Spectre title song - Writing's on the Wall

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  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    Posts: 10,586
    Surely I'm not the only one who likes it?
  • Posts: 5,745
    jake24 wrote: »
    Surely I'm not the only one who likes it?

    I like it too.

    I'd be satisfied writing it off as a "out of the box" approach to a Bond song for the film, but it's in no way close to the best.

    I understand that many people feel it isn't suitable for Bond at all, and that's fair.

    As a standalone song I enjoy it. It's the opposite of WOTW, which I only like in the film. Radiohead is a suitable Radiohead standalone.
  • TripAcesTripAces Universal Exports
    Posts: 4,548
    RC7 wrote: »
    talos7 wrote: »
    I'm one who has the "audacity" to call Smith's effort, on many levels, a failure. The poor quality of Radiohead's song doesn't change how I feel about Writings on the Wall.

    Absolutely, but like I said, this is what we could have gotten if Smith's song was foregone. That frightens me.

    Yeah, it's a piece of shit. Anyone who thinks it trumps Smith's tune, however bad they believe that to be, should be ashamed.

    Apples/oranges comparison, really. The Radiohead track is more like a demo. Had it been selected, more work would have been done to refine it. So you're comparing Smith's completed version to Radiohead's rough cut. Not fair.
  • I'm rather surprised by the pushback against Radiohead's song, considering how poorly "Writing's on the Wall" was received. As has been pointed out, Yorke did say their song grew into its own thing after they were passed up. So the final product we have is very much a Radiohead song and not so much a James Bond song. As a Radiohead song, it's solid, enjoyable, definitely something that could have appeared on one of their albums and not necessarily been a weak spot. As a James Bond song, I agree, it's not a particularly strong James Bond song—BUT it would have been beefed up to sound more like a James Bond song had it been chosen and it does fit Kleinman's incredibly dark titles incredibly well. Furthermore, the lyrics do actually fit the film quite well, even beyond the expected references to being haunted by the past and Bond's inner battle between becoming a soulless killing machine versus someone capable of love, compassion, and humanity. "The only truth that I could see is when you put your lips to me," and "Fear puts a spell on us, always second-guessing love" very much speak to Bond's relationship with Madeleine, his first true love since he lost Vesper.

    Smith's song has a decent melody, yes, but his falsetto grates so badly. The more I listen to Radiohead's "Spectre," the more I regret it wasn't the official choice. Oh well.
  • TuxedoTuxedo Europe
    Posts: 251
    I still don't like WOTW at all. But to me it is better than Radiohead's Bond song.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    TripAces wrote: »
    RC7 wrote: »
    talos7 wrote: »
    I'm one who has the "audacity" to call Smith's effort, on many levels, a failure. The poor quality of Radiohead's song doesn't change how I feel about Writings on the Wall.

    Absolutely, but like I said, this is what we could have gotten if Smith's song was foregone. That frightens me.

    Yeah, it's a piece of shit. Anyone who thinks it trumps Smith's tune, however bad they believe that to be, should be ashamed.

    Apples/oranges comparison, really. The Radiohead track is more like a demo. Had it been selected, more work would have been done to refine it. So you're comparing Smith's completed version to Radiohead's rough cut. Not fair.

    The only refinement that could change my opinion would be the removal of Thom Yorke.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    Interesting song that actually works well with the titles but obviously a step too far for Eon and the studio music department. Considerable doubt about the song's potential as a hit was probably a factor.
    JWESTBROOK wrote: »
    jake24 wrote: »
    Surely I'm not the only one who likes it?

    I like it too.

    I'd be satisfied writing it off as a "out of the box" approach to a Bond song for the film, but it's in no way close to the best.
    TripAces wrote: »
    Apples/oranges comparison, really. The Radiohead track is more like a demo. Had it been selected, more work would have been done to refine it. So you're comparing Smith's completed version to Radiohead's rough cut. Not fair.
    Agreed with all of you.

