Radiohead

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Biography

Radiohead (formed 1986 as 'On a Friday') Radiohead are an English rock band that rose to fame in the 1990s, with the release of their debut album Pablo Honey.

Formation: The members of Radiohead all met whilst attending Abingdon School, an all-male public school in Oxfordshire. The eldest of the group are Ed O'Brien and Phil Selway; Thom Yorke and Colin Greenwood were in the year below and Jonny Greenwood was two years younger. They formed the band On A Friday in 1986, in reference to their Friday rehearsal slot in the school's music room.

On A Friday played their first gig at the Jericho Tavern in Oxford late in 1986. Although some of the band left the area to attend university, they kept the band going by rehearsing at weekends and in school holidays. By 1991, they had regrouped, with only Greenwood left to complete his university course. They began to record a number of demo tapes and were managed by Chris Hufford and Bryce Edge, the owners of Courtyard Studios in Oxford.

The band signed a six-album record deal with EMI in 1991 when EMI's Keith Wozencroft went into the record shop in which Colin Greenwood worked. They changed the name of the band to Radiohead on EMI's request.

Radiohead's debut EP was entitled 'Drill'. Produced by Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade, who had previously produced work by The Pixies and Dinosaur Jr, the EP was released in March 1992. This was followed by 'Creep', which brought much media attention to the band, although Radio One deemed the track 'too depressing' to give it substantial airplay.

Discography (Albums): Pablo Honey (1993), The Bends (1995), OK Computer (1997), Kid A (2000), Amnesiac (2001), Hail to the Thief (2003), In Rainbows (2007), Radiohead: The Best Of (2008)

Hitting the Headlines: The success of 'Creep' and the Pablo Honey album nearly destroyed the band. Following the Pablo Honey tour, the band entered the studio with legendary producer John Leckie to record tracks for the second album.

Radiohead reached the Top 5 for the first time with the release of 'Street Spirit (Fade Out)'.

In 1996, Radiohead's 'Exit Music (For A Film)' was included in the soundtrack to Baz Luhrmann's Rome and Juliet.

Radiohead's first number one chart debut was with OK Computer, in 1997. The album received the Grammy Award for 'Best Alternative Music Album' as well as a nomination for 'Album of the Year'.

In 1999, Radiohead released the Grant Gee-directed Meeting People Is Easy documentary, as well as a compilation of their promotional videos, entitled 7 Television Commercials.

Kid A was Radiohead's first album to debut at the top of the US charts. The album earned the band another Grammy Award for 'Best Alternative Album' and another nomination for 'Album of the Year'.

Amnesiac was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and songs from the album were featured in the live record, entitled I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings.

In 2003, Nigel Godrich and Darrell Thorp won the Grammy award for 'Best Engineered Album' for their work on Hail to the Thief. The album was also nominated for 'Best Alternative Album'.

In 2007, Radiohead broke boundaries in the music industry by offering their seventh album In Rainbows for a download system in which the buyer decides how much they want to pay for the album. The digital release was later followed by a vinyl edition, which featured a bonus CD of the recording sessions as well as a book of artwork.

In 2008, Jonny Greenwood composed the score for the soundtrack to the blockbuster film There Will Be Blood, starring Daniel Day Lewis.

On the 10th October 2007 Radiohead released their seventh studio album entitled In Rainbows, Thom Yorke claimed that the tracks on the album were more personal and described them as his versions of 'seducing songs'. The album reached number one in the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200. A year after its release the album had sold more than three million copies worldwide and the band won the Grammy award for Best Alternative Music Album.

In 2011 Radiohead released their eighth studio album The King of Limbs which was produced by Nigel Godrich. It was described that the album was an expression of 'wildness' and 'mutation'. There were no singles released from the album but there was a music video released for Lotus Flower. The album sold an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 copies in its first two months of sales and was a bestseller on vinyl. The band went on a supporting tour for the album in 2012 after Yorke had spent more time working in the studio.

In 2016 Radiohead released a new video for their single Burn The Witch which is the first from their ninth studio album in which a title has not yet been released, however Dawn Chorus has been rumored as the title to the album. It has been announced that the album will be released in June 2016.



