the world is despite all their rage
they’re still just a rat in a cage
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
taking a look at the history of the
Smashing Pumpkins the Smashing Pumpkins
formed in 1988 in Chicago Illinois
consisting of founder and vocalist Billy
Corgan guitarist james iha bassist
d’arcy wretzky and drummer jimmy
chamberlin
the band started performing together and
released two successful singles in the
early 1990s
after signing a deal with Caroline
records the Smashing Pumpkins recorded
their debut with $20,000 which was a
relatively hefty budget for an indie
band released in 1991 Gish was a labor
of love for Corrigan who fine-tuned each
individual aspect and played most of the
guitar and bass pieces
however this process took a massive toll
on the band dynamic though this
alternative rock album barely cracked
the charts the pumpkins did find
moderate success with the single
rhinoceros
the next few months were eventful ones
as the band toured and signed with
Virgin Records they dealt with multiple
personal problems including Corgan’s
depression Chamberlain’s drug and
alcohol dependencies and the breakup of
Eva’s and Darcy’s relationship with
their sophomore effort Siamese Dream the
Smashing Pumpkins finally had their
first taste of mainstream success the
1993 album debuted at number 10 on the
Billboard 200 and sold an impressive 4
million copies in America
like their previous record Siamese Dream
caused tension within the band because
Corgan played many of the instruments
notable singles included disarm and
today
thanks to a burst of creativity Corgan
wrote dozens of songs in the following
months
this resulted in the 1995 double-disc
set melancholy in the infinite sadness
which topped the Billboard 200 in its
first week
the positively reviewed effort was
eventually certified nine times platinum
of its 28 tracks
five were released as singles including
the grammy-winning bullet with butterfly
wings the top 20 hit 1979 and the
popular tonight tonight
never
but tragedy struck while on tour in 1996
touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin and
Chamberland both suffered heroin
overdoses that resulted in Melvoin death
as well as Chamberlain’s arrest and
dismissal from the band the group kept
going and found themselves producing
more electronic sounding music for
assorted movie soundtracks this is one
of the secrets to our secret sound this
is the mute Ron bi-phase we run
everything through with everything it’s
fabulous the pumpkins continued
exploring electronic influences on 1998
adore which found a spot at number 2 on
Billboard’s despite a Grammy nomination
and strong critical reviews the album
was a commercial failure lineup changes
plagued the band near decades n while
Chamberlain reunited with the Ben
wretzky quit and was temporarily
replaced by X hole bassist Melissa after
mark
meanwhile the pumpkins dropped machinae
the machines of God in 2000 while it was
billed as a return to their rock roots
the album failed to find the same
success as their previous work and fell
into obscurity after its top three
billboard debut
also in 2000 Corgan announced the
Smashing Pumpkins imminent demise by
year’s end their last recording machinae
to the friends and enemies of modern
music was released online that September
for free members then concentrated on
other projects including the supergroup
Swan and the Jimmy Chamberlin complex a
Smashing Pumpkins compilation entitled
rotten apples and Corgan’s first solo
disc were also issued following two
years of reunion Talk Corgan and
Chamberlin performed under the Smashing
Pumpkins banner with three new touring
members in 2007 the album zeitgeist
appeared that same year and was met with
mixed emotions from critics and fans
alike
in 2009 Chamberland left the been
several months before the launch of the
musical project tear garden by
kaleidoscope that concept album was
initiated as an ongoing project where
tracks were released online individually
at no cost as soon as they were finished
2012’s Oceania was part of this
undertaking but instead of being free
mp3s it marked the pumpkins return to
physical albums it’s amazing how many
people from my generation have totally
sold out and just cashed in and just go
and play their old songs and they have
no ambition no future you know call you
an old band anywhere they call you a
heritage act that’s the last thing we’re
going to be despite their fame and
instability the Smashing Pumpkins have
recorded numerous albums embarked on
several successful tours and sold
millions of records all this is a
testament to the fact that it’s not
really the band that matters but the
music
they’re still just a rat in a cage
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
taking a look at the history of the
Smashing Pumpkins the Smashing Pumpkins
formed in 1988 in Chicago Illinois
consisting of founder and vocalist Billy
Corgan guitarist james iha bassist
d’arcy wretzky and drummer jimmy
chamberlin
the band started performing together and
released two successful singles in the
early 1990s
after signing a deal with Caroline
records the Smashing Pumpkins recorded
their debut with $20,000 which was a
relatively hefty budget for an indie
band released in 1991 Gish was a labor
of love for Corrigan who fine-tuned each
individual aspect and played most of the
guitar and bass pieces
however this process took a massive toll
on the band dynamic though this
alternative rock album barely cracked
the charts the pumpkins did find
moderate success with the single
rhinoceros
the next few months were eventful ones
as the band toured and signed with
Virgin Records they dealt with multiple
personal problems including Corgan’s
depression Chamberlain’s drug and
alcohol dependencies and the breakup of
Eva’s and Darcy’s relationship with
their sophomore effort Siamese Dream the
Smashing Pumpkins finally had their
first taste of mainstream success the
1993 album debuted at number 10 on the
Billboard 200 and sold an impressive 4
million copies in America
like their previous record Siamese Dream
caused tension within the band because
Corgan played many of the instruments
notable singles included disarm and
today
thanks to a burst of creativity Corgan
wrote dozens of songs in the following
months
this resulted in the 1995 double-disc
set melancholy in the infinite sadness
which topped the Billboard 200 in its
first week
the positively reviewed effort was
eventually certified nine times platinum
of its 28 tracks
five were released as singles including
the grammy-winning bullet with butterfly
wings the top 20 hit 1979 and the
popular tonight tonight
never
but tragedy struck while on tour in 1996
touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin and
Chamberland both suffered heroin
overdoses that resulted in Melvoin death
as well as Chamberlain’s arrest and
dismissal from the band the group kept
going and found themselves producing
more electronic sounding music for
assorted movie soundtracks this is one
of the secrets to our secret sound this
is the mute Ron bi-phase we run
everything through with everything it’s
fabulous the pumpkins continued
exploring electronic influences on 1998
adore which found a spot at number 2 on
Billboard’s despite a Grammy nomination
and strong critical reviews the album
was a commercial failure lineup changes
plagued the band near decades n while
Chamberlain reunited with the Ben
wretzky quit and was temporarily
replaced by X hole bassist Melissa after
mark
meanwhile the pumpkins dropped machinae
the machines of God in 2000 while it was
billed as a return to their rock roots
the album failed to find the same
success as their previous work and fell
into obscurity after its top three
billboard debut
also in 2000 Corgan announced the
Smashing Pumpkins imminent demise by
year’s end their last recording machinae
to the friends and enemies of modern
music was released online that September
for free members then concentrated on
other projects including the supergroup
Swan and the Jimmy Chamberlin complex a
Smashing Pumpkins compilation entitled
rotten apples and Corgan’s first solo
disc were also issued following two
years of reunion Talk Corgan and
Chamberlin performed under the Smashing
Pumpkins banner with three new touring
members in 2007 the album zeitgeist
appeared that same year and was met with
mixed emotions from critics and fans
alike
in 2009 Chamberland left the been
several months before the launch of the
musical project tear garden by
kaleidoscope that concept album was
initiated as an ongoing project where
tracks were released online individually
at no cost as soon as they were finished
2012’s Oceania was part of this
undertaking but instead of being free
mp3s it marked the pumpkins return to
physical albums it’s amazing how many
people from my generation have totally
sold out and just cashed in and just go
and play their old songs and they have
no ambition no future you know call you
an old band anywhere they call you a
heritage act that’s the last thing we’re
going to be despite their fame and
instability the Smashing Pumpkins have
recorded numerous albums embarked on
several successful tours and sold
millions of records all this is a
testament to the fact that it’s not
really the band that matters but the
music
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