Fake Plastic Trees
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"Fake Plastic Trees" is a song by Radiohead, from their second album The Bends. It was also the third single to be released from that album.
The song seems to have been written about the world of mass marketing and mass consumption[[Citing sources citation needed]]. According to singer Thom Yorke, it is about Canary Wharf in London[[Citing sources citation needed]].
"Fake Plastic Trees" is often seen as a turning point in the band's early career, along with "Street Spirit" from the same album. It is considered one of their best tracks by most fans, and has been played at most of the band's concerts. "Fake Plastic Trees" also placed a spot at #376 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.
The band had just been to see Jeff Buckley play a set, and when they got back into the studio, Thom Yorke recorded the vocals in two takes and broke down in tears after that. In fact, the vocals heard on the song were originally meant to be a guide vocal, meaning that they would eventually be re-done after the rest of the band recorded their instruments. However, Thom's performance was flawless, so they kept it.
One source of frustration for the band at the time was their US record label, Capitol (a subsidiary of EMI), who wanted a strong track for American radio. Surprised that the slow paced "Fake Plastic Trees" was seen as a potential single to follow up "Creep," Yorke ultimately realized the label had remixed the track without his approval: "Last night I was called by the American record company insisting, well almost, insisting, that we used a Bob Clearmountain mix of it. I said 'No way'. All the ghost-like keyboards sounds and weird strings were completely gutted out of his mix, like he'd gone in with a razor blade and chopped it all up. It was horrible."
In the United States, "Fake Plastic Trees" was ultimately released as the first single from The Bends, but in the original mix found on the album. It was edited only slightly for time.
The b-sides on the first part of the CD single include "India Rubber," a song in which Jonny Greenwood can be heard laughing, and "How Can You Be Sure?" which dates from the band's earliest On a Friday days and features backing vocals by a woman. The B-sides on the second part are acoustic versions by Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood recorded live at the Eve's Club in London.
CD Singles
CD 1
- "Fake Plastic Trees"
- "India Rubber"
- "How Can You Be Sure?"
CD 2
- "Fake Plastic Trees"
- "Fake Plastic Trees" (acoustic)
- "Bullet Proof..I Wish I Was" (acoustic)
- "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" (acoustic)
External links
- [Radiohead Official Site]
- [At Ease] — song info and lyrics
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