D'Arcy and Drugs



February 10, 2000
(from the Chicago Tribune)We've learned that former Smashing Pumpkins bassist
D'Arcy Wretzky is scheduled to appear in court later this month after her
arrest for possession of rock cocaine on the West Side. Wretzky quit the
band in September. The Pumpkins have had their share of drug problems.
Drummer Jimmy Chamberlain, who was with keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin when
Melvoin overdosed on heroin in 1996, recently rejoined the band after a
stint in drug rehab


Smashing Pumpkins Bring The Noise Again On MACHINA




February 8, 2000
Taken from Sonicnet:

LOS ANGELES — Emotionally, Billy Corgan is still down — way down — but he's
definitely not out.
"You know I'm not dead," Corgan wails on "The Everlasting Gaze," the first song
on the Smashing Pumpkins' upcoming MACHINA/the machines of God (Feb.
29), an album drenched in misery yet lined with a glimmer of hope.

Marking a thundering return to the band's hard-rocking sound, the 15-track
album plumbs bandleader Corgan's eternal despair to the sound of squealing
guitar feedback and pounding drum fills. But the bald singer said the band
didn't set out to make a rock album.

"We didn't go in saying, 'We have to make a heavy record because it's time to
make a heavy record.' " — Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins frontman

"When we started Machina we didn't go in saying, 'We have to make a heavy
record because it's time to make a heavy record,' " Corgan, 32, said
Saturday (Jan. 29) while in town to appear on the television
show "Politically Incorrect." Clad in his typical head-to-toe black, Corgan
reclined in a low-slung armchair at the Chateau Marmont hotel and
conjured the image of a demonic snake to describe his band's reassertion of
its heavier side.

"It crept back up the f---ing leg," Corgan said. "If we play heavy, since 1992,
it's because we're motivated by what we're playing. The heaviness on Gish
[the band's 1991 debut] was like climbing the walls to get out of Chicago.
After that, we realized that a band can be so much more than
that").

Corgan said the first few weeks of the MACHINA sessions were more like those
for the Pumpkins' poorly received, electronic-influenced Adore (1997)
than those for the band's explosive 1993 breakthrough, Siamese Dream.

On MACHINA, the New Order–like "Sunshowers" revisits the keyboards and new-wave
drum machine of such Adore tracks as "Ava Adore"
"The Sacred and Profane" is a dark, trip-hop tune that Corgan said was a conscious attempt at
breaking new ground. Both songs represent the culmination of a bizarre,
five-year journey, he said.

"The seeds for Adore, Stigmata [Corgan's 1999 film soundtrack] and MACHINA were
set during the second half of Mellon Collie," Corgan said, referring to the
band's multiplatinum 1995 album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, which
spawned the hard-rock hit "Bullet With Butterfly Wings"

"I went through some weird art transformation courtesy of [producer] Flood and
found some synchronicity," Corgan said. "It seemed to open a door for me
that took me into a world where there were no rules, no limitations. ... We
went in fully prepared to not go back [to the rock side of the group's
sound]".


New Everlasting Gaze Video


February 3, 2000
There is a large clip of the new Everlasting Gaze video over at MuchMusic.com.
You need windows media player to view it, click here to check it out. Also
the video will premier on 120 minutes on MTV Sunday @ midnight.

The Smashing Pumpkins will also appear on Egos and Icons on Much Music, 1 hour
special, showing rare concert footage and interviews" on February 22nd at
9:30pm.


Not Again...



January 13,2000
Well once again Billy Corgan pressed his luck. They get signed under Osborne
managment and not lets guess why Sharon is dropping them. Hmmm I really
really wonder. In a press statement she said she was dropping them for

medical reasons- Billy Corgan was making her sick... Billy!!!!
ERrrrrrr... Sharon did say that working with other Pumpkins was great.

how very odd


December 28, 1999
Well pumpkinheads after the debut of "The Everlasting Gaze" on the billboard charts last week at number 40 the pumpkins have jumped up to number 9!they are highlighted as "airpower". You can go see the chart for yourself at the billboard modern rock chart and if you would notice that they are way ahead of Kid Rock now!!!