    I'm rather surprised by the pushback against Radiohead's song, considering how poorly "Writing's on the Wall" was received. As has been pointed out, Yorke did say their song grew into its own thing after they were passed up. So the final product we have is very much a Radiohead song and not so much a James Bond song. As a Radiohead song, it's solid, enjoyable, definitely something that could have appeared on one of their albums and not necessarily been a weak spot. As a James Bond song, I agree, it's not a particularly strong James Bond song—BUT it would have been beefed up to sound more like a James Bond song had it been chosen and it does fit Kleinman's incredibly dark titles incredibly well. Furthermore, the lyrics do actually fit the film quite well, even beyond the expected references to being haunted by the past and Bond's inner battle between becoming a soulless killing machine versus someone capable of love, compassion, and humanity. "The only truth that I could see is when you put your lips to me," and "Fear puts a spell on us, always second-guessing love" very much speak to Bond's relationship with Madeleine, his first true love since he lost Vesper.

    Smith's song has a decent melody, yes, but his falsetto grates so badly. The more I listen to Radiohead's "Spectre," the more I regret it wasn't the official choice. Oh well.
    Agreed as well. With more finishing this could have been a far superior Bondian effort to what we finally got. Even as it is (a standard Radiohead song) it is more listenable to me purely because Smith's annoying (and for me, upsetting) voice is no where to be found.

    Radiohead are not the band for this gig though - commercially speaking, and likely were just Craig's preference and brought in due to his influence from what I've read.

    Smith was the more commercially appealing choice, and Sam Mendes had the final say.
  • EiragornEiragorn Hessia
    Posts: 108
    RC7 wrote: »
    TripAces wrote: »
    RC7 wrote: »
    talos7 wrote: »
    I'm one who has the "audacity" to call Smith's effort, on many levels, a failure. The poor quality of Radiohead's song doesn't change how I feel about Writings on the Wall.

    Absolutely, but like I said, this is what we could have gotten if Smith's song was foregone. That frightens me.

    Yeah, it's a piece of shit. Anyone who thinks it trumps Smith's tune, however bad they believe that to be, should be ashamed.

    Apples/oranges comparison, really. The Radiohead track is more like a demo. Had it been selected, more work would have been done to refine it. So you're comparing Smith's completed version to Radiohead's rough cut. Not fair.

    The only refinement that could change my opinion would be the removal of Thom Yorke.

    What exactly do you expect from s/o whose last band record was called "The King of Limp"? :D But joking aside I am surprised they spread out this far this time. Maybe something they learned after Amy Winehouse's effort.
    TripAces wrote: »
    RC7 wrote: »
    talos7 wrote: »
    I'm one who has the "audacity" to call Smith's effort, on many levels, a failure. The poor quality of Radiohead's song doesn't change how I feel about Writings on the Wall.

    Absolutely, but like I said, this is what we could have gotten if Smith's song was foregone. That frightens me.

    Yeah, it's a piece of shit. Anyone who thinks it trumps Smith's tune, however bad they believe that to be, should be ashamed.

    Apples/oranges comparison, really. The Radiohead track is more like a demo. Had it been selected, more work would have been done to refine it. So you're comparing Smith's completed version to Radiohead's rough cut. Not fair.

    Search your feelings, as a Radiohead fan you know this to be untrue. This is how they sound now. This is the same kind of recording they filled their last record with. After OK Computer they live in their own dimension dissolved by everything that is considered pop music. The defy a standard melody for 20 years now and therefore are completely unsuitable for a contemporary Bond track... For GoldenEye they would have been a daring and defining choice but no way any later. This doesn't mean they became bad... but different.
  • ShardlakeShardlake Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 4,043
    Yes of course I'm biased being huge Radiohead fan but this version has been clearly given more of RH feel but some more work you can see how it could have worked.

    That being said SPECTRE is such of a mess of a film and having truly great song attached to it would have been that more frustrating. SPECTRE more than likely got the theme tune it deserved.

    Nice to see @RC7 back to his old ways, at least he wasn't referring to Radiohead fans as see you next tuedays this time round but clearly still can't help himself from insulting us.

    Look I respect your views on films you clearly know what you are talking that much more than me and I'll gladly listen to you in that department but please butt out of trying to seem knowledgeable about music.

    You clearly have no real passion and any insight into this subject stick to films that's your arena.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    Shardlake wrote: »
    Yes of course I'm biased being huge Radiohead fan but this version has been clearly given more of RH feel but some more work you can see how it could have worked.

