Welcome to the Smashing Pumpkins Frequently Asked
Questions file
Changes/updates from the previous release
are marked by a '*'.
Please read this entire FAQ before
posting on the newsgroup or Listessa. It contains an
extremely large amount of information
compiled over
several years, and reading it will save a lot of time
covering basic info. :-)
If you're new to the internet or simply haven't read them
yet,
*PLEASE* read the articles in the newsgroup
"news.announce.newusers".
They contain a LOT of helpful
information about Netiquette, how
newsgroups work, finding
appropriate places to post, how to create
meaningful
messages, where to find tons of info, and much more.
-Every- net user should read and be familiar with these.
If you have any additions for the FAQ, please e-mail us
at
faq@spfc.org . Thanks.
To be sent the full version of the FAQ via e-mail, send a
blank
message to faq-me@spfc.org .
-= Table of Contents=-
0. Legal Disclaimer
1. General
1.1 Who are these Smashing Pumpkins?*
1.2 General newsgroup/list info
1.3 Getting on and off Listessa
1.4 General netiquette
1.4a Flamewars and crossposting
1.4b Posting pictures/sounds (binaries) in Discussion Groups
1.5 Appropriate Subject lines
1.6 Acronyms, abbreviations, and common definitions*
1.6a "Singles" - radio vs CDS/7 inch singles etc.
1.7 'ObSP' - obligatory on-topicness
1.8 Things NOT to ask or bring up/threads which go nowhere*
1.9 Validity of information*
2. Songs/Albums
2.1 Short discography*
2.1a Adore Documentary - Don't expect it
2.1b Mellon Collie re-release with new artwork - Don't expect it
2.2 Finding lyrics*
2.3 Guitar/bass tablature*
2.3a Piano scores
2.4 Cover songs
2.5 Unreleased Songs
2.5a 'Mashed Potatoes' box set
2.6 Where to find given live songs
2.7 Short guide to radio songs
2.8 Songs sung by other members*
2.9 "Secret" messages/sounds*
2.10 Song/album meanings
2.11 Vieuphoria/Earphoria - extra/unreleased songs
2.12 Differences between releases
2.12a Gish - original/remastered
2.12b Siamese Dream - clean/explicit version, import; US Re-issue
2.12c Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness - 3LP
2.12d Ava Adore - 7" single
2.12e Earphoria - promo/bootleg
2.12f Import/domestic singles
2.12g Vinyl - variant B-sides
2.13 Common/recurring lyrics
2.14 Photos/Cover art
2.15 mp3s
3. Band Info
3.1 Origin of name
3.2 First appearance
3.3 Short Bios
3.4 Band Management
3.5 Recording Sessions
3.6 Is Billy left-handed or right-handed?
3.7 Equipment*
3.7a Special Effects
3.7b E-Bow
3.8 Personal info for the prying fan
3.9 Silly rumors (Small Wonder, Sea Monkeys, etc.)
3.10 SP Fan Club; SPIFC (SP Internet Fan Club)
3.11 Contacting the band
5. News/Info/Net Resources
5.1 Brief history/landmark events
5.2 Double Door info
5.3 The keyboard/drummer events
5.4 Tour Info*
5.5 IRC Info
5.6 Web links for cool stuff*
6. Miscellaneous/Semi-Related
6.1 '666' Bootleg video
6.2 Starchildren
6.3 Catherine
6.4 The Frogs
6.5 Scratchie Records
6.6 Cabal (...) / Junta (...)
The Smashing Pumpkins FAQ is copyright (c) 1999 by The Smashing Pumpkins Fan
Collaboration (www.spfc.org). It is freely distributable online through Usenet,
email, and ftp. It may not be used for commercial purposes, nor may any charge
be imposed for its distribution. Mass distribution or otherwise non-personal
use is prohibited without consent. If you wish to use part of this in an
article or publication, please CONTACT SPFC first, or at least include our name
as a reference for where you found the info - it does take work to compile and
maintain this information, and we'd like to be credited as such if you decide
to use it. :-) Offers for translations are welcome.
Links to the main URL are welcome, but we'd prefer that copies not be kept on
other sites, so that the most current version is always the one available.
Please just link to the main URL, http://www.spfc.org/faq.txt
Overall, though, give credit where it's due. Thanks.
1. General
1.1 Who are these Smashing Pumpkins?*
The Smashing Pumpkins are perhaps one of the most successful "alternative"
bands of today. Chances are, if you've ever watched MTV or listened to the
radio more than once or twice, you've either seen one of their videos or heard
one of their songs.
The band consists of Billy Corgan on lead vocals & guitar, James Iha on guitar
and Jimmy Chamberlin on drums. As of November 25, 1999 the band confirmed that
Melissa Auf der Maur, the former bass player for Hole, would join the band for
the upcoming 18 month tour, beginning on January 7th in Europe.
On April 10th 1999 it became official that Jimmy would return to the band after
a 2 year layoff, when he was fired for continued and repeated drug use. (See
section 5.3 for more details.) Since rejoining the band, drummer Jimmy
Chamberlin has played on the Arising! tour, and has recorded the drums for the
new album to be released on February 29, 2000.
As of September 9th 1999, D'Arcy, the former bass player, has said farewell to
the band and is pursuing other interests. (We wish her luck!)
The Pumpkins have won many awards, gone on several major tours, appeared on
several movie soundtracks, and released a rather large number of songs in a
fairly short time. Keep on reading for tons of info!
1.2 General newsgroup/list info
The Smashing Pumpkins newsgroup, alt.music.smash-pumpkins, and the mailing
list, Listessa, are primarily places to discuss the Smashing Pumpkins. However,
not every post/message will be about them. Topics range from lyrical
discussions to new song info, personal SP stories, and even more general social
interaction. Try to stay as much on-topic as possible, and if a thread
develops that you aren't interested in, ignore it- it will die out eventually.
Complaining about certain threads usually just makes matters worse by
prolonging them and generating sub-threads.
1.3 Getting on and off Listessa
First, make sure the list is operational. You can do this by checking the
Official Listessa/SPIFC Web Site at http://www.spifc.org/spifc/
and checking to
see if there's a smiley face or a sad face. A smiley face means that the list
is operational, and the sad face means that Listessa is out of action for one
reason or another. Click on the face for more info and special instructions.
Subscribing:
To subscribe to Listessa, send an email message to listproc@cc.umanitoba.ca with the
following message body:
subscribe smashing-pumpkins (your name)
Insert your name (omit parentheses) and leave the subject line blank. If all
goes well, you will soon get a welcome message, which will include the Listessa
FAQ, which is also available at http://www.spfic.org/spifc/
READ IT! It contains the rules & guidelines of the list, as well as other
special instructions.
To post a message to the list, simply reply to any of the Listessa emails, or
start a new message addressed to: smashing-pumpkins@cc.umanitoba.ca
Please quote only what is necessary, not entire digests. :-)
Unsubscribing: (Straight from the Listessa FAQ)
To unsubscribe from the SP mailing list, send a letter to listproc@cc.umanitoba.ca (*NOT* smashing-pumpkins@cc.umanitoba.ca
)with the
following, and *ONLY* the following, in the body of the letter:
unsub smashing-pumpkins
Do *NOT* include your e-mail address, a signature file, the name of your pet
hamster, or any other information in the letter. Leave the subject line blank.
Please note: after you unsubscribe, you will receive a letter saying 'Thanks
for being with us.' You may still receive a digest or two from the list after
this. Do not be alarmed, this is normal. If, a few days later, you are still
getting digests, and you are sure you have followed the instructions correctly,
feel free to write Karl_Daher@mbnet.mb.ca
for help. Karl logs in one or two
times a day to maintain the list.