Where Do I Begin?


December 18,1999
Well alot has been going on lately. Remember that the new single "Stand Inside
Your Love" is rumored to be released in just 3 days!!!
The Official Smashing Pumpkin Page is
back!!! YAY it is under construction, but in the new year you can look
forward to such things as Pumpkinradio!!!
On December 20 make sure to go to tunes.com where there will be a live webcast
of the Pumpkin concert in Chicago with Cheap Trick. The concert begins at 8:00
pm so don't miss it!

Tour Dates


December 11,1999
When _________ Where__________ on sale
1999/12/20 Chicago, IL, USA Metro 1999/12/10
21 Chicago, IL, USA Metro 12/10
2000/01/07 Stockholm, Sweden Cirkus 11/26
09 Copenhagen, Denmark Cirkus 11/26
11 Munich, Germany Muffathalle 11/27
12 Milan, Italy Alcatraz 12/04
15 Lisbon, Portugal Lisbon Coliseum 11/24
16 Madrid, Spain La Riviera 12/01
18 Paris, France Elysee Montmarte ??/??
19 Brussels, Belgium Cirque Royale 12/01
21 Manchester, England Apollo 12/01
22 London, England Dominion Theatre 12/01
24 Utrecht, Holland Vredenburg Music Centre 12/04



Pumpkins Disclose Album Title, Auf Der Maur Hiring


November 26,1999 (from SPIFC.... I think)

The Smashing Pumpkins have unveiled the title of their upcoming album,
MACHINA/the machines of God, and reportedly they have divulged that former
Hole bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur will tour Europe with them.The disc, due
Feb. 29, was recorded by the Chicago rockers in the fall, prior to the
departure of bassist D'Arcy Wretzky, according to a spokesperson for the
group, who requested anonymity.

The venue for the European tour's Jan. 7 opener has not yet been determined
[It's been confirmed by the SP IFC (see below); maybe this story hasn't been
properly checked out? --Netphoria], according to the source. MTV News
reported on Wednesday that Auf Der Maur would participate, but the band's
official spokesperson, Annie Ohayon, would
not confirm that at press time.

The new Pumpkins album, the band's fifth studio release and the follow-up to
1998's electronica-tinged Adore, was previewed for Virgin Records staffers
and select radio programmers Friday at the Whisky Bar in New York, according
to the source.

New Albums Tracklisting


November 24 1999

The album’s release date is Feb. 29, 2000 (pushed
back
from its original date of Feb. 15) and the track listing goes as follows:
1."Everlasting Gate"
2."Sunshowers"
3."Stand Inside Your Love" (the first single)
4."I Of The Mourning"
5."The Sacred + Profane"
6."Try"
7."Heavy Metal Machine"
8."This Time"
9."The Imploding Voice"
10."Glass + The Ghost Children"
11."Wound"
12."Crying Tree"
13."Blue Skies Bring Tears"
14."With Every Light"

Mellisa Auf Der Maur joins the Pumpkins

According to numerous magazine reports, MTV, and sources close to the band former Hole Bassist, Mellissa Auf Der Maur has joined the Pumpkins. Mellissa quit Hole in Septemeber not much later than D'Arcy quit/was fired from SP. The new Pumpkin album,"Desolation" will be released on February 15.

D'Arcy Fired???



Smashing Pumpkins fans may never know the real reason bassist D'Arcy left the band just months before the release of their forthcoming album, but rumor has it she was actually fired by Billy Corgan. Apparently, the L.A.-based D'Arcy is also an aspiring actress and felt she was ready for her close-up. A source claims she kept missing band practice because she was too busy auditioning and Corgan, still reeling from the sales of the last Pumpkins album, Adore, finally got fed up with the wannabe ingenue. The band's label, Virgin Records, declined to comment.

