Radiohead drunk vodka and lit candles to get them in the mood to write ‘Paranoid Android’.

The British group started to write the 1997 single one night when they were jamming together, which bassist Colin Greenwood says brought a fresh energy to the song as it was new to them.

He told NME magazine: “We’d had a drink, but only one. Orange juice with vodka. And we were in this large wooden ballroom. We’d lit candles and we were jamming, which is something we’d never done before. That brought spontaneity, which helped the song come to life.

“It’s essentially three songs stitched together.”

The band played an earlier version of the track when the band were touring with Alanis Morissette, but Colin admits it didn’t meet a great reception.

He added: “Obviously it didn’t go down very well. Originally it had a ten minute organ outro, which ultimately we ditched and replaced with the, ‘rain down’ section.

“Was that the right decision? I think so, but sometimes I regret the lack of psychedelic, patchouli-soaked organ madness.”

Radiohead released their eighth album ‘The King of Limbs’ in February.