In a 2009 interview with Uncut Magazine, Pearl Jam‘s Eddie Vedder was asked about his thoughts on the Soundgarden vocalist’s collaboration with Timbaland as a fellow grunge musician. Interestingly, he did not dwell on the topic much, as he stated he didn’t know who the producer was.
So, instead of discussing the song, the singer chose to express his admiration for Cornell and the effect he had on his life. He went on to reveal an astonishing ‘epiphany‘ he had in his early career, all thanks to his friend. He stated that when they started hanging out together, he discovered that Chris spent his Friday nights in the forest with a pack of beers and his dog.
This revelation of a musician’s life deeply appealed to Vedder. In fact, he eventually adopted the practice himself as he had a Hawaiian mutt and jokingly noted that the quality of beer improved over time.
Recalling the experience, the Pearl Jam frontman said:
“I haven’t heard it. Isn’t Timbaland a make of shoe? It’s a producer? I don’t know who that is. Oh well. I really like Chris’ records, and I think he’s the best singer that we’ve got on the planet. I first met Chris when I moved to Seattle, and we started hanging around.
I didn’t know what musicians did with their life, and I quickly realized that what he did on a Friday night was to get a 12-pack of shitty beer and chase his dog around on the mud for four hours in the forest. That was about an exciting epiphany as I had! I haven’t seen him in town for a while, but I have taken over the whole dog-chasing practice – me and my Hawaiian mutt. The beer’s gotten slightly better too.”
The two musicians worked in the same band, Temple of the Dog, between the years 1990-1992 and collaborated on various projects throughout their careers for concerts and songs like ‘Hunger Strike,’ creating memorable moments for fans of their respective bands. They remained close friends until Cornell passed away in 2017.
Cornell was actually one of the first people Eddie met in his early career. The two musicians were neighbors and bandmates for a period in the early ’90s when the latter first moved to Seattle. They collaborated on a full album and a hit song as members of the band Temple of the Dog, and their duet song, ‘Hunger Strike,’ became the short-lived band’s most successful song.
In fact, that piece was Vedder’s first professionally recorded work and paved the way to fame and success for him. Naturally, as much as the artist was proud of the song, he was grateful to Cornell for the opportunity, as he stated in the 2009 book ‘Grunge Is Dead.’
His feelings about the song and his friend’s contribution to his career read:
“I really like hearing that song. I feel like I could be real proud of it – because, one, I didn’t write it, and two, it was such a nice way to be ushered onto vinyl for the first time. I’m indebted to Chris time eternal for being invited onto that track.”
The singers eventually parted ways when they established their own careers in different bands but remained close friends even after that. Unfortunately, their companionship had to end with Chris’ passing in 2017.
