“Morning Bell” appears on Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2001) because Radiohead developed two markedly different arrangements of the same song during a shared period of recording sessions. It is neither an unchanged repeat nor simply a remix: the pulse, instrumentation, and musical atmosphere change. There is also a twist to the chronology. According to drummer Philip Selway, the recording eventually used on Amnesiac came before the one released on Kid A.
The comparison illustrates how the band worked as it moved from the 1990s into the 2000s: keeping a central idea while reshaping it as different members suggested new directions. Because the version recorded later was released first, it is easy to reverse the sequence when telling the story.
Which version came first? Recording and release follow different orders
Kid A was released on October 2, 2000, with “Morning Bell” as track nine. Amnesiac followed in June 2001, placing “Morning Bell/Amnesiac” at number seven. XL Recordings’ discography retains both titles and lists different running times, 4:35 and 3:14 respectively. The Kid A version was therefore the first to be released.
In an interview with Nick Zanca for Reverb, published on April 11, 2023, Selway initially mixed up the order but corrected himself in the same answer. He said the 5/4 version on Kid A was recorded second, while the earlier recording was the one eventually used on Amnesiac. He also said he had suggested shifting the song to 5/4 and already had a drum pattern for it.
There is a documentary caveat. A 2001 Rolling Stone report by David Fricke, preserved in an online archive, describes the sequence the other way around, linking the Kid A take to the Copenhagen sessions and referring to a later recording for Amnesiac. Since the accounts differ, the careful approach is to attribute the recording order to Selway rather than present it as an indisputable studio chronology. The order in which the records came out is much clearer.
What actually changes between the two recordings?
The clearest technical difference is the time signature. The Kid A arrangement is in 5/4, with five beats per bar; the Amnesiac version uses 4/4, with four. Listeners unfamiliar with musical notation can hear this in where the rhythmic cycle starts again and how the vocal phrases sit against it. The difference is not limited to counting beats.
| Feature | Kid A (2000) | Amnesiac (2001) |
|---|---|---|
| Official track title | Morning Bell | Morning Bell/Amnesiac |
| Position and duration | Track 9, 4:35 | Track 7, 3:14 |
| Time signature | 5/4, five beats per bar | 4/4, four beats per bar |
| Rhythm and arrangement | Insistent drumming, keyboards, rising tension | Less pronounced pulse, keyboards, bell-like textures |
| Overall impression | Steady motion and a feeling of urgency | A more suspended, ceremonial atmosphere |
Writing for Louder, Niall Doherty describes the Kid A track as combining urgent drumming, keyboard chords, and a restrained vocal. The Amnesiac recording reorganizes the space between sounds; in a 2009 retrospective, Pitchfork drew attention to the importance of that album’s tonal textures. Words such as “urgent” and “ceremonial” describe musical effects, not some unverified hidden intention on the musicians’ part.
Why did Radiohead keep both?
Selway told Reverb that the change in time signature affected every member’s contribution. Once someone altered the idea, the others responded differently and the composition acquired another identity. In the drummer’s telling, its core remained, but the change made it feel almost like a different song. This helps explain why one arrangement did not have to replace the other.
There is another clue to why the reprise was released. In a 2001 response attributed to Thom Yorke and preserved by the independent Citizen Insane archive, the band had forgotten one version, stumbled across it again, and felt that it resembled a recurring dream. That is an archival transcription of a remark attributed to Yorke, not proof that the recordings tell a literal story or that one is the “correct” version.
Is there a third “Morning Bell” on Kid A Mnesia?
In 2021, KID A MNESIA brought the two albums together with additional material from the sessions. Alongside the 2000 and 2001 tracks, the official listing contains the two-minute “The Morning Bell (In the Dark Version)” on the bonus disc, Kid Amnesiae. It is another recording included in the collection, not a retroactive replacement for either original album version.
A useful listening sequence is track nine on Kid A, followed by track seven on Amnesiac. Focus first on the drum count, then on the density of the keyboards. That is release order. For recording order, Selway’s account remains the clearest direct testimony, with the historical discrepancy noted above.
Sources and references
- Reverb, Nick Zanca (April 11, 2023): interview with Philip Selway
- XL Recordings: KID A MNESIA, official track listing and durations
- The Guardian (2016): retrospective on Radiohead album releases
- Louder, Niall Doherty (October 2, 2026): track-by-track history of Kid A
- Pitchfork, Scott Plagenhoef (2009): retrospective review of Amnesiac
- Citizen Insane: archived reproduction of David Fricke's Rolling Stone report (2001)
- Citizen Insane: archive of remarks and documents about Morning Bell
