Thom Yorke may be one of the most singular artists of his generation but the Radiohead frontman has always played well with others. Whether with his OG band, his recent work with The Smile or his solo work, he has been a keen collaborator across one of the most eclectic careers in modern rock. He continued that theme on a recent collaborative single with the electronic producer Mark Pritchard titled Back In The Game, a pulsing slow-techno banger pairing menacing vocals with glitchy beats and swirling synths. Away from his own projects, Yorke has often lent his vocals to songs by other artists, jumping from genre to genre and always adding another level to tracks with his rich, emotive voice. Here’s the ten best times Yorke popped up as a guest and stole the show…
PJ Harvey - This Mess We’re In (2000)
One of the most captivating moments from PJ Harvey’s masterful Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea is this tender duet between the Dorset singer-songwriter and Yorke. It was released the same month as Radiohead’s Kid A, an album on which Yorke was trying to do anything but sound tuneful, but on Harvey’s song he lets the melody lead the way.
Björk - I’ve Seen It All (2000)
Around the time that Yorke appeared on this track from Björk’s Selmasongs, the soundtrack for a film titled Dancer In The Dark in which she starred, the Icelandic polymath described Yorke as her favourite male singer in the world. He lives up to the praise on a gently stirring hymnal where the dual vocals tiptoe around each other and stirring strings slowly unfurl.
Sparklehorse - Wish You Were Here (1997)
The late, great Mark Linkous, frontman of US indie-rockers Sparklehorse, was a remarkable songwriting talent but it wasn’t one of his songs he invited Yorke to guest on. Instead, it was this haunting, Americana-ish reworking of the Pink Floyd classic, recorded for the 1997 EMI compilation Come Again. Yorke’s vocals, sort of used as an atmospheric instrument around Linkous’ hushed delivery, were apparently recorded over the phone.
Drugstore - El Presidente (1998)
London indie-rock crew Drugstore had toured in support of Radiohead in the mid-90s and they got Thom on board for this tribute to former Chilean Salvador Allende, Yorke vocally sparring with Brazilian vocalist Isabel Monteiro over a soaring, Latin-tinged backing.
Mark Pritchard - Beautiful People
The team-up between Yorke and Pritchard has its roots in the latter’s remixes of songs from Radiohead’s 2012 album The King Of Limbs but Beautiful People, from Pritchard’s 2016 album Under The Sun, was the first music they made together. It's brilliant, a hazy, ambient techno gem.
Portishead - The Rip (Live) (2015)
Not a recording but this is too good to leave off. Radiohead pair Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood had already shown their love of this Portishead track by posting an acoustic cover but this goes one further, Yorke joining the trip-hop pioneers onstage at Latitude Festival for a genius performance of their electronic-folk masterpiece.
![The Rip - Portishead with Thom Yorke Live @ Latitude Festival, 2015-07-18 [MultiCam] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/vzXRW5Yw4Uk/maxresdefault.jpg)
The Venus In Furs – 2Hb
Yorke gets his glam on here, doing a surprisingly nifty Bryan Ferry impression on this Roxy Music cover recorded for Todd Haynes’ rock’n’roll film Velvet Goldmine. The Venus In Furs was a group assembled especially for the soundtrack, comprising Yorke and Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead, Roxy Music’s Andy Mackay, Suede’s Bernard Butler and David Gray session player Craig McClune.
UNKLE – Rabbit In Your Headlights (1998)
The standout track on Psyence Fiction, the 1998 debut album from a project headed up by samplist trailblazer DJ Shadow and dance producer James Lavelle. A stark piano piece increasingly ambushed by frenzied breakbeats and dubby grooves, it introduced an experimental, electronic sound that Yorke would go on to explore more fully in both Radiohead and his solo material. The song often crops up at his solo live shows.
Modeselektor – Shipwreck (2011)
German electro duo Modeselektor roped in Yorke on this cut from their Monkeytown album. Yorke also appeared on the record’s This, but Shipwreck is the pick of the bunch, Yorke’s quietly commanding vocal holding its own against a tidal wave of frenetic beats and synth bass patterns.
Burial, Four Tet, Thom Yorke – Her Revolution (2020)
Talk about a coming together of experts in their field – Her Revolution sees Yorke unite with dubstep supremo Burial and ambient and dance maven Four Tet for a dreamy, downtempo ballad.
