an instrumental soundtrack for the documentary of the same name, to which his brother Colin contributed bass and programming. In May 2004, Jonny was hired as a resident composer by the BBC, and has written classical pieces including "Smear", "Popcorn Superhet Receiver" and "Piano for Children". For his work on "Popcorn Superhet Receiver", Greenwood was voted Composer of the Year by BBC Radio 3 listeners in the British Composer Awards. In 2005, Jonny Greenwood and Phil Selway appeared with Pulp's Jarvis Cocker as members of The Weird Sisters, a fictional band in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Greenwood also scored the music for Paul Thomas Anderson's 2007 film There Will Be Blood.

Although neither Ed O'Brien nor Phil Selway have dedicated solo projects, they have both toured for the "7 Worlds Collide" project in 2001. O'Brien, however, has contributed guitar parts both for the soundtrack for British television miniseries Eureka Street and Asian Dub Foundation's 2002 album Enemy of the Enemy.

Discography

Studio albums

• Pablo Honey (1993)
• The Bends (1995)
• OK Computer (1997)
• Kid A (2000)
• Amnesiac (2001)
• Hail to the Thief (2003)
• In Rainbows (2007)

References

1. ^ DiMartino, Dave (1997-05-02). "Give Radiohead to your computer". myLaunch. Followmearound.com. Retrieved 2007-05-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
2. "US success for Radiohead". BBC News. BBC. 2001-06-14. Retrieved 2007-03-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
3. ^ Reynolds, Simon (2001-07). "Walking on Thin Ice". The Wire. Retrieved 2007-03-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Cite error: The named reference "REYNOLDS" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
4. ^ Eccleston, Danny (2000-10-01). "Kid A". Q magazine. FollowMeAround.com. Retrieved 2007-03-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
5. ^ "Radiohead: Hail to the Thief (2003): Reviews". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 2007-03-17.
6. ^ Brandle, Lars (2007-10-18). "Radiohead Returning To The Road In 2008". Billboard. Retrieved 2007-10-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
7. ^ McLean, Craig (2003-07-14). "Don't worry, be happy". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2007-03-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
8. ^ Randall, Mac (1998-04-01). "The Golden Age of Radiohead". Guitar World. Green Plastic Radiohead. Retrieved 2007-03-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
9. Clarke, Martin (2006-05-05). Radiohead: Hysterical and Useless. Plexus. ISBN 0859653838.
10. ^ "SUBTERRANEAN ALIENS". Request Magazine. GreenPlastic.com. 1997-09-01. Retrieved 2007-06-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
11. ^ Ross, Alex (2001-08-21). "The Searchers: Radiohead's unquiet revolution". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
12. "The first ever Radiohead interview". Curfew. followmearound.com. 1991-11-01. Retrieved 2007-05-05. {{cite news}}: |first= missing |last= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
13. ^ Kent, Nick (2001-06-01). "Happy now?". Mojo. AtEaseWeb. Retrieved 2007-04-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
14. ^ "Radiohead: The right frequency". BBC. bbc.com. 2001-02-22. Retrieved 2007-11-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
15. "BBC Music Profiles: Radiohead.". BBC. Retrieved 2007-03-11.
16. "Radiohead - Pablo Honey". radiohead1.tripod.com. radiohead1.tripod.com. Retrieved 2007-05-28.
17. "NEW YORKE, NEW YORKE!". NME. nme.com. 2000-04-25. Retrieved 2007-05-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
18. "W.A.S.T.E. #4 official newsletter, 1993". GreenPlastic.com. Retrieved 2007-04-01.
19. "Creepshow". Melody Maker. Citizen Insane. 1992-09-12. Retrieved 2007-04-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
20. Richardson, Andy (1995-12-09). "Boom! Shake The Gloom!". NME. FollowMeAround.com. Retrieved 2007-03-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
21. Stoute, Lenny (1995-06-01). "Runaway hit a mixed-blessing for U.K.'s Radiohead". Toronto Star. followmearound.com. Retrieved 2007-03-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
22. Harding, Nigel (1995). "Radiohead's Phil Selway". Consumable. consumable.com. Retrieved 2007-05-28. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
23. Black, Johnny (2003-06-01). "The Greatest Songs Ever! Fake Plastic Trees". Blender. Blender.com. Retrieved 2007-04-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
24. Irvin, Jim (1997-09-01). "We Have Lift-Off!". Mojo Magazine. citizeninsane.eu. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
25. Mallins, Steve (1995-04-01). "Scuba Do". Vox magazine. followmearound.com. Retrieved 2007-03-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
26. Randall, Mac (2000-09-12). Exit Music: The Radiohead Story. Delta. pp. 98–99. ISBN 0385333935.
27. Dennis, Jon (2003-05-02). "Radio days". The Guardian. guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-03-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
28. Lowe, Steve (2000-08-01). "Radiohead: Tivoli, Barcelone". Q magazine. FollowMeAround. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
29. Sutherland, Mark (1997-05-24). "Rounding the Bends". Melody Maker. greenplastic.com. Retrieved 2007-05-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
30. ^ Courtney, Kevin (1997-05-17). "Radiohead calling". Irish Times. greenplastic.com. Retrieved 2007-11-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
31. Glover, Adrian (1997-08-01). "Radiohead - Getting More Respect". Circus. GreenPlastic.com. Retrieved 2007-05-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
32. "The All-Time 100 albums. Time Magazine, November 13, 2006". Retrieved 2007-03-11.
33. "Screen Source presents: The 40th Annual Grammy Awards". Screen Source. amug.com. 1998-02-27. Retrieved 2007-11-20.
34. "Radiohead: Artist Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2007-11-09. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
35. "Renaissance men". Select. followmearound.com. 1997-12-01. Retrieved 2007-11-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
36. ^ Deming, Mark (2007-11-20). "Meeting People is Easy (1999)". All Movie Guide. nytimes.com. Retrieved 2007-11-20.
