Radiohead share unreleased James Bond theme song Spectre.

Radiohead’s Rejected Bond Theme Is the Gift Spectre  Never Gave Us

Radiohead’s Rejected Bond Theme Is the Gift Spectre  Never Gave Us

Brow Beat has moved! You can find new stories here.
Brow Beat
Slate's Culture Blog
Dec. 26 2015 1:10 PM

Radiohead’s Rejected Bond Theme Is the Gift Spectre Never Gave Us

Hkg7572139
Thom Yorke of Radiohead performs at Alges, on the outskirts of Lisbon, on July 15, 2012.

Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP/GettyImages

James Bond’s latest outing, Spectre, arrived to mixed reviews, but its theme song—a slow, snoozy ballad by Sam Smith—was almost uniformly criticized.

Thankfully, we now have an alternate. Radiohead, who were initially commissioned to write the theme, have shared their stab at the project, and it’s much better: a very Bond-like mix of dread, mystery, and minor chords. It’s unclear why Smith's song was chosen over this, but Thom Yorke’s haunting vocals and penchant for mournful orchestration are right in 007’s wheelhouse. 

Sharan Shetty is on the editorial staff of the New Yorker. You can follow him on Twitter