10 Songs. Spontaneous. Creation: Temple of the Dog

Wanna show you something like the joy inside my heart
Seems I've been living in the temple of the dog
Where would I live, if I were a man of golden words?
Or would I live at all?

Man of Golden Words, Mother Love Bone

On March 19th, 1990, the Seattle music scene reeled at the death of fabulously glam singer Andrew Wood of Mother Love Bone and singer and bassist for the band Malfunkshun. His roommate and dear friend Chris Cornell said his goodbyes before life support was turned off from the 24 old. He had turned his life around but the streets held root in him. Andy's death stunned his bandmates and friends. Sadly, many do not know the importance of this moment in time or even who Andy was. While many know of their song Chloe Dancer / Crown of Thorns from The Singles soundtrack, the band never took hold in the mainstream and the loss of Wood proved its demise. Mother Love Bone was not grunge. They were a modicum at the time that brought a little of members Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard's Green River rock sound to Andy's glam influence and magnetic persona. Yet the band had signed with Polygram Records in 1988 and that in itself was a pretty monumental deal for a Seattle Band. 

Cornell began writing songs about his friend as well as honing some songs he had been working on and encouraging the band members to do the same. Approaching Andy's bandmates who, without their true north, all liked the idea of recording some songs in memory of their friend. The members had stopped playing music for some time. It got them playing at a time where music was likely the best therapy while they searched for their next step.

The line-up included Stone Gossard on rhythm guitar, Jeff Ament on bass guitar (both ex-members of Mother Love Bone), Mike McCready on lead guitar, and Matt Cameron on drums. They had played around with the idea of releasing some singles, but the idea was scrapped for recording an album and releasing it at that. In 15 days, they recorded 10 songs that encompassed their feelings of Andrew as well as the state of the world. 

At the same time of the recording, the band members of Mother Love Bone were rehearsing with their new singer for  their new band, Mookie Blaylock. Needing another vocalist to help fill in with the song Hunger Strike, Eddie Vedder sang with Chris Cornell on the song that would make the rounds of MTV, everyone collectively asking "who is that guy?" On the 2011 documentary Pearl Jam Twenty, Vedder stated, That was the first time I heard myself on a real record. It could be one of my favorite songs that I’ve ever been on — or the most meaningful.

While the album would not gain much traction on the charts, Rolling Stone's David Fricke wrote in 2000 that the album, retrospectively, deserves immortality. The songs are complex, blending not only Cornell's range and vocal talent, but also the birthing of the sound from the ashes of their beloved lead singer's death.

Let's break down each track.

Say Hello 2 Heaven

Right after Andy died, we [Soundgarden] went to Europe, and it was horrible, because I couldn't talk about it, and there was no one who had loved him around. I wrote two songs, "Reach Down" and "Say Hello 2 Heaven". That was pretty much how I dealt with it. ~Chris Cornell

The opening track is not only perfect, it's a summation of the feelings felt and the story of Andy himself. It's an emotional and fitting tribute to the Man Golden Words. 

I never wanted
To write these words down for you
With the pages of phrases
Of all the things we'll never do
So I blow out the candle and
I put you to bed
Since you can't say to me now
How the dogs broke your bone
There's just one thing left to be said

Say hello to heaven

Reach Down

You can visualize the story this song tells. You can also feel the positive energy that Andrew Wood had on Chris's life. The song is a highlight on the album as you can hear the Pearl Jam sound begin to evolve out of Mother Love Bone. 

Love, yes love was my drug, but that's not
What I died of, so don't think of me
Crying louder than some billion dollar baby

Hunger Strike

The most well known song off the album, that could have gone so differently if Eddie Vedder had not been rehearsing with his new band. The song is a good indicator of the social voice that Pearl Jam would lead with through their songs. 

