SP News

(t)here - a new magazine with pictures and words dedicated to collaborations between artists - will feature a collaborative effort between billy corgan + yelena yemchuk in its premiere issue. four stories written by billy will appear alongside their inspiration...four photos shot by yelena.

(t)here asks artists to work together on projects that complement their style. the magazine focuses on photography, architecture, writing, fashion, sculpture and painting and the way the various forms interact.

the premiere issue will also feature photographs by carter smith, len prince, dah-len and timothy greenfield-sanders; writing by whitley strieber, tom wheeler and yuko otomo; sculptures by alain kirili; fashion by marithe & francois girbaud and agnes b; also a trip to the canary islands that feels like a short film. guests include quentin crisp, leonard lopate and beatrice dupire.

(the) premiere issue hits july 25, 1999 and will be on sale for 3 months in bookstores as well as galleries and coffeehouses.

( The above article was originally published on The Official Smashing Pumpkins Website at http://www.smashingpumpkins.com )

Click here to read/view an article on the Smashing Pumpkins.

In one of the articles from Rolling Stone entitled "The Coolest Drums in the West," Joey Waronker, who plays with Beck and R.E.M. and also provided the beat for Smashing Pumpkins' Adore said, "Billy Corgan is the most focused songwriter I've ever worked with. It's incredible and brutal. He's brilliant: You have to rise up to his level, and that's really challenging."--Rolling Stone, July 8-22, 1999.

In Rolling Stone, May 13, 1999, the Smashing Pumpkins's albums: "Siamese Dreams" (1993) and "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" (1995) were named two of the essential albums of this decade. The Pumpkins channeled the decade's underground energy into one of the Nineties' biggest rock sounds, turning fiercely private emotions into arena-size songs. "We're trying to do something that will last, that is a piece of art." --Billy Corgan, RS 667, October 14, 1993

In RS July 8-22, 1999, Billy Corgan was also named Chicago's Favorite Sons in addition to Liz Phairs and others.

In one of Newsweek's issue this year, there was an article which was about the rock 'n' rap of today. It mentioned how the music have changed and that it was not at all like the music of the Smashing Pumpkins anymore. I cannot quote it verbatim because I do not know where the issue is. But I thought I'd mention it here. It's cool to know the author of the article made a reference to the Pumpkins. :)

Sad news about the Smashing Pumpkins new album. There has been a delay. The supposed new album date release was scheduled for late September but now has been moved to February 1st of 2000. How unfortunate!! The reason behind this was that the recording sessions were complicated and I suppose they needed more time to record the album. I hope it will be a double album. I can't live without Billy :( My Mellon Collie album is about to fall apart!! Help!

I was surfing on the net for some r.e.m web sites and I came upon this web page that had an article that Billy Corgan wrote on r.e.m when he was in "school." I don't know the validity of this but if you want to take a look at the article that he wrote, click here.

For those having difficultly finding a copy of (t)here magazine at their favorite bookseller, check out:

http://www.t-here.com

Subscription information, and scans of the magazine contents, including a scan of a hand written submission by Billy Corgan, can all be found at the (t)here website. I tried to go to my local Barnes & Nobles to find this magazine but I had no luck. I had an answering message from the lady that works there and she said that the store does not know anything about the magazine and that they do not subscribe to it. So try to buy or subscribe online then. Good luck!

It seemed as though people who have bought the (t)here magazine says that it is not worth buying. The issue alone costs around 8 bucks or so not counting the s&h charges. Nope. Nope. Nope. Barnes & Nobles around here does not carry the magazine. Go figure. Your best bet would be to go to the (t)here website and order it directly from there. Just order the premiere issue and nothing else!! Dont subscribe for a whole year, mind you. I havent heard anything from the Smashing Pumpkins.

Random Notes: By Anthony Bozza of Rolling Stone, September 16, 1999
Renowned recordaholic Billy Corgan has taken an adept first stab at scoring a film: Stigmata, a creepy religious thriller due out this fall. "When I met with the filmmakers, I told them that the music I heard for it was probably much darker and weirder than they anticipated," the Smashing Pumpkins says. "I wasn't even sure if it is good for the movie. And they were like, 'Great.'" He enlisted acclaimed pianist (and touring Pumpkin) Mike Garson and even wrote a new song "Identify," for Natalie Imbruglia. "I know Natalie - she was the right person spiritually and mentally for it," Corgan says. "Even when I was writing, I could imagine here singing it." Corgan and Garson completed the score in four weeks and hope to do more in the future. "I'd love to see a resurgence of pop people doing soundtracks, like they did in the Sixties," Corgan says. "In older movies, it took a much more prominent place."

