‘I was lucky,” says Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell of his recent motorcycle accident in which he was hit by a truck and flung 20 feet in the air. Before his body met the pavement – which it did, and hard – Cornell says, “I was sort of thinking, ‘This is an actual accident. I hope it’s not as bad as it feels like it’s going to be.'”
It could have all been over for Cornell, one of the most iconic rock voices of our time, but he emerged almost unharmed.
Fortuitous timing for a close call. This month, Cornell, a founding father of grunge, lead singer of the now-defunct Seattle band Soundgarden, and initiator of the legendary early ’90s collaboration Temple of the Dog, makes his big-screen debut of sorts as the first man since Paul McCartney to sing a James Bond theme song.
His throaty, epic ode to 007, “You Know My Name,” plays musical foil to Daniel Craig’s Bond in “Casino Royale.” Featuring soaring orchestrations and near-crooning vocals, the song is a departure from Cornell’s signature sound.
“They wanted a voice that fit well with his persona,” Cornell says. “They were looking for a singer who was unapologetically male, someone with introspection in his voice but not afraid to be masculine.”
Cornell cites two of his predecessors as inspirations: McCartney, who wrote and performed the theme to “Live and Let Die” (1973), and Tom Jones, who sang the theme to “Thunderball” (1965).
“I decided that I was going to sing it like Tom Jones, in that crooning style. I wanted people to hear my voice,” Cornell says. “And ‘Live and Let Die’ is a fantastic song. Paul McCartney wouldn’t have written it if not for that movie. I [also] wanted to write a song in its own universe. I knew I’d never have it again – a big orchestra – so I wanted to have fun with it.”
The song represents a move that will surely propel him into the mainstream – in fact, lob him so far into the depths of international collective consciousness that his grinding, guitar-angst grunge days will seem like ancient history.
Much to the chagrin of his Soundgarden fans, however. “Chris Cornell is not the man or the singer he used to be,” complains one on the Audioslave fan forum.
He’s even been called a sellout for departing from his Seattle-sound roots – for seeking out emotions besides depressive angst. But while it’s blatantly obvious Cornell’s work has significantly evolved in the last 15 years, so what?
“I was referred to as the quintessential angry young man,” Cornell says. “But some of it is being 22. It’s healthy to get it out on stage. Emotion is emotion and it comes out in different ways. That changes with age. You figure out better ways to deal with it.
“To me, there were always infinite possibilities,” he adds, “and now I’m singing a song in a James Bond film. As far as I’m concerned, I can do anything musically – the perception outside of that is none of my business.”