I don't mind stealing bread
From the mouths of decadence
But I can't feed on the powerless
When my cup's already overfilled

Pushing Forward Back

"'Pushin Forward Back' is good shovin' built from the black thunder of Led Zeppelin and the twin-guitar lightning of the original Alice Cooper band ...When Vedder joins Cornell in the chorus of 'Pushin Forward Back', their harmonies virtually bleed with need." David Fricke of Rolling Stone (12-2000)

Baby brother clinging to her hair
Gracious, pleading not another
Soul to bare, he started pushin'
All my kings have fallen down
I started pushin'

Call Me a Dog

It's a beautiful and sad song about relationships and unreciprocated love. This one stems from Chris's own failed relationship at the time. 

You call me a dog
Well that's fair enough
It doesn't bother me as long as you know
Bad luck will follow you
If you keep me on a leash and
You drag me along

Time of Trouble

Gorgeous but sad song about the struggle of addition. Chris knew well of Andy's attempt to get clean and the challenges he faced. 

I saw you swinging
Swinging your mother's sword
I know you're playing but
Sometimes the rules get hard
But if somebody left you out on a ledge
If somebody pushed you over the edge
If somebody loved you and left you for dead
You got to hold on to your time till you break
Through these times of trouble

Wooden Jesus

A questions asked many a time, "can you buy your way into Heaven?"

 

Porcelain Mary her majesties pure
Looking for virgin territory
Coat hanger halos don't come cheap
From television shepherds with living room sheep,
And I pray.

Your Savior

Coincidentally after Wooden Jesus, Your Savior is directed at those who push their idols and gods upon others, with promises of pearly gates and eternal happiness. 

People like you, I know myself
Walk in the shoes of somebody else
Whisper to me, my tragic fate
Whisper to me, my tragic end
But don't give me your savior

Four Walled World

It could be a song about a mental prison, but likely a song about the prison of addiction. 

And now the sun is low
And these walls try to break my soul
And now the moon is full
And I won't see nothing tonight
But the tears in her eyes and
My four walled world

All Night Thing

Again, it could be about lovers and it could be about drugs. 

-This was the last song I heard live from Chris Cornell - 

And we fall like a tear falling
To the ground
I'll never come around
And you'll never hear a word from me
If it's an all night thing

A Version of Home: NASA Wake Up Calls and Love of Space Music from Gemini VI to Artemis II

 

Think of the space shuttle as a high-tech road trip with a difference: You can’t get out until the trip is over, pot and beer are forbidden, and 125 miles straight down, somebody who isn’t even travelling with you get to pick what’s on the tape deck.  Astronaut Steve Robinson

For space lovers and music nerds, this past 10 days has been a spectacular combination of our passions. With the launch of Artemis II, we not only had the traditional Wake-Up Calls, but we also had astronaut and NASA playlists of favorite moon and space-themed songs. But what is it about music and space? Where did this tradition even really begin? Outside of that scope, there is also a history of playing instruments singing songs in space. But how did it even begin?

This blog post would not be possible without the wonderful work of NASA historians such as Colin Fries and music lover Ross Spencer. NASA Johnson Space Center is also a wonderful source of music information. Their links appear at the end of this post.

As a joke, in December of 1965, NASA woke up the Gemini 6 crew, Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford, with a parody of the song Hello, Dolly. Furthermore, the crew would also be the first to officially play instruments in space when they performed Jingle Bells on the bells and harmonica. This joke would eventually become a fond tradition for NASA, the crew, and subsequently the rest of us humans.

As missions crew longer, the importance of keeping the astronauts on a schedule and keeping morale high were important. Remember, the astronauts are travelling at 17,000 miles per hour as they orbit Earth. They have 16 sunrises and sunsets per 24 hours. Songs were lighthearted, meaningful, and/or jabs at each other, especially when it came to alma matters and military background.

Apollo to Artemis

The moon missions fifty years apart could not have been more different when it comes to style of music. And no, Apollo 11 did not have traditional wake up music, the focus was on sports and news. The songs during the lunar missions were popular songs from the time by artists such as Frank Sinatra and Rober Goulet. There were also some moon-themed songs such as If I Ever Saw Your Face.

