Lucky (Radiohead song)

"Lucky" is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead from their third studio album OK Computer (1997). It was released as a single in France in December 1997.

"Lucky"
Single by Radiohead
from the album The Help Album and OK Computer
ReleasedDecember 1997 (France)
Recorded4 September 1995
GenreAlternative rock
Length4:19
Label
Songwriter(s)Radiohead
Producer(s)
Radiohead singles chronology
"Karma Police"
(1997)		 "Lucky"
(1997)		 "No Surprises"
(1998)

Recording

In 1995, Radiohead were on tour, promoting their second album, The Bends. During soundchecks for shows in Japan, guitarist Ed O'Brien produced a high-pitched sound by strumming above the guitar nut.[1][2] The band developed the sound into the song and it became part of the set list.[1]

Around this time, producer Brian Eno contacted Radiohead to contribute a song to The Help Album, a charity compilation organised by War Child. The album was to be recorded over the course of a single day, 4 September 1995, and rush-released that week.[1] Radiohead recorded "Lucky" in five hours with engineer Nigel Godrich, who had assisted producer John Leckie with The Bends and produced several Radiohead B-sides.[3] Godrich went on to produce their third album, OK Computer. He said of the Help Album session: "Those things are the most inspiring, when you do stuff really fast and there's nothing to lose. We left feeling fairly euphoric."[4]

Yorke later said "Lucky" shaped the nascent sound and mood of their upcoming record, OK Computer.[3] He said: "'Lucky' was indicative of what we wanted to do. It was like the first mark on the wall."[5]

Release

To promote The Help Album, "Lucky" featured as the lead track on the Help EP, which charted at number 51 after BBC Radio 1 chose not to play it.[6] It was included as the 11th track on Radiohead's album OK Computer.

Track listing

CD single (France)[7]

  1. "Lucky" – 4:19
  2. "Meeting in the Aisle" – 3:10
  3. "Climbing Up the Walls" (Fila Brazillia Mix) – 6:24

Personnel

Radiohead

Additional personnel

Charts
Chart (1996) Peak
position
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[8] 22

References
  1. Footman 2008, p. 113.
  2. Fricke, David (3 December 2010). "Ed O'Brien – 100 Greatest Guitarists: David Fricke's Picks". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  3. Irvin, Jim (July 1997). "Thom Yorke tells Jim Irvin how OK Computer was done". Mojo. No. 44.
  4. Robinson, Andrea (August 1997). "Nigel Godrich". The Mix.
  5. Randall 2000, p. 161.
  6. Lowe, Steve (December 1999). "Back to Save the Universe". Select. No. 114.
  7. Footman 2008, p. 270.
  8. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40". DV (in Icelandic). 27 January 1996. p. 38. Retrieved 13 January 2020.

Bibliography
  • Footman, Tim (2008). Welcome to the Machine: OK Computer and the Death of the Classic Album. New Malden: Chrome Dreams. ISBN 978-1-84240-388-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Randall, Mac (2000). Exit Music: The Radiohead Story. New York: Delta Trade Paperbacks. ISBN 0-385-33393-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

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