Meeting a legend of any sort is enough to brown even the most well-worn journalistic trousers. The average writer may be able to spend a jolly half hour discussing cars and hair gel with a Big Brother half-wit without incident. But once you're in the Death Star tractor beam of someone of real note, your mouth unleashes a waterfall of mundane questions that would make a GMTV soap reporter blush.
So here I am, surrounded by sandwiches in a nondescript room in
Docklands, about to ask Christopher Lee if he really, really liked
recording his new solo album.
But, just as your mother always used to tell you about sharks, it seems the greats are just as scared of you as you are of them. "It's not easy being interviewed by everyone's perception of Jesus Christ, you know", said Mr Lee, reclined in an armless conference chair.
That's all very well, but while my reported resemblance to the
much-celebrated Son of God is enough to attract hair-stroking grannies and the suspicious glances of store security guards, it won't attract the sort of awe-struck praise that the imposing thespian has shovelled up over the last 60 years.
Since first taking a punt at acting more than a half-decade ago,
Christopher Lee has morphed into a vicious Bond villain, a treacherous white wizard, a lightsabre-toting Sith Lord and the most compelling Dracula of all time.
But we're not here to talk about Star Wars prequels or The Horror of Dracula. Because, on the eve of his 85th birthday last week, Christopher Lee showed off his singing voice on stage with a backing band at the London MCM Expo.
Mr Lee was at the ExCeL centre to show off tracks from his album
"Revelation", which features flamenco, country, crooner classics and even a metal version of the Toreador March.
But technical glitches, including a backing mishap in the second song, had soured the performer's mood. He said: "I'm perfectly satisfied I did my part and the band did their part. What went wrong was a technical matter which should never have happened."
"It was like doing a musical where someone started sing another song from another musical. It wasn't entirely satisfactory, but I did at least show the public that I could sing."
"Whether you're making a movie or a record, having fun is the most important thing. I suppose I had fun as well, although it wasn't fun when it went wrong. That wasn't fun at all."
"I'm doing it again tomorrow. It had better be right."
The thought of Christopher Lee belting out Oh! What a Beautiful Morning may have some horror fans cowering behind the sofa. But his family boasts a proud musical tradition, and his great-grandparents were behind the first opera company in Australia.
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The distinctive bassy performer was even encouraged to audition for the Swedish Opera in his youth by top vocalist Jussi Bjorling. He said: "I could have pursued a career as an opera singer, although unfortunately I couldn't afford to live in Stockholm. It's my greatest regret."
In Revelation, Mr Lee works out his vocal chords with songs such as Man of La Mancha, My Way and Silent Night. He also tests his grasp of languages by tackling lyrics in German, Italian and French.
But he said: "Everything should be a challenge in life and it certainly is in my world."
"It's not about selling records. I want people to see that I have a
voice, even if they don't understand the words. If they like it, they can buy the record and tell their friends."
"It's characteristic of people to say, "What do you mean you sing or
paint? You're an actor. Somehow it's something that happens more in this country than anywhere else. People don't seem to be able to accept you can do more than one thing."
"I wouldn't dream of doing this if I couldn't do it. I would look like a
fool."
There may not be many people that recognise the well-known thespian as a singer, but he has received some tantalising offers to collaborate with top musicians in the past.
"Many years ago, David Bowie asked me to do an album with him, but we couldn't find songs we could both sing," he explained.
"Placido Domingo has said he would like to make a record with me, but it certainly wouldn't be opera. It would be more like the work he did with John Denver."
A DVD featuring music videos of tracks on Revelation will be arriving in shops in July. But, while Mr Lee insists he is too old to tour, he would love to have the chance to make another record. He admitted he had a few songs in mind, including a negro spiritual song.
"I'd be delighted to do another album," he said. "It would just be a
question of finding the right songs. I'm looking for something new and interesting."
• Revelation is distributed by Magic Film and Entertainment
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