The final moon mission prior to Artemis I and II was that of Apollo 17 in 1972.  It’s command and service module (CSM) was nicknamed America. The wakeup call before their return to Earth for Gene Cernan, Ron Evans, and Harrison Schmitt was John Denver’s version of City of New Orleans, with the rousing chorus of “Good morning, America, how are you?” And fittingly, a song played as they left lunar orbit was The Carpenter’s song We’ve Only Just Begun.

Fast Forward 52 years to Artemis II fly around the moon. (We’ll get to Shuttle, Skylab, MIR, and ISS, don’t worry).

Just like 1972, the songs for Astronauts commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen they are uplifting and popular, such as Pink Pony Club by Chappel Roan and Working Class Heroes by CeeLo Green. Their final wake-up call prior to splash down was 1999’s Run to the Water by Live, again showing there is thought and love going into these selections. But it was really a pre-recorded message for their wake-up call just prior to their passing Apollo 13’s record for farthest distance from traveled by humans.

Hello, Artemis II! This is Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell. Welcome to my old neighborhood! When Frank Borman, Bill Anders, and I orbited the Moon on Apollo 8, we got humanity’s first up-close look at the Moon and got a view of the home planet that inspired and united people around the world. I’m proud to pass that torch on to you — as you swing around the Moon and lay the groundwork for missions to Mars … for the benefit of all. It’s a historic day, and I know how busy you’ll be. But don’t forget to enjoy the view. So, Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy, and all the great teams supporting you  – good luck and Godspeed from all of us here on the good Earth.

Skylab, Soyuz, and Shuttle

NASA continued the tradition of wake-up calls as space technology and longevity of missions grew. Skylab, the first US space station, had crewed missions from 1973-1975. With the Cold War simmering away, the tensions between USSR and USA in space thawed slightly and saw the join Apollo-Soyuz Mission in 1975. The songs for this historic, joint US-USSR mission were a blend of American songs such as Good Morning, Sunshine and the aptly named Midnight in Moscow.

Of course, with the highly anticipated Space Shuttle missions, the tradition would continue.  For Space Transportation System (STS)-1, Space Shuttle Columbia, the first wake-up call was a mix of music from Spike Jones and general ribbing of astronauts John Young and Bob Crippen:

"It's splashdown, and Crip, you could both use a shower," said one member of the radio team. "You've waited for this for 12 years and if you don't wake-up you're going to miss the whole darn thing." "Crip," said one voice, "get out of the rack." "No, no, no," said the other. "If he wakes up, he'll spill coffee all over the controls.” “Get to work, you guys. You’ve got 300 government agencies out there to support.”

The next shuttle missions would hear wake-up calls from Jim Henson and his Muppets. What also occurred during these Shuttle missions is that employees from the Johnson Space Center (JSC) who called themselves Contraband. They would pay song selections for the astronaut wake-up calls. Songs would continue to represent astronaut military branch, upcoming marriages, and soundtrack music from popular films from the time such as Flashdance and Rocky.

Following the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, the return to orbit was STS-26 Space Shuttle Discovery in 1988. The first wake-up call was done by Robin Williams. Gooooooood morning, Discovery! As Williams film, Good Morning Vietnam was popular at the time. And even more celebrities would join in on the wake-up calls. William Shatner (STS-29 3/16/1989), Patrick Stewart, aka Star Trek-the Next Generation's Captain Jean-Luc Picard (STS-44 11/25/91), and even Sir Paul McCartney (ISS Expedition Crew 12 7/2003 and STS-135 7/11/2011). The final wake-up song played for the Space Shuttle Program was God Bless America sung by Kate Smith and dedicated to all who worked on the Space Shuttle Program from it's inception. Musicians such as Sir Paul McCartney, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, and U2 are some of those who had their tunes beamed to our astronauts in space. 

Even as NASA moved from the Shuttle to programs like the Mars Spirit and Opportunity Rover, the songs continued. While the songs were still meant for waking up, it was more for the mission team and their morale. 

So, who chooses these songs over all these years and why? For the most part, it was the capsule communicator (CAPCOM) who would choose those songs. Yes, that guy not sitting in your car selecting the songs for your road trip. The CAPCOM is the only one speaking to the crew from Mission Control. 

