One he is finishing right now 2:16 pm // Monday, October 26, 2009
Posted by jjb in billy corgan, interview, news, teargarden by kaleidyscope.trackback
Future Publishing’s MusicRadar.com today posts an interview with Billy Corgan that touches on the writing of Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, among other matters. Here’s an excerpt in which the Smashing Pumpkins leader tells interviewer Joe Bosso about new song “A Stitch in Time”:
I wrote it sitting around backstage on one of the SP tours in 2008, and it is pretty simple in that the whole song is built around a very driving acoustic guitar, with no drums or bass.
When we were playing the song on the Spirits tour, it was just acoustic plus mandolin and violin, which I really liked because of its bluegrass vibe.
In the studio it’s totally changed and now sounds like some kind of gothic Indian orchestra is playing the song with the same original guitar part. I’m pretty surprised by how it has turned out to be so psychedelic – I didn’t expect that but guess it is just where my head is at right now.
word?
awesome, can’t wait to get these new songs. really excited to hear the sound and production of the new songs
i really like that song. i really liked how it was played on the Spirits tour, just hope it doesnt turn out like God and Country.
By the sounds of it, I think we should be getting ready for 1 new song, not 4…
i’m excited to hear this version of stitch in time.
Billy wants to learn drums. I wonder what that would be like……
^haha, I can see how that could be construed (he already controls everything else, now he wants to take over drums to complete his evil egomaniacal plans)
once he’s got a couple beats under his belt he’s gonna fire mike and overdub ALL THE INSTRUMENTS.
On a more serious tone, I think it can only benefit his songwriting skills if he learns drums basics. Just like learning piano did to him and maybe even more.
I know I became able to write songs on guitar when I learned how to play the drums. Also, a lot of very reknown alternative singer/songwriters were drummers first. Chris Cornell, Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, Layne Staley, Josh Homme and the list goes on! I don’t think this is a coincidence. And I’m just talking about 90′s artists here.
I’m a drummer and I stand for my instrument! :-p
I’d have a hard time believing he doesn’t have some sort of basic understanding of the drums. He’s a very talented person and is lucky to have spent a lot of time around one of the best drummers ever.
Not saying BC is a great drummer or anything; surely he could benefit from instruction. But even back during the recording of Siamese Dream, he had an idea of what kind of drum fill he wanted for Quiet (see the Lost ’94 Tapes on Vieuphoria)…and there’s a similar exchange on the 666 video (can’t remember which song…maybe The Viper?) There was also some interview with Jimmy (have no idea when/where, sorry) where Jimmy mentioned being surprised when Billy suggested doing the drum bit he does on Muzzle during the “…and I knew, the distance to the sun…and I knew….” part. Jimmy said something like “…guitar players usually have wack drum ideas, but this worked really well”.
“Corgan is intent on releasing Teargarden one track at a time, as free downloads, starting in late October.”
For anyone who was worried looks like it’s still the plan. I also agree with the interviewer that Billy doesn’t get enough credit for being one of the all time great guitar players.
@Stephen Bayne
I also think Billy doesn’t get enough credit for his guitar skills. But I think it’s the same thing with other “grunge” guitar player like Mike McCready, Kim Thayil and Jerry Cantrell.
…and Jonny Greenwood, lol
http://hipstersunited.com/blog/archives/2007/10/all-its-worth.html
cagle, i believe jimmy said billy had this idea for muzzle, but it ended up not working. he said guitar players tend to have bad drumming ideas.
i can’t find the exact quote but it was part of his drum clinic tours during the zwan era. i’ve heard a recording of this as well as read the accounts.
not trying to shed a negative light on billy, but that is not what jimmy said.
I was at the drum clinic where he said what I thought he said. If I’m wrong, then whatever. I’m more of a JC fan than a BC fan. Still pretty sure that I heard what I heard. He definitely said the part about guitar players having bad drumming ideas. IIRC, he said that because of that, he was pleasantly surprised.
futon $1.23 lb
I think this part is really right on:
Conventional wisdom would have it that Billy Corgan should be reassembling the classic lineup of The Smashing Pumpkins – James Iha, D’Arcy and Jimmy Chamberlin, along with himself – for a de rigueur 20th anniversary take-the-money-and-run tour
Finally someone in the music press calls out these other “reunion” tours for what they really are (cash-grabs).
But I think these parts are WAY off base and uninformed:
is putting together a new version of the band (Smashing Pumpkins Mark III?) [...]
Corgan, who is working with Byrne, producer and drummer Kerry Brown and Mark Tulin on bass (the latter two haven’t been specified as ‘official’ Smashing Pumpkins yet)
Ok, Mike is replacing Jimmy, but Billy’s all but said the live band will still have Jeff & Ginger (and most likely Lisa too). Jeff even said he was trying to finish his thesis before the Pumpkins tour next year. And I find it hard to believe Mark Tulin will soon be named an “official” member of SP (the article uses the word “yet,” like this is inevitable).