Ok. So I finally broke down and bought another CD. My dad won't be too happy about this. Anyhoo, Stigmata Soundtrack I finally have. I cant give you any review on it yet but Im sure it should be a keeper. What else can you expect from the great Billy Corgan?

I have some very sad news to present to all of you Pumpkins fans out there. I just heard about 10 minutes ago, 9/10/99, that the Smashing Pumpkins is no longer a foursome but a trio now. They will be touring and playing as a trio. D'Arcy is no longer part of the band. Billy Corgan issued a statement saying that she is not a member of the band officially. I have only known it as a rumor, but now that it is confirmed by Billy, it makes it worse. The Pumpkins has finished recording the new album and it will still be released on February 15 of 2000. The departure of D'Arcy has nothing to do with the returning of Jimmy Chamberlin. They will still be the Smashing Pumpkins but bassist D'Arcy will not be a Pumpkin anymore. I'm so sorry to hear that as you are too. (Source: Local Radio Station 93.3 the Planet, baby)

Hiya. It's been a while since this page is updated. That is due to the amount of work that I have to do for my majors. College is really annoying sometimes. The professors dont realize you have other classes besides their class. Sheeesh. Gimme a break already. Alrighty, some top-notch news that I have garnered:

1) In Rolling Stone issue #822, the Woodstock issue, somewhere in the issue there is a picture of Billy Corgan. Just thought you Billy Corgan nuts might want to collect that piccy of him.
2) In Rolling Stone issue #823, the one with Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails on the cover, there is a picture of Billy Corgan on page 41.

I hope this will page will be updated more, but I just dont have the time to devote to updating this page frequently. I will not be able to update the page as far as adding more stuff to it. I only will be able to keep up with Smashing Pumpkins News. 'Tis all I can do when I'm just a busy busy college student. I hope you are all not disappointed. Keep in touch;0) seepingjoe

Yo yo yo. I was listening to Depeche Mode's Singles 86-98 today. If you listen to the second disc, the song "Barrel Of A Gun" has the similar beat to "Ava Adore." There could be more of the same on the second disc. I was like singing along to the song and realized it has the same beat to Billy's songs. Did he copy it off of theirs? I know he likes them and all. Hmmm... but good music otherwise! Im thinking of relocating, but I'm too lazy to do so. Some day. Have hope for me. LOL. By the way, Happy Hallow's Eve to everyone!!! :O) Pumpkins Power!!!

I was watching Vh1's Myths and Mysteries I believe from last week and they had something on Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dreams. If you were to watch Disney's Fantasia and also play the disc Siamese Dreams at the same time, you'll get a very kewl effect. The music and the movie go together.. Neat-o, eh? Anyhoo, moving on... the latest new album news as provided by Sonicnet.com:

The Smashing Pumpkins have unveiled the title of their upcoming album, MACHINA/the machines of God, and reportedly they have divulged that former Hole bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur will tour Europe with them.

The disc, due Feb. 29, was recorded by the Chicago rockers in the fall, prior to the departure of bassist D'Arcy Wretzky, according to a spokesperson for the group, who requested anonymity.

The venue for the European tour's Jan. 7 opener has not yet been determined, according to the source. MTV News reported on Wednesday that Auf Der Maur would participate, but the band's official spokesperson, Annie Ohayon, would not confirm that at press time.

The new Pumpkins album, the band's fifth studio release and the follow-up to 1998's electronica-tinged Adore, was previewed for Virgin Records staffers and select radio programmers Friday at the Whisky Bar in New York, according to the source. No official track listing was available.

The co-host of the "Asleep at the Wheel" morning show on Boston's WFNX (101.7 FM), Angie C., attended the listening party and described the 14 tracks she heard as hard-rocking and slightly psychedelic.

She also applauded the return of the band's drummer, Jimmy Chamberlin, who did not appear on Adore.

