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American Songwriter
3 Songs You Didn’t Know From Legendary Actor Christopher Lee’s Hard Rock, Heavy Metal Era (2010-2015)
By Tina Benitez-Eves,
5 days ago
In May 2013, Christopher Lee, then 91, became the oldest heavy metal performer in history after releasing the symphonic metal concept album Charlemagne: The Omens of Death, a follow-up to his 2010 release Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross.
“I am someone who likes to try different things,” said Lee in a 2010 interview with Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi. “And this is new territory for me. … I have a good career ahead of me in symphonic metal.”
Throughout his career, Lee also played Dracula 10 times from 1958 through 1973, along with The Wicker Man in 1973, the 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun, and as Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequel trilogy (2002-2008) and Saruman the White in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and The Hobbit.
The legendary nonagenarian actor, whose career spanned nearly 70 years and nearly 300 movies since he very first role in Corridor of Mirrors in 1948, also released his second heavy metal EP, A Heavy Metal Christmas Too in 2013—a follow up to his A Heavy Metal Christmas a year earlier.
Christopher Lee in the 1948 film ‘Penny and the Pownall Case’ (Photo: Shutterstock/5090109r)
Long before hitting his harder rock stride, Lee sang the Paul Giovanni-composed “The Tinker of Rye” on the soundtrack of The Wicker Man and appeared on the concept album The King of Elfland’s Daughter by British folk band Steeleye Span’s Peter Knight and Bob Johnson.
He also sang the closing credit song in the 1994 horror Funny Man, the first time he starred in another horror film in more than 20 years, and released his first studio album Christopher Lee Sings Devils, Rogues & Other Villains in 1998.
To celebrate his 92nd birthday in 2014, Lee released the EP, Metal Knight, featuring seven metal songs based on the character of Don Quixote, created by novelist Miguel de Cervantes in the 17th century, along with a cover of Frank Sinatra‘s 1969 classic “My Way,” which the actor first recorded for his 2006 covers album Revelation.
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On Metal Knight, Lee is also backed by the Italian metal band Rhapsody of Fire. Lee first collaborated with the band on their 2004 single “The Magic of the Wizard’s Dream,” and also provided narration on four of the band’s albums.
“When I go to see a good concert from a metal band, it’s exhilarating,” said Lee to Iommi, “like nothing you’ve ever heard before.”
In honor of Lee’s musical attachment to the heavier sides of rock, here’s a look at three hard rock and metal songs Lee, who died on June 7, 2015, at the age of 93, wrote, sang, or appeared on during the last five years of his life.
1. “Dark Avenger,” Manowar (2010)
Written by Ross Friedman and Joey DeMaio; narrated by Christopher Lee
On Manowar’s 2010 album Battle Hymns MMXI, a re-recording of their 1982 debut Battle Hymns, Lee serves as narrator on the track “Dark Avenger,” originally narrated by Orson Welles.
“He has played key parts in some of the biggest, most legendary movie franchises of all times,” read a statement by Manowar at the time of Lee’s narration on the track. “He has played kings, wizards, evil forces, and shining knights. He is worshipped by movie and theatre fans all over the world. He speaks multiple languages fluently and is an accomplished singer of opera and metal as well. He has been knighted by the Queen of England and honored with numerous awards. And now, he is joining forces with The Kings Of Metal to rewrite heavy metal history.”
2. “Jingle Hell” (2013)
Written by Juan Ramirez; originally written by James Pierpont
At 91, Lee released his second heavy metal holiday EP A Heavy Metal Christmas Too, featuring the single “Jingle Hell,” a heavier reworking of James Pierpont’s 19th-century classic, “Jingle Bells.” Lee’s harder rendition features the classically trained soprano Li Li, and became an unexpected hit.
“I sing another version,” said Lee of his reimagining of “Jingle Bells” in a video message. “It’s a bit more naughty. It’s not bad—I mean ‘bad’ in the sense of unpleasant. It’s entertaining. It’s certainly different.”
“Jingle Hell” went to No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 making Lee the oldest musician to hit the top 20 on the chart, a record previously held by Tony Bennett, who was 85 when he released “Body And Soul” with Amy Winehouse in 2011; Lee was 91 when he recorded “Jingle Hell.”
The Thrones, of the death-ruins used to ride (Oh, what fun it is to ride)
In a ripped divided sleigh (In a one-horse open sleigh)
[RELATED: Sunday School Tune or Drinking Song?—The Meaning Behind the Christmas Classic ‘Jingle Bells’]
3. “The Last Vampire,” Hollywood Vampires (2015)
Written by Christopher Lee, Johnny Depp, and Bob Ezrin
Before Lee’s death, Hollywood Vampires recruited one of the “last vampires” to guest on “The Last Vampire,” the opening track of the band’s 2015 self-titled debut. Along with appearing on the song, Lee is also credited as a songwriter along with Johnny Depp and producer Bob Ezrin.
He came up to the window, in the mist
As I’d seen him often before
But it was solid then, not a ghost
And his eyes were fierce
Like a man’s when angry
He was laughing
When he turned to look back of the built of trees
Glinting in the moonlight
The self-titled debut by the supergroup made up of Depp, Alice Cooper, and Joe Perry, and bassist Tommy Henriksen boasts a collection of covers by The Who (“My Generation”), T. Rex (“Jeepster”), and Jimi Hendrix (“Manic Depression”), among others. Other featured guests on the album include Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Robby Krieger, Perry Farrell, Dave Grohl, AC/DC‘s Brian Johnson, Kip Winger, and Slash.
On the album, Depp co-wrote several other tracks: “Raise the Dead,” “My Dead Drunk Friends” and a bonus track “As Bad as I Am.”
[RELATED: 5 Songs You Didn’t Know Johnny Depp Wrote and Composed]
Photo: Christopher Lee in ‘Penny and the Pownall Case’ Film, 1948 (Shutterstock/5090109r)
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