Radiohead fans hit the jackpot last year with the release of OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017, a 20th-anniversary reissue of OK Computer that featured three previously unreleased B-sides from the band’s fruitful mid-’90s heyday. The three tracks—”I Promise”, “Man Of War” and the semi-legendary “Lift”—were all tunes that long ago got the live treatment before falling off the radar entirely, so it was quite the treat to hear them in all of their fully fleshed-out studio glory.
Fast forward to today, and Radiohead devotees have another serious treat on their hands. This one is a full recording of the mysterious rarity “Come To Your Senses”, which—as far as anyone knows—was only played once during a soundcheck 12 years ago.
Fans originally got a taste of the “Come To Your Senses” after a 56-second snippet of the song was posted online by a bootlegger called Hoserama following Radiohead’s June 24th, 2006 show at Berkeley’s Greek Theatre. At the time, the band was on the road workshopping much of the material that would appear on 2007’s In Rainbows, though “Come To Your Senses” clearly wasn’t on that album. After holding on to the full recording for over a decade, Hoserama marked the fateful show’s 12th anniversary by uploading the full version to YouTube on Sunday (why they waited this long is anyone’s guess, but at least it saw the light of day eventually).
“Come To Your Senses” is a fascinating Radiohead effort, to say the least. The recording—the only version of the song anyone has ever heard—opens with twangy two-and-a-half minute jam before giving way to the meat of the acoustic guitar-centric tune. Frontman Thom Yorke can be heard mumbling various things throughout the recording, but for the most part, its a fairly straightforward rendition of a surprisingly straightforward song.
Radiohead – “Come To Your Senses” (2006 soundcheck)
In addition to the seven-minute clip of “Come To Your Senses,” Hoserama also posted a full recording of Radiohead’s 70-minute soundcheck from the June 24th, 2006 show, which features some random jamming and early versions of “Bodysnatchers”, “All I Need”, “Go Slowly”, and “15 Step” as well as takes on “The Gloaming”, “Subterranean Homesick Alien”, “The Tourist”, and “Airbag”.
Radiohead – Full June 24, 2006 Soundcheck