The Smashing Pumpkins Reformation

[tristy]

MTV News is reporting that onetime SMASHING PUMPKINS bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur as well as an undisclosed source "close to the situation" have confirmed that PUMPKINS bandleader Billy Corgan has been working on material that will, at some point, surface in the form of a new SMASHING PUMPKINS album.

"From what I understand, Billy [will be] making a PUMPKINS record over the next little while," Auf Der Maur told MTV News last week. "Everyone knows Billy doesn't need too many people to make a PUMPKINS record, other than Jimmy [Chamberlin, longtime PUMPKINS drummer] — who he has [on board]."

A spokesperson for Azoff Management confirmed Thursday (February 2) that Corgan and Chamberlin have signed on with the firm as SMASHING PUMPKINS, and that the two are writing new music. A source close to the situation told MTV News that the duo plan to record over the summer and that the new PUMPKINS could surface before the end of the year — however, no definitive plans are set.

Auf Der Maur said she's not sure whether Corgan has reached out to guitarist James Iha or bassist D'Arcy Wretzky to complete the band's original lineup, but she said she's told Corgan that she'd be happy to pitch in if he needs her; Auf Der Maur replaced Wretzky in 1999 and worked with the group until it disbanded in 2000.

[zero]

While Auf der Maur/Corgan/Chamberlain/un-named guitarist would be okay, it just won't be the same without D'arcy or Iha. Melissa Auf der Maur's solo work is so damn good that I just can't see her becoming a full-time member of a band again, but Corgan/Chamberlain/Iha/Auf der Maur would be an awesome line-up. For me personally though, I'm really hoping for the original band getting back together. But that said, bands like Social Distortion, The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, etc only have one original member and still put out quality records, so 75% Smashing Pumpkins is better than none at all. I just hope the reunited Pumpkins go in the creative direction of records like Gish, Siamese Dream, and Mellon Collie rather than Adore and Machina.

[tristy]

To be fair, Nine Inch Nails will never be anyone but Trent Reznor. It's a rotating line-up.

And I think this'll be good, all things considered. D'Arcy is a crackwhore now apparently, and Corgan will never work with Iha again. So you just have to take what you get, I guess.

[thuganomic]

I'm excited. Like Tristy, I really liked Zwan and this will be a great excuse and motivation for me to revisit some old Smashing Pumpkins stuff.

Good news.

[zero]

An article posted on MSNBC.com ten minutes ago, not a whole lot different from what Tristy posted earlier, but a little more detailed and definitive:

By Jonathan Cohen

Billboard

Updated: 10:36 p.m. ET Feb. 2, 2006

NEW YORK - In the clearest sign yet that Billy Corgan is reviving seminal alternative rock band Smashing Pumpkins, sources say he and Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin are set to begin work on a new studio album.

Original members James Iha (guitar) and D’arcy Wretzky (bass), recent targets of Corgan’s venom, are not participating in the reunion at this point. But sources say multi-instrumentalist Billy Mohler will be involved in some fashion. Mohler formerly played bass in pop/rock act the Calling and contributed to Chamberlin’s 2005 solo album, “Life Begins Again.”

“As long as Billy has Jimmy, he can make the essential Pumpkins record, I’m sure,” former Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur told Billboard.com, adding that while she is not involved in any reunion plans, “my services are always there to play my favorite songs. If D’arcy is not available, I’m always happy to be second in line.”

When asked for comment, a Corgan spokesperson said there was no information to report at present.

Corgan has also signed a new management deal with rock impresario Irving Azoff’s Front Line Management. He broke up the band at the end of 2000, the year the band released its final album, “MACHINA/the machines of god.”

The Pumpkins are expected to hit the road at some point this year, although a rumored appearance at southern California’s Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in late April will not materialize. The group’s name is already being kicked around as a possible headliner for Lollapalooza, which is set for Aug. 4-6 in its Chicago hometown.

Corgan stunned fans last June when he took out a full-page ad in the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times announcing his intentions to “renew and “revive” the Pumpkins. In 2004, he broke his silence about why the band dissolved, lashing out at Iha and Wretzky for walking away from an endeavor he described as “essentially my entire life... a dream I still believe in.”

Corgan’s newspaper ads came out the same day as his Reprise solo debut, “The Future Embrace,” which met with a chilly reception at retail. The album debuted at No. 31 on The Billboard 200 and has sold just 69,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

In the past few weeks, the URL http://www.SmashingPumpkins.com has begun redirecting to Corgan’s own home page. In December, he teased fans on his Myspace.com site with the promise of a surprise, saying that it “all will be announced soon enough. Hold on to your horses. After all, good things surely (come) to those who wait. Don’t you just love the suspense?”

EDIT

And for the record, D'arcy was arrested six years ago on the crack charges, she completed a drug program and all charges against her were dropped. Since she's had no other issues in the last six years, it's pretty safe to assume she's cleaned herself up.

Edited February 3, 2006 by Zero

[MalaCloudy Black]

I really hope this doesn't suck.

[SeanDMan]

It's not the same without James.

[GoGo Yubari]

It's not the same without James.

Agreed.

[SeanDMan]

It's not the same without James.

Agreed.

:kiss:

I always thought James was really the backbone of everything about the Pumpkins I ever liked. D'Arcy was so invisible that when Auf Der Mar replaced her I didn't even know until the band broke up. While that partially speaks to my not being an absolute massive superfan of the group, I think it's more indicative of how close the two ladies were in skill and style (and maybe how far MADM has come since those days). But you could never replace James. Corgan too, but I think that Corgan just has massive selfstarfucking issues and is problably single handedly responsible for the band collapsing in the first place. But without James' guitar melding with Corgan's solid work as a vocalist I don't think it will be as good as the original.