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On what would have been Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell’s 56th birthday (July 20), his estate has posted the singer’s previously unreleased cover of Guns N’ Roses’ ballad, “Patience.”
The song, originally released on GNR’s 1988 compilation “Lies,” unveiled a more acoustic and sensitive side of the band that it had showcased during low-key performances after the release of their debut album the previous year, “Appetite for Destruction” (although another song on the collection, “One in a Million,” set off controversies with its racist and homophobic lyrics). Soundgarden and GNR shared stages several times in the early 1990s, including U.S. and European dates where the former were supporting their 1991 album “Badmotorfinger” and the latter the two “Use Your Illusion” collections. At the time, GNR were superstars and Soundgarden were still on the rise, but that would change with their following album “Superunknown” and its global hit, “Black Hole Sun,” which is still the most well-known Cornell-penned song.
“Patience” may be GNR’s song but there’s no question who’s singing this version, although he adds some percussion and distant keyboards.
A message accompanying the post on Cornell’s Facebook page reads: “His birthday seemed the perfect time to share this and celebrate Chris, his voice, music, stories and art. It is true a man is not dead while his name is still spoken… and, through his art, an artist’s soul still burns just as bright as ever upon all those that look up to him and his memory. Releasing music that was special to Chris keeps a part of him here with us — his heart and his soul. His love and his legacy.”
