News

Chris Cornell on Kennedy Center Honors TV special

Brad - Site Admin — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 03:02:00 GMT

Don't forget to watch Chris Cornell at the Kennedy Center Honors gala on US TV tonight, Tuesday December 30. Chris performed the Who's classic rock anthem "Won't Get Fooled Again" live in front of the President in tribute to Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, two of this year's honorees. Other performers at the arts gala, recorded on December 7, include Dave Grohl, Rob Thomas, Beyonce, Queen Latifah and many more. The event screens from 9-11 p.m. on CBS.

CHRIS CORNELL Celebrating Return Of His Guitars

Brad - Site Admin — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:35:00 GMT

Chris Cornell has been celebrating the return of his guitar collection after winning a recent court action against ex-wife Susan Silver.

"Speaking of guitars," he writes in his most recent blog entry at ChrisCornell.com, " I was just dusting off the 15 or so guitars that I recently had returned to me after the end of a very long lawsuit where someone had decided that maybe the tools of my trade and guitars I played on my entire catalogue should be in their possession forever."

Back in 2005, Cornell's ex-wife Susan Silver had issued a statement refuting Cornell's "baseless, absurd allegations" regarding his possessions, adding that "at no time have there been any wrongdoings on my part, nor any withholding of his property. His claims are as manufactured as Bush's reasons to be at war in Iraq and this attempt to damage my respected reputation will only prove one thing – he should stick to singing."

Ironically, Cornell was recently given the opportunity to sing in front of George Bush himself — choosing THE WHO's famous anti-political anthem "Won't Get Fooled Again". The occasion was the recent Kennedy Center Honors in Washington D.C., where Cornell, Dave Grohl and Rob Thomas brought the house down in a triumphant tribute to the veteran British band. Surviving members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend were among the six to receive the prestigious arts award this year.

The Kennedy Center Honors gala will be broadcast in the U.S. on CBS December 30 at 9:00 p.m. EST.

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New Post On ChrisCornell.com

Brad - Site Admin — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:34:00 GMT

Just finished a Canadian tour. Very cool. I introduced my wife to Kamloops and other somewhat remote places that even I hadn't been to in years.
In Montreal I found out a friend of mine Denis D'Amour (Piggy) from the band Voivod died of cancer. It made me sad. He was a fantastic guitar player and a wonderful person. Gentle and very talented. I was so moved by his playing that I gave him a brand new Les Paul which his best friend told me is still with his sister all these years later.
Speaking of guitars, I was just dusting off the 15 or so guitars that I recently had returned to me after the end of a very long law suit where someone had decided that maybe the tools of my trade and guitars I played on my entire catalogue should be in their possession forever. It seems to me that some strangely desperate people involved in the music business forget that they are not the ones that write these songs, spill their guts and expose themselves to the public on the most personal level. We invent this *** and fucking own it and no matter what, nothing will change that.
Back to Canada. I like their money. It's colorful and on the backs of the different notes are little picture postcards or travel brochures for the country. One bill has people playing hockey! Why can't we have football? They have the Queen on the 20, which they may not like, but it could be much worse. She was never a slave owner. We have those on some of our notes. Overall we have cool guys, though.
Lincoln ended slavery and saved the union. Washington was the first pres. And was part of a war of independence that could have easily resulted in his death. Franklin was a true genius. He invented an instrument, charted the gulf stream, discovered electricity, co-founded a republic, and did a bunch of other amazing *** I don't remember. We loved J.F.K. So much that they came up with a new, somewhat useless half dollar coin so he would have something. I think Obama should get a coin for being the first African American pres. What an amazing accomplishment in the history of American politics and social reform! My vote would be for a 2 dollar coin. We will need one soon since the dollar bill is worth less every day. There is a 2 € coin. The U.K. Has a 2 £ coin. I also feel there is and should be a place to recognise George W. Bush for his efforts. My idea would start with a stamp. It would cost a lot and could only be used to send out bills or return them. In fact I would propose a system where no bills could be mailed out or returned with any other stamp. The next option which I think should be added is to have the feds create a uniform billing statement format that has his ugly face on it, whether it is a mailed paper form or an online page. All tax forms except refunds should have his ridiculous grin on it. In fact anytime, and in any case that requires an individual to part with their hard earned money, his wretched likeness should be visible!
I'm off to the White House. It's my son's birthday. God bless America! C

Chris Cornell and The Billie Jean Phenomenon

Brad - Site Admin — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:08:00 GMT

During a live acoustic radio session at Stockholm’s O Baren back in 2006, Chris Cornell unveiled a bold and bluesy new arrangement of Michael Jackson’s 80s dance anthem Billie Jean. Not so much a cover, more a reinvention, it swiftly became an underground favourite among fans and later surfaced in a full band version on his 2007 solo album Carry On.

Controversy followed when American Idol contestant David Cook drew praise from the judges when he used Cornell’s Billie Jean arrangement for his own spot on the show. It took a while for the judges to realise where the idea’s origins lay, but it helped Cook on his way to winning the contest – and the unexpected musical pairing went on to bear more fruit. Cook’s US single Light On, which debuted at #8 on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart, was co-written by Cornell with producer/writer Brian Howes.
The following was posted on chriscornell.com :

Since Cook’s success in the US, other hopeful TV contestants around the world have sought to replicate the Billie Jean effect. In Michael Jackson week on Britain's The X Factor, American Idol judge Simon Cowell chose the arrangement for his protegé Austin Drage. Even more recently, Teale Jakubenko performed the song on Australian Idol and 15-year-old Paulina Lenda gave the lyric a sex change on Poland's Got Talent. Most recently, popular recording artist Christos Dantis caused a scandal when he used Cornell’s arrangement for his guest performance on Greece’s version of The X Factor – and passed it off as his own.

Performances have resulted in a huge sales boost worldwide for Cornell’s version, which came about after his wife challenged him to think of the most unlikely cover version he could attempt. “And off the top of my head, the least likely thing I could think of was Michael Jackson," said Cornell, whose idea seems to have caught the imagination of aspiring singers right around the world.

Sometimes it’s the unlikeliest collaborations that catch the public imagination – something which Cornell’s own forthcoming album “Scream” with super-producer Timbaland is sure to underline. Set for release early in 2009, it's a groundbreaking work which looks set to spearhead a brave new world of cross-genre collaboration.

MASH UP songs from the new CHRIS CORNELL album SCREAM with your favorite SOUNDGARDEN songs

Brad - Site Admin — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 01:12:00 GMT

chriscornell.com has posted the link to a very entertaining website. Be sure to check it out, its very addictive!

Click HERE to give it a try.

CHRIS CORNELL: Canadian Dates Announced

Brad - Site Admin — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:25:00 GMT

Chris Cornell will embark on a 13-city tour of Canada following his previously announced promotional tour with producer and beat master Timbaland.

The dates are as follows:

Nov. 06 - Coquitlam, BC Red Robinson Theater
Nov. 07 - Kamloops, BC Interior Savings Centre
Nov. 08 - Banff, AB Wild Bill's
Nov. 10 - Edmonton, AB Edmonton Events Centre
Nov. 11 - Calgary, AB University of Calgary
Nov. 12 - Bonnyville, AB Bonnyville & District Centennial Centre
Nov. 14 - Saskatoon, SK Odeon Events Centre
Nov. 15 - Winnipeg, MB Burton Cummings Theatre
Nov. 18 - London, ON Centennial Hall
Nov. 19 - Hamilton, ON Wentworth Room
Nov. 21 - Toronto, ON Kool Haus
Nov. 22 - Ottawa, ON Ottawa Civic Centre
Nov. 23 - Montreal, QC Metropolis

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Another Myspace Blog from Chris: Essence of Dreams

Brad - Site Admin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:29:00 GMT

Yet another myspace blog from Chris :

"The essence of a dream can follow you all day long. Sometimes two or three days. I have had dreams as a little kid that I remember like they were yesterday, though as time goes on these dream are sometimes hard to tell from actual events as they survive in my memory.
I am fascinated with the essence factor of dreams, period. They are as real as the essence felt from the ambience of an actual place, like a house you grew up in. Your favourite bar, or your school. The first Christmas tree you see every year, the smell of it, and especially songs. Some feelings these environments evoke are awful, some magical. All of them completely real.
Real enough that numerous cultures throughout history have believed that the dream world is every bit as important and substantial and a vital part of human life as the conscious state. Some mysticisms actually look at the world of dreams as being the "true and only world" and everything else an illusion. For my money, if you put an ice pick through your hand, I think it will prove to be a pretty fucking good illusion.
Last night I had a dream that has been following me all day like a sick dog. I was in a hotel near the house I grew up in. I was in a cafe that happened to be the lunch court of my elementary school. Various friends from my past were walking up and talking to me. In the middle of this scene walks Layne Staley. He looked much like he did the first time I met him. Shoulder length hair, clean shaved. Clear eyed and looking about 20 years old. I was so happy. Confused a little, but in a dream like this, I just wanted to accept the idea that there was some mistake and he was alive and well. He seemed happy and said was working on some new music project.
I woke up not long after that with the feeling that I had really just talked to him and he was somewhere doing just fine.
My next thought was one that has plagued me for years. Sitting in Kelly Curtis' living room with about 30 people, all sobbing. We had just come from Andy Wood's extra weird funeral-wake thing at the Paramount Theatre. It had these new age overtones that didn't fit Andy's life at all. There was an amazing film of Andy with Mother Love Bone band mates. All of Andy's friends and family were there, mixed with a bunch of fans who I didn't like but knew Andy would have loved. The fans went home. His friends went to Kelly's.
We were crammed in a smallish living room with people sitting on every available surface. Couch arms, end tables, the floor. I was leaning on the back of one of the couches that face away from the rest of the room and toward the front door. I remember Andy's girlfriend looking at everyone and saying "This is just like La Bamba" then suddenly I heard slapping footsteps growing louder and louder as they reached the front door and Layne flew in, completely breaking down and crying so deeply that he looked truly frightened and lost. Very child like. He looked up at everyone at once and I had this sudden urge to run over and grab him and give him a big hug and tell him everything was going to be OK. Kelly has always had a way of making everyone feel like everything will turn out great. That the world isn't ending. That's why we were at his place. I wanted to be that person for Layne, maybe just because he needed it so bad. I wasn't. I didn't get up in front of the room and offer that and I still regret it. No one else did either. I don't know why.
Years later, at Layne's funeral, I was angry. I kept hearing the "twice as bright, half as long" speech and the "he was just too special for this world" nonsense that I had heard at so many other funerals for so many other friends that were so young and talented. I'm not sure why I was that angry. Angry at Layne? Angry at all my other friends for leaving me? Angry at the people running around in circles saying "I knew him best" or "I was the only one he really trusted", angry at all of them for squandering what I thought of as brilliant futures that would make the world feel to me like a place worth living? Or maybe I was just mad at myself because he was dead, and one time I had a chance to pick him up, dust him off and let him know that there was a person who cared about how much pain he was in and I didn't do it.
If I ever run into him in a dream again, I hope I remember to apologise.
Night all. Sweet dreams.
C"

Myspace Blog from Chris

Brad - Site Admin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:28:00 GMT

Chris has posted another blog on his myspace page.

"A few things.
First, thanks to everyone for the setlist input. Already working on some songs that I haven't played in at least ten years. One song that I haven't played more than one time live in my life, and have a short list that we will be able to get to over the next month of touring. I have to say though, "Scream" is what's up for me.
I have been rehearsing the whole album start to finish and it's insanely fun.
New music rules. Every song you ever loved by anyone was once brand new.
Another thing I keep forgetting to mention. Ben (Soundgarden, Hater) was telling me that someone was selling guitars that they said used to be mine on ebay. I looked it up and they are trying to sell a guitar that they say I played in the Temple of The Dog "Hunger Strike" video. LIES! I have it with me at all times. It is my 1 go to guitar for recording and has been since I bought it in 1990.
So be careful of this kind of ***!
This week has been insane. Things look pretty grim on a lot of fronts and we need a fucking break. I want everyone who reads this that needs a little comic relief to go youtube Billy Squire's "Rock me Tonite" video. Things could be worse. It could be the eighties. C"

CHRIS CORNELL PENS NEW SINGLE FOR AMERICAN IDOL WINNER DAVID COOK, ENTITLED “LIGHT ON”

Brad - Site Admin — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:43:00 GMT

SOUNDGARDEN AND AUDIOSLAVE FRONTMAN READYING FOR TOUR AND UPCOMING THIRD SOLO ALBUM SCREAM, PRODUCED BY TIMBALAND

September 23, 2008 — Santa Monica, CA — Chris Cornell, best known as the acclaimed lead singer and songwriter for Soundgarden and Audioslave, has co-written the new single from American Idol winner David Cook, entitled “Light On.” The track, which is being released to radio this week, is the lead-off single from Cook’s upcoming solo debut. Cook scored big on American Idol the week he performed Cornell’s bluesy reinvention of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” which appears on Cornell’s 2007 solo album Carry On.

“Chris Cornell is a great musical mind,” commented Cook. “It is an honor to work with him in any capacity on what hopefully will be a huge hit for the both of us.”

source

Another Blog By Chris

Brad - Site Admin — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:42:00 GMT

So here I am on the 7:05 pm Virgin America flt to Seattle to go into court tomorrow as I am being sued for my own guitars. Fun times! I was just thinking that you have to be smart enough to know that I am me and not some dude that writes Chris' blogs because if I were paying someone to do it they would have to do it every god damn day.
It's been a week of meeting and talking to super cool fans. From the guy I just talked to in a store at the airport to my new friend Rory Dela Rosa from Killeen, Texas and his amazing family. I was telling Rory about what it's like for me as a songwriter, a recording artist, and a performer in the context of being inspired by fans and that whatever I have brought to him or other fans I get back one hundred fold.
So here's to all the fans. And if you aren't, you are stupid for wasting your time reading this. Best to all. C (or the guy who writes Chris' blogs)

"Two Drink Minimum" Blog

Brad - Site Admin — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:41:00 GMT

The following was posted by Chris on his official site:

If someone was smart enough to find "Two Drink Minimum," bravo!
It was mastered with the rest of the album and was meant to be a hidden track. I thought I was the only one who got it but obviously I was wrong.
It’s amazing to me how hard the record business tries to keep songs from leaking and then puts out "Watch Out." a song three minutes long with an eight minute file and doesn't notice!
Oh well. I wrote that song at about 6:00 am to an organ melody played by Jerome Harmon. He's the guy playing the super sick Hammond B3 on it. I sang it when the sun was coming up about 10 feet from the mic. Just screaming it in the room. If you listen closely, you will hear papers rattling. May you all find your bliss "As hope and promise fade." C

CHRIS CORNELL Co-Writes DAVID COOL Single

Brad - Site Admin — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:34:00 GMT

According to Billboard.com, "American Idol" champ David Cook has selected "Light On", a co-write by SOUNDGARDEN/AUDIOSLAVE frontman Chris Cornell and HINDER/PUDDLE OF MUDD collaborator Brian Howes, as the first single from his debut album.

The track debuts tomorrow (September 24) on AOL and September 30 on iTunes. It will begin impacting U.S. radio outlets this week.

Chris Cornell, Timbaland Announce Dates For West Coast Tour

Brad - Site Admin — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:34:00 GMT

Erstwhile Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell will be hitting the road next month with the unlikely collaborator from his forthcoming solo LP — producer du jour Timbaland — for a string of eight live gigs, the first of which is scheduled for October 17 in Denver.

The rocker, who worked with Timbaland on Scream over a six-month period, said the shows will be similar to those he played around the release of his first solo effort, 1999's Euphoria Morning.

"I wanted to get out and do some special shows for fans, where it's just the new record and introducing that live, which isn't really the first time I've done that," he said. "With Euphoria Morning, I played pretty much nothing but my first album for the first tour, and with the first Audioslave record, we toured for a year and did nothing but that record. This is also a very special record."

Cornell will not be playing any tracks from his previous offerings on this brief Verizon Wireless-sponsored West Coast run, which wraps in his hometown of Seattle November 2. Cornell plans on playing the entire LP, from the first note to the last, without any pauses between songs.

"This album, I think, needs to be performed from beginning to end, because on the record, once the music starts, it never stops," he explained. "So it's literally a situation where you start playing the record from the first song, and it's just an hour's worth of music that keeps going until it's done, and it's something that's difficult to present in this day and age. Everything is sound bites and one song at a time, and people sort of downloading one song at a time, and more than any album I've ever made, this is an album that's really designed to be listened to from beginning to end, in one sitting.

"I think the smartest thing for me to do is go out and perform it that way, so people get it, because people haven't really understood that yet," Cornell continued. "I've been talking about it in interviews, and people need to understand that it's a different thing. Musically, definitely, it's a departure, not only for me but maybe for anybody. People are asking me what kind of music it is, and there's no real answer for that."

Cornell's forthcoming disc sounds nothing like his fans might suspect. It mixes elements of hip-hop (compliments of Timbaland) and rock in a rather unique manner.

"The initial conception and perception of this record was mixing two worlds — rock and hip-hop, or beat-based music with fuzzy guitars," Cornell explained. "But it really isn't just that at all. It's a mixture of a lot of different influences."

Timbaland said he's "so excited to be on the road with Verizon and Chris," adding that he "can't wait for everyone to hear [this] great new music."

Over the weekend, Cornell was in Brooklyn, New York, shooting a video for "Ground Zero," a song inspired by the tragic events of September 11.

"To me, it's sort of about the lingering aspect of [9/11] that is used to kind of create support for things that haven't been very good for our country or the citizens of our country," said Cornell, who now resides in Paris. "I've felt like, with the Bush administration, whenever they're in crisis, they'll suddenly pull out a terror alert — a code-orange scenario, which I run into constantly, because I'm in airports so often. They don't ever have to say why, just that it's a matter of national security. And with the conservative right, part of the platform right now in the election is 'Be afraid of terror, be afraid of terrorists. Look at 9/11 — we need an administration and a president who knows how to go out, kick ass, take names and keep us safe.' That's what got us into Iraq in the first place. [That tactic] certainly helped, and I think [9/11 was] a key factor in Bush winning a second term. To me, the song is about how awful 9/11 was, but stresses that we've got to let go of that to move on peacefully."

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Chris Cornell partners with Timbaland and Verizon Wireless for the Launch of his new album “Scream”

Brad - Site Admin — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:11:00 GMT

Be a part of music making history! Buy any Chris Cornell, Sound Garden, or Audioslave music and be entered for a chance to win tickets to one of the 8 exclusive “SCREAM” album launch concert events!

Meet Chris Cornell & Timbaland!

Come to one of the Verizon Wireless store appearances for a chance to meet the artists, get music, get tix to the show that night and more

Get it First on V CAST Music:

Buy or upgrade to any V CAST enabled phone and be the first to get the limited edition mobile EP of Chris Cornell’s new album Scream, before it’s released. Produced by Timbaland, Verizon’s Producer in Residence.

For more info visit http://win.screamliveconcerts.com

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Verizon Wireless Gives Chris Cornell Fans Reason to 'Scream'

Brad - Site Admin — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:09:00 GMT

Score unreleased music through gift-with-purchase program; plus, get a chance to win tickets to exclusive album launch concerts

Verizon Wireless and Chris Cornell are giving fans a preview of new music from Cornell's highly-anticipated and soon-to-be-released album, "Scream," produced by Verizon Mobile Producer-in-Residence, Timbaland.

Rock icon Cornell, former front-man for Soundgarden and Audioslave, has teamed with super-producer Timbaland for a unique new sound that is sure to spearhead a brave new world of cross-genre collaboration.

Additionally, an enter-to-win program gives fans a chance to see Cornell and Timbaland in eight exclusive performances and meet the stars at eight in-store appearances. "Scream" is scheduled for release on November 4.

"Verizon Wireless is always looking for opportunities to bring together fans with their favorite music artist," said Gregg Yacovone, Verizon Wireless director of Marketing.

"Fans can connect with Chris Cornell and Timbaland through a series of album launch in-store events and performances, and downloads of the limited edition mobile EP of 'Scream,' available only through V CAST Music."

"Working with an artist like Chris Cornell who is willing and excited to cross genres and find new ways to share his music is exactly why I signed on to be Verizon's Mobile Producer-in-Residence," said Timbaland. "It is only natural that we bring our new music to fans in this unique way and using the latest mobile technology."

"I am excited to be working with Verizon Wireless to reach both new and old fans with my music," Cornell said. "My new work with Timbaland has allowed me to evolve artistically and with mobile technology, we are able to deliver 'Scream' directly to our fans to their cell phones as well as experience it live before its release."

Limited edition Chris Cornell Mobile EP

Between September 22 and October 13, 2008, Verizon Wireless customers in the western United States who purchase or upgrade to any V CAST-enabled phone with a new 2-year agreement at a participating location will be the first to get the limited edition Mobile EP of Chris Cornell's new album, "Scream," before the album's November 4 release.

The limited edition Mobile EP includes Cornell's single, "Scream;" the theme song to the new V CAST Music with Rhapsody commercial track, "Watch Out;" "Ground Zero," currently featured in ABC's "Life on Mars;" plus "Long Gone;" "Never Far Away;" "Enemy;" and exclusive video and photos.

Exclusive "Scream" album launch events

Fans can be a part of music history and experience Chris Cornell and Timbaland who for the first time ever will perform songs from the new album "Scream" live together at one of the eight exclusive album launch events.

    For more information, visit a participating Verizon Wireless store.

    Album launch performance dates
    Date            City                         Venue
    Oct. 17         Denver, CO                   Ogden Theater
    Oct. 18         Salt Lake City, UT           The Avalon Theater
    Oct. 19         Tempe, AZ                    Marquee
    Oct. 24         Las Vegas, NV                The Joint
    Oct. 25         Los Angeles, CA              House of Blues
    Oct. 26         San Diego, CA                House of Blues
    Oct. 31         San Francisco, CA            The Fillmore
    Nov. 2          Seattle, WA                  Showbox

Meet Chris Cornell and Timbaland

In addition to the album launch performances, Chris Cornell and Timbaland will also meet fans and sign autographs at pre-launch in-store events at select Verizon Wireless stores.

    Date            Store locations              City
    Oct. 17         2073 S. Colorado Blvd.       Denver, CO 80222
    Oct. 18         987 W. 500 N Bldg A          American Fork, UT 84003
    Oct. 19         2040 E. Rio Salado Pkwy.     Tempe, AZ 85281
    Oct. 24         7300 Arroyo Crossing Pkwy.   Las Vegas, NV 89113
    Oct. 25         13455 Washington Blvd.       Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
    Oct. 26         3505 Sports Arena Blvd.      San Diego, CA 92110
    Oct. 31         150 El Camino Real           South San Francisco, CA 94080
    Nov. 2          960 Park Ave. North          Renton, WA 98057

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