Biography by Contactmusic.com

Halloween Hootenanny: Witchy Songs For Your Spooky Playlist


Fleetwood Mac Siouxsie And The Banshees The Cult Radiohead Bloc Party

What’s more Halloween-y than getting your witch on? Thankfully, there are plenty of spellbinding songs out there to inspire you to dig out that old broomstick for some Halloween hijinks this year.

Photo credit: UnsplashPhoto credit: Unsplash

I Put a Spell on You - Nina Simone

Continue reading: Halloween Hootenanny: Witchy Songs For Your Spooky Playlist

Album Of The Week: The 24th Anniversary Of OK Computer By Radiohead


Radiohead

Radiohead pretty much shot to fame with the release of their debut single Creep in 1992. They quite quickly capitalised on the international success of the track with the release of their debut album, Pablo Honey, early the following year. Due to the strong performance of their initial releases Radiohead were allowed more freedom to develop their sound on the follow up album, The Bends, released in 1995. The latter album secured the reputation of the Oxford based band and spawned six successful singles itself including, My Iron Lung and Fake Plastic Trees.  

https://admin.contactmusic.com/images/home/images/content/radiohead-ok-computer-album-cover.jpg

Radiohead's third studio album, OK Computer, arrived towards the end of the millennium and the end of Brit-Pop proper, but heralded the start of the band's move into a more experimental and challenging phase. There was no desire from anyone, other than label execs, to repeat the structures and combinations employed on their previous album, The Bends. There was however a want to build on their success and deliver an album that captured the juxtaposition of simultaneously "embracing the future" whilst at the same time, "being terrified by the future."

Continue reading: Album Of The Week: The 24th Anniversary Of OK Computer By Radiohead

Album Of The Week: When Radiohead Suffered With The Bends


Radiohead

Can you believe it's been 24 years since The Bends, Radiohead's sometimes overlooked second studio album released via Parlophone and Capitol Records, was unleashed unto the world? It certainly doesn't feel that old of an album, but one supposes that's largely because Radiohead has maintained their relevance from the beginning.

Radiohead - The BendsRadiohead - The Bends

The Bends was Radiohead's only album to be produced by John Leckie (The Stone Roses, Muse, XTC), but it was engineered by Nigel Godrich who has produced every Radiohead album since. It also marked their first collaboration with Stanley Donwood, who created the cover artwork for this and each subsequent album.

Continue reading: Album Of The Week: When Radiohead Suffered With The Bends

Album Of The Week: Pablo Honey And The Birth Of Radiohead


Radiohead

It's difficult to believe that it's been 26 years since Radiohead dropped their debut studio album, but Pablo Honey was the start of something great - even if it made people sceptical at first.

Produced by Sean Slade (Hole, Pixies, Weezer) and his frequent production partner Paul Q. Kolderie, the album was released on Parlophone and Capitol Records with the title coming from a Jerky Boys prank call skit. Unlike their later work, it had a grungey, lo-fi quality to it that didn't necessarily sit well with early critics.

Radiohead - Pablo HoneyRadiohead - Pablo Honey

Continue reading: Album Of The Week: Pablo Honey And The Birth Of Radiohead

Music News Round-Up: Kanye Asks Dylan For Collaboration, Avril Lavigne Returns, Rock Hall Of Fame Inductions


Kanye West Avril Lavigne Taylor Swift Queen Radiohead

KANYE AND BOB DYLAN COLLABORATION?

In what must be the most unlikely prospective musical alliance in pop history, Kanye West has reached out to none other than legendary songwriter Bob Dylan to ask for a collaboration.

Finding time in his schedule between posting pictures of trees and reigniting his on/off feud with Drake, Kanye took to Twitter to ask Dylan to work together on something unspecified.

Continue reading: Music News Round-Up: Kanye Asks Dylan For Collaboration, Avril Lavigne Returns, Rock Hall Of Fame Inductions

The Cure, Radiohead And Janet Jackson Among Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees For 2019


Radiohead The Cure Janet Jackson

Radiohead, Janet Jackson and The Cure are among the big names to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019, it has been revealed.

