Chris Cornell Celebrates Return of Temple of the Dog Masters; 25th-Anniversary Reissue Reportedly Coming
Chris Cornell has finally come to terms in the long dispute for Temple of the Dog’s master recordings. Twenty-five years after the initial release of Temple of the Dog’s self-titled album, Cornell and A&M Records have finally received the masters and are reportedly planning on a special 25th-anniversary edition.
Last year, A&M Records filed a lawsuit against Rajan Parashar, founder of London Bridge Studios in Seattle, where Temple of the Dog was recorded. Temple of the Dog was produced by Rajan’s brother, Rick Parashar, who passed away in 2014. A&M claimed to have bought the tapes back in 1993, but a dispute over that statement’s accuracy led to a battle over the album’s masters.
"A&M Records paid for the recordings and the use of the studio," the label said. “To pretend he [Rajan Parashar] has a right to keep the recordings makes no more sense than the owner of a laundromat claiming he owns the clothes you washed in his washing machine."
Chris Cornell supported A&M in their cause to grab hold of the master recordings, and on May 24, Cornell shared via Facebook that the tapes were in his possession:
Now that A&M have the recordings, a 25th-anniversary deluxe reissue is reported to hit shelves sometime this year. Temple of the Dog formed as a tribute to late Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood and featured Cornell along with Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, Eddie Vedder, Mike McCready and Matt Cameron (all of whom are in Pearl Jam now). Gossard and Ament were in Mother Love Bone with Wood.
See Where Chris Cornell Ranks Among the Top 50 Hard Rock + Metal Frontmen of All Time
10 Greatest Grunge Bands