Creep by Radiohead (solo bass arrangement) | Karl Clews on bass

My arrangement of Radiohead's 1992 single, Creep, for solo electric bass guitar.

Creep is the debut single by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 21 September 1992 by EMI. It was included on Radiohead's debut album, Pablo Honey (1993). It features "blasts" of guitar noise and lyrics describing an obsessive unrequited attraction.

Radiohead had not planned to release Creep, and recorded it at the suggestion of the producers, Sean Slade and Paul Q. Kolderie, while they were working on other songs. They took elements from the 1972 song The Air That I Breathe by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood. Following legal action, Hammond and Hazlewood were credited as co-writers.

Kolderie convinced EMI to release Creep as a single. It was initially unsuccessful, but achieved radio play in Israel and became popular on American alternative rock radio. It was reissued in 1993 and became an international hit, likened to alt-rock "slacker anthems" such as Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana and Loser by Beck. Reviews of Creep were mostly positive.

EMI pressured Radiohead to match the success, which created tension during the recording of their second album, The Bends (1995). Radiohead departed from the style of Creep and grew weary of it, feeling it set narrow expectations of their music, and did not perform it for several years. Though they achieved greater commercial and critical success with later albums, Creep remains Radiohead's most successful single. Rolling Stone named it one of the greatest debut singles and included in the 2021 and 2024 editions of its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". It has been covered by numerous artists. In 2021, the Radiohead singer, Thom Yorke, released a remix with synthesisers and time-stretched acoustic guitar.

Performed here on a Karl Clews Signature Bogart Broadsword, recorded directly into Cakewalk Sonar Platinum, via a Presonus Audiobox. Drums programmed in Stylus RMX and Session Drummer 3. Video edited using TrakAxPC and Wondershare Filmora.

Karl uses Bogart basses: https://www.bogart-bass.de
Instrument & speaker cables by Rigotti Cables: https://www.rigotticables.com
Custom leather guitar straps by River Straps: http://www.river-straps.com
Gig bags by Harvest Fine Leather: https://www.harvest-guitar.com
Gear bags by Lugville: https://www.lugville.com
Amps & cabs by GR Bass: https://www.grbass.com
Karl's website: https://www.karlclews.com
Karl's channel:    / karlclews  
Karl's facebook page:   / karl.clews  
Karl's Patreon page, for tabs, audio downloads and more:   / karlclews  

Karl Clews / pablo honey / radiohead / thom yorke / jonny greenwood / pete selway / colin greenwood / ed o'brien / 1990s music / britpop / solo bass arrangement / rock / music / bass cover / slap bass / Galway / bassist / bassist / bass player / bass guitar / River Straps / David Laboga cables / Harvest gigbags / Lugville gear bags / green screen / bass cover / bogart bass / carbon fibre bass / how to play creep by radiohead on bass / creep solo bass arrangement / the venue oxford