Billy Corgan

SONGS IN FILM: THE SMASHING PUMPKINS- 1979 in CLERKS 2

Today is a cold and rainy day in Southern California. When I woke up this morning and looked out my window and saw the rain falling, a song popped in my head and it was one of those “OH?!” moments. I’m not entirely sure what the “OH” was all about but the song that popped up was The Smashing Pumpkins “1979” from their amazing album, Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness. Still wrapping my head around that album being 30 years old now. Anyways, as “1979” played in my mind and I stared out the window it reminded me of this really poignant scene in Kevin Smith’s Clerks 2, that has Dante in a very deep contemplative state about his life. This is a perfect song for this scene and I can’t believe I forgot about it. Now I feel like watching all the Clerks movies again! Enjoy this scene and song because both are great!

The Smashing Pumpkins- 1979 in Clerks II:

DREAM TOUR AND SET LIST: THE SMASHING PUMPKINS & STONE TEMPLE PILOTS

The other day I was listening/watching an interview Billy Corgan did with Robert and Dean DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots. If you haven’t seen the interview, it’s quite a good one. Billy asks really good questions and the history they all go into is rather fascinating. While I was listening, I had an idea and I started to put it all together. What if in 2026 there was a tour that had The Smashing Pumpkins and Stone Temple Pilots together? Personally, I think it would be one hell of a tour and each night it would be pretty magical. So, with that in mind, I put together what I think would be 2 great set lists for both bands. Also, check out the interview too!

WHO: The Smashing Pumpkins and Stone Temple Pilots

WHERE: Forum- Los Angeles

SET LISTS:

Stone Temple Pilots Set List:
01) Down
02) No Memory
03) Sin
04) Pop’s Love Suicide
05) Meadow
06) Vasoline
07) Big Bang Baby
08) Crackerman
09) Trippin’ On A Hole In A Paper Heart
10) No Way Out
11) Lounge Fly
12) Adhesive
13) The Art Of Letting Go
14) Big Empty
15) Where The River Goes
16) Plush
17) Interstate Love Song
ENCORE:
18) Meatplow
19) Silvergun Superman
20) Atlanta


The Smashing Pumpkins Set List:
01) Tales Of Scorched Earth
02) Doomsday Clock
03) Zero
04) Quiet
05) Stand Inside Your Love
06) Panopticon
07) Sicarus
08) Siva
09) Bullet With Butterfly Wings
10) Cherub Rock
11) Purple Blood
12) Perfect
13) Wound
14) Empires
15) One And All
16) Bleeding The Orchid
17) Ugly
18) Set The Ray to Jerry
19) Shame
20) Muzzle
21) Drown
22) Bodies
23) Violet Rays
24) War Dreams Of Itself
25) Jellybelly
26) Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)
27) An Ode To No One
28) Thirty-Three
29) The Everlasting Gaze
30) X.Y.U.
31) 1979
ENCORE:
32) Mayonaise
33) Silverfuck

The Magnificent Ones Interview with Robert & Dean DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots:

ALTERNATE VERSIONS: THE SMASHING PUMPKINS- BIRCH GROVE

It’s not a surprise to anyone that’s been reading Audioeclectica for a while that I’m a giant fan of The Smashing Pumpkins. Their catalog is one of my all time favorites and there’s always something new to discover among all the albums, b-sides, live versions and then some. During the pandemic, The Smashing Pumpkins released an album called CYR that is quite the under appreciated album in their repetoire. After countless listens and hearing a handful of these songs live, it became very apparent to me that I need to talk more about this underrated gem. One song that I really want to showcase is the song “Birch Grove.” This songs is quite a beautiful song. The version that I’m featuring was performed by Billy Corgan solo while a guest on the Howard Stern show. I love this song even more after hearing this version, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. And Happy Birthday WPC!

Birch Grove (Live On Howard Stern):





SONGS THAT SHOULD BE PLAYED LIVE: BLACK OBLIVION By Billy Corgan & Tony Iommi

Back in 2000, Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath released a solo album that featured 10 different singers on songs he wrote. There’s songs with Ozzy, Phil Anselmo, Serj Tankian, Henry Rollins, Ian Astbury, Billy Idol and a few others. There is one song though that has always stood out to be the most and that song is “Black Oblivion” which was written by Tony Iommi and Billy Corgan. When you hear this song you can definitely get some awesome Sabbath vibes but, there’s something more to this song. It’s an epic song for one, and two, since Billy Corgan is such a giant Sabbath fan, you can really hear how much this meant to Billy to work with Tony. This is one of those songs that if The Smashing Pumpkins added to their set next time they tour, I would absolutely lose my mind. I really do love this song. I also have another idea for this. Since there is going to be a Final Black Sabbath show, and Billy Corgan will be there, how about “Black Oblivion” gets played live and with Tony Iommi joining Billy! That would be awesome!