37. "Radiohead extra: Amnesty International. AtEase Web.com". Retrieved 2007-03-11.
38. Broc, David (2001-06-01). "Remembering The Future". Mondosonoro. followmearound.com. Retrieved 2007-11-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
39. ^ Smith, Andrew (2000-10-01). "Sound and Fury". The Observer. Retrieved 2007-03-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
40. "O'Brien, Ed. Studio diary from Kid A and Amnesiac recording sessions, 1999–2000.". Retrieved 2007-03-11.
41. Evangelista, Benny (2000-10-12). "CD Soars After Net Release: Radiohead's 'Kid A' premieres in No. 1 slot". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-03-17.
42. "Menta, Richard. "Did Napster Take Radiohead's New Album to Number 1?" MP3 Newswire, October 28, 2000". Retrieved 2007-03-11.
43. "Oldham, James. "Radiohead - Their Stupendous Return." NME, 24 June, 2000". Retrieved 2007-03-11.
44. ^ Zoric, Lauren (2000-09-22). "I think I'm meant to be dead ..." The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-05-18.
45. "Kid A by Radiohead". Metacritic. metacritic.com. Retrieved 2007-05-20.
46. Greenwood, Jonny. "w.a.s.t.e. 12". greenplastic.com. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
47. Harris, John (2000-11-01). "Kid A's... Alright". Select. followmearound.com. Retrieved 2007-11-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
48. Pareles, Jon (2001-06-21). "Rolling Stone: Amnesiac". Rolling Stone. rollingstone.com. Retrieved 2007-05-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
49. ^ "BBC News. "US success for Radiohead." [[14 June]], [[2001]]". Retrieved 2007-03-11. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
50. Petridis, Alexis (2003-06-06). "Radiohead: Hail to the Thief". The Guardian. arts.guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-11-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
51. "Rock on the Net: 45th Annual Grammy Awards". rockonthenet.com. 2003-02-23. Retrieved 2007-11-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
52. ^ O'Brien, Ed (2005-08-21). "Here we go". Dead Air Space. DeadAirSpace.com. Retrieved 2007-05-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
53. "Rush to download War Child album". BBC. 2005-09-12. Retrieved 2007-10-19.
54. "Exclusive - Radiohead UK tour revealed. NME. [[March 21]], [[2006]]". Retrieved 2007-03-11. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
55. Tyrangiel, Josh (2007-10-01). "Radiohead Says: Pay What You Want". Time. Retrieved 2007-10-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
56. Marshall, Julian (2007-10-02). "Radiohead: Exclusive Interview Part 2". NME. Retrieved 2007-10-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
57. "Radiohead mastering seventh album in New York". NME. 2007-07-16. Retrieved 2007-07-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
58. Grossberg, Josh (2007-11-06). "Fans Shortchanging Radiohead's Rainbows?". E!. Yahoo!. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
59. Futterman, Erica (2007). "Eagles to Rock Super Bowl?, Kanye West Teams Up With Michael Jackson, Radiohead Move a Million "Rainbows"". Rolling Stone. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
60. "Radiohead: In Rainbows (2007): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
61. Hiatt, Brian (2007-10-10). "Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood on "In Rainbows": "It's Fun to Make People Think About What Music is Worth?". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-10-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
62. "Radiohead's 'In Rainbows' to be released on CD this year". NME. nme.com. 2007-11-08. Retrieved 2007-11-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
63. Gillespie, Ian (1997-08-17). "It all got very surreal". London Free Press. GreenPlastic. Retrieved 2007-05-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
64. "Rolling Stone, October 1997". Rolling Stone. FollowMeAround.com. 1997-10-01. Retrieved 2007-05-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
65. "Questions and Answers". Spin With a Grin. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
66. Zoric, Lauren (2000-10-01). "Fitter, Happier, More Productive". Juice Magazine. followmearound.com. Retrieved 2007-05-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
67. Duno, Borja (2003-05-30). "Ed & Thom interview at Mondosonoro". Mondosonoro. ateaseweb.com. Retrieved 2007-05-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
68. Liner notes of Hail to the Thief, 2003.
69. Solarski, Matthew (2007-01-23). "Yorke Pimps Liars, Spank Rock, Malkmus on iTunes". Pitchfork. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2007-04-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
70. Greenwood, Jonny (2005-09-23). "Dead Air Space: Clocking on again". Dead Air Space. Radiohead.com. Retrieved 2007-04-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
71. "Radiohead star composes for BBC". BBC. BBC.co.uk. 2004-05-18. Retrieved 2007-05-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
72. Jo Whiley radio show, June 2003
73. Dalton, Stephen (2004-04-01). "Are we having fun yet?". The Australian Age. Retrieved 2007-03-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
74. ^ "Everything In Its Right Place. Matthew McKinnon. July 24, 2006. [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]". Retrieved 2007-03-11. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
75. ^ "Eyestorm:Artist-Stanley Donwood". Eyestorm. Eyestorm.com. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
76. "Thom Yorke to exhibit Radiohead artwork?". NME. nme.com. 2006-11-13. Retrieved 2007-06-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
77. "Latest Art interview with Stanley Donwood. 2006". Retrieved 2007-03-11.
78. "Dilly Gent videography". mvdbase.com. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
79. Matthews, Dave (2005-04-22). "73) Radiohead". Rolling Stone. rollingstone.com. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
80. "Radiohead win composer award". NME. nme.com. 2006-11-25. Retrieved 2007-03-11.
81. Solarski, Matthew (2007-09-07). "Jonny Greenwood Scores Paul Thomas Anderson Film". Pitchfork. pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2007-09-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

