If you were around in the early '90s, you remember the flannel. You remember the gloom. But mostly, you probably remember that one video with the two guys screaming at each other in a field of tall grass.
That was "Hunger Strike." It was the moment Chris Cornell and a then-unknown Eddie Vedder basically invented the grunge supergroup.
Honestly, Temple of the Dog wasn't supposed to be a big deal. It wasn't some calculated industry "project" cooked up by suits in Los Angeles. It was a funeral in the form of an album. It was born out of a devastating loss that rocked the Seattle music scene before anyone even knew what "grunge" was.
The Tragedy That Started It All
In March 1990, the Seattle music community was on the verge of exploding. Mother Love Bone was the band everyone put their money on. They had the look, the hooks, and a frontman named Andrew Wood who was basically a glam-rock god trapped in a rainy Pacific Northwest basement.
Then, just days before their debut album Apple was set to drop, Wood died of a heroin overdose.
Chris Cornell was his roommate. They weren't just colleagues; they were friends who shared a living space and a vision for what music could be. Cornell was devastated. He went on tour with Soundgarden shortly after the funeral, but he couldn't stop writing. He wasn't writing for Soundgarden, though. These songs were different. They were slower, more melodic, and deeply personal.
Why Chris Cornell Created Temple of the Dog
The songs Cornell wrote—specifically "Say Hello 2 Heaven" and "Reach Down"—didn't fit the aggressive, odd-metered sludge of Soundgarden. He needed a different outlet. He reached out to Wood’s former bandmates, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, who were understandably lost after their singer's death.
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Along with Mike McCready and Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron, they gathered at London Bridge Studios. They spent just 15 days recording.
No pressure. No label expectations. Just a bunch of guys mourning their friend.
"Temple of the Dog" actually comes from a lyric in the Mother Love Bone song "Man of Golden Words." It was Cornell's way of keeping Wood’s spirit in the room. If you listen to the record, you can hear that lack of polish. It’s raw. It’s real.
The Eddie Vedder Coincidence
You can’t talk about Chris Cornell and Temple of the Dog without mentioning the "shy kid from San Diego."
Eddie Vedder had just flown up to Seattle to audition for what would eventually become Pearl Jam. He was sitting in the corner of the studio while Cornell was struggling with the low parts of "Hunger Strike."
In a moment of pure guts, Vedder walked up to the mic and sang the harmony.
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Cornell was floored. He didn't get territorial; he embraced it. He turned the song into a duet, and in doing so, he essentially introduced Eddie Vedder to the world. It’s arguably one of the most selfless acts in rock history.
The Sound of Grief and Growth
Musically, the album is a weird, beautiful outlier. Soundgarden was busy being heavy. Pearl Jam (then called Mookie Blaylock) was still finding its feet. But on this record, Cornell pushed himself as a songwriter.
- "Say Hello 2 Heaven": This features what many vocal coaches consider Cornell's highest recorded note. It’s a gut-wrenching power ballad that sounds like a prayer.
- "Reach Down": An 11-minute jam session. It captures the frantic, messy energy of grief.
- "Call Me a Dog": A song Cornell actually wrote about his relationship with Susan Silver, but it fits the album’s somber, bluesy vibe perfectly.
The record originally came out in April 1991 and... basically did nothing. It sold about 70,000 copies. People liked it, but it wasn't a "hit."
Then 1992 happened.
Nirvana's Nevermind broke the levee. Pearl Jam’s Ten and Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger went huge. Suddenly, A&M Records realized they had a gold mine sitting in their catalog. They re-released the album, pushed "Hunger Strike" to MTV, and the rest is history. The album went platinum, and Temple of the Dog became a household name.
The 2016 Tour and the Final Chapter
For 25 years, the band was a "one-off." They’d show up at each other’s concerts once in a while to play a song, but they never toured.
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That changed in 2016.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary, Cornell, Gossard, Ament, McCready, and Cameron finally hit the road. Vedder didn't join (which some fans were bummed about), but the shows were legendary. Cornell sounded better than ever. He spoke about how the tour was a way of finally "facing the reality" of Wood's death.
Tragically, Cornell passed away just months after that tour ended. Now, when you listen to "Say Hello 2 Heaven," the lyrics feel like they’ve doubled in weight. It’s no longer just a tribute to Andy Wood; it’s a tribute to Chris himself.
Actionable Takeaways for Rock Fans
If you’re just discovering this era of music or want to dive deeper into the legacy of Chris Cornell and Temple of the Dog, here is how to truly appreciate it:
- Listen to the 25th Anniversary Mix: Brendan O'Brien remixed the album in 2016. It pulls Cornell's vocals forward and cleans up the muddy '90s production without losing the soul.
- Watch the "Hunger Strike" Video: Look for the specific dynamic between Cornell and Vedder. It’s a masterclass in vocal interplay.
- Check out Mother Love Bone's Apple: To understand why Cornell was so heartbroken, you have to hear the man he was mourning.
- Explore the Demos: The deluxe reissue includes songs like "Angel of Fire" and "Black Cat" that didn't make the original cut but show the breadth of Cornell's writing during that period.
Temple of the Dog wasn't a band that was meant to last. It was a moment in time—a snapshot of a group of friends trying to make sense of a tragedy. That’s exactly why it still resonates today. It wasn't made for us; it was made for them. And somehow, that made it universal.