Tony Iommi & Billy Corgan- Black Oblivion:

Collaborations: Blindside & Billy Corgan- Hooray It’s LA

Back in 2004, Blindside released their album About A Burning Fire. Their previous album Silence, is one of the most fun, energetic and still holds up quite well albums of the early 00’s. About A Burning Fire was not Silence Part 2, instead the band leaned forward and tried some new things and the experiment worked. There are a few things I really like about this album, one being the final song/title track. That’s one hell of a way to end an album. My favorite thing in particular is the song “Hooray It’s LA.” The song has a really rad vibe to it and then you add in the guitar playing of (and I’m sure some songwriting input) The Smashing Pumpkin’s Billy Corgan to it and you have yourself a really killer track! It’s been forever since we had a new Blindside album and that’s one I’d love to see in 2024 or at least they come back to the states for some shows!

Blindside Featuring Billy Corgan- Hooray It’s LA:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=hsTLedvjqWE%3Fsi%3D-ORtYj8Ml5p60HHL

New Release: The Smashing Pumpkins- Beguiled

My excitement level is pretty high right now. After last week seeing Nine Inch Nails for my 19th time and now this week, the news is finally released about The Smashing Pumpkins long awaited new album! “Atum: A Rock Opera In Three Acts”. The 33-track collection, whose title is pronounced “autumn,” is being billed as a sequel to 1995’s “Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness” and 2000’s “Machina/The Machine of God”. The LP will be released as three 11-track “acts”, eventually culminating in a three-act rock opera. Act 1 of “Atum” will arrive on November 15 2022, Act 2 on January 31 2023, and Act 3 will be made available, along with a special-edition box set featuring all 33 album tracks plus 10 additional unreleased songs, on April 21, 2023. “Atum: A Rock Opera In Three Acts” was written and recorded over a four-year period by Corgan and the rest of the current SMASHING PUMPKINS lineup: guitarists James Iha and Jeff Schroeder, plus drummer Jimmy Chamberlin.

The first single “Beguiled” is out now and features a video that was made and performed live on TikTok of all places. And to make things even more interesting,  Billy Corgan will premiere a new track every week for the next 33 weeks on his new podcast, “Thirty-Three With William Patrick Corgan”. The first two episodes, featuring the songs “Atum” and “Butterfly Suite”, are out now.

Not only is this exciting but The Smashing Pumpkins and Jane’s Addiction tour starts next week and runs through November. What a show that will be. I know I’ll be attending it. See you there!


The Smashing Pumpkins- Beguiled:

Cover Song: The Smashing Pumpkins (The Talking Heads)- Once In A Lifetime

Ever since I went to see The Smashing Pumpkins a coiuple weeks ago, I’ve been reliving the show in my head. One of the moments of the show that really stood out to me was when they played their cover of The Talking Heads “Once In A Lifetime.” The original version is still astounding and this version, especially the arrangement the Pumpkins put together takes on a life of its own. I still can’t get over how damn good this was.


The Smashing Pumpkins- Once In A Lifetime (Live):


The Talking Heads- Once In A Lifetime:

Deep Cuts: The Smashing Pumpkins- Bleeding the Orchid

The deep cut is something that I feel has become a lost element of music today. Everything is so focused on singles and the “hit” that so much of the time, there are songs that get left out and bypassed. As you’ve noticed the past couple years that my level of postings about The Smashing Pumpkins has gone up over that time and that’s because I’ve really delved deep in their catalog. One of the albums that I’ve truly come to love is 2007’s, Zeitgeist. Not only does this album foreshadow a lot of what our society has become but, it’s also one hell of a great album start to finish. There is a particular song on Zeitgeist that I keep going back to and that is track 3, “Bleeding The Orchid.” This song is quite interesting and profound. The song is indirectly inspired by the death of Alice In Chains singer Layne Staley and it also features a bit of an homage to the band with the harmonies you hear in the song. Also the guitar solo on this track by Billy Corgan further proves my point that he is truly an underrated guitarist. This song is one that I really wish would make it’s way into upcoming set lists as it’s an absolutely great and touching song.


The Smashing Pumpkins- Bleeding The Orchid (Live at The Viper Room, 2010):

Memorable TV Performances: The Smashing Pumpkins- Disarm on 1994 MTV VMA’s

Very recently The Smashing Pumpkins song “Disarm” celebrated 28 years since its release as a single. To this day, that song still gives me goosebumps. It’s such a poignant song and one of those that will absolutely stand the test of time. This performance of “Disarm” is quite different than the one you find on the masterpiece that is Siamese Dream. Just watch and listen!!


The Smashing Pumpkins- Disarm (Live at the 1994 MTV VMA’s):

Alternate Versions: The Smashing Pumpkins- Being Beige (Acoustic)

Today is the incomparable William Patrick Corgan’s birthday. I thought that I’d share an alternate version of one of my favorite SP songs from a very underrated album. The song is “Being Beige” from the wonderful album, Monuments To An Elegy. If you haven’t listened to this record, I highly suggest you do. It’s truly one of those albums in a catalog that gets looked over but shouldn’t. It’s got some very classic sounding Pumpkins songs on it and then some. Tommy Lee also played the drums on the whole album and absolutely knocked it out of the park! This song just resonates with me so well. If you know me and know what the past couple years have been like, you know this song fits!


The Smashing Pumpkins- Being Beige (Acoustic):