LIKE SPINNING PLATES

Like Spinning Plates is a song by Radiohead that appears as the tenth track on their 2001 album ''Amnesiac''.

Contents

Composition

Influence

Live Performances

Composition

The song was apparently created by reversing the backing track from 'I Will,' which was composed during the ''Kid A'' and ''Amnesiac'' sessions but did not appear as a release until their 2003 album ''Hail to the Thief''. Thom Yorke then wrote a new, electronic song around the reversed melody, then reversed it again so the vocals were backwards.
Yorke learned the backwards vocals, sang and recorded them over the backing track, and reversed the track once more. Finally, Yorke sang the song forward again for the final take, mimicking the distorted sound of his manipulated vocals in the verses.

Influence

Colin Greenwood said of the song:
Another possible influence on the track is 'Oh Yeah' by Can from their 1971 album ''Tago Mago'', which has similar reversal effects. Radiohead frequently cite Can and other krautrock bands as important influences on their music.

Live Performances

Since Like Spinning Plates cannot easily be re-created in a live setting, Thom Yorke performs it as a piano-based version during live shows. One version can be found on the band's compilation album ''I Might Be Wrong''.