Do NOT post a message to the list asking how to get off, or to be taken off.
It's very annoying, and will not work. For more info, check the Listessa web
site or send an email message with the body "help" to listproc@cc.umanitoba.ca
1.4 General netiquette
First off, read the news.announce.newusers newsgroup, taking special note of
the posts dealing with Usenet and Netiquette. If you have general questions
after reading these, check in the news.newusers.questions newsgroup.
The following rules apply to both Listessa and the ams-p. Some info here is
specific to each, but all rules are easily applicable to both.
Rules that apply everywhere: Do not post "Make Money Fast" or any of its
variants. Yes, it really is illegal (even though some copies say it's not, and
even give a legal code to refer to), and it's just plain annoying. Also, do
not post advertisements unless they're clearly on-topic and posted ONCE.
See "Advertising on Usenet: How To Do It, How Not To Do It" in, once again,
news.announce.newusers
Overall, keep in mind that many people read and post, and that people have
different opinions. Don't start yelling at someone simply because they don't
agree with you or have the same tastes & opinions.
Avoid bashing new fans (aka "Newbies"). Unless you've been attached to
Billy's
hip since birth, there's someone out there that's known about them longer than
you have. Everyone has to start somewhere. A nice, polite reference to the
FAQ and appropriate web sites would suffice. :-)
Also, please READ the messages before writing. If there's been a recent
announcement, someone's probably already posted it. Check the thread to see
how many replies there are before simply putting up another copy of the same
info- it'll save your time as well as ensuring that others won't have to read
it more than once. Threaded newsreaders are definitely a plus here. :-)
1.4a Flamewars and crossposting
On Usenet, be sure to check the "Newsgroups:" line if something seems unusually
strange or off-topic. Things like "What is the best alternative band of the
90s?" (usually in caps) are giveaways, and are simply posted to many newsgroups
(cross-posted) to start people arguing. Many people demand to know why a post
about another band is in "their" newsgroup without realizing that it's in the
other as well. If you reply to a cross-post, remove the other newsgroups from
the "Newsgroups:" line, so that it doesn't go to every other group.
Flamewars erupt often, and there's little that can be done about it. The best
thing you can possibly do is ignore it. Some people just say something
extremely rude and then leave immediately, so they won't even see your reply.
Others will just TRY to get you pissed off at them and generate angry replies.
If you must reply, do it over email. If it continues to bother you and won't
go away, killfile that thread, or just don't read it. Just don't feed the fire
.
Likewise, don't start flames, as they're obviously not on-topic. Sure, you can
yell "BUSH SUCKS!" and get a lot of people to agree with you, but some people
won't. Besides that, it's alt.music.smash-pumpkins, not alt.flame.bush (or
Manson, or Spice Girls, or Hanson, etc.). If someone casually mentions liking
a band that you don't, explain why if you must, but don't simply yell "They
fucking suck!" and leave it at that. Such pointless arguments go nowhere.
1.4b Posting pictures/sounds (binaries) in Discussion Groups
This is a huge breach of netiquette. DO NOT, under any circumstances post any
form of binary file (that includes pictures, sounds, or any other such files)
into Discussion Groups such as alt.music.smash-pumpkins A binary group for the
such things has been created for that purpose. The name is
alt.binaries.smash-pumpkins. Post the picture there, then post to
alt.music.smash-pumpkins referring people to the binary group.
1.5 Appropriate Subject lines
Use appropriate subject lines whenever starting a new thread. It's much easier
to decide whether you want to read "Wanted: Siamese Singles box set" than
"Re:
Smashing Pumpkins Digest #342". Be specific.
Also, the use of certain indicators can be quite helpful. Josh Sherman
suggested the use of "Tan:" to precede any subject that doesn't directly deal
with SP (a tangent thread), so those who don't wish to read such messages can
easily identify and skip over them.
Other helpful headers:
FS: For Sale (for Listessa, use the marketplace- details in the List
FAQ)
Lyr: New lyrics
Req: Request for info, tab, lyrics, etc. (please check the FAQ and web sites
first, as there is a LOT already out there
that's just waiting to be
found and looked up- it's not hard to find)
Tab: Tablature
Q: Question
WTB: Wanted To Buy (indicates that you want something)
Other pre-subject headers can be helpful, such as "Announcement:" or "New
Site:". Just be specific in indicating what the message is about. Do NOT
use
misleading subject lines just to get people to read your post,though- messages
with subjects like "Free surprise concert at Metro this weekend!" or "Billy
dies in car accident" that start out with "Now that I got you to read
this..."
usually don't get read much further and usually just tend to piss people off.
1.6 Acronyms, abbreviations, and common definitions*
Common SP-related/song acronyms:
--------------------------------
AA - Ava Adore (Adore song/single)
amsp - alt.music.smash-pumpkins, the newsgroup
BC - Billy Corgan
BwBW - Bullet with Butterfly Wings (MCIS song/single)
CR - Cherub Rock (SD song/single)
DD - Double Door, a bar in Chicago (see 5.2)
ITAOS - In the Arms of Sleep (MCIS song)
LMGTWTY - Let Me Give The World To You, song played on Adore tour, but never
released.
MCIS - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (3rd studio album, 2CD/3LP)
ng - newsgroup
OIAW - Once In A While (B-side for Ava Adore single)
PI - Pisces Iscariot (B-sides compilation from 10/94)
PM - Pastichio Medley (23-minute conglomeration of 70 song snippets,
found on Zero EP)
SD - Siamese Dream (2nd studio album, breakthrough release)
SP - Smashing Pumpkins (need I say more?)
SPAA - Smashing Pumpkins Audio Archive (former mp3 site)
SPFC - Smashing Pumpkins Fan Collaborative (http://www.spfc.org)
SPIFC - Smashing Pumpkins Internet Fan Club (http://www.spifc.org/spifc/)
SPLRA - Smashing Pumpkins Live Recording Association
(http://www.starla.org/splra/ - tracks and
arranges the recording
of upcoming concerts, organize tape trees - see
4.7)
STRTJ - Set the Ray to Jerry (1979 B-side)
TAFH - The Aeroplane Flies High (box set of MCIS CD singles)
TODAPP - Tale of Dusty and Pistol Pete (song from 'Adore')
TEITBITE - The End is the Beginning is the End (song from Batman and
Robin soundtrack)
TBITEITB - The Beginning is the End is the Beginning (its counterpart)
TOASE - Tales of a Scorched Earth (MCIS song)
TT - Tonight, Tonight (MCIS song, single)
TTEOR - Thru the Eyes of Ruby (MCIS song)
WBFTT - Where Boys Fear to Tread (MCIS song)
XYU - not an acronym, as many ask about, but a homonym for
"Ex, why
you?" Answered by
the man himself.
YAIGT - You're All I've Got Tonight (Cars cover in TAFH box set)
Other common general acronyms:
------------------------------
AFAIK - As Far As I Know
aka - Also Known As
CD - Compact Disc
CDS - CD single (i.e. BwBW)
FS - For Sale (helpful in subject line)
FT - For Trade (helpful in subject line)
FWIW - For What It's Worth
HTH - Hope This Helps (usually said sarcastically)
IMHO - In My (Humble|Honest) Opinion
LOL - Laughing Out Loud
NP: - Now Playing (used at ends of messages to indicate what poster
was listening to at the time of posting)
ROFL - Rolling On the Floor, Laughing (also ROFLMAO, adding "My Ass
Off")
RTFM - Read The Fine Manual (although 'Fine' is often replaced by
another word of the user's choice) :-)
UCE - Unsolicited Commercial Email (aka email spam)
WTB - Wanted To Buy (helpful in subject line)
WTT - Wanted To Trade (helpful in subject line)
YHBT. HAND. - You Have Been Trolled(+). Have A Nice Day.
