Radiohead on MTV

Two years after their last visit to Japan, and shortly before OK Computer is out, the band meet every question with a joke first. Asked what they have been doing, the band say they had all been trying to get a life and had failed miserably. They did not spend that much time in the studio, they add, and rather more time thinking about being in the studio and thinking about doing some work.

The title is Colin Greenwood's fault. He seized on it before recording started and pronounced it a good one, which leaves him to explain it, and he cannot.

Everyone in the band had bought computers, and while making the record they played games, surfed and sat in Radiohead chat rooms on IRC talking to fans around the world. Nobody ever believed they were the band. They were quizzed on trivia to prove it, including which colour shirt Jonny Greenwood had worn in Canada, and failed their own exam.

“Paranoid Android” was chosen as the single because it is a confusing song, and confusing people is the point. The longer version is ruled out live, having been tried for a month, which was enough.