"Right away you can tell with the drums, those familiar drum fills, that Jimmy is back, and it's a record that totally grabs you, which was what I was waiting for," said Angie C., who would only give her radio name. She also noted that the album was less like recent Pumpkins efforts and more like the group's 1991 psychedelic rock debut, Gish, and its breakthrough 1993 album, Siamese Dream. The latter featured such radio favorites as "Cherub Rock" and "Today".

The DJ said the songs played on Friday included "Everlasting Gate," "Sunshowers," "Stand Inside Your Love," "I of the Mourning," "The Sacred + Profane," "Try," "Heavy Metal Machine," "This Time," "The Imploding Voice," "Glass + the Ghost Children," "Wound," "Crying Tree," "Blue Skies Bring Tears" and "With Every Light."

"There's more psychedelic stuff," Angie C. said. "It has a lot of those elements that have been missing lately, but it's not too polished, which is what reminded me of Gish. It felt much simpler, thematically, than Mellon Collie [and the Infinite Sadness]," the group's 1995 double album.

While D'Arcy, who left the band in September, plays on an undetermined number of tracks on the album, the effort will represent a full reunion with prodigal drummer Chamberlin. The drummer was ousted from the group following the fatal overdose of touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin in July 1996.

Chamberlin was arrested and charged with heroin possession in connection with Melvoin's death, and, after pleading guilty, he was ordered to attend a drug-rehabilitation facility. During his absence, the band toured and recorded with a variety of session drummers.

Bandleader Billy Corgan said in August that Chamberlin's return had boosted the band's sound on an April club tour, taking it back to its previous heft.

Referring to the rampaging, over-the-top rock the band played with Chamberlin, Corgan said, "When Jimmy left, we weren't that anymore, so we didn't try to be. Then Jimmy comes back, and we literally went right back to where we left off because it has got something to do with the four people."

At an April 12 show in Cincinnati, the group played a dozen new songs, some of which, according to Angie C., made the cut for the new album. Among the new songs in the show were the reverb-drenched, new-wave style "Stand Inside Your Love" and "Wound," a hard-rock tune highlighting Chamberlin's throbbing drums that approached near speed-metal velocity.

The grungey-rock tune "Blue Skies Bring Tears," the robotic space ballad "Glass + the Ghost Children" and the lilting acoustic ballad "With Every Light," also were featured in the show and played at the listening party.

Corgan was cryptic about the sound of the new album prior to its completion, but he promised it would not rehash past glories.

"I'll make one declaration about the whole thing," Corgan said in August. "And that is that we have no interest in going backward. ... We really feel we're on to something new and something that's very different. Will you be able to hear influences in it? Absolutely. But it does sound like Smashing Pumpkins 1999, not Smashing Pumpkins 1992. If it did sound like Smashing Pumpkins 1992, it wouldn't come out."

Here are the songlist for the album to be coming out Feb. 29, 2000 instead of the previous release date, Feb. 15, 2000. This is taken from Listessa subscriber, smashing-pumpkins.net, etc. (thanks!)

1. "The Everlasting Gaze"
2. "Raindrops + Sunshowers"
3. "Stand Inside Your Love" (the first single)
4. "I Of The Mourning"
5. "The Sacred and Profane"
6. "Try, Try, Try"
7. "Heavy Metal Machine"
8. "This Time"
9. "The Imploding Voice"
10. "Glass and the Ghost Children"
11. "Wound"
12. "Crying Tree"
13. "Blue Skies Bring Tears"
14. "With Every Light"

Hello. Im sorry things havent been updated much. Tonight and tomorrow night, Smashing Pumpkins will be performing in Chicago.. How nice. And Im not there... :( Anyhoo, Ill get over it. I hope you guys in Europe will be enjoying the first of their tour. Hopefully they will announce the US dates soon and just maybe I can grab a ticket or two. I was just watching the show "Friends" tonite (12-20-99) and well, Ross, said well, you know the saying "Billy, dont be a hero" and when he said that, I was like, I know he was referring to Smashing Pumpkins' Corgan. :P That made my boring night!! Alright till then, request Everlasting Gaze to be played on your radio station. I havent yet though. I hear its supposed to be good ? Ciao

(1-10-2000) This is so cool! Tonite was my first night seeing the Pumpkins as the answer to one of the categories in Double Jeopardy! AHHH! AAAAHHh!! Neat, huh? I think it was something to the effect of "Billy Corgan.. blah blah blah the song "Today"... Blah blah blah" Sorry, I was so excited I forgot the answer! One of the contestant got it! *yippee* By the way, the category was "Illinois." I think this is all the excitement I can handle for tonight. Ill get another rush when I return from the gym. Im going to upload the rest of the pictures when I get a chance. I had just downloaded to my hard drive cuz it will not take pictures from my second Geocities account. I dunno why. Anyhoo... Peace!