    That being said SPECTRE is such of a mess of a film and having truly great song attached to it would have been that more frustrating. SPECTRE more than likely got the theme tune it deserved.

    Nice to see @RC7 back to his old ways, at least he wasn't referring to Radiohead fans as see you next tuedays this time round but clearly still can't help himself from insulting us.

    Look I respect your views on films you clearly know what you are talking that much more than me and I'll gladly listen to you in that department but please butt out of trying to seem knowledgeable about music.

    You clearly have no real passion and any insight into this subject stick to films that's your arena.

    You're absolutely correct, I tend to listen to film scores more than individual artists/bands. I do have a passion for music, but of an age gone by, Roy Ayers, Gil Scott Heron, people like that. I have no real interest/knowledge of modern experimental stuff, so no, I wouldn't listen to me either. I do still think it's pap, however!
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 5,921
    Shardlake wrote: »
    Yes of course I'm biased being huge Radiohead fan but this version has been clearly given more of RH feel but some more work you can see how it could have worked.

    That being said SPECTRE is such of a mess of a film and having truly great song attached to it would have been that more frustrating. SPECTRE more than likely got the theme tune it deserved.

    AVTAK is a mess of a film but the song is great and has stood the test of time.
  • PrinceKamalKhanPrinceKamalKhan Monsoon Palace, Udaipur
    edited December 2015 Posts: 3,262
    Murdock wrote: »
    My only problem's with WOTW was Smith's voice, the orchestration of the song was great though.

    I like this rendition of it by Amanda Cole better:



    Somebody took her version of it and used it well in this fan tribute to Bond/Lucia from SPECTRE:


  • ShardlakeShardlake Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 4,043
    RC7 wrote: »
    Shardlake wrote: »
    Yes of course I'm biased being huge Radiohead fan but this version has been clearly given more of RH feel but some more work you can see how it could have worked.

    That being said SPECTRE is such of a mess of a film and having truly great song attached to it would have been that more frustrating. SPECTRE more than likely got the theme tune it deserved.

    Nice to see @RC7 back to his old ways, at least he wasn't referring to Radiohead fans as see you next tuedays this time round but clearly still can't help himself from insulting us.

    Look I respect your views on films you clearly know what you are talking that much more than me and I'll gladly listen to you in that department but please butt out of trying to seem knowledgeable about music.

    You clearly have no real passion and any insight into this subject stick to films that's your arena.

    You're absolutely correct, I tend to listen to film scores more than individual artists/bands. I do have a passion for music, but of an age gone by, Roy Ayers, Gil Scott Heron, people like that. I have no real interest/knowledge of modern experimental stuff, so no, I wouldn't listen to me either. I do still think it's pap, however!

    All of those artists you've mentioned I appreciate and some I own and I have good selection of scores and soundtracks on vinyl.

    I'm particularly looking forward to receiving Ennio Morricone's score to The Hateful Eight soon.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    Shardlake wrote: »
    RC7 wrote: »
    Shardlake wrote: »
    Yes of course I'm biased being huge Radiohead fan but this version has been clearly given more of RH feel but some more work you can see how it could have worked.

    That being said SPECTRE is such of a mess of a film and having truly great song attached to it would have been that more frustrating. SPECTRE more than likely got the theme tune it deserved.

    Nice to see @RC7 back to his old ways, at least he wasn't referring to Radiohead fans as see you next tuedays this time round but clearly still can't help himself from insulting us.

    Look I respect your views on films you clearly know what you are talking that much more than me and I'll gladly listen to you in that department but please butt out of trying to seem knowledgeable about music.

    You clearly have no real passion and any insight into this subject stick to films that's your arena.

    You're absolutely correct, I tend to listen to film scores more than individual artists/bands. I do have a passion for music, but of an age gone by, Roy Ayers, Gil Scott Heron, people like that. I have no real interest/knowledge of modern experimental stuff, so no, I wouldn't listen to me either. I do still think it's pap, however!

    All of those artists you've mentioned I appreciate and some I own and I have good selection of scores and soundtracks on vinyl.

