home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Ian & Stuart's Australian Mac: Not for Sale
/
Another.not.for.sale (Australia).iso
/
hold me in your arms
/
smashing-pumpkins
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1994-10-03
|
12KB
|
262 lines
Smashing Pumpkins Newsletters
Hello to all our dearies:
welcome to our newsletter. it has no title (I think Pumpkin Press) and we
hope to release it every season. so this here is the spring edition.
thank you to everyone that has written, your letters give us great hope
that there are people out there who understand what it is we do.
we are still in marietta,ga. as i write this attempting to put the
finishing touches our new album _siamese dream_. yes yes believe it or not
there is going to be anew album forthcoming. the release date is set for
july 1st, so start bugging your local record store for a copy around that
time. the album will have 13 or 14 songs on it, and the best way i can
describe it (sonically speaking) is it is a big departure from gish. it is
very guitar heavy. some songs have 20+ different guitars on them. the
songs are very diverse, i know -- Big Surprise, and the titles to some of
these songs are luna, cherub-rock, rocket, disarm, spaceboy, silverfuck,
soma, and a bunch of others i can't remember right now. it is a pretty
long album (about 70 minutes). we hope you can make it through the
whole thing. we are also going to release some of the b-sides we have
recorded, and the newsletter will keep you abreast of when those things are
available here in the u.s. or overseas in the u.k. i think there are about
9 or 10 b-sides recorded over the last couple of years, plus demos and live
stuff. way too much i must say.
if you are still reading this, it is nice to finally have the chance to
write. we have been so busy these last couple of years. there have been
so many great shows and a whole lot of bad ones too (sorry if you saw one
of those) and we've been lucky to meet so many wonderful people. we really
like to meet and talk to as many people as we can. unfortunately, some
people do not understand the difference between privacy and unfriendliness,
but that is because they don't understand that we all need a little space
sometimes. i won't lie and say playing in this particular band is easy,
our standards are very high, and know that if you come to se us play, we
are going to go to the greatest lengths to to make it a very memorable show
for everyone involved. we have always tried to distance ourselves from
bands that act as if _you_ owe them a favor, or bands that gladly take your
money for the records you buy, but do not allow you the chance to see them
play live. music has become so much a game of manipulation that people
forget that there actually is someone in iowa buying their record. and
don't be fooled by all this talk of "alternative" and "independent". it is
all bullshit. music is music and money is money, so the moment you take
money to make music, you are no longer alternative or independent. people
in bands want to believe that they are the rebels of our culture. if they
truly were rebelious, they would never have the patience to make records
and play live shows. music can be the most wonderful thing in the world,
it personally has inspired me to make great changes in my life and my way
of thinking, but it is only mucic. remember that those who "make it" are
not above you in any way. don't give credence to anyone person's opinion
than your very own, including my own and certainly don't give more credence
to one person's opinion because he or she has sold more records than
another. many people have asked me how far i want the band to go. and i
always say as far and to as many people as it can because that means people
are doing the thing that means the most to us, and that is listening to the
music.
so soon we will be playing in a town near you. sometime around july we
will be playing selected midwestern cities before the album comes out. as
soon as we know about those shows we will send you a postcard letting you
know where and when. we will tour the whole u.s. in august or septmeber.
so hope to see you there. if you feel we should come and play closer to
you, write and let us know.
be happy and stay well.
Billy Corgan, March 1993
PAGE 2
-----------------
Greetings my fellow rockstar Pumpkin admirers!
My name is Laura Ann and I am the person whos deals with the fan mail.
Some of you already know me because I have written to many of the fans.
The band gets a lot of mail and with the release of the new album (which
totally rocks, by the way) I predict that I will be smothered in letters of
admiration and curiosity. The band members can't always write everyone
personally (obviously because of the gruelling schedules that they have
between recording and touring) but, all letters are read by a real person
(usually myself) and many are forwarded to the band. Many of you have
asked the same questions and I've put a little compilation of questions
that were asked in the mail and had the band answer them for you:
Q: "Whose dog is Buggs Superstar?" -Josh - Boystown, NE
A: "Well, Josh, Bugg Superstar is James' dog and is ebergeteic, young
husky/lab/weimaraner(?) who is 4 years old and enjoys swimming jumping and
barking.
