Shock announcement: Chamberlin leaves Smashing Pumpkins 6:39 pm // Friday, March 20, 2009
Posted by jjb in billy corgan, jimmy chamberlin, news.trackback
An article appearing moments ago on SmashingPumpkins.com reads:
THE SMASHING PUMPKINS’ BILLY CORGAN ANNOUNCES THE DEPARTURE OF JIMMY CHAMBERLIN FROM THE GROUP
CORGAN SET TO HEAD INTO THE STUDIO TO CREATE NEW SMASHING PUMPKINS MUSIC
The SMASHING PUMPKINS’ guitarist, singer, songwriter and founding member Billy Corgan has announced that drummer Jimmy Chamberlin has left the group. Chamberlin joined the band Corgan founded in Chicago in 1988 and played on all their albums except Adore (1998). Corgan will continue to write and record as SMASHING PUMPKINS with plans to head into the studio this spring.
what!!!???????????????????
It’s not April Fools yet. R. Mast? Is that you?
We are all fucked now.
@ericwong: The story is legit. Beyond that I don’t know or understand anything.
Congrats to SP.COM and HU.COM on choosing the two goofiest pictures of Jimmy ever taken in honor of this event.
this is crazy, but good luck to jimmy
James and D’Arcy not being around didn’t bother me but SP just isn’t the same without Jimmy. My only question is why?
Jimmy Chamberlin IS the Smashing Pumpkins, for me. How…..dead and empty this all is.
Now I think about I wonder does this have anything to do with Jimmy’s Heart?
Shocking indeed. Completely out of left field as well. We all knew that Jimmy wanted to go back and do some more solo work, and it was implied, but as this little headline reads it sounds more permanent.
Curious though, for such big news, the announcement is short and vague, and while I believe it is true, can be completely taken out of context without an actual statement from either of the guys. It said Corgan announced this news, where did he announce it, what did he say? No quotes? Lazy/rushed reporting by sp.com in my opinion.
So, was this the great year we”ve all been expecting? Maybe we should have worked together a little harder.
Also: JCC>>>SP3
Indeed.
Frank Quinto in
Jimmy Chamberlin out
can you really blame him?
Looks like Billy’s taking a page from the Trent Reznor play book, where he is the only constant in a revolving door of musicians. Maybe Jimmy’s just taking a break to work on his own album/tour and will come back later. Can we expect Glass I-IV now?
What people think is the least important aspect, to me….but—no way is anyone ever gonna take this “band” seriously, ever again.
“Looks like Billy?s taking a page from the Trent Reznor play book, where he is the only constant in a revolving door of musicians. Maybe Jimmy?s just taking a break to work on his own album/tour and will come back later. Can we expect Glass I-IV now?”
If Jimmy was going off to do his own thing temporarily I think they just would have said “Hey! Complex album coming out!” and not “Jimmy is leaving the band.” If it is that scenario, then whoever they have writing their press releases is ridiculously bad.
Unbelievable. Talk about false hope.
Jimmy Chamberlin: Latest victim of economic recession?
If this has to do with a health issue, then that’s one thing. Even then, the announcement should have been more clear and not leave everyone hanging. Was it really necessary to announce this without taking time out to clarify what’s going on? It could have waited a day or two.
This would’ve been much easier to swallow, had they not repeatedly stated “WE’RE not going away, WE’RE in this for the long haul”, etc.
I really hope Jimmy is OK. (Billy too). It’s outrageous what this band has become. Seems that there hasn’t been much clear thinking involved.
Not to bring up the tired debate about SP2 not including James and D’arcy. But when bringing the “band” back with only 2 original members was kind of a stretch, this is just not good at all.
If this split wasn’t amicable, I wonder if Billy will bury Jimmy in his press statements like he buried James, D’arcy, and the rest of Zwan.
This “band” is done, Billy’s become Axl Rose.
recaptcha: Heyman as
Heyman? Paul Heyman? Founder of ECW?!?!?
Yeah, unfortunately, Axl Rose is pretty much what comes to mind.