    I'm particularly looking forward to receiving Ennio Morricone's score to The Hateful Eight soon.

    I have Hateful Eight on order too, very much looking forward to it.
  • pachazopachazo Make Your Choice
    edited December 2015 Posts: 7,314
    It's not Radiohead's strongest effort but it still blows the Smith song out of the water. That's not really saying much though, I'll admit. I also suspect that the song would have sounded differently had it been chosen, as this sounds more like a demo. Who knows with RH though. I would have preferred this song but it doesn't break my heart that it wasn't included.
    Edit - Neither artist was really an appropriate choice for a Bond theme.
  • edited December 2015 Posts: 267
    I love the instrumental of WotW, and liked Smith's effort fine. Not great, but not terrible IMO. I thought that the Radiohead effort was far worse however. The Amanda Cole cover above is much better

    Where the whole thing went wrong was when Mendes told the artists they were looking for a love song. Especially in a film that didn't really deal with a great relationship between Bond & the leading lady. I've always preferred the stronger sounding Bond themes though - might be why I like Cornell's YKMN so much. I'd still love to see the Killers get a shot at a Bond theme.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited December 2015 Posts: 23,883
    bondboy007 wrote: »
    Where the whole thing went wrong was when Mendes told the artists they were looking for a love song. Especially in a film that didn't really deal with a great relationship between Bond & the leading lady.
    That's a fair point, but consider if the lyrics to the final song were not so sappy and sentimental, the romance would likely have been even less credible.

    I too feel that the emotion in the final song did not fully translate on the screen (the impromptu & unexpected passionate sex in the train notwithstanding) but at least said lyrics helped to convey what was going through either Bond or Swann's mind (it's still debatable which person it's referring to).

    Without that the audience might have been even more confused as to why Bond decided to throw the gun away & ostensibly leave the service.
  • Personally, I feel both songs (Radiohead and Smith) fall short. I suppose it matches a film that fell well-short of its potential. But I would happily have accepted a theme song that was superior to its film (AVTAK, TWINE, etc.) Tough pill to swallow after looking forward so much to the film. On the plus side, the book Trigger Mortis was nicely done (though the author's writing style waned markedly in the latter third for some reason). And the comic VARGR is good. So all in all, a decent year for Bond fans. We may have a bit of a wait for the next treat (book, movie, whatever)
  • edited December 2015 Posts: 565
    Just heard Radiohead's "Spectre."

    Let me first say that I am not a fan of Radiohead, but I do like a small percentage of their stuff. I should also mention that I generally don't listen to pop, so my tastes may be able to handle some of the more unusual stuff than most.

    That said, I think the Radiohead's theme is superior to Smith's theme. It is not a song for the radio and I'm sure it wouldn't have charted well. But...it is far more haunting and musically interesting. The verse sections are indeed weak, but man, that bridge is freaking awesome. The use of strings and brass...just awesome. AND I love how the meter isn't your basic 4 beat whatever.

    I may be one of a very few, but Radiohead > Smith.
  • edited December 2015 Posts: 127
    So I've listenend to Radioheads track 4 times now, infact listening to it for the 5th as i type this. I got the same reaction when I first heard Smith's song, wasnt sure at first but then it grew on me.

    Radioheard, oh my, it's growing on me (cant wait for someone to place it on the intro from the film)

    I can definitley hear/see the instrumentals in the film itself. Works really well (6th time now). The only reason Sam's works is because his song was more of a love story, which was the direction which Mendes wanted.

    Love it, haunting like @JamesStock says. (7th time)....someone do a youtube already and swap out sams for this! Please!!

    Listening again to it 11th time...I hear bits from The Living Daylights, the first 10/11 secs anyway. Timothys JB has/waiting for the chic and her chello (i think) the those parts do come in throught out the movie... listen
  • Posts: 5,745
    TonyEbik wrote: »
    So I've listenend to Radioheads track 4 times now, infact listening to it for the 5th as i type this. I got the same reaction when I first heard Smith's song, wasnt sure at first but then it grew on me.

    Radioheard, oh my, it's growing on me (cant wait for someone to place it on the intro from the film)

    I can definitley hear/see the instrumentals in the film itself. Works really well (6th time now). The only reason Sam's works is because his song was more of a love story, which was the direction which Mendes wanted.

