Grammy rehearsals with Radiohead: 'There's a surreality to it all' 12:36 PM PT, Feb 7 2009 EXCLUSIVE
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards are Sunday night, and the rehearsal schedule for today is stacked with big names -- U2, Paul McCartney, Coldplay and Stevie Wonder -- but the day got off to an especially compelling start as Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead strolled in, shook off the rain and performed "15 Step" to the impressive accompaniment of the USC marching band.
Radiohead has racked up a fair number of Grammy accolades through the years (the band enters Sunday with five nominations for "In Rainbows," including its third career nomination for top album) but trophy galas are simple not its scene.
"I've called through years but the answer was always a polite no," said Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of the show since 1980.
This year, the answer was yes, and there was crackling energy in the venue as the band ran through its number.
Yorke arrived looking more like a fan than a star with his scruffy leather jacket, bed-head hair and khaki-colored backpacker. He danced a little jig in the aisles as USC's Spirit of Troy warmed up with -- of course -- the Fleetwood Mac hit "Tusk."
The crew of the show is hard to impress, but by the third take it was all eyes on the stage as Yorke gave an animated interpretation of the song, one that somehow sounds both cerebral and tribal.
"Can you make my voice sound a little bit less shiny," Yorke asked the sound team. "Take the top off -- I like the idea of belting it out with these guys."
The USC band members were clearly thrilled with the prospect of a national spotlight as temporary members of Radiohead. Afterward, Greenwood said the marching band was an idea that he and Yorke brought with them to L.A.
"It's something we've been wanting to do with this song for a long time," he said.
He also said he was a bit dazed by the Grammys and its big tent, which has room for the band as well as the Jonas Brothers and Lil Wayne. "We never encounter any of these worlds," Greenwood said. "There's a surreality to it all."
-- Geoff Boucher
Last edited by I Hail Randy Moss on Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:55 am, edited 2 times in total.
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 10:46 pm Posts: 9617 Location: Medford, Oregon Gender: Male
All the great songs on that album and somehow "House of Cards" gets nominated? It's a good song and all, but aside from Videotape, probably the weakest cut on the album to me.
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Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:36 pm Posts: 3271 Location: Chicago
meatwad wrote:
All the great songs on that album and somehow "House of Cards" gets nominated? It's a good song and all, but aside from Videotape, probably the weakest cut on the album to me.
I used to think the samething, but the tune has grown on me, more than any other, but still second tier song on the album.
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All the great songs on that album and somehow "House of Cards" gets nominated? It's a good song and all, but aside from Videotape, probably the weakest cut on the album to me.
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warehouse wrote:
they should play paranoid android
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Joined: Tue Mar 07, 2006 8:14 pm Posts: 15317 Location: Concord, NC Gender: Male
meatwad wrote:
All the great songs on that album and somehow "House of Cards" gets nominated? It's a good song and all, but aside from Videotape, probably the weakest cut on the album to me.
that was the song they with as the "single" though, so of course it's going to get mentioned. it's the song that they played on conan o'brien right as the album was coming out.
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Joined: Mon Mar 13, 2006 1:02 am Posts: 2560 Location: Dallas/Atlanta/Savannah
PeopleMyAge wrote:
meatwad wrote:
All the great songs on that album and somehow "House of Cards" gets nominated? It's a good song and all, but aside from Videotape, probably the weakest cut on the album to me.
that was the song they with as the "single" though, so of course it's going to get mentioned. it's the song that they played on conan o'brien right as the album was coming out.
perhaps. id rather they play a sample of house of cards and they perform 15 step
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PeopleMyAge wrote:
meatwad wrote:
All the great songs on that album and somehow "House of Cards" gets nominated? It's a good song and all, but aside from Videotape, probably the weakest cut on the album to me.
that was the song they with as the "single" though, so of course it's going to get mentioned. it's the song that they played on conan o'brien right as the album was coming out.
I thought this too, but Jugsaw..., Nude, Reckoner were also relased as singles. And House of Cards was a double A-side with Bodysnatchers. So the Grammy jury or whatever must really like this song.
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