Radiohead speak out against 'Greatest Hits' album

Radiohead have attacked the release of their own 'Greatest Hits' album, which is being put out against their wishes by former label EMI.

The band's contract with the label ended last year, and they decided to offer their current album 'In Rainbows' as a free download before releasing it with XL, the label who had also put out Thom Yorke's 2006 solo album 'The Eraser'.

Speaking to The Word about the new collection's release, Yorke said: "We haven't really had any hits so what exactly is the purpose?"

He added: "There's nothing we can do about it. The work is really public property now anyway, in my head at least. It's a wasted opportunity in that if we'd been behind it, and we wanted to do it, then it might have been good."

Speaking about moving away from EMI he said: "Personally I just wanted to forget about it. It didn't feel right. And now it's like when you move house: you don't want to peer through the window and see what they've done with the wallpaper because it will only upset you."

Yorke also blasted claims they had asked for "£10 million" to re-sign with the label, a quote which came from Guy Hands, the label's boss.

"The idea what we were after so much money as to stretching the truth to breaking point," he declared. "That was his PR company briefing against us..I was so angry...it was a clear indication that the relationship was over."

Radiohead tickets:

• Jun 24, 2008 at Victoria Park, London - Check availability
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• Jun 27, 2008 at Green, Glasgow - Check availability

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