    Love it, haunting like @JamesStock says. (7th time)....someone do a youtube already and swap out sams for this! Please!!

    Listening again to it 11th time...I hear bits from The Living Daylights, the first 10/11 secs anyway. Timothys JB has/waiting for the chic and her chello (i think) the those parts do come in throught out the movie... listen

    Someone already did a few pages ago. Check back.
  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    edited December 2015 Posts: 10,586
    I've given it a few listens, and so far it is on par with WotW. Both spectacular. I with they'd at least used it as theme for the end credits much like K.D Lang's Surrender and The Pretenders' If There Was a Man. It was a wasted opportunity not to put it to use.
  • Posts: 127
    antovolk wrote: »
    Now set to the title sequence:

    Cheers @JWESTBROOK

    It worked specially when he sings Spectre is coming for me with the shot of the villian sitting down on the long table.

    Wow - Did Mark Ronson release the the track Amy Winehouse did?
  • Posts: 6,727
    Agree that it should have been at least used on the end credits. it is better than Smiths theme, yet having seen it with the credit titles, I don't think it works as well! Maybe its because I heard Smiths first. Wonder what that person thinks of it, that put that huge bet on Radiohead to sing the theme?
    I would love to hear that Amy Winehouse theme too. Was it released/
    Anyone remember Scott Walkers unused theme for TWINE? "Only myself to blame"
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Mathis1 wrote: »
    Agree that it should have been at least used on the end credits. it is better than Smiths theme, yet having seen it with the credit titles, I don't think it works as well! Maybe its because I heard Smiths first. Wonder what that person thinks of it, that put that huge bet on Radiohead to sing the theme?
    I would love to hear that Amy Winehouse theme too. Was it released/
    Anyone remember Scott Walkers unused theme for TWINE? "Only myself to blame"

    Isn t that heard in the bar scene?
  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    Posts: 10,586
    Mathis1 wrote: »
    Agree that it should have been at least used on the end credits. it is better than Smiths theme, yet having seen it with the credit titles, I don't think it works as well! Maybe its because I heard Smiths first. Wonder what that person thinks of it, that put that huge bet on Radiohead to sing the theme?
    I would love to hear that Amy Winehouse theme too. Was it released/
    Anyone remember Scott Walkers unused theme for TWINE? "Only myself to blame"

    Isn t that heard in the bar scene?
    Kind of. The music heard at the casino is Elektra's theme, which Only Myself to Blame is based on.
  • Red_SnowRed_Snow Australia
    Posts: 2,493
    'Writings on the Wall' has won the St. Louis Film Critics Association Award for 'Best Song'.
  • Posts: 1,631
    I was kind of disappointed when I finally got a chance to listen to "Spectre" yesterday after seeing that it was posted on Christmas. I was hoping that it would be better than "Writing's On the Wall", if only so that I could have some kind of faith in EON when it comes to the process of producing a title song.

    In the end, both songs are terrible. Sam Smith's is probably a little less so than the Radiohead effort, but neither are good. Then again, this just continues a trend that's been in full swing since Tomorrow Never Dies.
  • Posts: 5,745
    TonyEbik wrote: »
    antovolk wrote: »
    Now set to the title sequence:

    Cheers @JWESTBROOK

    It worked specially when he sings Spectre is coming for me with the shot of the villian sitting down on the long table.

    Wow - Did Mark Ronson release the the track Amy Winehouse did?

    I have to say, seeing it over the titles for the film, that it feels very much like a TV opening -- and that is in no way a bad thing.

    I think TV titles have gone very artful, looking at Mad Men, True Detective, Game of Thrones, etc, and I feel like Radiohead's song works well over the titles when compared to those of television.

    Of course this is a movie, and I'll repeat that I'm confident the song would have worked if chosen, if only as an out-of-the-box approach, but worked nonetheless in our modern context.

    They commissioned Radiohead to try a song, and they got a Radiohead Bond song.
    They commissioned Sam Smith to try a song, and they got a Sam Smith Bond song.

    I see no issue with either, as they both fulfill expectations based on this^.
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