I was initially glad to have the Pumpkins back. Now I’m totally with all those who felt it would’ve been better to let the Pumpkins’ name rest in peace…
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought this was a botched April Fool’s joke.
Maybe Jimmy isn’t down with Ticketmaster/LiveNation whispering sweet nothings in his ear?
As bummed as I am about Jimmy leaving, I’m not gonna go so far as to say the band is doomed. It’s not like Billy hasn’t done an album without him before. Ideally, Jimmy would be around until both of them were ready to retire, but the concept that Billy can’t write good music under the name Smashing Pumpkins if it’s just him behind the curtain has already been proven by history to be false. It’s the same reason the “it’s not the Pumpkins without James and D’arcy” arguments never held water, from journalists or fans.
I pray that we don’t get “TheFutureEmbraceII” now that Billy’s flying solo.
Bring on the speculation as to who will replace Jimmy in the studio: Matt Walker, Josh Freese, Meg White, Jon Theodore, a drum machine…
Maybe Jimmy has been eating too much bacon and his heart can’t handle the pounding after being hospitalized in October.
Also, no one has been taking the band seriously for the past ten years and it’s only gotten worse since they got back together. Concern over whether people are going to take Billy seriously after this are kind of irrelevant. People who enjoy Billy’s music will continue to do so and those who dislike it will continue to slavishly follow Billy’s every mistake.
All that pops in my head here is that part in If All Goes Wrong where JC is trying to talk some sense into BC about maybe audience fatigue setting in being justified.
Oh, man, this sucks. Billy Corgan will always be one of my musical heroes, but I always thought that Jimmy helped legitimize him in some way even though Billy has the musical talent that doesn’t need it. Jimmy was one of the best drummers of this generation but was kind of enhanced and held back by Billy at the same time if that makes sense. With James and D’arcy it was bygones, but it’s going to be hard for me to accept music under the SP banner w/out Jimmy involved. (That said, Adore is one of my favorite albums ever, so who knows what I’m talking about.)
It’s interesting how some bands have drummers who could easily be replaced. Then you have someone like this, who is just completely integral to the band.
There are tons of great drummers. They could find someone to come in and fake it. But when you listen to SP (and it was especially apparent in live shows), Jimmy was this very solid glue that really held it all together.
Yeah, Josh Freese could probably do a believable job. I always thought Matt Cameron was the most similar drummer I’ve heard who stylistically compares to Jimmy–very much the same school of drumming. But he probably wants no part of this. And no matter who they get, it still ain’t Jimmy.
I think there’s definitely an element of Billy’s insistence that “SP is a concept, not these 4 individual people” that is obviously denial. I can see it partially making sense. But come on, man. He says he “wants his band back”, and now has 0 members of that band. There’s obviously a problem.
—-
rc: Marcum Truscott
the band is over. anyone who says different is in denial
The songwriting of the Pumpkins will always be there with Billy, but the force that made it powerful will not be there; and that’s tragic.
It’s not SP without Jimmy.
How will he record The March Hare, Sounds of Silence, and Song for a Son without such a unique and powerful drummer. Maybe he’ll find three replacements? And keep the violinist on permanently? It’ll be like NIN or The Cure…
so hard to believe … but it is not the end of the pumpkins, no way
Jimmy’s Wikipedia said he left the band because he’s HIV positive. Goes to show that any insensitive jerk can update Wikipedia with bogus unsourced information.
maybe this explains billy’s apology letter.
I can’t say you’re wrong M. Between the letter on the board and him going to Congress, etc…..he’s been acting quite different lately. The hanging out with porn stars thing does not help his case.
I just wondered what made this happen. Jimmy had moved back to Chicago, they were building a studio here, and they seemed to have some new songs in the works. That’s what makes this seem so out of the blue. Especially because this is Chamberlin’s bread and butter when it comes to income. It just seems so odd.
I don’t understand it either. Also, why didn’t jimmy announce his departure himself?
Reading Billy’s letter again…I was so confused as to why he decided to write this at the time, I thought it so strange at the time…now it seems so much more melancholy to me now.