Further reading

Online articles

• Draper, Brian. Interview with Thom Yorke. Third Way Magazine, December 2004. Vol. 27, No. 10.
• McLean, Craig. "All messed up." The Observer, June 18, 2006.
• Ross, Alex. "The Searchers: Radiohead's unquiet revolution." The New Yorker, August 20 and 27, 2001.
• Smith, Andrew. "Sound and Fury." The Observer, October 1, 2000.
• White, Curtis. "Kid Adorno." Context. Issue No. 6.
• Follow Me Around: Radiohead Press Cuttings

Books

• Radiohead: An Illustrated Biography by Nick Johnstone (1997, ISBN 0-7119-6581-1)
• Radiohead: Hysterical and Useless by Martin Clarke (2000, ISBN 0-85965-332-3)
• Exit Music: The Radiohead Story by Mac Randall, (2000, ISBN 0-385-33393-5)
• Radiohead: Back to Save the Universe by James Doheny (2002, ISBN 0-82641-663-2)
• Radiohead's OK Computer by Dai Griffiths (2004, ISBN 1-56025-398-3
• The Music and Art of Radiohead edited by Joseph Tate (2005, ISBN 0-7546-3980-0)
• Radiohead: The Complete Guide to their Music by Mark Paytress (2005, ISBN 1-8444-95078)
• Welcome to the Machine: OK Computer and the Death of the Classic Album by Tim Footman (2007, ISBN 1-8424-03885)

Dissertations

• "Authenticity in Rock Culture (Kurt Cobain, Nirvana, Radiohead)" by Mark Mazullo (1999, University of Minnesota)
• “Contextually Defined Musical Transformations” by Jonathan Kochavi (2002, State University of New York at Buffalo)
• "'How to Disappear Completely': Radiohead and the Resistant Concept Album" by Marianne Tatom Letts (2005, University of Texas at Austin)

External links

• Radiohead.com, official site
• Radiohead At Ease, popular unofficial site
• Radiohead at NME
• Radiohead discography at Discogs
• Radiohead discography at MusicBrainz
• Template:Last.fm

• Alternative musical groups
• ATO Artists
• British electronic music groups
• English rock music groups
• Grammy Award winners
• Music from Oxford
• Musical groups established in 1986
• Musical groups with siblings
• Parlophone artists
• People from Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Radiohead
• Quintets