The second month arrived fast, and with it came the first round of real challenges. Chris Cornell was no longer just being evaluated. He was now being seriously shaped.
His vocal sessions increased to three times a week. His throat felt the strain, but his range was extending. Scream techniques were introduced carefully, along with falsetto drills. He practiced delivering lyrics with emotion, closing his eyes and learning to let go.
He recorded early demos using the instrumental track of "Flower." Listening to his playback for the first time, He flushed red. It was not perfect, but it was real. James and the coach smiled. They saw that raw power from his voice again.
Every afternoon, he studied classical vocalists. Robert Plant, Ozzy Osbourne, and Roger Daltrey. He was not told to copy, but to understand. To learn the anatomy of tone and power.
His performance coaching began weekly. Movement on stage, stance, presence. He struggled with this at first. His body still resisted the spotlight. The coach encouraged him to loosen up, to find the rhythm in how he moved.
His media training started with mock interviews. James would play the reporter, sometimes serious, sometimes sarcastic. He learned to handle curveballs. He hated it at first. But soon, he was learning to speak in complete thoughts, to smile on cue.
Behind the scenes, he watched James in the studio. At first, he said little. But after a week, he asked questions about mic choices, layering, and delay effects. He was becoming more than a singer.
Toward mid-September, he recorded vocal covers of Sabbath and The Who songs. Internal reviews came in: "Emotionally raw." "Still a bit rigid." "Incredible potential."
That week, James told him: "We are getting there. You are not a rough stone anymore. You are being carved into something people will not forget."
He nodded. The nerves were still there. But so was a growing fire within him.
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As the warm summer waned into the start of fall, the third month of Chris Cornell's artistic transformation kicked into high gear. From the moment September 17 came, he found himself on a tighter schedule than ever. His training became less about discovery and more about execution.
He began recording rough takes of five debut tracks.
Flower Beyond the Wheel Mood for Trouble Circle of Power All Your Lies
His sessions, held in a sound-treated room inside James' mansion, were attended by James, Joseph Kennedy Sr., and his vocal coach. These recordings were raw, full of promise, and carried the signature grit he was becoming known for.
During vocal tracking, James would sit in the adjacent control room, headphones on, nodding with satisfaction.
'God damn, teenage Chris Cornell voice is so fucking high and powerful!'
And then, occasionally, he would stop the session and step in, offering simple but effective advice like, "Try softening the scream here," or, "Hold that note just a little longer." Chris Cornell absorbed every piece of feedback with a quiet intensity.
Meanwhile, a hired stylist was brought in to finalize his aesthetic. Chris Cornell's wardrobe shifted to embrace a rugged, grunge-influenced look, as per James's direction for Joseph Kennedy Sr., denim jackets, vintage tees, boots, and flannel, carefully curated to appear casual and underground. His photos were taken for initial album artwork mockups. A hired graphic designer from Sub Pop Inc. began sketching potential logos and layouts.
His weekly psychological check-ins ensured that the pressure was not taking a toll. While Chris occasionally showed signs of fatigue, his determination was unwavering. A tracker pinned to his wall showed his stamina and flexibility progress. He was getting physically stronger and more confident with each passing day.
Bi-weekly team meetings brought everyone together, James, Joseph, the vocal coach, stylist, fitness coach, and PR assistant. The synergy between the team was palpable. Everyone believed in him, and more importantly, he was beginning to believe in himself.
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September 26, 1980.
James was practicing in his studio room when he heard from a radio news that John Bonham died the day before!
'Damn, I forgot that yesterday was his death!'
'I wish I could have saved him but I fucking forgot, and I am just a 10 year old kid, would he even believe me if I warned him? Their concerts were so brutal he had to resort to high percentage alcoholic drinks just to bear the pain of hour after hour concerts!'
'Damn.'
He could only shake his head for the loss of a great drummer like John Bonham.
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By mid-October, it was no longer about training. It was sharpening. Everything Chris Cornell had worked on was now coming together for the final stretch.
His vocals for all the songs were finalized over a three week period in a rented studio in Seattle, Washington. It was the 1980 high-end studio called "Kaye-Smith Studios". And after contracting the studio to produce both raw and mastered versions of Chris Cornell's album "Ultramega OK", James and Joseph Kennedy Sr. hired the package deal of the studio, including their own engineer, of course, with James' guidance.
And so, each track was recorded and re-recorded until Chris Cornell's vocal layering, backing harmonies, and emotional resonance hit the team's expectations. James sat beside the mixing console with the engineer, guiding the engineer about the adjustment of fader levels with the meticulousness of a painter working on a final masterpiece.
As for the instrumentals, it was all James who recorded it. The engineer and the staffs, even Chris Cornell, as well as his mother, Karen Cornell, were amazed at James's guitar playing and drumming!
"God damn James! I knew you were good, but this is on another level!" Chris Cornell praised.
"I wrote the songs, I built the structure for each of them so I have to be the one to perfectly record the instruments so your album would have no issues." James smiled and tapped Chris Cornell's shoulder.
"And the result was great!" Chris Cornell added.