(+see below for definition)
Most other abbreviations are songs. If it's not immediately recognizable, just
think & you should be able to figure it out.
Common definitions:
-------------------
:-) - a smiley face (tilt your head to the left), used to denote
humor and/or sarcasm (variants: :P"
:( >:( ;) etc.)
B-side - a song found on a single that isn't the title track (i.e. "The
Last Song"). Named from the days of vinyl, when
45s had a popular
song on one side (the A-side) and another, perhaps
unreleased song
on the other (the B-side). Third songs on vinyl
are thus referred
to as C-sides
Bootleg - an unofficial recording, referring either to someone's personal
tape or DAT recording of a live show, or a bootleg
company's CD
pressing of such a recording, or of unreleased studio
demos (see
4.5)
EP - stands for "Extended Play", as opposed to an
LP (Long Play).
Generally shorter than a full release (LP), but
usually longer
than a single. Example: Lull EP, Peel Sessions,
Zero EP
Flame - a message that harshly ridicules someone else or their opinion
through the use of personal attack rather than reason
& logic.
Usually feature lots of capital letters, exclamation
marks,
obscene and derogatory remarks, and misspelled words.
:-)
Killfile - a feature of good newsreaders (AOL and Netscape News not
included) that allows users to specify names, subject
lines, or
other patterns (even entire domains) which they don't
want to
read. Upon reading news, these patterns are
automatically
"killed", and the reader never has to see
those messages. Useful
for ignoring/avoiding heavy crossposts, lame threads,
or messages
from anyone you simply don't want to read from. :-)
(plonk) - the sound of someone being added to a killfile (i.e. if someone
plonks you, they've added you to their killfile,
which means
they'll never see another message from your email
address again)
Promo - Short for "Promotional Release". A CD, vinyl, cassette tape etc. that
is released to radio stations and others in the music
industry in an
effort to promote the music on that recording. They are not
commercially
avaialble (ie: you can't buy them at the local record shop)
but they can
usually be found quite easily. The track listing is usually
shorted (less
songs) than the standard release, and there are generally
never any extra
songs available on a promo that are not avaiable on the
traditional
release. Note: A "Call Out Hook" (sometimes
advertised as an extra track
on promotional releases) are only 10-15 second tidbits of
the music of a
particular song that are used for making ads on radio
stations.
.sig - short for signature, a small file automatically appended to the
end of all outgoing messages and/or posts.
Generally includes
name, email address, URL, and/or a clever quote, etc.
Netiquette
standards allow for 4 lines- anything longer is
usually frowned
upon, and large ASCII art is almost always complained
about. Keep
in mind that it's something people are going to see
every time you
write, then keep it accordingly short and sweet. :-)
Thread - a group of messages with the same subject or subject line.
Good newsreaders will group these together so they're
read in
order of replies.
Troll - a post specifically designed to generate as many replies as
possible (usually in the form of a blatant flame,
obviously
incorrect information, or (missed) sarcasm).
Most likely named
after a fishing technique
Yelling - using all capital letters (usually considered rude and
annoying) Also known as shouting, screaming, etc.
1.6a
Most people seem to forget that there is a difference between a radio station's
and a record store's definition of the word "single". A radio station will
call anything that's been released for radio play "the new single", regardless
of whether you can go to your local music store and buy a copy. Many more
songs are released to radio stations for airplay than are pressed on CDs that
you can buy at your local music store. If you're lucky, have connections, or
find a cool store, you might be able to buy a radio promo, but it's usually
only one track.
Release dates are also different- radio stations are usually allowed to play a
song several weeks before it is available for purchase on CDS format (if it
ever is). Example: on 9/29/95, radio stations started playing BwBW, "the new
single from SP." On 10/24, you could go to the store and buy BwBW on CDS,
with "...Said Sadly" as a B-Side (see 1.5). The next year, Muzzle was on the
radio quite often, and was called "the new single" even though it was never
pressed and sold as a CDS. So, if you see a release date, or wonder why the
record store doesn't have "the new single" that they've been playing on the
radio, keep this difference in mind. :-)
1.7 'ObSP' - obligatory on-topicness
Since most people prefer to read messages that are on-topic, off-topic messages
should at least include a little bit of on-topic material. The "ObSP" is
short
for "Obligatory SP", and is usually a short, on-topic blurb used to make an
otherwise off-topic message at least -somewhat- relevant to most readers.
1.8 Things NOT to ask or bring up/threads which go nowhere*
The following questions should not be asked:
1) What's that Depeche Mode cover? Where can I get it?
2) How do I get on/off the mailing list?
3) When are they touring in my city?
4) When's the new album/single?
5) What is a true fan?
Above questions have been asked ad nauseum (to the point of sickness), and
since the answers are all in well-known locations, they shouldn't need to
be asked. Just for your information:
Here are the answers to the above questions by the way:
4) Release dates for singles and albums etc. are on most well-updated web
sites, as well can be easily found by reading through the newsgroup; read
it before asking yet again.
5) There is no definition for a true fan. Billy hit it right on the
money when he said (and I'm paraphrasing here), "A true fan is someone
that will give the band's next record a chance. Not just one listen, but
a few, just to make sure they really don't like it". (For the true quote,
track down the 1998 Rockline interview with the band).
The following information has also been brought up countless times,
and should be regarded as common knowledge:
-"Tristessa" means "sadness" in Spanish, French, Italian, Latin, etc.
(actual
spellings may vary slightly), and was the title of a book by Jack Kerouac.
-"Soma" was a drug in the book _Brave New World_, greek for "body", a
legendary
place where people sleep for a billion years, various religious entities, and
about a million other things. We've heard it before. Many many many times
before... :P"
-If you hold up the back of the PI CD to the light, you can see Billy through
the white thingy on the back. According to someone who worked with the band,
BC said this was a complete accident.
-The same trick works for the liner with the fish pan & the necklace-looking at
both sides through the light looks like an eyeball.
-Any thread relating a song's meaning to drugs, Kurt Cobain, Marylin Manson...
etc. Usually those threads just start flame wars, so they're best avoided.
-Threads bashing other bands. Two words: counter-productive. Such threads
accomplish nothing but flame wars.
-Threads about moshing. Opinions will vary, but are unlikely to change as a
result of an argument.
-"Selling Out". People have their own definitions thereof, ranging
anywhere
from simply signing a record contract to changing their own art or image purely
to make money. Sure, Billy said they sold out. Who cares? Has the
integrity
of their music changed? No. Check out the text from the back of the SP Heart
shirt (section 4.3, #4), or see Tool's song "Hooker with a Penis" on the
Toolshed at http://toolshed.down.net/lyrics/hooker.html
-Silly rumors. See 3.8.
1.9 Validity of information*
Don't believe everything you read. Especially if it involves secret concerts,
reported band members deaths, or super-special releases. Take special care on
April's (Fools) Day (April 1st), as even reliable sources of info are known to
pull the occasional prank.
If something is true, it should have a reliable source or reference. "I heard
on the radio" does NOT count, as radios often go by rumors, and some people
just say that to spread rumors. If CD Europe says they have a special box set
for $150 with super secret, rare, unreleased tracks on it, save your money. If
someone announces a release date for something, check to see if it's
real/correct before demanding to know why your local store/station doesn't have
it yet. And if someone says their brother saw on MTV that Billy died, don't
believe it for a second.