(1-15-2000) In Rolling Stone Issue #833 on page 29, there is a little article on Smashing Pumpkins' new album. This has two pictures, one of Billy Corgan and the other one of their new bassist, Melissa Auf Der Maur.

Smashing New Pumpkins

Metro December 20th-21st, 1999 Chicago

It took a minute to make out the song hidden inside the bent reggae chop of Jimmy Chamberlin's drums and the reverb-soaked tangle of Billy Corgan's and James Iha's guitars, snipping at each other like squealing bats. But then Corgan lit into the opening lyrics with a triumphant yelp: "Hey, kids, rock & roll!" David Essex's 1974 glam-dub hit, "Rock On," was the only cover tune the Pumpkins played at these hometown club dates, but it was the right one - a skanked-up hymn to noise and hormonal fireworks, dropped into the middle of two hot, mad nights celebrating the restorative powers of rock & roll.

There is a greater depth of intent to Machina/The Machines of God, the Pumpkins' follow-up to 1998's opaque, underloved Adore, set for a late-February release. But for the Metro gigs - a live test run of several Machina numbers, as well as the concert bow of the newest Pumpkin, ex-Hole bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur - Corgan largely eschewed heavy metaphysics in favor of brute joy. Corgan front-loaded the first night with cannonballs: the Who-ish blur of "The Everlasting Gaze:; the conquering guitar juggernaut "Heavy Metal Machine"; the urgent "radio, radio" mantra, encrusted with despair and distortion, in "I of the Mourning." Even the oldies were mostly gunpowder specials - "I Am One," "Zero," "Bullet With Butterfly Wings," "Cherub Rock."

For a band all but written off after the 1997 death of touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin, Chamberlin's subsequent firing, Adore sluggish sales amnd the recent exit of bassist D'Arcy, the Pumpkins hit the Metro stage both nights ready to rumble. Chamberlin, back from the exile and in top form, tipped through the hairpin changes of "Tonight, Tonight" with the volcanic precision of Keith Moon. Auf Der Maur brought a warm grace and discipline boom to the artillery storm around her. And on the second night, the band tested the love and patience of the ferociously partisan house by opening with the psychedelic treatise "Glass and the Ghost Children," ten roiling minutes of coded spiritualism and Jackson Pollock-like guitar splatter.

These are hard, weird times for rock bands, and the Pumpkins are among the last of their kind, the Lollapalooza generation. But at Metro, they roared as if their very lives - and rock itself - depended on it. -David Fricke

You can see read more news on the Pumpkins and/or this article at RollingStone.com. To listen to their latest song, "The Everlasting Gaze" from their unreleased new album, please log on to MTV.com or VH1.com to download or listen on RealPlayerG2. Thank you RollingStone for this latest article on the Pumpkins.

In Entertainment Weekly issue #522-523 on page 106, they rated Smashing Pumpkins' new single with a B+. They also have a picture of the bald and beautiful Billy Corgan. :)

SMASHING PUMPKINS "The Everlasting Gaze" (Virgin) The guitars are cranked to 11. The drumbeat is propulsive. But prime Punkin Billy Corgan still spends most of this ribald rocker squeaking like a sinus-clogged Pikachu. And that's this outfit's forte- twisted sonic contrasts that clobber as they cuddle. Lost in keyboard ether on '98's Adore, Corgan once again ups the wattage in this Siamese Dream[sic] classic salvo. --Tom Lanham

On another note, please download the Lansbury font and other Smashing Pumpkins font here for better viewing of this page. Thank you!

(4-2-2000) Yo Pumpkinheads! The Smashing Pumpkins are coming to Columbia, South Carolina around May, err.. check the tour dates. I do not think I will be able to make it cuz it's the week before exams! :( I hope y'all caught the Pumpkins on MTV! I have the show recorded!!! Also, I have the MTV's version of Stand Inside Your Love. It is a kick-ass video. I believe Yelena Yemchuk is in there. Go check out the Rolling Stone issue #836 March 16, 2000, the one with Santana on there. I believe there is an article in there on page 50. It has an awesome picture of the band. Billy has hair in this picture. I think he was sporting a weave! (ROFLMFAO) On page 52, there is a smaller picture of the band. There is another picture of them on page 54. The article was a good one.