Since it’s a new year, let’s try something new…
Let’s try to forgive each other, support each other, be kind in our words and deeds, and get out of judging each other…
The world around us right now is very complicated…
I for one am very confused by much of the information I come across…
I am concerned about so many losing their jobs, homes, and peaceful lives under an increasingly curious set of circumstances…there are however new opportunities to be had, even in the worst of times…we are all affected by the changes that are going on on a global scale…the politics of egoism and cultural divides mean very little if you can’t support your family, or help those in need, even if you want to help…it is a test for us now to find how to heal each other…i believe very strongly in the power of prayer to affect change and welcome in forgiveness…
I don’t mind asking publicly for your forgiveness…if I have offended you somewhere along the way, out of my own ignorance or fear, please forgive me…it would be part of my own healing to be forgiven…
I can honestly say that if I have ever wanted to do anything in this life it has been to heal others thru my work…i have failed many times to shine some light in this world, but I can still try and try again…
B
I understand Billy and Jimmy probably not wanting to air their dirty laundry in public (yet), but I think more details would have been appropriate if for nothing else than to stop any rumors from spreading. I had been wondering what Jimmy thought of Billy’s recent decisions regarding SP Inc., and now I can’t help but think it has something to do with that even if it really doesn’t.
I really hope this is not true. Crap, with billy in the studio i was excited to hear jimmy freak out on the new songs. I dont see how this can ever be the same now, ive seen them 5 times in the last year but i want to see what they can do now with the new material.
:(
:( You will break my heart against my will….
You know, after reading Corgan’s letter again it seems much sadder. I don’t want to speculate too much, but I get the feeling that something happened in light of everything else. This is just so out of the blue.
Maybe they’re just messing with our heads and doing this to see how we would react if it really was true.
Probably not.
=[
I assure you all, this is no April fools joke
While Billy’s done plenty to raise eyebrows lately…I could probably never hate the guy…except for some sort of wrong toward Jimmy. Jimmy is the best thing that ever happened to Smashing Pumpkins–early on, he immediately helped transform a good/OK band into a dynamic monster of a band. Bill himself has stated that Jimmy was the most talented member of the band, and that he often relied on Jimmy to “turn a mediocre song into a great song”. Dynamics. Sensitivity.
No one knows what happened yet, but Billy definitely has become weirder and weirder. Jimmy seems pretty level-headed.
Well, my bad is complete
day^
lol guts
Guys, he has TWO kids that im sure he would like to see grow up a little. BUT, I think he could do just studio stuff with billy in chicago being that he moved back there. Dammit this makes me upset. Fuck.
This is completely out of the blue, as others have said, and the only reason I’m writing a comment at all is to post the re-Captcha: “worst The”
That about sums it up.
um…
And I thought the recent relative silence from the band meant they were in the studio cooking up some new stuff. This is, well, perplexing.
fuck
this makes me incredibly sad.
unprecedented and doubly sad after the BSG finale.
for it to come to this is surprising.
remember that weird post billy made in the forum
… maybe he was talking about THIS!!!
NO JIMMY=NO PUMPKINS
How long until we get an official response from Jimmy, or Billy for that matter?
a while …
4 fcuks sake! Our world is being torn apart! Somebody please pinch me!!
Jimmy will be back someday – everyone stop crying. By all means though, go ahead and get blindingly drunk though…..
Yay!!
well…i’m sure ireland will still beat wales to win the grand slam. that’ll go some way to alleviating everyones pain.
I can’t even belive this has happened
it’s the fucking end of pumpkins, no matter what good music billy could have in store for us,,, you can not “replace” jimmy in th pumpkins
it’s so sad and wired that I can’t even think of why when who how ..
it’s just so fucking wrong.
It’s the end of the world as we know it! AND I FEEL FINE
Well, this, sucks.
