Song of the Month

Before The Smashing Pumpkins existed as a rock and roll band, a talented songwriter from Chicago named Billy Corgan would constantly record and distribute demo tapes of songs he had written to friends, acquaintences, and prospective collaborators. It has been reported that after meeting James Iha, he and Billy cut demos in their basements for up to six months straight. D'Arcy once said that Billy would give her tapes full of new songs on a weekly basis.

There can be no doubt that Billy Corgan was a prolific and highly motivated songwriter in his younger days trying to break into the Chicago music scene with his unqiue sonic vision. Upon finding bandmates that not only bought his vision, but contributed their influences to it, Billy was pushed even moreso to create the music he loved. As the result of relentless touring and well-promoted singles (can you say "SubPop"), the Pumpkins were already a sensation when their debut LP was released in May 1991.

Would fame and stardom lessen the rate at which the Pumpkins produced new material? Why, the vast majority of bands that "make it big" are content to write a handful of new songs every few years, and release remixes as b-sides. Not so the Pumpkins! The demos, recording sessions, album tracks, and b-sides from the Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness album alone amounted to well over 125 songs. That's a career for most artists!

Yes, the Pumpkins have given us plenty of material to discuss and debate. We're ten years behind the game, so what say we get started?

April 1999 Song of the Month: Offer Up

The Song of the Month section features a unique song each month. I am looking for indiviudals who think they could make a contribution to this section by providing informed analysis accompanied by supporting audio samples. Email me if you think you fit the bill!

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