Though the lion’s share of speculation around which artist will perform the theme for upcoming James Bond movie Spectre has revolved around “Lights” chanteuse Ellie Goulding and “Stay With Me” crooner Sam Smith, an anonymous customer’s sizable bet on an out-of-left-field contender has caused one U.K. bookmaker to suspend betting entirely.
British band Radiohead is suddenly a favorite to tackle the Bond tune after an anonymous customer asked to put a £15,000 ($23,000) wager on the band. That’s a pretty massive bet, as well as one that suggests some inside knowledge of what’s going on behind closed doors with the track.
A spokesperson for bookmaker William Hill stated yesterday:
The first gamble of the day was Ellie Goulding and punters were backing her as if she already had the gig, but just as we were thinking of pulling the plug we had a load of bets for Radiohead including one customer who asked to place a £15,000 bet on the band at 10/1… There seem to be all kinds of rumors and the plot has had more twists and turns than a classic Bond tale, but surely nobody risks £15,000 on a hunch.
This news comes just days after Goulding posted a suggestive Instagram of her leaving Abbey Road Studios – where Adele famously recorded “Skyfall,” the last Bond song. That post, as well as Smith ruling himself out and nominating Goulding for the gig, had painted her as a clear frontrunner. Bolstering her possible involvement was word that Goulding has a song registered with BMI Music called “Spy.”
That said, director Sam Mendes has gone on record to say that the title track has already been recorded and sounds “fantastic,” which would mean Goulding’s Instagram was strategically scheduled to come just as speculation about the song is reaching a fever pitch. Additionally, both Mendes and star Daniel Craig are noted Radiohead fans, which could have paved the way for a sneaky deal with the enduringly popular band to record the track as long as months ago.
My money is still on Goulding. Nevertheless, at least one person is wholly convinced that moviegoers will be hearing Thom Yorke belt out the lyrics to the Spectre theme come November 6. We’ll keep you posted as we find out more.
