CHRIS CORNELL REISSUES FIRST SOLO ALBUM, CHANGES TITLE TO ORIGINAL EUPHORIA MOURNING – 1999 solo debut to be remastered and re-released on vinyl for the first time as well as digitally and on CD, August 14 (PRNewsFoto/Universal Music Enterprises)
When GRAMMY-winning, GOLDEN GLOBE® nominated singer/songwriter and rock icon Chris Cornell was about to release his 1999 solo debut on Interscope/A&M/Geffen Records, he was dissuaded from his first choice for the title, Euphoria Mourning, and reluctantly dubbed it Euphoria Morning. Now, 16 years later, Universal Music Enterprises is correcting that admitted misjudgment, re-releasing the re-mastered album under its original name on August 14, for the first time on vinyl as well as reissuing digitally and on CD. Euphoria Mourning will be pressed on 180 gram vinyl and include a download card featuring 320 kbps MP4 audio ripped directly from the vinyl.
“The title of the record has been restored to its original spelling,” notes Cornell. “Which was changed before release after I listened to some bad advice.”
His first release outside of his work as lead singer with Soundgarden, Euphoria Morning, as it was then called, was a collaboration with Alain Johannes and Natasha Shneider of the band Eleven, who appeared on the album, co-wrote five of the tracks and were credited as co-producers, engineers and mixers with Cornell. The album’s first single, “Can’t Change Me,” was nominated for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the 2000 GRAMMY® Awards. “Flutter Girl” was reportedly an outtake from Soundgarden’s 1994 album, Superunknown, while Cornell revealed later on during a 2007 solo tour that “Wave Goodbye” was written as a tribute to Jeff Buckley, who tragically drowned in Memphis in 1997. “Can’t Change Me,” the first single, peaked at #5 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and #7 on the Modern Rock Tracks tally.
Over the course of his four solo studio albums – including 2007’s Steve Lillywhite-produced Carry On, 2009’s Timbaland-produced Scream and 2011’s live acoustic Songbook (he has a fourth, Higher Truth, due in September) – Cornell has continually redefined his sound and vision to encompass new music, new collaborations and new activities. He was the first American male artist to write and perform the theme song for a James Bond movie (Casino Royale’s “You Know My Name”), wrote and performed with Soundgarden the end-credit song, “Live to Rise” for The Avengers, and wrote the song “Misery Chain” (performed with Joy Williams) for the Oscar-winning movie, 12 Years a Slave. His performance of his song, “The Keeper,” which appeared in the Marc Forster-directed Machine Gun Preacher earned him a GOLDEN GLOBE® nomination and became the springboard to help raise awareness and funds for Sam Childers’ Angels of East Africa children’s charity.
In 2012, Chris and wife Vicky created the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation, which fights to protect the most vulnerable children, developing projects and programs working with leading charitable organizations and partners to raise awareness and mobilize support for children facing tough challenges, including homelessness, poverty, abuse and neglect.
The set listing for Chris Cornell’s Euphoria Mourning is as follows:
1. Can’t Change Me 3:20
2. Flutter Girl 4:23
3. Preaching The End Of The World 4:40
4. Follow My Way 5:07
5. When I’m Down 4:18
6. Mission 4:03
7. Wave Goodbye 3:43
8. Moonchild 4:01
9. Sweet Euphoria* 3:07
10. Disappearing One 3:45
11. Pillow Of Your Bones 4:27
12. Steel Rain 5:42