Everything that surrounds Jimmy’s departure that needed to be said has been said. For me, I hope that this means that the burden of being a ‘smashing pumpkin’ or the ideal of what a ‘smashing pumpkin’ is for Billy will be lifted in the turmoil surrounding Jimmy leaving. It has seemed to me that since the reunion of the band that the idea of the smashing pumpkins has got in the way for Billy and hopefully we will see something grand coming from him. What a strange day this has been, re-reading Billy’s open alogy in retrospect it seems at times to offer a warning about upcoming events and it reminds me of those machina fanatic days when i’d freak out and read in to what he was saying…these days I just hope that cowboy bill keeps making music and stops trying to live up to the heyday of my favourite band.
Let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late.
The band is over – but they’ve really been struggling lately, so maybe it’s all for the best. This is really timely considering last night’s Battlestar Galactica finale.
takeing Currie
If Billy was the brains of the operation, Jimmy was the soul. And I fear what that means.
Please retire the name Smashing Pumpkins. Cash in on your back catalog. Go write another book of poetry. Release a goddamn solo album that isn’t goofy electro. Move on.
For fuck’s sake, Billy- give up the ghost.
It’s very confusing—I’m very confused. I don’t really know what to think. There’s a part of me that nearly delights at the idea that an Adore-esque album would spring from this (not saying I want a copycat album, I just feel that the struggle that made Adore unique would be similar to the struggle now?). Yet I wonder if Billy is going to go on like nothing’s different, and try to make another crushing rock album without Jimmy. I don’t like being so black and white and judgmental, but I really think that’s a mistake that wouldn’t work. Please, Billy, prove me wrong!
I am in complete disbelief. I am so sad. I am very anxious for any statements that may come. What is happening here? Chamberlin is absolutely a WORLD CLASS MUSICIAN and Billy will really have his work cut out for him as this man’s propulsive energy cannot be duplicated. They were really musical “brothers in arms” and it’s really, really difficult for me to imagine Billy’s upcoming “Smashing Pumpkins” music without Chamberlin. As a side note, should Jeff, Ginger and Lisa be worried too? Are The Smashing Pumpkins now going to essentially be like Queens Of The Stone Age: a band that is solely Billy plus a revolving cast of musicians? Damn! What those five put together over the last year and a half was just wonderful and now it’s gone…just breaks my heart. Or is it Jimmy’s health? I hope not. It’s just so so sad.
SAD! Really really sad about what I consider to be my band.
This band has become a farce.
I keep thinking that the selling out of ‘Today’ to Visa has something to do with this. Maybe it’s the thing that made Jimmy angry enough to quit.
Women Only: Meeks
i’m sorry, jason.
@claire: Aww… Well, you know, third breakup in nine years, you get used to it. Making a lot of progress on my dissertation today, actually
If you’ve been a Pumpkins fan this long, through Adore and Machina, the breakup, etc. I just can’t understand the whining now. As far as I’m concerned, the Pumpkins have never had a bad album. Many would even argue that Adore is their finest. Most wouldn’t argue that Zeitgeist was their best, even though Jimmy played on it. I would’ve loved to see what Billy and Jimmy did next but if it’s just Billy behind the name Smashing Pumpkins, who the hell cares? It’s ALWAYS been that way. If you think otherwise, you’ve been deluding yourself. As much as I love Jimmy, I’m just as excited to see what Billy does next. Like most fans, I’ve often wondered what Adore would have been like if things had been different. Yet Adore is one of (if not the) best things Billy has ever done. To be a Pumpkins fan is to embrace change. If you couldn’t do that, you would’ve stopped being a fan ages ago anyway.
Why should Billy retire the name? To appease people who care more about the idea of a “band” than the music itself? The guy gets crucified no matter what he does. Zwan was written off as just being another Pumpkins because it was Billy and Jimmy, then when he brought the Pumpkins name back everyone wondered, “Well, what makes this different than Zwan!?” Anyone who actually bothered to listen to the music could tell you that they were two totally different projects with different aims.
No one seems to be able to understand that there is actually intent behind the music, as if you just put Musician A and Musician B together and the result will be Music AB, every time. Zwan and The Future Embrace were both Billy going out of his way to NOT be the Pumpkins, to varying degrees of success. I liked Zwan more than most, maybe not as much as some, but for my money Billy is at his best under the mantle of The Smashing Pumpkins.