You play some lively, peppy bit of music – normally just two minutes of it – and after a pause, you hear some groggy voice on the microphone mumbling, ‘Good morning, Houston,’” Hadfield explains. “You don’t want to play a dirge or something uninspiring. You want to get them going in the morning.” Consequently, the selections are usually benign – it’s considered poor form, and possibly dangerous, to freak out a sleeping astronaut with Rob Zombie or Eminem. Astronaut Chris Hadfield.

Over the years, the songs have evolved from friendly ribbing to heartfelt dedications and special moments across the miles. Family members, fellow astronauts, and fellow astronaut musicians have been known to make heartfelt dedications. 

Musicians in Space

While Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford were the first to play instruments (a smuggled harmonica and bells) in space, it was a Ukrainian astronaut to sing music in space in 1962. But it would be one of NASA's 1978 Group 8, "Group of New Guys" astronaut class and Contraband member, Ron McNair, to play the first saxophone in space, this too was smuggled like Schirra and Stafford's harmonica and bells. Ron, a trained jazz saxophonist, played with this fellow Contraband members on STS-41B Challenger. For STS-51-L, Ron was planning to play a song he had been working on with Jean-Michel Jarre for an upcoming album called Rendes Vous. The plan was for Ron to play in space while Jarre played live, and the music would be satellite fed live to the concert. While Ron was lost with the six other astronauts on board Challenger in 1986, Jarre paid homage to his friend with Last Rende Vous (Ron's Piece).

Jarre also came up with an idea for the track that, unbeknown to him, would take on a whole new meaning at the concert itself. “I found out from talking to people that in the total silence of space what you can hear the most is your own heartbeat. And then I got the idea to use Ron’s heartbeat to create the loop and the beat of the track. Obviously now, looking back, it has such a meaning given what happened later on."

NASA, Ron's fellow astronauts, and his wife worked with Jarre to ensure that piece was still played. 

Many astronauts are also musicians. Due to their brilliance and also the known soothing and mental health qualities of music, it seems a natural fit. From Judy Resnik and Chris Hadfield and Cady Coleman to Contraband and Max Q, music brings home to space. It is also the act of playing their instruments in space and honing their craft in zero gravity that makes music so special. Not to mention when you can play in space along with your favorite musicians such as Ian Anderson, it makes the space memories a little more special.  

Astronauts are no different than you or I when it comes to loving music. Music can 

...astronaut Steve Robinson brought 20 discs. While riding an exercise bike on the lower level, Robinson listened to electric-blues guitarists Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan. While staring literally into space, he chose a musician friend’s version of Pachelbel’s Canon. He fell asleep to Chris Isaak. “It’s one of the most personal things that you’re able to take up in space. Wherever your music is, that’s sort of a version of home."

From Susan Rogers to Oliver Sacks, the study of why music “hits us” the way it does knows no bounds. And as we all download the Artemis Playlist and wake-up call list to our iPhones, let us think about our journey back to the moon on Artemis III. What will those songs and wake-up calls sound like?

And more importantly, what would your space wake-up call be?

Chronology of Wakeup Calls

The tragic triumph of the world's largest concert - New York Amsterdam News

NASA Wakeup Calls: About | Music To Wake Up By

Challenger Seven: We Haven't Forgotten Our Star Voyagers

 

                                                                                                                               Photo: Michael R Brown

The future is not free: the story of all human progress is one of a struggle against all odds. We learned again that this America, which Abraham Lincoln called the last, best hope of man on Earth, was built on heroism and noble sacrifice. It was built by men and women like our seven star voyagers, who answered a call beyond duty, who gave more than was expected or required and who gave it little thought of worldly reward. ~Ronald Reagan January 31, 1986

Dick Scobee - Commander

US Air Force Vietnam Veteran. NASA Group 8 1978. Piloted Challenger on STS-41-C.