On my latest Rolling Stone, there is a little bit of coverage on the Pumpkins and how they gave a free acoustical concert in N.Y. I wish I was there!! Rolling Stone issue # 838, pg. 19. I have a lot of their songs on the new album in MP3's

(4-29-00) In Rolling Stone issue#839, the one with Red Hot Chili Peppers on the cover, on page 14 there are two ppl who wrote in about the Smashing Pumpkins. One bashed them and the other one praised them. 50%. Eh, aint half bad. On page 39, the lil tidbit talks about the Sacred and Profane Tour. They will be in Columbia, SC (very close to where I live) on May 3rd, 2000.

Billy Corgan has hinted that this might be the last time around for the Smashing Pumpkins. But you wouldn't know that from their recent club shows, which have surpassed the two hour mark. Lost-and-found drummer Jimmy Chamberlin sounds better than ever, and ex-Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur is holding her own. How does she feel about walking into the dream gig? "It's a huge workload," she says with laugh. "But I'm a huge fan of that band, and it's worth it just to play with Jimmy. He is a beast." Fans can expect to hear some songs from Gish on the upcoming tour and maybe even a cover of David Essex's Seventies anthem "Rock On."

(May 24, 2000) Taken from The Smashing Pumpkins Collection:
"Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan called into Los Angeles radio station KROQ on Tuesday (May 23) afternoon and announced the band's demise.

"We thought about telling people right when [MACHINA/the machines of God] was going to come out, but then we thought it would be all about that and not about the music," said Corgan. "But now that the album is out, it's fine. We wanted to make one more album to leave things on a positive note."

The band will finish its current U.S. tour, head to Europe, Japan, Canada, and maybe South America before the end of the year and then that's it. The band will tape VH1 Storytellers in August, and an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno is scheduled as well. Corgan said that fans can expect more releases from the Pumpkins as well. "We have another album's worth of songs left over from MACHINA we're gonna try to finish starting in July. We also might do some additional live recordings," he told KROQ.

"It is a weight lifted off my shoulders. I feel like I've been walking around with this weird secret. I think deep down our fans really knew that this was the end," said Corgan. "If you really listen to the album, it's in the album. We brought this thing to what we felt was a really strong conclusion and it freed us to enjoy it."

During Corgan's radio announcement, fans were calling in in tears and talking with the singer, who has touched millions since the band's humble beginnings in Chicago in 1989. When one caller expressed her sadness over the breakup, Corgan said, "I'd rather look at it as an accomplishment of hanging in there and making some great music ... If you think about all the positive things, all the good things, it's not sad."

My personal comments on the Pumpkins breaking up by the end of the year: I heard it yesterday (May 23, 2000) as I was driving home. The DJ broke my heart when he said that. Though some comforting thoughts were that they will probably release two more albums before they leave the music scene. D'Arcy was also cleared of the charges on crack that she was accused of. :) I really feel that I will miss Billy Corgan in many ways, but it is all good because they will leave on their own terms, not because they are down and out. Good luck with everything Pumpkins! This page will stick around for all fans to enjoy the emblem of great rock. Peace out :P

(6-18-2000) In the special double issue of Rolling Stone #844/45, there are some interesting tidbits on the band and the man himself. There is an article (p.63) about Oasis, but entitled "Pumpkins Break Up" which made some references toward their eventual breaking up. Billy Corgan says that "The concerts are, in a way, better than ever, because we're not strung up tight, like every move is going to be the death of us." On the review of the Deftones' latest album, White Pony, the reference to the Pumpkins in that the Deftones had the urge to match the Pumpkins... for palatability is the album most serious artistic flaw. One last reference in this double issue mentions the worship at the altar of Billy Corgan...

(9-13-2000) I have worked on my MP3 section. Aren't you proud of me? Heh. Listed are the most current MP3s that I have from them. Request them if you want them posted or sent to your e-mail account. You can also download more recent MP3 from their album by going to spifc.org, which I will have listed them when I get ahold of them myself. I have been occupied with school so not much is updated with my personal page and this page. Hope you will like their new stuff if you have not given them a listen. Good bye for now! :P

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