Smashing Pumpkins

Back in 1988, Billy Corgan and James Iha started playing sad, Joy Division- and Cure-inspired songs over a drum machine. D’Arcy Wretzky joined them on bass, and the Smashing Pumpkins were born. But the band became something completely new and different after Corgan enlisted the help of jazz drummer Jimmy Chamberlain. Powered by Chamberlain’s frenetic, heavy drumming, Corgan began writing riff-fueled guitar rock. The Smashing Pumpkins recorded their first album with rock producer Butch Vig, and with ‘Gish’ the Pumpkins made a blip on the music map. But they were overshadowed by another Vig-produced album, Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind.’ After their next two albums, ‘Siamese Dream’ and ‘Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,’ though, they cemented their place among rock royalty. Since then, the band’s lineup and sound have changed several times. But Corgan has continued to keep the Smashing Pumpkins alive.

Ultimate Classic Rock Source: Smashing Pumpkins to Continue After Billy Corgan’s Doubts Cleared
22 Years Ago: The Smashing Pumpkins’ ‘Gish’ Album Released
22 Years Ago: The Smashing Pumpkins’ ‘Gish’ Album Released
Billy Corgan is credited as co-producer of the Smashing Pumpkins’ debut album, 1991’s ‘Gish,’ but don’t be fooled by this shared duty: He was calling the shots. Working with Butch Vig, who was still a few months away from starting his life-altering project, Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind,’ Corgan knew what he wanted his band’s album to sound like from the minute he stepped into Vig’s Wisconsin studio in lat
Billy's Best Lines
Billy's Best Lines
When the Smashing Pumpkins released their debut album in 1991, nobody was paying much attention to what Billy Corgan was singing. 'Gish' was all about the guitar noise the band unleashed. The follow-up, 'Siamese Dream,' was pretty much the same thing, with a few exceptions. By the t...
Pumpkins in Austin
Pumpkins in Austin
The Smashing Pumpkins have been tapped to headline the final night of the Red Bull Sound Select Presents: 120 Hours in Austin concert series, a five-day event taking place this week in Austin that kicked off yesterday (March 12), runs through Saturday (March 16) and is free with RSVP. The Sword, Ringo Deathstarr and Girl in a Coma are also slated to perform on Saturday night, finishing up a week o
Pumpkins Take on the Planet
Pumpkins Take on the Planet
Smashing Pumpkins will spend the next several months on a world tour that includes headline dates and festival appearances sprinkled all over the globe, the band announced today. Expect a set list that covers the group's entire songbook, from the classics of the early to the mid-'90s through 2012's 'Oceania.'
Smashing Pumpkins – Rock Acts that Embraced Electronic Music
Smashing Pumpkins – Rock Acts that Embraced Electronic Music
Billy Corgan had flashed glimpses of his love for electronic music in the past -- a drum machine here, a tickle of synths there -- but it wasn't until the Smashing Pumpkins' 1998 release 'Adore' that he truly embraced his digital muse. And what a time to do it -- following their multi-platinum 'Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,' 'Adore' was considered "one of the most anticipated albums
Smashing Chairs
Smashing Chairs
Smashing Pumpkins frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan is a lifelong wrestling fan, and rather than love it from a distance, as most fans would, the rocker has launched his own Resistance Pro Wrestling promotion company. To further demonstrate his love for the entertainment sport, and for his native city, Corgan appears in a wrestling-themed commercial for the Chicago furniture store Walter E. Smit
Instant Expert: Smashing Pumpkins
Instant Expert: Smashing Pumpkins
You’ve seen them at parties, lurking in the corner, waiting to engage in battle disguised as conversation. They’re indie rock know-it-alls, and no matter what band or musician you mention, they’ve got an opinion — strong and almost certainly negative — ready to ram down your throat. With Instant Expert, we offe...
Billy Corgan Contemplated Suicide ‘Three or Four Times’
Billy Corgan Contemplated Suicide ‘Three or Four Times’
Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan is one of the most successful -- and outspoken -- rock artists of the last 20 years, but that doesn't mean his life has been without its share of struggles. In fact, as he admitted on a recent episode of 'Last Call with Carson Daly,' he's come close to suicide more than once.

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