When something IS reliable, it will come from a real source. Press releases
are released by Associated Press and/or SP's publicist- but keep in mind that
these can be faked as well (check to see who posted it). Web zines such as ATN
are usually accurate (this can be found at http://www.addict.com/html/lofi/MNOTW/
.
MTV News and magazine interviews are -usually- accurate, although anything the
band says should often be taken with a grain of salt (i.e. not completely
seriously).
Another reliable source is the Smashing Pumpkins Internet Fanclub, at
www.spifc.org/spifc/. Any information that is released there comes from a very
reliable source. (Heck, even the official SP website has a link to SPIFC -
doesn't that tell you something?)
Anything regarding the death, overdose, suicide, etc. of any band member, no
matter how official it looks (yes, these have been faked before), should NOT be
believed until you see it on MTV News every hour, you hear it on every radio
station, and you see HUNDREDS of posts about it on the list and newsgroup. See
5.3.
2. Songs/Albums
2.1 Short discography*
There is a new Smashing Pumpkins album that is scheduled to be released on
February 29, 2000 (*not* February 15th as it was formerly advertised; it was
pushed back again). The following is a summary of what is known about this albu
m
so far:
- The name of the album will be "MACHINA/the machines of God".
- The music for the album has already been recorded and is in the process
of being mixed and finalized.
- It will be released by Virgin Records on February 29, 2000.
- D'Arcy played her parts for the album before she left the band.
- Jimmy Chamberlin is playing drums on the album.
- Flood, who produced Mellon Collie (among other albums) will be
producing this album as well.
- The album will be a single disc.
The tentative tracklist is as follows, in no particular order:
"Everlasting Gaze"
"Sunshowers"
"Stand Inside Your Love" (the first single)
"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"
"With Every Light"
Gish (1991) - single for "I Am One", 'Lull' EP for "Rhinoceros"
It was revealed in mid May 1999 that there may be an Adore documentary that
would be released in the fall of 1999. MTV producer Jesse Ignjatovic took a
leave of absence from his job to tour with and film the band during the Adore
travels.
According to the band's official Web site (www.smashingpumpkins.com), the
project was shot between May and September of 1998, and shows the band
"rehearsing, recording, and touring around the world," playing "European
amusement parks, botanical gardens, ports of call, and even parking garages."
Footage of the American tour is also included, which saw the band hit 14 cities
and raise more than $2.7 million for charity.
Since the release of the above information however, it has been revealed (early
fall 1999) by reliable sources that the Adore documentary/video project is on
hold indefinitely. This means that the band has decided to postpone the release
of the documentary until further notice. It is also possible that the video may
never be released at all.
Stay tuned to this section of the FAQ. If any developments arise, they will be
posted here.
2.1b Mellon Collie re-release with new artwork - Don't expect it
In early November 1999, it was rumored that the Pumpkins most successful album,
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness would be re-released with new
artwork. No information was given whether it would be a CD or vinyl release.
Regardless, the FAQ has learned (November 9, 1999) from very reliable sources,
that this release is a hoax. According to one of the sources, "[t]he story has
no basis in reality".
2.2 Finding lyrics*
There are several very thorough sites for lyrics. Here are a few:
More guitar tablature can be found at OLGA (the OnLine Guitar Archive) and its
mirrors: http://www.olga.net/
2.3a Piano scores
Piano scores of songs like "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness", "Thru
The
Eyes of Ruby", "Farewell & Goodnight", "For Martha", and
"Once In A While" can
be found at:
Definition: A cover song is one that was originally performed by another artist
and a second band (the cover band) decided to record their impression, or their
own version of the song.
Songs that have been covered by SP and which appear on official
releases
are as follows:
Song Title;
Original
Artist; Where Found.
Clones (We're All);
Alice
Cooper; TAFH box
set.
Dancing in the Moonlight; Thin Lizzy;
Disarm single
(Heart).
Destination Unknown;
Missing Person; TAFH
box set.
Dreamin';
Blondie;
TAFH box set.
Girl Named Sandoz;
The
Animals; Peel Sessions,
PI.
Jackie Blue;
Ozark Mtn Daredevils;
K-Tel compilation.
Landslide;
Fleetwood
Mac; PI, Disarm (Heart).
My Blue Heaven;
Whiting/Donaldson; 33 single,
TAFH box set.
Never Let Me Down Again; Depeche Mode;
Rocket single.
A Night Like This;
The Cure;
TAFH box set.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed
(traditional); Kevin &
Bean comp. tape.
Reindeer;
Sad Peter Pan;
Vic Chestnutt; Sweet
Relief II comp.
Terrapin;
Syd
Barrett; I Am One
10" vinyl.
You're All I've Got
The Cars;
TAFH
box set.
Tonight;
Transmission [Joy Division], Boys Don't Cry [The Cure], Godzilla
[Blue
Oyster Cult], Out of Focus [Blue Cheer], and a bit of
Sunshine of Your
Love [Cream] can be found on CD bootlegs, as well as
Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer. Performances of "Auf
Wiedersehen", "Baby Loves to
Rock" and "If You Want My Love" with Cheap Trick
are also available on
the numerous CD boots from 10/23/95, the pre-MCIS release
concert.
When the band opened for KISS on Halloween 1998, they were
dressed as
the Beatles, and opened their set with a cover of the Beatles'
"Money,
(That's What I Want)". At the Bridge School Benefit in 1999,
Billy
sang "Stay" by U2, and James sang "'Ol 55" by
Tom Waits.
2.5 Unreleased Songs
Recent songs that have not been released, and perhaps never will be, include
Let Me Give the World to You, Blissed & Gone [aka "17", aka
"Need"...],
Methusela, Speed, Towers of Rabble, and Wishing You Were. Live versions of
these songs can usually be found, so check around, you'll probably find what
you want.
2.5a 'Mashed Potatoes' box set
During the past year, the 'Mashed Potatoes' 5 tape box set has been one of the
discussed topics on the newsgroup. The 'Mashed Potatoes' box set is a set of
CDs that Billy gave to a select group of people in 1994 (or there-about), and
is said to contain live and unreleased songs from 1990 to 1992 or so. Very
little, other than what is mentioned here, is actually known about the set,
regardless of what you may hear. So, in short, asking about the box set will
probably just get you killfiled or flamed, both of which you probably don`t
want. Many of the songs are already in circulation, usually as filler on tapes
or on old live compilations.
Recently, seventeen songs from the 'Mashed Potatoes' set were encoded and
posted on a website for a few hours. These seventeen songs are now in wide
circulation. The songs that were posted were as follows:
Kill Your Parents (Onstage Banter), 365 (Live 1990), Cinder (Live 1991), There
it Goes (Demo 1988), Vanilla (Demo 1989), Morning Jam (Live 1990), Moleasskiss
(Studio Outtake 1992), Over You (Live 1990), Translucent (Demo 1990), I'll
Never Change (Live 1990), Mayonaise (Studio Outtake 1993), Jesus is the Sun
(Demo 1990), Fat Man Blues (Demo 1989), Lie I Lie (Live 1989), Wave Song (Demo
1991), Stray Cat Blues (Live 1990), Under Your Spell (Demo 1988), Luna (Demo
1991).
Check the bootlists at either Jackboot (http://www.starla.org/jackboot/)
or spfc (http://www.spfc.org/songs-releases/boot.html ), and they'll tell
you every CD-boot release you can find something on, except where there are no
recordings of the song.
2.7 Short guide to radio songs
The following is a short guide to songs you're likely to hear on the radio, so
if you don't know a song by name, this should help you out:
1979 - played semi-often. Drum loop with live drums, clean guitars.
