Author Topic: Interesting message from Billy Corgan on the Smashing Pumpkins (Read 4548 times)

davepeck · « **on:** February 19, 2004, 12:45:57 pm »

read his 2/17 message here: http://www.billycorgan.com/

Quote

Corgan Comes Clean About Pumpkins\' Demise

As the four-year anniversary of the Smashing Pumpkins\' break-up draws near, Billy Corgan took to his official Web site yesterday (Feb. 17) to clear the air about the true reasons for the Chicago\'s band\'s split.

"I am going to share some things with you that you have never heard me say," he wrote. "That doesn\'t mean I\'m rewriting history; that means that I\'m going to tell you the truth about who I am and what I believe in my heart. A lot of things that I have said thru the years seemed confusing, like I was hiding something, and oftentimes I was. \'Why,\' you might ask. Many times I hid things to protect my band mates."

Corgan said he regrets initially blaming the split on "fighting the good fight against the Britneys of the world." "By saying that, I was seen as someone who was crying foul, taking his ball and going home, which was sad, \'cause it wasn\'t true at all," he continued. "The truth of the matter is that [guitarist] James Iha broke up the Smashing Pumpkins. Not me, not [drummer] Jimmy [Chamberlin], but James. Did it help that [bassist] D\'arcy [Wretzky] was fired for being a mean-spirited drug addict, who refused to get help? No, that didn\'t help keep the band together, not at all."

The artist admitted he would have liked to press on with the Pumpkins, which he described as "essentially my entire life... a dream I still believe in. Many friends at the time suggested letting James leave, so Jimmy and I could continue on under the name. But I was too loyal to the man I had started the whole thing with, and so I protected him until the very end."

Corgan was particularly saddened after Iha left the band\'s final show at Chicago\'s Cabaret Metro "without saying goodbye to the two people he had won and lost and traveled the world with. So, I won\'t be protecting him anymore and I won\'t be protecting a whole lot of other people anymore."

In closing, he wrote, "We all deserve to flourish, and know happiness and joy. That is my new dream. The Smashing Pumpkins gave me that, and I am eternally grateful."

As previously reported, Corgan is working on his debut Warner Bros. solo album following the dissolution of his post-Pumpkins band, Zwan. The set will be preceded by a DVD of acoustic songs, featuring performances from a variety of venues and a spate of April recording sessions.

"What will be novel is that we plan on having an invited audience attend the recording sessions," Corgan said. "Just after the week of recording, I hope to do a single concert which would be filmed as well. The DVD would then be a compilation of material from [a show at Chicago\'s] the Hideout, acoustic sessions already recorded, poetry from [a Chicago] art institute benefit, the six days in April, and the one concert date."

Corgan will also release a book of poetry sometime this fall. "It\'s now basically all done, give or take a few word changes here and there," he said.

[BILLBOARD.com]

antbach · « **Reply #1 on:** February 19, 2004, 12:54:22 pm »

to think that the smashing pumpkins was the first band I have ever seen play live. . .

davepeck · « **Reply #2 on:** February 19, 2004, 01:09:35 pm »

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Originally posted by antbach
to think that the smashing pumpkins was the first band I have ever seen play live. . .

you have no idea how lucky you are, ant... i get to tell everyone that my first show was Vanilla Ice... :no::rolleyes::no:

antbach · « **Reply #3 on:** February 19, 2004, 01:43:48 pm »

yea I know, I think I remember you telling me so afterwards, and you thought I forgot about the IROC?

ChrisF · « **Reply #4 on:** February 19, 2004, 03:49:38 pm »

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Originally posted by antbach
to think that the smashing pumpkins was the first band I have ever seen play live. . .

hey, me too.

I have been reading his messages regularly. I am sure we can look forward to hearing plenty more crazy stuff that was going on that he had to hide. i feel kind of bad for him because whenever something was going wrong for the pumpkins the media was bashing him 5 seconds later, and they rarely ever even mentioned the music.

antbach · « **Reply #5 on:** February 19, 2004, 04:47:04 pm »

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Originally posted by ChrisF
hey, me too.

Hartford Civic Center?

ChrisF · « **Reply #6 on:** February 19, 2004, 04:53:28 pm »

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Originally posted by antbach
Hartford Civic Center?

new haven coliseum

antbach · « **Reply #7 on:** February 19, 2004, 05:40:37 pm »

Ah, which one was first? I don\'t remember, I went to both I know that, so whichever was first was my first show.

FrankZappa · « **Reply #8 on:** February 20, 2004, 08:18:03 am »

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Originally posted by davepeck
you have no idea how lucky you are, ant... i get to tell everyone that my first show was Vanilla Ice... :no::rolleyes::no:

HA!
hey peck, I want setlist and a copy of the show. I know you stealthed it with your 4-track

word to your mother

my first was either van hallen balance, or rush counterparts. I don\'t remember which show took place first. I think it was van hallen.

davepeck · « **Reply #9 on:** February 20, 2004, 08:51:55 am »

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Originally posted by antbach
Ah, which one was first? I don\'t remember, I went to both I know that, so whichever was first was my first show.

new haven was 1/25/97 (if we\'re talking about the MCIS tour)... looking at my analog masters right now!

not sure when hartford was.. i was at both as well.. i\'ll try to find my ticket stub..

jocelyn · « **Reply #10 on:** February 20, 2004, 09:48:21 am »

My first show was Chubby Checker.... seriously... I got to the twist up on stage with him. I might have been too young for this to count as a first show though...

Yoda · « **Reply #11 on:** February 20, 2004, 10:31:47 am »

My first show was
Bruce Springsteen / Capital Theatre, Passaic NJ / 9/20/78. I was 7 months old. Not the best decision my father made.

First show that I remember was
Bruce Springsteen / Meadowlands, East Rutherford NJ / 7/2/81. I think that this was the first time he play there, but I could be wrong.

rustyD · « **Reply #12 on:** February 20, 2004, 12:23:59 pm »

his songs in that movie SPUN are awesome...

antbach · « **Reply #13 on:** February 20, 2004, 01:05:17 pm »

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Originally posted by davepeck
new haven was 1/25/97 (if we\'re talking about the MCIS tour)... looking at my analog masters right now! not sure when hartford was.. i was at both as well.. i\'ll try to find my ticket stub..

I\'m pretty sure Hartford was first. Don\'t know if you remember Dave, but you drove me to this show, don\'t really remember who else was there maybe Adrian and/or Ron, was way too long ago. . .

ChrisF · « **Reply #14 on:** February 20, 2004, 01:50:10 pm »

Quote

Originally posted by davepeck
new haven was 1/25/97 (if we\'re talking about the MCIS tour)... looking at my analog masters right now! not sure when hartford was.. i was at both as well.. i\'ll try to find my ticket stub..

hey dave, do you have SHNs? i have been looking for that one for years. did you tape it?

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Author Topic: Interesting message from Billy Corgan on the Smashing Pumpkins (Read 4548 times)