CHRIS Cornell, frontman of Audioslave, is to write and record the theme tune to Casino Royale, the new James Bond film.

The title track will be called You Know My Name and is described by a spokeswoman for the film as “both soulful and tough”. She added that it forms “the perfect complement” to the film which is, in itself, a grittier version of 007.

Casino Royale, the 21st James Bond film, is to receive its world premiere in London on November 14, before being simultaneously released three days later in the UK and US.

All funds from the Royal Film Performance will go to the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund (CTBF).

It will mark Daniel Craig’s first outing as James Bond, although he has already been signed up for a second movie (due in 2008). The story itself is based on the first of Ian Fleming’s novels.

US rocker Cornell was previously the lead singer with Seattle-based rock group Soundgarden, before joining the supergroup Audioslave.

Although a surprise choice, he joins a long list of famous names who have recorded songs for Bond films, including Madonna, Sir Paul McCartney, Duran Duran, Shirley Bassey, Tina Turner and Nancy Sinatra.

Many Bond songs have become classics, such as Bassey’s Diamons Are Forever (recently sampled by rapper Kanye West) and, to a lesser extent, A-Ha’s hit The Living Daylights.

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