"Shakedown, 1979..." Found on MCIS & as a single.
be my whore". Played heavily before and after release of 'Adore'.
Bullet with Butterfly Wings - played often in 95-6. Distorted. "Despite
all
my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage." Found on MCIS & as a single.
Cherub Rock - played often during SD era. Opens with drum roll. "Let me
out,
let me out..." Found on Siamese Dream & as a single.
Destination Unknown - very synthy Missing Persons cover found in TAFH.
Disarm - played often a few years ago, still played occasionally. Acoustic
guitar, timpani, cello and bells. "Disarm you with a smile..." "I
used to be a
little boy" etc. Found on Siamese Dream & as a single.
Drown - played occasionally. Long, spacey. "No matter where you are, I
can
still hear you when you drown..." Unedited version includes a long feedback
solo at the end. Found on Singles soundtrack.
The End Is The Beginning Is The End - song from Batman and Robin soundtrack,
released for radio play. Heavy distorted guitars, some synth, electronic
drums.
Eye - played occaisionally. Drum kit, synth. "Turn to the gates of
Heaven, to
myself be damned..." Found on Lost Highway soundtrack.
Frail & Bedazzled - used to be played often, still airs occasionally. Heavy
I/IV guitar riff, one verse drops to vocals-only. Found on PI.
Landslide - solo acoustic Fleetwood Mac cover. "And I saw my reflection in a
snow covered hill..." Found on Pisces Iscariot & Disarm Heart single.
Muzzle - played semi-often. Distorted guitars, fairly heavy. Drums cut
out &
enter loudly back in several times. Starts off "I fear that I am ordinary just
like everyone." Found on MCIS (-no- CDS single).
Never Let Me Down Again - played occasionally. Clean guitar, mellow cover of
Depeche Mode song: "I'm taking a ride with my best friend" etc. Found on Rocket
CDS or 7" (hard to find).
Perfect - second single from 'Adore'. Light, poppy song. "Perfect, I
promise
we'll be perfect...". Played often. Video is the "continuation"
of the 1979
video.
Rocket - played often during SD era. Layered distorted guitars. "I shall
be
free..." Found on Siamese dream & as a single.
Thirty-Three - played semi-often. Acoustic guitar & piano, no drums. "And
you
-
can make it last, forever you." Found on MCIS & as a single.
Today - played often during SD era. Alternating clean/distorted. "To-day is
the greatest..." etc. Found on Siamese Dream & as a single.
Tonight, Tonight - played semi-often. Strings, clean guitar. Found on MCIS
&as a single.
You're All I've Got Tonight - Cars cover. Verses are mostly drums. Found in
TAFH box set.
Zero - played semi-often. Distortion/harmonics. Found on MCIS & as a
single.
2.8 Songs sung by other members*
Billy doesn't sing -every- song... Those featuring James on lead vocals are
(these do not include James' solo album "Let It Come Down", 1998) :
Believe, The Bells, Blew Away, The Boy, Farewell & Goodnight (1st verse, w/
Billy), A Night Like This, ...Said Sadly (w/ guest Nina Gordon of Veruca Salt),
Take Me Down, and Terrapin.
Of course, he's also sung a few songs live (Boys Don't Cry, Country Girl, I
Feel You, Kooks, Germans in Leather Pants etc.)
D'Arcy sings on Daydream (Gish), Dreamin' (TAFH box set), and in the second
verse of Farewell and Goodnight (MCIS), as well as backup on many other songs.
She's also featured in Catherine's "Four Leaf Clover" and "Punch Me
Out", and
on a few Fulflej songs.
Jimmy Chamberlin, the band's drummer, sings along with D'Arcy, the band's
former bassist in the second verse of Farewell and Goodnight.
James Iha released his first solo album in February of 1998, titled "Let It
Come Down".
2.9
Sometimes you can hear weird noises that probably shouldn't be there, or people
talking in the studio. Sometimes they're obvious, sometimes you have to strain
to hear them with headphones on.
NOTE: This isn't meant to be a complete listing of every time you hear a
strange noise, but it's a list of the most interesting and notable noises &extra words
you can find.
Bodies
words spoken in background of second "Love is suicide" chorus- destroy /
despise / distrust / disobey / destroy / distrust / disloyal / disarm /
destroy / despise / dissect / deny / destroy / despise / distrust
Bury Me
song opens with Billy (*NOT* James as it was always said to be - this was
confirmed by Billy himself) saying something (most plausible ideas are "Boys,
let's do it" and "Poised like an angel") UPDATE: Apparently Billy has said
that
this verse is the same as a verse from another unreleased song from before
Gish... So people! Get working and figure out what it is!!
Cherry
studio talk at beginning: "Listen- wanna just start it?" "Ready,
Flood?"
"Yeah." "1, 2, 3, 4..."
Dancing in the Moonlight
Billy talks at the end about choking in the middle of the song
Daydream
click of bow hitting cello at 1:10.5, jingly noises around 1:20-21
Galapogos
incomprehensible muttering from 3:16-27
Glynis
opens with synthesized "Hello", allegedly from a Red Red Meat song
Hello Kitty Kat
ends with Billy saying "Song's over"
Honey Spider I
Billy laughs at end & says "Aha! That's everything..."
La Dolly Vita
strange, cartoonish "Ooh!" noise at 3:33; cuckoo at 3:44
Marquis in Spades
studio talk at beginning: "Rolling..." "I was just on another planet for a
sec." "Run it back, Mole" (amp on) "Fucker."
Quiet
strange, very quiet (ha ha) voices at the end of the song. Try it with
headphones.
Silverfuck
ends with BC saying "Alright, this take, don't give a fuck" & playing a few
notes
Siva (Peel Session)
at 4:09, D'Arcy says she stepped on something; BC counts to 4 for re-entry
Soma
ends with TV evangelist clip: "and you need to resist the devil so that he will
flee"
Soothe
"you can hear the 7am buses slithering by" at 2:18-21 (PI liner notes)
Spaceboy
ends with TV talk show clip: "Now it's, uh, kind of strange, and, uh, kinda
hard for me to talk about, but I thought maybe you could help- um, when we
start getting physical, rather than having intercourse, he ends up just
masturbating himself, and I end up feeling very alienated and unsatisfied, and
it's really come between us-". Some versions include the clip as the
beginning of the Silverfuck track.
Starla
"listen for the police car go by" at 5:27-30 (PI liner notes)
Transformer
starts with 4 drum clicks & Billy saying "Hit it"
Where Boys Fear to Tread
DOOM explosion mentioned in liner notes: 1:20, 1:55, 2:29, 3:01, 3:44
2.10 Song/album meanings
Discussing the meaning of songs is sometimes an interesting topic, but the band
seem to shy away from explaining them outright. On 120 Minutes, November '91,
Billy and D'Arcy said the following:
BC: Um, my songs are really personal... and... you, it's
like I'd have
to tell everyone the story that goes
behind every song, and I just...
it's kinda- it seems silly to me that I'd
have to say "Well one day I
was walking down the street, see,
and..." [shrug] it doesn't- it
wouldn't make any difference. I- and I
don't- I mean, that's one of
my problems with the video medium, is- is
having to attach symbolism
and specifics to songs because I think in
some ways it's the
ambiguousness of things that makes people
find something in their
own... life.
D: I sometimes think that... people get more out of a song
(BC nods) if
they don't know exactly what it's about-
you can, you can listen more
to the music, and that's mostly what
we're about is music & emotions
come from that.
BC: Freedom. Freedom of thought. I mean, we're not here to preach
or tell
you what to think, you know, if-
D: We're here to say 'think for yourself,' you know...
