Ain't No Romance Around There Welcome, ?uestlove fans.

Another new series on Ain't No Romance Around There! In the spring of 1991, my oldest brother was 15 years old. I was 6 going on 7. Growing up in a small midwestern town, my brother may not have been at the very forefront of musical movements, but he definitely caught on. The music in this series was essentially the soundtrack to my childhood. Thank you, Scott.


In the spring of 1990, the music of Seattle began to emerge, if only by word of mouth. Soundgarden had signed to A&M Records and had received a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance on Ultramega OK. After touring to support 1989's Louder Than Love, Soundgarden lead singer Chris Cornell returned home on March 19, 1990 to find his roommate Andrew Wood dead from a heroin overdose.

Wood had been the lead singer of what many had considered the best Seattle band, Mother Love Bone.

Going back on the road in Europe with his band, Cornell began to write songs in tribute to his roommate. Upon Soundgarden's return to Seattle, Cornell approached Mother Love Bone guitarist and bassist Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament with the idea to record a tribute to their fallen friend. Enlisting the help of Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron, they called their project Temple of the Dog, after a lyric from a Mother Love Bone song.

Deciding to forgo simply releasing a single, Temple of the Dog hit the studio to record an entire album. Guitarist Mike McCready helped them fill out their sound:


While Temple of the Dog was in the studio, a singer/songwriter from southern California by the name of Eddie Vedder flew to Seattle to audition for Gossard, Ament, and McCready's new band, Mookie Blaylock. While in the Pacific northwest, Vedder was also asked to lend his voice Temple of the Dog session for one song.


Mookie Blaylock (with Eddie Vedder), of course, renamed themselves Pearl Jam, and Chris Cornell would continue to be the greatest vocalist in rock history. Temple of the Dog (released on April 16, 1991) and "Hunger Strike" eventually went on to become massive hits, but that's a story for another day...