The “genius” move that convinced Chris Cornell to sign on for James Bond

When it comes to a new James Bond film, the spotlight shines brightly on the front of the stage as we eagerly await to find out who will be donning the tuxedo and sipping martinis. But in the shadows of the announcement sits the musician, waiting for the dust to settle and for their soundtrack to fill the space of either excitement or disappointment. Traditionally, though, it’s always been somewhat predictable. A grand vocalist on what is more often than not a piano ballad is always a safe bet when scoring the life of a privately educated British spy.

Fan favourites have been firmly established and have gone on to receive both commercial and critical acclaim as individual works of art. The three most recent Bond hits, Billie Eilish’s ‘No Time to Die’, Sam Smith’s ‘Writing On The Wall’, and Adele’s ‘Skyfall’ have adopted the tried and tested recipe of taking perhaps the world’s most successful artist at that time and putting them on the film’s track to esteem it with a sense of artistic royalty.

While that works for the most part and gives the film two streams of exposure, there have been examples where a more alternative approach has yielded a better artistic output. Duran Duran’s ‘A View to Kill’ had a more dynamic production approach than what had previously been seen and, despite its poppier composition, was a fitting companion to the action-packed film of the same name. All the while, it has been the only Bond song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, which ultimately proves a step outside the established sonic norms of Bond isn’t the risk film executives might otherwise think.

But come 2006, the prospect of risk was welcomed. Daniel Craig was about to step into Bond’s shoes for the first time, and his fair-haired, more brooding appearance raised question marks among traditionalists. So, in terms of experimentation, it was fertile ground for the prospective musician to enter.

Chris Cornell cut his teeth in the 1990s grunge scene, worlds away from Bond’s black-tie glamour. But his gritty songwriting style showcased a huge vocal range and felt like a window into a different, darker world for Bond to exist in.

He penned ‘You Know My Name’ for the film Casino Royale, which, as it played out over the highly anticipated opening sequence, set the stage for a vastly different world of Bond. The song had a steely drama, using the classic Bond theme as a motif, informing the overall palette of aggressive rock with an undertone of symphonic instrumentation.

Recalling the process of being tasked with writing the soundtrack, ThisI s Nottingham reported that Cornell said: “I was surprised to be asked, and I had some reservations about it. Guys like me resist stuff like that. Then I heard about Daniel Craig being James Bond”.

He added: “I’d actually seen him in several films and was starting to pay attention to him. I knew he was an accomplished actor, and James Bonds tend to be the people’s actor – you like them because that’s who they are. Sean Connery is always Sean Connery. I’m a huge fan, but he doesn’t transform for roles. So I imagined that this could be an amazing twist.”

Indeed, Craig’s alternative aesthetic for 007 eventually platformed a more emotionally complex depiction of the role, which has earned him critical acclaim.

Cornell’s genius wasn’t perhaps in the song’s writing but in his ability to see what no one else did and put faith in an actor he had already admired. He continued saying, “But I was a fan of his already and I thought, if they do this right, it could be genius. Then they showed me the opening sequence where my song was going to be, and I was really excited to be the guy to make that song”.

He added: “But the biggest trepidation really is that you’re on a list with bands like Duran Duran, and A-ha, and Paul McCartney. Oh, and Lulu, whoever that is, I don’t know who that is.”

Cornell’s deep understanding of Daniel Craig’s filmography before Bond and his unawareness of Lulu tells you everything you need to know about him as an artist. And with artistic departure Casino Royale signified for the Bond franchise, he was in many ways the perfect artist to stand alongside Craig.

His track ‘You Know My Name’ was a cloak for Craig to wear as he stepped from the shadows and into the spotlight. Before he had to utter his first line of dialogue, Craig articulated to sceptical fans what this new Bond would sound like.