Lastly, “A Stitch In Time” is one of the 4 songs?! Who’d a thought?
good call, bd. :)
@bd lee
I’m with you; the whole “SP Mk. II” thing has pissed me off since the beginning seeing as they’ve had a revolving door of drummers and bassists since 1996. Ginger and Jeff were like Pumpkins Mark VI if they want to be really anal (and why not?). Critics didn’t care about the loss of D’arcy or Jimmy at the time of their respective departures though so it wasn’t until the “reunion” that this Mk. II BS started and James and D’arcy suddenly became the most pivotal members of the band.
II Billy, James, D’arcy, Matt
III Billy James D’arcy Kenny
IV Billy James Jimmy Melissa
V ZWAN (j/k! but hell, the critics all said so!)
VI Billy, Jeff, Ginger, Jimmy, Lisa
VII Billy, Mark, Kerry, Linda, Mike, Jeff, Ginger, Lisa, and of course, the Billy Doll
Or maybe Mk. VII was the 9 piece lineup from the 20th Anniversary tour?
@skullivan I am totally with you on that one.
Although for what I remember, critics and medias DID care a lot about Jimmy’s first departure in 96.
Yeah, I just didn’t like how they talked as if Jeff and Ginger are gone and Mark Tulin is a permanent member. But I guess they don’t read all of Billy’s obscure blogs the way we do.
everyone knows SP Mk I was Billy, James, and Ron Roesing.
tcm is right. And Mk II is Billy, James, D’Arcy and Drum Machine. Nobody ever stops to think about Drum Machine’s feelings, having to slave away for hours in the studio with Billy without even getting a writing credit.
Exactly, the Drum Machine is the original drummer! Jimmy was just a hired hand that we shouldn’t care about. I’m mystified that Billy would even call Gish, Siamese, MCIS, etc, “Smashing Pumpkins” albums. It was a reunion in name only.
Hmmmm all very interesting and witty comments…
Well I could go into it even more if you like and say that SP Mk 1 is naturally only Billy. Unless of course you believe that strictly two or more people must constitute the true definition of the word “BAND”. If you asked yourself… Is a one man band an actual band? Well.. why not? Allow me to ask you… Could a real band with a real name, with real demos and of course real talent actually include only one person? Answer: Hell yes!! Even before the very first band mate comes along, be it a human being or a drum machine…the bands roots has already been born. Well atleast I obviously think so having said all of this…
Anyway with that in mind one could conclude that in fact Billy (The man who sailed without a map!) is of course the first original member of the Smashing Pumpkins as it’s his idea and his band. There has to be a first member right? I believe from the beginning thru til now and beyond whether or not who and how many are involved with him musically, he will always allow as many members in his musical realm as he sees fit at any given time during his awesome career.
Remember when he said that he used the name as a joke that kinda stuck and eventually became the name we all know today. I’m sure this was before he met Iha (correct me if I’m wrong) anyway, that was the precise point in time in our universe that the legend of SP spawned! And may it live on for as long as the universe stretches in time and/or space.
So…. now that I have confusingly clarified some of that (if you know what I mean!) lol
I will now say that I too will have a crack at what song I think we’ll hear very soon.
bd lee well done, you were spot on with “A Stitch in time”. I’m gonna go for the song “West Coast” to be within the first 8 songs released on Teargarden. I really love that song…If only I could put $ on it!
Gees all this talk from me….bla bla! Honestly though I can’t wait to hear these new songs… Prepare yourself folks…. we are right on the verge of the very first song! I can’t help but feel extremely excited! Arrgh, as usual it’s good to be an SP fan!
Kick your feet up, make yourself comfy and maybe buckle yourself in too as we approach phase one of the spawning of….. http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/gallery/pics/dyptych4.jpg This could be one of the best era’s to date! It’s time to take a tr…tr…tr… TRIP!!!
C’mon, lets go Billy! Show us what you got man.! :-) Hopefully on 31st October… Trick or treat anyone? I believe it’ll be the later from BC and co.
is anyone else started to think I may still be a few weeks before we hear anything? The 4th song (song for a son) was started well over 2 weeks ago so it must be done, so what are they doing now? Mixing? Preparing artwork for the e.p?
I really don’t think it will be deep into November now until we get the first song. I hope I’m wrong, but I can’t see mysself waking up one day and it being available to download. Billy always like to make announcements about things, so I’m sure the release date will be the same.
anyway I’m only moaning as I’m exciting, I really think there will some great stuff on Teargarden, and I’m really exciting to hear stitch in time now, I loved the spirits version but a gothic indian orchestra sounds awesome.
I’m hoping next e.p though has 4 songs that no- one has heard yet.
Oh and in terms of SP mark ???? I really think that has been put to bed now surely? O.K, Billy is by himself now, what’s the point debating it, if the music is good I don’t care who is in the band. Just fingers crossed it will be.
I agree Samboo. Every one of the Spirits songs was exellent. Some didn’t hit me straight away but grew on me over time. Stitch in time especially.
[...] Stitch in Time” was written by Billy Corgan in 2008 and played live by Spirits in the Sky during their tour last August. In the [...]