I sing in an American accent; then like a Spanish bullfighter; then in a heavy metal style

Christopher Lee has just released his debut album, Revelation, and is sitting in front of Bizarre – during his one-day promotional appearance at the movie and comic showcase, London MCM Expo – and wants to talk about it. We’d like to ask him what he thinks about the new Wicker Man, and if he has any regrets over starring in Howling 2: Your Sister Is A Werewolf – but his manager keeps glaring at us and saying, “Only ask him about the album, OK?”

However, there’s still plenty to discuss here – Lee’s Revelation album features the screen icon giving it his all to the likes of ‘My Way’ and ‘Silent Night’, and there’s even some heavy-metal – yes, heavy-metal – in there. The Killers need not worry about losing their audience any time soon but, because he’s the same freaking legend that took his evil rule to Middle-earth in The Lord Of The Rings and burned Edward Woodward alive in The Wicker Man, we’re happy to discuss practically anything he turns his talents to. So, Mr Lee, here’s your chance to defend your album…

You cover ‘My Way’ on the album – how did it feel to tackle Frank Sinatra?

I don’t sing it like him.

But surely doing a cover version of a song that well known, and which has Sinatra’s stamp all over it, didn’t come completely from your own mojo?

Absolutely it did! The most important thing for me with this album is that I – as an actor who happens to be able to sing – have tried to present a series of characters hitting the right notes and singing the right words in tempo and in rhythm. In other words, I’m singing the songs correctly, but with my interpretation of each one as an actor. You see, with all the great singers – and Sinatra was one of them – they did things their way, but when you listen to my interpretation you’ll see that I really did do it my way. I actually mean it when I’m singing it!

This is the reason I did this album – it gave me the chance, before it was too late, to show the world I can do something I’ve talked about from time to time, but which never really materialised. I had to choose all the songs and decide which ones I wanted to do.

Every one of these songs is different and every one of the voices I use is different – I even sing in an American accent for one song. This is totally opposed to a singer who just stands up there and sings. I’m trying to make the songs live – just like someone who’s standing on a theatre stage. ‘The Toreador March’, for example, I sing like a Spanish bullfighter, and ‘My Way’ I just sing with the words, which is what a really good opera singer would do – but there are not many opera singers who happen to be very good actors.

You said you sing in the character of a bullfighter – strangely apt because haven’t you had more screen swordfights than anyone else in cinema history?

Yes, and I actually can swordfight – I’m not a faker; in fact, my father was an army champion… but did you know a stuntman
looked at every swordfight, and lightsaber fight, I have ever had? He was amazed when he found out Basil Rathbone and Errol Flynn had done around about nine swordfights, but I’d done 17! That’s a world record. I’ve had the most fights out of anybody and have the scars to prove it.

You have a very distinctive voice, which is bound to bring people to the album – even out of curiosity.

Yes, but having a good speaking voice doesn’t mean you can sing. I’m just blessed.

Right, so why has it taken you so long to record an album? Not many people make their debut at 84.

Well, I was on a German album once, but you wouldn’t know it because it was all in German and based around Edgar Allan Poe. I sang a song called ‘Eleanor’, based on one of his characters. I was also on an album recorded out in LA in 1998, which was sung in five languages. People say I’m fluent in eight languages, but that rumour comes from the same source that says I’ve played Dracula 11 times, which is wrong. Anyway, this is a unique recording because no other man of my age has sung on an album… [Lee’s manager shouts out, “Tony Bennett”.] Yes, but has he sung these sorts of songs? [Lee’s manager says, “Not these kinds of songs necessarily.”] Oh, Tony Bennett – he’s marvellous, but then he’s a fully trained singer and I’m not.

You’re obviously best known for your work in the horror and sci-fi genre…

No! You’re absolutely wrong, and I won’t accept that. I’m not best known for that. I was until 1970, but then things changed and the proof is up on the screen. If you don’t believe your own eyes, I can’t say anything else... why did you say that?

Well, here I’m looking at you and I’m thinking of Dracula and The Wicker Man…

OK, The Wicker Man, yes – but what about The Lord Of The Rings and Star Wars?

Well, I said sci-fi as well…

Yes, but ‘horror’ is a word I dislike immensely, as did Boris Karloff. We prefer ‘fantasy’. We made fairy stories, imaginary things…

OK, but do you see your, let’s say, fantasy-film fanbase buying this CD? I mean, you’re Dracula, Lord Summerisle, Saruman, and here you are singing ‘My Way’…

Yes, but I believe all generations will enjoy it – and that’s because some of these songs are pretty familiar. Anyone who knows Oklahoma will know ‘Oh! What a Beautiful Morning’... The whole world knows the famous ‘Toreador March’ – even people who’ve never been to an opera know it, and we’ve done two versions, one with a heavy-metal background and the other with a flamenco background. There’s a big mixture of songs. Yes, people have one-track minds – the people who make movies, the casting directors… That’s why it’s taken me so long to do this.

Will you sing on the Jonathan Ross show?

Yeah, I could do that but, I’d have to be careful about what I could sing. For example, I couldn’t sing ‘The Toreador March’, which I do in French and with a heavy-metal background on the album. Now that’s a killer song. There are too many syllables and short words and singing in French is hard, although I speak the language very well.

What music do you listen to personally?

At least 90 per cent of it is classical music – opera, symphony and concerto – that sort of thing. I do listen to pop music, but only of a certain kind. For instance, I listen to Il Divo – who I met in New York a few days ago – and I actually asked them if they’d like to sing something with me when I do my next album. They said they’d be very, very pleased to.

So you’re doing a second LP?

Yeah, I’ll do another album – and with a whole bunch of people, although I can’t name them as it isn’t concrete yet. I can tell you one is Rhapsody Of Fire, a heavy-metal group for whom I already did a song. Another heavy-metal band, Man O War, are also interested – I’ve done a song with them in the past, although I can’t sing like them!

Take a side – Christopher Lee the singer or Christopher Lee the actor?

Well, there’s no comparison. I always wanted to be an opera singer, and I was always told I should be, but 50 years ago that wasn’t possible. It’s all just vocal acting – music and language are very similar, you either can or you can’t, and I’ve been blessed because I can. I sing every day.

Revelation is out now