Pop Is Dead fanzine names Radiohead's second album The Bends

Radiohead's second album is called The Bends, and the January 1995 issue of the fanzine Pop Is Dead previews all 12 of its songs. It comes out worldwide in March. A double A-side of “Planet Telex” and “High & Dry” is out in Britain on 27 February, and the band tour Britain through both months before heading to America, Europe and the Far East.

A year ago the title was something else. In February 1994 Radiohead played a private show at a social club in Reading as Faithless and the Wonderboys, at their tour manager's birthday party, and tried out new songs. Val Savage interviewed Thom Yorke that night, and Yorke said the album would be called Belisha Beacon.

“Fake Plastic Trees”, with strings arranged by Jonny Greenwood, is to be the American single in April. Around the news the fanzine runs a fact file in Ed O'Brien's handwriting.

The issue also reprints Martin Talbot's Music Week report of 14 January, which fixes the release for 13 March. It puts Pablo Honey past 1.1 million sales worldwide and credits the bigger sound of the new record to its producer, John Leckie. The paper also talked to Tony Wadsworth, Parlophone's divisional managing director.

My impression is that they've missed out their second album and gone straight to their third.

Tony Wadsworth¹

The Bends, as the issue previews it