People were OK with Jimmy being gone in 1996. They were OK with D’arcy being gone in 2000. People were OK or learned to deal with James being gone too in the latest incarnation. There’s been every combination of Billy and X over the course of the band, with Billy being the only constant from the very beginning. I’ve always been amused by the 2007 Pumpkins being referred to as SP 2.0 when in reality they were like SP 4.0 or 5.0. The band has been this “revolving door” everyone keeps talking about since 1996. I’ve been a fan since 1993, have seen the band live about 10 times and have never once seen the original lineup on stage.
I swear, sometimes I think that there would be less criticism if James, D’arcy and Jimmy got a new lead singer and songwriter and called themselves The Smashing Pumpkins.
ReC: despise Zvai
@skullivan: I believe that Billy is (1) capable of very good music by himself and (2) not nearly as good by himself as he is with Jimmy.
Therefore, for me, this is not just another instance of “The guy [getting] crucified no matter what he does.” This, seemingly, is the disappearance of a large part of why I expect the Smashing Pumpkins to make exceptional music.
I personally don’t have any reason to cast blame for that. But I also don’t expect much that will truly excite me to come from a Jimmy-less SP. And you know, I can’t exactly say that I blog every day about any artists whom I consider only to be very good.
One thing that has been bugging me about all this is the question, why bring back the name smashing pumpkins? I mean, before this, it was like billy wanted the band back together to be able to play old and new songs and d’arcy and james are onto other things. But now the fans are supposed to be forgetting the past, moving on to the future, stop masturbating over our 16 year old girl/boyfriends while listening to Siamese Dream and yet this is still the Smashing Pumpkins. Its starting to seem to me that this is a Billy corgan solo project that his manager told to call Smashing pumpkins because it generates way more revenue. Billy may be a great musician but that doesn’t mean that he is this great person that loves everybody. With all this record company business the last few weeks, jimmy leaving just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. maybe its bad timing. maybe jimmy is leaving for other reasons(which i really hope isn’t his health) but someone had mentioned a scene in If all Goes Wrong and that really struck me. I’ve never been down on Billy, but that scene in the movie made me say out loud that Jimmy had his sense and Billy not so much. THis is why I’m actually distressed by this. Where is the balance in the band now?
I’m really sick of people saying that Billy did Adore, and that turned out awesome. Well, no, he didn’t do Adore by himself. He had James and D’arcy. Regardless of what you may think their contributions are to the band, it was still 3 Pumpkins, not 1. BC by himself does not equal SP.
this is hilarious. i love it.
The Jimmy departure makes me sad….but less than some negative dumb comments there.
Billy is not a fucking gost…there’re still Jeff ,Ginger and Lisa as far I know…so the pumkins are still fuckin’ here…
I just hope Jimmy has left for good reasons and not because a fight with Billy or anybody…
( speculation: I actually think that Jimmy has planned his departure months ago…seing how Billy hugged him at the last show and by the fact that Jimmy moved back in Chicago with his familly…and Billy’s apologize message, for commercials, for letting his drummer go ???)…
maybe ..maybe…Jimmy has talked about it in the christ Issak hour show..that’s why it will be aired in April…ahhhrg…I don’t know….shitty speculation ….
jjb “I believe that Billy is (1) capable of very good music by himself and (2) not nearly as good by himself as he is with Jimmy.
Therefore, for me, this is not just another instance of “The guy [getting] crucified no matter what he does.” This, seemingly, is the disappearance of a large part of why I expect the Smashing Pumpkins to make exceptional music.”
exunctly.
Pizza without the topping isn’t a Pizza – and it sure as hell won’t taste as nice.
That doesn’t make sense. Jimmy and his family were comfortably living in sunny California in a nice house. The premise was that JC + BC were going to build a Pumpkinland recording studio in Chicago. If JC had this planned, it wouldn’t make sense for him to uproot his family to abruptly move back to Chicago.