Vieuphoria contains several songs unavailable elsewhere, which are as
follows:
Bugg Superstar - techno song playing while James talks about his dog
(repeats "Bugg, Superstar...").
Pulseczar - distorted guitar chords, no drums, weird visual effects. Starts
with "I hear you calling from the sky"
Sinfony - 53 second EBow-driven guitar piece at beginning of tape
Why Am I So Tired? - instrumental played over ending credits. This song is
often said to be a literal question of James' seemingly continual lack of
energy.
Note that the long jam at the end of Silverfuck also appears as a riff
called "Jackboot" in Pastichio Medley, but is not usually considered a
completed song.
2.12 Differences between releases
Most releases have several versions available. Special versions, usually
imports from central Europe or Japan, sometimes contain extra tracks not found
on the other releases. Check it out before buying to avoid having to buy
several versions of the same single to get all the songs. :-)
The original release of Gish was on Caroline Records, has the cover image on
the CD, and was released in 1991. The rerelease was on Virgin, has no picture
on the CD (just the writing), and was "remastered." It's hard to tell by
listening, although the bass was supposedly brought out a bit...
2.12b Siamese Dream - clean/explicit version, import; US Re-issue
Certain versions of Siamese Dream have the titles listed on the back, while
others don't. This is the "clean version", assumed to be produced for
large
chain stores, due to the title "silverfuck". Aside from the back cover,
there
is no difference.
There are also differences in the inserts- after the initial pressing, someone
decided to save money by taking all the photographs, which were on their own
page in the first pressing, and combining them all onto 2 pages, turning the
booklet into a foldout, and rendering the handwritten lyrics quite small and
difficult to read. Canadian editions of Siamese Dream are ALL the full insert
-
with pages for every song. The repressing included an address for fan club
info and lyrics- unbeknownst to the 'fan club' person (read 'mail reader') for
some time- resulting in many returned letters, until every- thing was finally
explained...
On November 17, 1999, the Siamese Dream was re-released in the United States
with the full 20 page booklet, instead of the standard 2 pager.
The Japanese import version contains a bonus track, labelled "Hikari Express".
This is simply "Pissant", which can be found on Pisces Iscariot.
2.12c Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness - 3LP
Mellon Collie was released on vinyl in March of 1996. This came out on 3 12"
vinyls. Here is an explanation of the availability of this, as found in the
text discography:
"The 3LP version of MCIS was originally solicited in February of 1996 as a
limited-to-5000, numbered edition. When it was finally released in April, it
was allegedly limited to 15,000. Since that time, numbers above 18,000 have
been confirmed, leaving open the question of how many copies were actually
pressed."
More recently, Mark Andrew Hamilton has reported that Virgin Records has
re-issued the set, and has it listed as "In-stock" in their catalogues. More
will be posted here as it comes available.
2.12d Ava Adore - 7
The UK Ava Adore 7" was supposed to be limited to 5000 copies. But, as with
the Mellon Collie 3-LP, many more (up to 3000 more) appeared.
2.12e Earphoria - promo/bootleg
The promo for Vieuphoria, entitled "Earphoria", exists as a promo (rare) and as
various bootlegged/copied versions. The promo CD is light blue with pink SP-
hearts, and includes a picture of James and Bugg on the back of the liner. The
bootlegged versions are usually cheap copies- image quality on the liner is
obviously inferior, some versions are missing the picture of James & Bugg, and
some of the CDs are simply black hearts on blank CDs. Some versions also mess
up the tracks by combining French Movie Theme and Pissant onto one track, and
splitting Silverfuck into two tracks. The biggest apparent difference, though,
is price- the promo will usually cost significantly more, if you can find it
anywhere.
Also note that there's a bootleg CD entitled "Billy Don't Be a Hero" that is,
essentially, a copy of Earphoria.
2.12f Import/domestic singles
Differences in singles are quite common- generally US and UK singles are
limited to two or three B-sides, for chart/ratings purposes- including more
songs would change their status from 'single' to 'EP', which would mean they
couldn't be counted in certain charts. Usually, where different versions of a
single exist, the US version will simply omit certain B- sides, UK releases
will be split into two parts, and Japanese or central European releases
(Germany, Holland, etc.) will include all tracks.
Here are some examples:
CD singles for I Am One, Cherub Rock, Rocket, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, and
Zero either exist only in one form (from one country), or have the same number
of tracks on each release (except that the box set release of BwBW also
includes 5 cover songs).
Disarm is in two parts from the UK, labelled "Heart" and "Smile".
Tonight,
Tonight, Thirty-Three, and Perfect, as well as having 2-part UK singles, also
have a US counterpart with omitted B-sides.
1979, Tonight, Tonight, and Perfect have central-Europe releases with all B-
sides included. 1979 and Perfect also have US releases with omitted B-sides.
Today and Tonight, Tonight also have Japanese import versions: Today features
Hello Kitty Kat, Obscured, French Movie Theme, and Apathy's Last Kiss (only
otherwise available on the Today 7"). Tonight, Tonight has the same tracks as
the central-Europe release (i.e. all 6 B-sides).
For detailed information on singles and the different versions, consult either
discography.
2.12g Vinyl - variant B-sides
The B-sides (and C-sides, where they exist) of vinyl releases often differ from
those of cassette and CD/CDS releases. Following is a list of songs that can
only be found on vinyl (excluding unofficial/bootleg releases):
Daughter - Reflex magazine 7" flexi-disc (good luck)
Bullet Train to Osaka - I Am One 10"
Honey Spider I - Tristessa 12"
Honey Spider II - Pisces Iscariot bonus 7"
Infinite Sadness - MCIS triple vinyl (3x12")
My Dahlia - Light Into Dark compilation 12"
Not Worth Asking - I Am One 7", Pisces Iscariot bonus
7"
Purr Snickety - Cherub Rock 7" (also in Siamese Singles box
set)
Siamese Dream - Disarm 7" (also in Siamese Singles box set)
Sun - Light Into Dark compilation 12"
Terrapin [Syd Barrett] - I Am One 10"
The original 7" version of I Am One can be found on the Absolute Middle of
Nowhere #17 compilation CD, and the Today 7" b-side "Apathy's Last Kiss"
can be
found on the Japanese Today import CDS.
2.13 Common/recurring lyrics
Billy has been known to use a few words or phrases several times, so to keep
people from constantly re-'discovering' them :-) Here's a list:
june: 1979, Bye June, Mayonaise, Rhinoceros, Tales of a Scorched Earth, Where
Boys Fear to Tread,
my one and only: By Starlight, Lily, XYU, Zero
On Q101 radio (Chicago), 10/95, someone actually asked about this- the reply
was that he simply did that to see if people would notice. A more likely
explanation is simply that he likes those words, and/or they rhyme well...
2.14 Photos/Cover art
Since some people wonder where all those pictures come from in all the
releases, here's a brief synopsis:
SD insert - random pictures found by the graphic artist, not
related to
the band (same goes for Cherub Rock cover)
Today cover - D'Arcy's sisters
Pisces Iscariot cover (CD) - of continuous debate. Some say
it's James,
Courtney Love said it's her with a cherry in
her mouth, Billy said
it's his now-ex wife, Chris, although he may
have been referring to
the necklace picture on the inside liner
Bullet with Butterfly Wings insert - from an advertisement in the
1800s
for some sort of youth potion called,
"Brittle's Blood Bitters".
Zero insert - a Giorgio Armani model (NOT Yelena Yemchuk, the
photographer)
Adore insert- the pictures on the inside of the CD liner were
taken while
the band was on tour in Poland during the
Mellon Collie tour, it is
assumed
Ava Adore cover - Amy Wesson also.