The Pumpkins New Manager (from mtv.com)



If she can handle Ozzy, Billy should be no problem. Osbourne Management, the company headed by Sharon Osbourne (the wife of Ozzy), added a high-profile client to its roster this week when Smashing Pumpkins signed on to the agency. Billy Corgan and the rest of the Pumpkins now join an Osbourne lineup that includes Ozzy, Black Sabbath, and Coal Chamber. The move brings an end to the Pumpkins' year-long search for new management after the band left the stable of Q-Prime. According to a spokesperson at Osbourne Management, the Pumpkins are expected to release an as-yet-untitled album on February 15 with a world tour to follow.



Billy and James to Play the Bridge School Benifit

Billy Corgan and James Iha have confirmed their attendance at this year's Bridge School Benefit at the Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, California. In addition to Billy and James, Neil Young, Pearl Jam, Green Day and *many* other top performers are scheduled to appear. This year's benefit will take place on October 30th and 31st, 1999. A schedule of performance dates and times will be available in the near future. Tickets will be available from BASS outlets on Sunday, September 12, 1999 at 10:00 a.m. PT (8:00 a.m. CT) with a limit of 6 tickets per person. Prices are $45 US for seats, $35 US for the lawn (plus applicable BASS charges.)



D'Arcy is Gone




D'Arcy has officially left SP as you all have heard by now, but the album is still coming out and the band is breaking up. I think that D'Arcy will probably come back though because as we all know the band just would not be the same without her



???D'Arcy???

from rolling stone

Is there trouble in the Pumpkin patch? Sources close to Smashing Pumpkins say that bassist D'Arcy Wretzky has been missing in action while Billy Corgan and the boys churn out their follow-up to 1998's techno-flavored Adore in a Chicago studio. "D'Arcy's participation in this album has been minimal at best," claimed one insider. "Billy has been calling the band a power trio, and [guitarist] James Iha has been doing all the bass parts." The yet-untitled disc marks the return of Jimmy Chamberlain, who was dismissed for his drug use after the fatal heroin overdose of touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin in 1996. After Chamberlain proved that he had left his drug problems behind, Corgan welcomed the drummer back to the band, but now the spotlight is on Wretzky, who reportedly has told friends that she has been dissatisfied with her role in the band for some time. Wretzky's supporters say that she has been weary of Corgan's storied dictatorial ways and even threatened to quit in Pittsburgh last April during the Pumpkins' brief club tour. Fan Web sites have been ablaze all week with talk of the bassist's exit. The Pumpkins' management denied any knowledge of the split, as did representatives from Virgin Records, who said they would not be able to confirm or deny the rumors until Corgan returned from "unreachable vacation" next week. But last week, Billy Corgan was overheard telling partygoers about D'Arcy's exit at a bash following Cheap Trick's show in Rockford, Ill. Some friends of the band who visited the group in the studio said they've never witnessed happier Pumpkins recording sessions. But others pointed out that there have always been tensions and the Pumpkins have thrived despite them. "Billy has never been happier," insisted one source. To add fuel to the fire, in an interview with the Chicago Tribune two weeks ago, Corgan said, "I'm glad my band is back together for the moment. How long that is going to last, I don't know."


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Once Again Waiting....

Well well it seems to have happened again. The release date of the new
pumpkin album has been pushed back all the was to February 1 2000, and just
when we were all getting used to waiting till October.

The new album is said to be very complicated. I am not sure what that
means but perhaps it just means that the new album will be worth the wait. I
surely hope so.


we've been pestering the band ceaselessly for an
update, and we finally have one for you. the
good news is the new record is now more than
60% completed, with approximately 21 songs still
being considered along with a few select
instrumentals. 11 of the songs you might
recognize from the arising! tour, and 10 more
additional songs that have yet to be played live
by the band. the pumpkins hope to be finished in the
first couple weeks of august, and are still planning a late fall release. and contrary to
published rumours that the record is a return to
the band's older styles, we ask and gently remind,
when have the smashing pumpkins ever repeated themselves? stay tuned to
smashingpumpkins.com for further