——-
Woah! The recaptcha is: Quinto ly
Unbelievable.
anonymous: Jimmy did actually affirm that he hs moved back in Chicago..in a radio interview last fall…before the 20th anniversary tour…taking his time off for moving back in Chigago..
so that’s a true fact (unless Jimmy lied)
TL:
I know JC moved back to Chicago. Re-read my post. I was responding to Pile’s post above mine.
All I was saying is that Jimmy had no reason to move back to Chicago other than the Pumpkins. Pretty big deal to up and move from a nice house in California. So something pretty bad must have gone down to end JC’s involvement with SP.
——-
rc: tears earth-moving
Sorry–not Pile’s post. TL’s post. Nevermind…… :)
oh yeah sorry..
I get it now..
well I sincerely hope that nothing ” bad have gone down to end” as you say…
I hope that he has left for “positive” reasons…
Agreed. I hate to think of BC + JC having a falling out. But worse would be Jimmy’s health. I hope they’re both OK.
I keep thinking that something must have happened between them. Jimmy did move to Chicago and they were building pumpkinland 2.0. Jimmy and Billy constantly talked about being “best friends” and “musical soulmates” and how happy they were with their current music and how excited they were to move forward. On the last tour they were throwing around a bunch of ideas for future releases etc. People who met Jimmy on the last tour also mentioned how happy he seemed with the band. This makes absolutely no sense. The abrupt 3rd person statement regarding Jimmy’s departure also seems really odd. If Jimmy left on good terms why didn’t he release a statement himself or why didn’t billy even offer an explanation and a couple of sentences wishing Jimmy luck? I also don’t think it has to do with Jimmy’s health, he’s already planning on recording a new complex album and is probably going to tour with them eventually. I think Billy is an incredibly talented and gifted musician but the fact is that it is no longer the smashing pumpkins. Billy himself admitted that it was Jimmy that truly made the group’s music what it was. Listen to the old sp demos before Jimmy and you can instantly notice his contributions. I accepted the band without James and D’arcy (as much as I loved them) partly because I always felt that Jimmy and Billy were the main driving force for what made the band truly great. I just can’t accept the smashing pumpkins as Billy Corgan and a bunch of session musicians. He has already said that he will no longer play any old sp songs so he should just continue making music either in a new band or go solo.
maybe jimmy got sick of billy hanging out with 21 year old porn stars.
One would hope this would be a reality-check for Billy. Unfortunately, it’ll probably make him go even farther off the deep end.
I typed 90% of all the above posts
Linda Strawberry’s facebook page has this comment from her -
since i keep getting asked about jimmy leaving sp i just think that everyone has to go do what makes them happy. life is so short.
I hope Billy does “go off the deep end”, if that means he stops listening to the cowardly prattling of LA managers and other non-entities.
Billy: You write great, timeless music like you’re the dog for a walk. And you’re a (yet-unappreciated) fearless, impeccable, just plain bizarre record producer. Don’t forget about the studio! Have fun in there.
So now is Billy going to say that fans who miss Jimmy are “living in the past” and need to “move on”? Pffft.
i’m just devastated that Song for a Son will never get a proper recording now. even if it does get recorded, it won’t be the same without jimmy. what about getting zwan back together? oh shit, they need jimmy for that too. fuck, this sucks. just get me the fucking Metro dvd, since we know for sure now that that will always be the true “last SP show.”
i think its more than obvious that there is some kind of feud going on. if he is leaving to pursue his other band they would of just said it because that information is isn’t the kind that needs withholding. Plus even if he is leaving to be in the JCC again, there is no reason why he couldn’t do both. There are plenty of artists that are in multiple bands. Not to mention that when they were on Q101 back in November there was a lot of talk about “the next five years of the band” and how it would all make sense to us by then. He never would of allowed that to be thrown out there is his participation was in question or if he was unhappy. whatever pushed him out had to of happened pretty recently before he committed himself to recording the next album/singles whatever.
Seriously I am not sure which would piss me off more… if Jimmy is really gone or if this is a joke…
It could be a health-related matter. They don’t mention JCC at all.
It could be a family-related matter.
I don’t want to wish ill on anybody, but I’d almost rather it be health or family than a falling out between BC/JC.
It’s all speculation at this point. But the most obvious guess, to me, would seem that maybe Jimmy was feeling a lack of authenticity and sincerity in the direction SP had taken.
If you look at how, in a relatively short time, Jimmy went from talking about music “coming from a place so pure…” to seeing Today being used in a commercial…
Were songs like GLOW and FOL decent songs that had some cool moments? Sure. Were they on par with earlier Pumpkins’ recordings? Hell no. If a hardcore fan like me can detect a decrease in quality, it definitely stands to reason that an incredibly talented jazz drummer like Jimmy could become unhappy (bored?) with where the band was going. Lots of fans have felt a lack of sincerity and a tendency toward “auto-pilot” in much of SP2′s work.
As a HUGE fan, I don’t want to bash Corgan, at all. But I can just sorta see “grown-up” Jimmy–with a family, etc.–wondering if Billy needs to grow up. Smashing Pumpkins is my favorite band, ever. But out of these 2 guys…one seems very normal, level-headed, and open minded. And the other one seems like an erratic primadonna.
I did just re-visit “As Rome Burns”…damn. Some intense and creative shit going on. Such a shame.
Even if “SP” hires another drummer who can play, oh, “Roctopus” (among many others)….it doesn’t matter. It would never seem right. There are other good drummers out there who could sit in and play “United States”. But they didn’t come up with that shit on their own, nor play the entire drum track in 1 take for the album.
Also–
There’s a certain amount of “rock star excess” that comes with the territory, and is to be expected.
Then there’s an amount, past that, that probably makes a somewhat down-to-earth guy like Jimmy want to puke. (Mayan Sun God outfits, Dracula capes, etc).
SWBB: “And the other one seems like an erratic primadonna.”
Haha. Erratic is the word.
mhart: “maybe jimmy got sick of billy hanging out with 21 year old porn stars.”
I was quite confused about the porn star birthday party. I hate to think of my fave musician as a creepy old man, but I got that vibe. Lol. How old is he, 42? Maybe I should be less judgemental…
I’m a bit disappointed about Jimmy leaving, my gut feeling is that it’s a mixture of health reasons and conflict between him and B over a variety of things.
Anyways, who cares, there’s some great music out there at the moment, I certainly am not relying on SP, SP2 or whatever to deliver it for me!!!
Billy never grew past the times, the times grew past him.
Train wreck.
lol all these negative comments make me laugh
you people could be constructive or could argue and make hate
but there’s no point, i think skullivan was dead on
the pumpkins is a sound not members, hence the tarantula music video
but what ever at the end of the day you can choose to take this the wrong way or the constructive way and realize this is just another change that everyone is capable of dealing with.
and another JJC album would be cool as well as more pumpkins material
its just music (very good music). Without Jimmy it wont necessarily be bad, just different (like every pumpkins album has been)
peace and love
Jimmy responded : http://jimmychamberlincomplex.com/blog/
March 24, 2009 at 07:54 – Posted by jcc
By now you have heard the news of my departure from the Smashing Pumpkins. I will say, without going into any unnecessary details that this represents a positive move forward for me. I can no longer commit all of my energy into something that I don’t fully possess. I won’t pretend I’m into something I’m not. I won’t do it to myself, you the fan, or my former partner. I can’t just, “Cash the check” so to speak. Music is my life. It is sacred. It deserves the highest commitment at every level and the Pumpkins are certainly no different. I’m sorry but it really IS that simple. There is no drama, bad blood, or anything else but a full commitment to music. My best goes out to Billy and I’m glad he has chosen to continue under the name. It is his right. I will continue to make music with the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex as well as pursuing other musical interests. I feel that I have a long way to go and a lot to give. Thanks to everyone for your kind words and support through all of this. I am constantly humbled by all of you! It is an honor and a privilege to play music for a living and I don’t take it for granted not even for a second.
Stay tuned……. JC
[...] of Billy Corgan in the latest issue of Rolling Stone was the promise of details regarding the surprising departure of Jimmy Chamberlin from the Smashing Pumpkins. Scant details were provided at the time, beyond [...]