The 34th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is to take place on March 29th 2019 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Stevie Nicks, Roxy Music, Def Leppard, and The Zombies will be joining the trio to complete the annual seven names who are granted entry into the Hall of Fame.

The unfortunate nominees who missed out this year are Rage Against the Machine, Kraftwerk, MC5, Rufus & Chaka Khan, LL Cool J, Devo, Todd Rundgren, and John Prine.

Continue reading: The Cure, Radiohead And Janet Jackson Among Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees For 2019

Radiohead Nominated For The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame For The Second Time


Radiohead Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

Introducing the nominees for induction into the 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame! This year sees a number of deserving artists in consideration, though none of them have only just become eligible this year. Radiohead is one band we're particularly rooting for - though they've remained apathetic on the subject. 

Radiohead at TRNSMT festivalRadiohead at TRNSMT festival

Radiohead lands the Hall of Fame long list for the second year in a row after missing out last year, being beaten to the punch by the likes of Nina Simone, Dire Straits and Bon Jovi. It's just as well that they expressed little enthusiasm at the prospect. 

Continue reading: Radiohead Nominated For The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame For The Second Time

Mumford And Sons Doing Radiohead's 'All I Need' Can't Be Missed


Mumford And Sons Radiohead

Everyone loves a surprise guest appearance at a festival, and revellers at this year's Newport Folk Festival were treated to none other than Mumford & Sons over the weekend as special headliners. Even better, they performed a stellar Radiohead cover that totally blew fans away.

Mumford and Sons performing live at OptimusMumford And Sons performing live at Optimus

The Rhode Island event was only the band's second live show this year, after iHeart Alterego at The Forum in January, though they do have three other festival dates to go. They certainly did themselves justice with a 15-song set on Saturday (July 28th 2018) which included some amazing covers.

Continue reading: Mumford And Sons Doing Radiohead's 'All I Need' Can't Be Missed

Radiohead's Philip Selway Wants Answers On Tragic Stage Collapse


Radiohead Philip Selway

Just over six years following the tragic death of a drum technician from a collapsed stage roof, Radiohead return to the city of Toronto this week on their latest North American tour. But not without reflecting on that fatal accident. Philip Selway gave a TV interview about how the incident has affected the group to this day.

Philip Selway performing with RadioheadPhilip Selway performing with Radiohead

On June 16th 2012, the roof of a temporary stage built at Toronto's Downsview Park collapsed an hour before Radiohead's final concert of their tour, tragically killing their drum technician Scott Johnson and injuring three other road crew members. 

Continue reading: Radiohead's Philip Selway Wants Answers On Tragic Stage Collapse

Jonny Greenwood Side-Project To Open For Radiohead


Jonny Greenwood Radiohead

For their forthcoming North American summer tour, Radiohead will be supported by their very own Jonny Greenwood with his world music side-project Junun. The dates kick off in July, following the completion of Thom Yorke's UK and Europe solo tour earlier this month. 

Jonny Greenwood performing with Radiohead in ManchesterJonny Greenwood performing with Radiohead in Manchester

After an already incredible year for the guitarist and keyboard player, including working on the scores for Paul Thomas Anderson's Oscar winning film 'Phantom Thread' and Lynne Ramsay's mystery thriller 'You Were Never Really Here', Jonny Greenwood will be touring alongside two bands over the summer.

Continue reading: Jonny Greenwood Side-Project To Open For Radiohead

Atoms For Peace, Flea, Radiohead and Thom Yorke - Atoms For Peace, featuring Thom Yorke of Radiohead and Flea of Red Hot Chilli Peppers Tuesday 3rd August 2010 at Fuji Rock Festival Niigata, Japan

Atoms For Peace, Flea, Radiohead and Thom Yorke

Daniel Craig and Radiohead - Daniel Craig and Satsuki Mitchell Los Angeles, California - oustide the Radiohead charity concert at the Henry Fonda Theatre in benefit of the Haiti earthquake Sunday 24th January 2010

Daniel Craig and Radiohead

Radiohead - Thom Yorke of Radiohead Jersey City, New Jersey - All Points West Music and Arts Festival at Liberty State Park - Day 2 Saturday 9th August 2008

Radiohead
Radiohead

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