Michael Smith - Pilot

US Navy Vietnam Veteran. NASA Group 9 - 1980

                                                                                                                                  Photo NASA

Judith Resnik - Mission Specialist

University of Maryland PHD. Accepted to Julliard (piano). NASA Group 8 - 1978. Mission Specialist on STS-41-D Discovery. First Jewish Astronaut in space. 

 

                                                                                                                                     Photo NASA

Ronald McNair - Mission Specialist 

MIT PHD. NASA Group 8 - 1978. Karate Black Belt. First to play a musical instrument in space on board STS-41-B Challenger. Was set to record a saxophone solo for Composer Jean Michel Jarre's album Rendez-Vous and take part in a live-feed concert. Instead, Jarre composed Last Rendez Vous (Ron's Piece) and used the sound of Ron's heartbeat. 

                                                                                                                                        Photo NASA

Ellison Onizuka - Mission Specialist 

University of Colorado BS/MS. USAF. NASA Group 8 - 1978. STS-51-C Discovery. First Asian American in space. 

                                                                                                                                               Photo Unknown

Gregory Jarvis - Payload Specialist 

MS Northeastern. USAF. Hughes Aircraft.

                                                                                                                                 Photo NASA

Christa McAuliff - Payload Specialist

MA Bowie State University. Teacher in Space. 

                                                                                                                           Photo Smith Collection

STS - 51-L Space Shuttle Challenger. 

Many will never forget that morning. We were young Shuttle enthusiasts and the news that the teacher in space was getting made a "usual" Shuttle flight more exciting and made even more interested in the space program. The astronauts were also going to study Haley's Comet and Christa was going to perform science experiments from space into classrooms. Instead, 73 seconds into the launch, we witnessed sights and heard sounds we will never forget. The image of Christa's parents staring at the sky, students crying, and those before and after words that will forever be seared into that memory: Challenger, go with throttle up and Obviously, a major malfunction. But what could have been the end of NASA and the fear of space flight actually propelled so many to keep the dream alive of what Challenger was mean to fulfill. 

What we know now, 40 years later, was that NASA, Morton Thiokol, and egos allowed the worst disaster NASA had seen since the Apollo 1 fire on the launchpad nineteen years prior to happen. 

What we also know, with the prior Apollo 1 and subsequent Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, is that we cannot stop reaching for the stars. While the program has always come up against budget, mission, and sustainability, there are still and will always be dreamers. As long as NASA's Flight Director Gene Kranz's directive of being Tough and Competent is followed, space travel and exploration should be airtight safe, save for the obvious dangers of lighting thousands of tons of fuel and hurling humans through the atmosphere and into the vacuum of space.  From the damning Roger's Commission Report to the inspiring Ride Report, there are those who know the constantly changing priorities and challenges. 

NASA would return to space on September 29, 1988, with STS 26 Space Shuttle Discovery. It was aptly declared as the "Return to Flight" mission. And in less than two weeks, no earlier than February 6, 2026, NASA will launch Artemis II, a ten-day mission taking astronauts around the moon to prepare for future lunar landings. 

We haven't forgotten the dream. 

The Space Shuttle Challenger, atop a mobile launch platform, slowly moves through the Florida fog to Launch Pad 39A in preparation for its first liftoff on the STS-6 mission. The fully assembled Shuttle, weighting 12,000 pounds less than predecessor Columbia, completed the trip to the pad in just over six hours on Nov. 30, 1982.

Presidential Address to the Nation on the Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, January 28, 1986

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.

Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But we've never lost an astronaut in flight; we've never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle. But they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.

For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, "Give me a challenge, and I'll meet it with joy.'' They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us. We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us. But for 25 years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.

And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them.

I've always had great faith in and respect for our space program, and what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We don't hide our space program. We don't keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't change it for a minute. We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue. I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA or who worked on this mission and tell them: "Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish. We share it.''

There's a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and an historian later said, "He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it.'' Well, today we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete.

The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth'' to "touch the face of God.''

Note: The President spoke at 5 p.m. from the Oval Office at the White House. The address was broadcast live on nationwide radio and television.