Perfect single covers - unknown (so far)
2.15 mp3s
Recently, this has been one of the most commonly asked questions.
"What are mp3s?"
mp3s are a type of sound file that combines high sound quality with relatively
low (compared to .wav files) file size. The average 4 minute song in mp3
format is approximately 4 to 5 megabytes in size, or about 1 megabyte for every
minute of high quality sound. The same song in wav format is about 50
megabytes, even at the same sampling rate.
"I want some!"
"Hey, this is great!", you must be thinking. "These should be
everywhere! Free
mp3s for everyone!". 'Fraid not, kiddos. While there have been large
archives
in the past (Smashing Pumpkins Audio Archive had over 600 at it's peak), they
cost a lot to maintain, aslarge amounts of filespace are needed to host these
songs. The RIAA also has a problem with these mp3 sites because they feel that
with easy access to such high quality songs for free, people will stop buying
CDs. Many mp3 sites are shut down for this reason.
"Can I set up a site?"
Since the downfall of the indisputable King of mp3 sites in November of 1997
(the Smashing Pumkpins Audio Archive), many FTP sites and various internet
sites have tried to take its place, but most have been unable to keep up with
the demand for live (and occasionally, studio album) mp3s, and have shut down
within a month or two, whether it be due to lack of server space, or the RIAA
shutting them down. If you watch the newsgroups, (alt.music.smash-pumpkins or
alt.binaries.smash-pumpkins), new mp3 sites will pop up, then quite often
disappear. Keep your eyes open, as a permanent site may one day be revived.
However, in the meantime, there are alternatives. RealAudio is a very cheap
alternative, albeit quite a quality difference. For more information on
RealAudio, visit the website at Real.com
Smashing Pumpkins RealAudio songs are available at the Smashing Pumpkins Collec
tion
The SPLRA sometimes posts recent
concerts in mp3 or RealAudio for download, so check their website too.
3. Band Info
3.1 Origin of name
Most answers to this question are only semi-serious, as they've heard it way
too often. The March '93 fan club newsletter gave the following story:
"Gene Simmons came to us in a dream and said: 'Joe Strummer is a pumpkin,
drunken and smashed.'"
On Vieuphoria, they simply said "It's a joke." However, the most serious
answer comes from an interview with D'Arcy by the Washington Post(11/19/93):
"The name of the band is a stupid name, a dumb bad joke and a bad idea, OK?"
she says. "Billy named the band before there even was a band. He was like, 'I'm
gonna have a band and it's gonna be called this.' 'Smashing' is not a verb,
it's an adjective. It's not like we like to smash pumpkins or anything. And we
are not amused by pumpkin jokes anymore."
So, there you have it. "Smashing" is an adjective, not a verb (think
British
here if you're still having trouble). :-)
3.2 First appearance
Billy and James first appeared in a Polish bar called Track in 1988. Their
first radio broadcast was on WNUR in Evanston that year. (Info from the
March '93 fan club newsletter). The first gig as a complete band was on
07.09.88 (July 9, 1988) at Chicago 21. This show did not include Jimmy, as he
had not yet been hired. It consisted of James, D'arcy, and of course, Billy.
3.3 Short Bios
Since everyone MUST know their birthdays, here they are:
Billy Corgan: March 17, 1967
James Iha: March 26, 1968
Jimmy Chamberlin: June 10, 1964
Melissa Auf der Maur: March 17, 1972
For people obsessed with looking through old high school yearbooks: Billy went
to Glenbard North in Carol Stream, IL, James went to Elk Grove Village HS, IL,
and Melissa went to ??? (we're not sure yet).
Former members:
D'Arcy: May 1, 1968 (One of the founding members, bass
player)
D'Arcy went to L.C. Mohr High School in South Haven, MI
3.4 Band Management
In November 1998, the Pumpkins dropped their long time management group, Q
Prime. There was much speculation who they would hire as a replacement, but
until October 1999, they operated without it.
On October 12, 1999, the Pumpkins officially announced that Sharon Osbournes
firm Osbourne Management would take over the managing reins. Sharon
Osbourne is Ozzy Osbournes wife and manager.
3.5 Recording Sessions
As you may have heard, most of the recording for Siamese Dream was done by
Billy (drums excluded). His reasoning: "I was obsessed to meet a standard that
was beyond our capability. I was more concerned about technical efficiency than
heart." The MCIS sessions were "a joy, compared to the tense Siamese Dream
recording," and all members worked collectively.
For information pertaining to when and where particular songs and albums were
recorded, consult the Recording Sessions, by Jesse Miller (only the mirrors
could be located at time of release):
Billy is left-handed. He writes with his left hand. However, he plays the
guitar as if he was right-handed. This is because he felt that it was silly to
have his weak hand doing the tough fret-work. Another reason is that when Billy
and his father went to buy a guitar, Billy asked which was more common. He
went with a right-handed guitar.
3.7 Equipment*
I'm not an equipment expert (I don't even have an electric guitar), so I can't
provide detailed lists of everything you'll need to perfectly imitate that
pumpkin sound.
The SP Guitar and Amp Settings Archive has lots of great info
on the subject, as does the SPFC.
The intro articles at the beginning of the tablature books for SD, MCIS and
Adore are also of interest.
3.7a Special Effects
One of the cool effects I -can- explain is the 'reverse echo'
used on the
"bang bang" part of Silverfuck, as well as other songs.
The track is
recorded, then flipped backwards, and echo/reverb is added.
It's then
flipped back to forwards, so the effect is that of echoing -into-
the
note. Pretty cool, eh? :-) This is also heavily used
by the Cure (see
"End" from Wish).
3.7b E-Bow
An EBow (electronic/electromagnetic bow) is a small, hand-held magnetic device
that causes guitar strings to vibrate continuously, resulting in a long,
sustained tone. These are used most notably on Sinfony, Soma, & Drown.
James
uses EBows a lot live, on songs like Shame, & Porcelina. There's even a web
site for EBows.
3.8 Personal info for the prying fan
I'm not about to invade their privacy, but here's what they (apparently) don't
mind letting us know via press, etc.:
D'Arcy was involved with James for a while in the early days of the band. She
is now married to Kerry Brown, drummer of Catherine.
Billy is separated from former wife Chris, and is dating photographer/director
Yelena Yemchuk.
Every once in a while, someone will resurrect a really stupid rumor (see
"Troll" under 1.5). No, Billy was not in the TV show "Small
Wonder" (the
character of Jamie Lawson was played by Jerry Supiran, if you must know), and
who cares if Marilyn Manson supposedly had him snort Sea Monkeys (Manson even
admitted later that that was a joke)? Such rumors aren't even worth bringing
up (so please don't).
3.10 SP Fan Club; SPIFC (SP Internet Fan Club)
The "fan club" started when the Siamese Dream liner notes included the
words "smashing pumpkins fan club information" next to their PO box address
(which was different on both releases of Gish). Since then, there have been a
few newsletters & t-shirt order forms, but the one person running it (Laura
Ann) is a bit more enthusiastic than the rest of the band, who hasn't been
giving her stuff to send out. For now, Laura serves mainly to read their mail,
attempt to answer basic questions, and sell T-shirts. Until further notice,
however, it may be wise to hold off on "joining," since the $3
"membership" fee
isn't really going anywhere. But if you don't mind sending money to someone to
send off to an accountant somewhere or if you just feel like sending mail, the
address is:
SPFC, PO Box 578010, Chicago, IL 60657.