Q: "I was wondering why the _I am One_ single on Hut was not released
domestically in the u.s.?" -Matt Redman - North Hills, CA
A: "We didn't think there would be any interest in it here. Plus we'd
released it in the u.s. (an early version) in 1989.
Q: "I've been told that the Smashing Pumpkins sold a self-released tape at
one of their shows in Champaign, IL Sept 1989. Are these tapes still
available?" -Alan Heyd - State College, PA
A: "True, not for sale anymore."
Q: "You guys (and girl) have been a tremendous influence on my guitar
playing and song writing. What I would like to know is what kind of
effects you use (Billy and James) and what kinds of tunings you use other
than standard E,A,D,G,B,E?" -Jason Neal - N Hollywood, CA
A: "D down tuning, tune low E to D ar a to G. As far as effects Electro
Harmonix Bigg Muffs, Maestro Phasers and a lot of rack gear!"
Q: "When did the Smashing Pumpkins get started?" -Johan Bermans - Belgium
A: "Spring of '88."
Q: "Has Virgin been fucking with the recording of your new album?" -David
Goodman, Cornell U.
A: "No, we're left alone for the most part."
Q: "Where did you grow up? What different kinds of cultures were you
exposed to while growing up?" -Josh Griffith - Vancouver, WA
A: "WASP culture. Try to express individual thought."
Q: "Where did you find the Chainsaw Kittens?" -Mike Lacey - San Diego, CA
A: "In a hole."
Q: "D'arcy, is your hair really that white?" -Tyson Chihaya - New
Wilmington, PA
A: "No. Don't let your eyes decieve you. The white effect you see is a
trick we do with mirrors...it's actually a black afro.
Q: "Who sings backup on Bury Me?" -Aron Abell - Union, KY
A: "James sings back ups on bury me."
Butch Vig recalls that bizarre recording session. "James had just eaten
5 twinkies, 2 packs of M&M's and a glass of Mountain Dew when called upon
to sing he entered the recording booth and began speaking in tongues, and
that's what we got on tape." -hiyah-hayah-unchun-unchun!
Q: "How would you categorize your music?" -Brett Thompson, Mayfield, MA
A: "People always want to pin us down as rock, alternative, metal, pop,
country, we just play whatever we want and do not concern ourselves with a
category or box."
Q: "Billy, I heard you were in a Christian rock band in high school. Is
this true?" -Amy - Addison, IL
A: "No, actually I was in a death/satanic band..at least we pretended to be
evil, but all we really were was bad."
Q: "Can you explain how you compose?" -Jerome Lancha - France
A: "Darts & Dice, Luck & Lice. Honestly, whatever melodies come to mind
are harmonized out on guitar or bass, and then we think of some fucked up
rhythm, I make noises & then turn them into words way later."
Q: "Do you have any sheet music available?" -Jack Jachino - Savanah, IL
A: "Not that I know of. We play lots of wierd chords, secret chords we
ripped off from music machine records."
Q: "Do you have a lyric sheet for Gish?" -Christie Derrick - Lexington, SC
(and 90% of the people who wrote us).
A: "No, there is no lyric sheet for Gish. Someday we are thinking about a
contest to give away a hand-bound and written copy of the lyrics for
someone to treasure, keep and exploit."
PAGE 3
----------------------
ORIGIN OF NAME: Gene Simmons came to us in a dream and said: "Joe Strummer
is a pumpkin, drunken and smashed."
FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE: Billy and James in a Polish bar called Track,
1988.
FIRST BROADCAST: WNUR Radio, Chicago, 1988.
BIOS:
NAME: William Patrick Corgan
BAND POSITION: Vocalist and guitarist
BORN: Chicago, 1967
OTHER OCCUPATIONS: Poet, philosopher, box maker, brick layer
MUSICAL INFLUENCES: Salvador Dali, Walt Disney
FAVORITE SINGLES: The Sweet, "action", Gene Clark "so you say you've lost
your baby", Santo & Johnny, "sleepwalk".
