A pair of never-before-heard Smashing Pumpkins demos have found their way onto the interwebs and the original Pumpkin patch is not happy.
The songs date back to a time many lineup changes ago, when Billy Corgan was collaborating with then-bandmates James Iha and D’arcy Wretzky alongside recently returned prodigal son, Jimmy Chamberlin.
As Consequence Of Sound points out, the first unearthed track is an alternate recording of One and Two, a song which originally appeared on Iha’s 1998 solo debut, Let It Come Down. But this previously unheard version features Corgan on lead vocals, which is kind of a big deal, as it’s one of the very few Iha-penned tracks to do so.
The second disinterred relic is another Mellon Collie era track dubbed The Tracer. It pops up within the 23-minute Pistachio Medley from the Pumpkins’ 1996 Zero EP, which features over 70 song snippets.
And although the majority of fans have responded to the leaked rarities with a resounding “Yew!”, the original Pumpkins think it’s less than smashing.
Corgan has penned a forceful and forebodingly-worded Facebook status, since deleted, vowing retribution against the individual responsible for leaking the tracks.
In a post entitled “A NOTE REGARDING LEAKS FROM THE PUMPKINS ARCHIVES”, the frontman writes:
Recently, some ‘fresh’ tracks, albeit outtakes and work product from 20+ years ago, surfaced on the internet. And though such releases are celebrated by fans and media alike, they are the product of theft, and should not be applauded as such.
Remember, whoever the culprit is, they do not reveal themselves for fear of prosecution.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is not some Robin Hood helping out the impoverished. And when they are found out, we, The Smashing Pumpkins (and yes, the original 4 are unified on such issues) will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law as well as bring a civil suit; for undoubtably this person is a former employee.
And in that, we will reward whoever helps bring this matter to its just result. But that does not mean we don’t have our suspicions and leads.
It’s only a matter of time.
That right there is some menacing AF Liam Neeson shit.
And with Corgan’s new full-time job at TNA wrestling, you’d better believe he’s capable of punching some serious necks.
But despite the singer’s harsh words, fans might be able to glean some positive news from the fact that he claims the original four Pumpkins are “unified” on the issue, which implies they’ve at least been in communication after years of hating each others’ guts.
In an interview earlier this year, the Corganator admitted that he wants to “find peace” with his former bandmates Iha and Wretzky, and though he was quick to point out that his sentiments don’t necessarily mean a reunion of the classic lineup could be on the cards, it at least implies that we might be a step closer to it actually happening, some day.
And in the meantime, you can enjoy a nice blast from the past by listening to the two newly unearthed Pumpkins tracks below (sorry, Billy).
Screenshot of Smashing Pumpkin post:
