With the announcement of Daniel Craig as the new James Bond, the series went in a grittier, more realistic direction, mirroring the Jason Bourne films. This rougher tone was also found in the music selections of theme song performers. Craig's first outing in 2006 was Casino Royale and producers wanted a strong male singer to perform the theme. They eventually selected Chris Cornell to work with composer David Arnold to create a song that could substitute for the "James Bond Theme" in order to reflect 007's inexperience in the movie.
Prior to the announcement that Cornell had been selected, other artists were rumored to be in the running, which included previous Bond theme performer Tina Turner and English musician Tony Christie.
"You Know My Name" was released early online and reviews were generally favorable, winning the Satellite Award and World Soundtrack Award. This leaked version, which differed from the final product, peaked at number 20 on the UK Single Download Chart. While the theme song didn't make it on the film's soundtrack, Cornell did include it on his second solo album. Cornell and Arnold worked separately before combining their efforts into a single tune. Arnold has stated "You Know My Name" has the "same genetic material as the Bond theme, but in a different order and in a different shape."
In the United States, the song peaked at 79 and 64 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Pop 100, respectively. The official release of the single peaked at number 7 in the UK and other top 10 positions were found in Denmark (2), Finland (3), Italy (4), Norway (5), Switzerland (10), and the Netherlands (10). The single was nominated for a Grammy for Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media.
For a complete biography of David Arnold, go here.
Christopher John Boyle, better known by his stage name as Chris Cornell, was born July 20, 1964, and raised in Seattle, Washington. He is currently the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and former lead vocalist of Audioslave. Cornell has five siblings, several of whom are musicians and singers.
Cornell, along with two former members of a Seattle-based cover band by the name of the Shemps, formed Soundgarden in 1984. Upon signing with A&M Records in the late 80s, Soundgarden became the first grunge band to sign with a major label. In 1996, following the release of the group's fifth studio album, Soundgarden disbanded, leading Cornell to have a short solo career before joining three of the four Rage Against the Machine band members to form Audioslave. Beginning in 2001, Audioslave released three studio albums, but Cornell left in 2006 to begin a second stint of a solo career. Cornell announced a Soundgarden reunion in 2010, which has led to a national tour and new album.
Along with his involvement in Soundgarden and Audioslave, Cornell has released three solo albums and was the founder of Temple of the Dog, a tribute band dedicated to his former roommate, Andrew Wood. Collaborations with other artists include Pearl Jam, Alice Cooper, Linkin Park, Slash, David Cook, and Carlos Santana.
Cornell was ranked fourth among Hit Parader's Heavy Metal's All-time Top 100 Vocalists, ninth on Rolling Stone's Best Lead Singers of All Time, and 12th on MTV's 22 Greatest Voices in Music, and was voted Rock's Greatest Singer by readers of Guitar World. Along with his awards for "You Know My Name" from Casino Royale, Cornell has received 14 Grammy nominations, winning two, an MTV Video Music Award, and a Golden Globe nomination.
Cornell has been married twice. His first marriage, to Soundgarden and Alice in Chains manager Susan Silver, ended in divorce but produced a daughter. He is currently married to Vicky Karayiannis and has two more children, a daughter and son.
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