In April 1999, there is a new semi-official Smashing Pumpkins Fan Club: The
Smashing Pumpkins Internet Fan Club (http://www.spifc.org). There has been no
official word from the band as to the official status of the club, but it seems
that by practice, the SPIFC is the real thing. Whenever there is breaking or
official news released to the public, you can be sure to hear it from SPIFC
first. SPIFC's sources of information are apparently very close to, if not the
band itself. If SPIFC says something, it is the Bible.
3.11 Contacting the band
Send all meaningful mail to the address listed above. Try to hold back on
short, meaningless messages like "You rule!", as they've already gotten tons of
those already. Do NOT send mail to (or visit) their homes, and do not ask for
their home addresses. Have some respect for their privacy.
As for email, there's no such address. If the band had a publicly-available
email address, it would be instantly flooded, requiring a large staff to read
it all. If any members were to have email addresses, they would be for
personal/business reasons, so keep that in mind before asking for them.
4. Merchandise
4.1 Pricing/finding rarities
Since prices vary from area to area, and everything changes over time, I can't
give any pricing info here. If something sounds too expensive, ask why. If
you doubt the numbers they're giving you, check around. Steve Hemming has a
semi-accurate price guide for most releases at http://www.smashing-pumpkins.net/prices/index.html
Finding items is also quite difficult at times, but recently, a site has
appeared which lists stores where such rarities might be found. Also,
suggested by Dave Asselin, check out Goldmine magazine, available at some
bookstores and magazine specialty shops, or visit their web site at http://www.krause.com/goldmine/
4.2 Books
There are several books available on SP. Here's the info:
Title: Smashing Pumpkins
Author: Nick Wise
Pub: Omnibus Press/Book Sales Ltd.
ISBN: 0-7119-4166-1
Notes: 48 pages, color photos on each page.
Price: ~$12
Title: Smashing Pumpkins
Author: Jim Stapleton
Pub: Carlton Books/Music Book Services
ISBN: 1-85868-068-9
Notes: 120 pages, same size as a CD
Price: ~$10
Title: Smashing Pumpkins - A Tear-Out Photo Book
Author: none
Pub: Oliver Books
ISBN: 1-870049-92-6
Notes: 20 full-page photos, text on opposite sides
Price: ~$12
Title: Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
Author: Aaron Stang
Pub: CPP Belwin, Inc.
ISBN: 0-89898-825-X
Notes: Guitar tablature book, with intro and comments on
each song by
BC.
Price: $20
Title: Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite
Sadness
Author: Andy Aledort & Hemme Luttjeboer
Pub: Warner Bros.
ISBN: 1-57623-339-1
Notes: Guitar tablature book, includes 'Guitar Geek USA'
articles written
by BC for Guitar
World
Price: $30
Title: Smashing Pumpkins - Adore
Author: Andy Aledort
Pub: Warner Bros.
ISBN: 0-7692-6396-8
Notes: Guitar tablature book, with complete solos and piano
scores.
Full-page pics of
each members (like the cd).
Price: $30
4.3 T-Shirts
NOTE: If you have any official tour shirts that are not listed here, please
send a description to faq@spfc.org. :-) Thanks.
Here's a text-based description of the t-shirts, roughly in order
of
appearance:
1. Devil shirt - Black with red/purple devil and gold glitter.
Back says
"Mission To Mars".
2. Angel shirt - White with blue/silver angel & globe.
Back says
"Altitude Not Attitude".
3. Gish picture shirt - White with b/w picture from inside Gish
liner,
with white "Smashing Pumpkins" and "gish"
text from the cover.
4. SP Heart shirt - White with red/black SP heart logo. One
version has
city scene on back, with SD song titles as neon signs, other
version has
the following text:
this is a smashing pumpkins t-shirt. rather than ask me why
i'm wearing
this ask yourself why am i reading this? the message is
there is no
message. one million souls tossing down their hard earned
lettuce for a
piece of the hot rock indie alternative pie. i've sold out.
how about
you? everybody's doing it even if they say they're not.
don't ask me
cause i don't know. rock saves. it's the next big
thing. have you
heard the next big thing? i'm part of the revolution.
it's all coming
down soon. hope you're there.
5. Disarm Smile shirt - White with red/black "Smile"
picture on front,
1993-4 tour dates on back.
6. Siamese Dream cover shirt - White with SD promo poster (2
girls, one
with a popsicle). Back has either tour dates for Midwest
tour, or for
entire fall tour.
7. Star shirt - Black with red star & "smashing
pumpkins" written in
white in the SD font. Back says "just say maybe".
8. Clown shirt 1 - Red with green clown in blue oval, 'smashing
pumpkins'
written around inside of oval.
9. Clown shirt 2 - Black with white/yellow clown, red stars, etc.
Back
has partial songlist in yellow & green.
10. Spaceboy shirt - Purple, with orange cartoon astronaut.
Back has
part of Starla lyrics.
11. MCIS shirt - Navy blue, MCIS cover image on front, back cover
on
back. Tie-dyed version also available.
12. Blue SP Heart shirt - Navy blue with white SP heart logo
outline.
13. Liner pic shirt - Black with picture of rabbits & rats
smoking, white
skull on back.
14. Discs shirt - MCIS CD images on front (pink/blue circles),
tour dates
on back.
15. ZERO shirt - Black with silver "ZERO" and star,
small silver SP heart
on left sleeve. Short or long-sleeved.
16. "Leave Me Alone" shirt - White with sketched smiley
faces in a spiral
with red bar codes on their foreheads. Back says
"Leave Me Alone" in red
1979 font
17. Black SP Heart shirt - Black with silver SP heart logo.
Back says
"Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" and includes a
tracklist.
18. Vegas Logo shirt - Black with "Smashing Pumpkins"
written in a
neon-like cursive, orange with yellow outline & dots.
Background has
silver stars and a planet.
19. "World is a Vampire" shirt - Black with large
silver frowning face
with fangs & horns, says "the world is a vampire"
in MCIS liner font.
Back says "The Smashing Pumpkins Infinite Sadness Tour"
in the Mellon
Collie font.
20. Baby Doll shirt - White with red SP heart logo.
One size "Grrrl"
shirt.
21. Thermal heart shirt - Black long-sleeve thermal-textured
shirt with
silver & white embroidered SP heart logo
22. 'Adore' cover shirt - cover of 'Adore' on front, back has
tour dates
from 1998 tour, and words, "The Smashing Pumpkins World
Tour".
23. 'Adore' shirt #2 - trio of black & white pictures of
individual
band members, with "The Smashing Pumpkins" printed in
silver in center.
Back has picture of D'arcy in see-through shirt, from 'Adore'
booklet.
Older shirts are going to be somewhat difficult to track down, but they can be
found.
4.4 Videos
There are videos out for the following songs: Siva; Rhinoceros; Cherub Rock;
Disarm; Today; Rocket; Bullet with Butterfly Wings; 1979; Zero; Tonight,
Tonight; Thirty-Three; The End is the Beginning is the End; Ava Adore; and
Perfect.
Of course, MTV plays the most recent ones the most often (they're usually put
into heavy rotation when they're first released), but occasionally you can
catch one of the older ones late at night.
Brief descriptions of the videos:
Siva - band playing in a room, candles, flowers, weird makeup,
etc.
Rhinoceros - band sitting & playing different instruments in
a room, D'Arcy
bouncing a ball, reverse footage, ornate fountains, & shots
of the
members outside
Cherub Rock - band playing outside in the dark by some trees,
weird color
effects, lighting diagrams, etc.
Disarm - black & white, closeups of members playing, aerial
shots of
buildings, etc.
Today - Billy drives through a desert in an ice cream truck,
picks up
James (wearing a dress), stops at a gas station & finds other
2 members,
they paint the truck all funky &