FAVORITE ALBUMS: Beatles, "rubber soul", Black Sabbath, "master of reality"
FAVORITE BANDS: My Bloody Valentine, Chainsaw Kittens, Skunk, Mercury Rev,
Thin Lizzy.
FAVORITE SONGWRITERS: David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Phil Lynott.
FAVORITE FILMS/TV SHOWS: Citizen Kane, 8 1/2. I don't watch television.
BIGGEST INFLUENCES ON CAREER: Pain, violence, love.
RESIDENCE: CHicago, IL
MAKE OF INSTRUMENT: Rigole TTO
NAME: James Jonas Jaded Iha
BAND POSITION: Guitarist, chess player, trombonist
BORN: Chicago, IL 3/26/68
MUSICAL CAREER: Astro and the Go GO Girls, Snake Train
OTHER OCCUPATIONS: Student, dog owner, domestic specialist
MUSICAL INFLUENCES: Syd Barrett, Big Star, Rolling Stones, Gram Parsons,
Neil Young, Morricone.
FAVORITE SINGLES: Courtney Love, "highlights", Rolling Stones, "tumbling
dice", Byrds, "chestnut mare", sonic youth, "starpower"
FAVORITE ALBUMS: Beatles, "white album", Pussy Galore, "sugar sgit sharp",
My Bloody Valentine, "isn't anything"
FAVORITE SONGWRITERS: Kevin Shields/Bilinda Butcher, Gram Parsons, Neil
Young, Kurt Cobain, Lennon/McCartney
FAVORITE FILMS/TV SHOWS: The Thing, Manhattan, Star Trek: TNG, Fawlty
Towers.
BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON CAREER: Snake Train, Smashing Pumpkins
RESIDENCE: Chicago, IL
MAKE OF INSTRUMENTS: Gibson, Marshall
NAME: D'arcy
BAND POSITION: Bass guitarist
BORN: Michigan 1/5/68
EDUCATED: Got no edukasion
MUSICAL CAREER: Classical violin and oboe player
FAVORITE SINGLES: Flaming Lips, "everyone wants to live forever"
FAVORITE ALBUMS: Beatles, "white album", Jesus and Mary Chain, "Psycho
Candy", nirvana "bleach"
FAVORITE BANDS: Beatles, Pussy Galore, Nirvana, Stooges, Queen, Rolling
Stones
FAVORITE SONGWRITERS: Billy Corgan, Syd Barrett, Lennon/McCartney, Kurt
Cobain
FAVORITE FILMS/TV SHOWS: Star Trek, any bad b-movies up to the 70s.
BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON CAREER: people i hate
RESIDENCE: Chicago, IL
MAKE OF INSTRUMENT: Fender P Bass
NAME: Jimmy Chamberlain
BAND POSITION: Drummer'
BORN: Chicago, 6/10/67
EDUCATED: Joliet Catholic High School
MUSICAL CAREER: JP and the Cats, Eddie Karosa's Polka Party
OTHER OCCUPATIONS: carpenter
MUSICAL INFLUENCES: any big band jazz
FAVORITE ALBUMS: Benny Goodman, "sextet", Buddy Rich, "big band machine",
jazz crusaders, "tough talk", beastie boys, "check your head"
FAVORITE BANDS: Pantera, helmet, squeeze, crowded house, pixies, red hot
chili peppers
FAVORITE SONG WRITERS: difford & tilbrook, tim finn
FAVORITE FILMS/TV SHOWS: Sanford and Son, Good Times, The Honeymooners
RESIDENCE: Chicago, IL
MAKE OF INSTRUMENTS: Yamaha drums, zildjian, vic firth sticks
Well, there you have it. Anyone who cares, the following address is now
the P.O.box for writing:
The Smashing Pumpkins
P.O. Box 578010
Chicago, IL 60657
--
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
"That's the first time I ever hit my own self in the balls."
-Perry Farrell
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
.