Original Smashing Pumpkins bassist D’arcy Wretzky has continued to communicate with fans in the comments section of recent Alternative Nation articles. She discussed her lengthy relationship with James Iha in the early days of The Smashing Pumpkins, how she had great conversations with Billy Corgan about the band reuniting before seeing it was ‘all BS,’ how she wanted to ‘heal’ the original lineup for years, and much more in comments she has posted in the last week.
James DiGriz commented:
What an utter cockwomble. “if you don’t want to be on a t-shirt then the kids are happy to buy something else”
I think you’ll find your wrong there Billy. Sure, you’ll sell some shows and t-shirts but nothing like on the scale if you gave the fans what they’ve wanted for over 20 years, which is a return of the original band, including the IRREPLACEABLE D’arcy. You don’t get it Billy, you can’t just swap out unique parts and think it’s the same thing.
Personally, I won’t pay to see this ‘reunion’ because it’s fake.
D’arcy responded:
and i have a funny story about exactly that only from … 2007?
I’m not sure of the year.
Who really has time to pay attention to all of Willy’s shenanigans?
(and if you do, please don’t tell us)
Long story for later tho.
edging4dayz commented:
this is so sad can we hit billy corgan
D’arcy responded:
I can’t tell you what to do…
… but he is in the wrestling
business so i guess SOMETHING would be w/in the realm of the law, and most of the rest of the world would probably think so too.
a lot of people LOVE that form of entertainment!
BILLY TOO!!!
?
Gary Reilly commented:
Very interesting read, and good to hear D’arcy’s side given that Corgan has been the one controlling most of the PR.
None of it – if true – surprises me to be honest. Corgan’s always been known for being egotistical, though I thought he had mellowed a bit in recent years.
You have to question the motives behind the whole reunion thing too, if Corgan was pushing for it because he ‘wanted his band together’ again and to make music as they always did, then why omit D’arcy? The flipside is that if he was doing it just for money, he would be severely hypocritical after publicly calling out Soundgarden (amongst others) in 2012 for reuniting solely to cash in on the band’s name. Sadly, it seems more likely that he’s doing it for money than music given that he’s indicated there will be a tour – where bands make money these days – and no new album.
D’arcy responded:
Everyone who knows Billy knows he’s ALWAYS been severely hypocritical!
Why should everyone have to play perfectly?
but he can sing like shit and so out of tune it’s not even in the same key as the song?
for years of shows!
(if you want to call it singing)
But that’s perfectly FINE.
It was TORTURE.
Christopher commented:
How do you know she wasn’t “classically trained” for a month? A year? Three years? And she admitted she hasn’t done much music in 20 years…what if she forgot whatever training she had? You’re using “I heard she was classically trained!” as the panacea to forgive all of her non-musical accomplishments the last 25 years, and worse, to denigrate the guy who keeps professionally composing music, music that inspired a pretty big fan base.
D’arcy responded:
I started playing violin when i was FIVE.
I stopped at 14 when i picked up a bass.
I’ve been singing and reading and writing music since i could talk.
Christof Sieksbi commented:
oh, well she explained pretty much everything, EXCEPT she didn’t directly answer those questions about WHICH TUNES SHE EXACTLY PLAYED ON, but that’s moot. (It’s literally irrelevant to the entire issue IF she played or Billy played her parts.)
I don’t think she came off as EVASIVE. most people digress and so on. didn’t she at one point ask “what was the questions again?”
D’arcy responded:
a LOT happened over many years.
I never spoke about any of it in hopes that things could be healed.
They couldn’t be healed and i get a bit more than a bit carried away and off topic.
I’m pretty much a spaz anyway.
seriously.
Hello Gluegun commented:
i don’t know about her.
two quotes from her from the interview regarding Corgan:
“No, no. We were never friends.”
“Oh yeah, I really enjoyed our friendship.”
D’arcy responded:
when we started talking again i thought he had changed.
we had some really great conversations but apparently it was all BS.
Dane Brennand commented:
Her vocals on Daydream always were great to me. I reckon if she tried she could make an amazing original song and blow Billy the fuck out.
D’arcy responded:
and THAT is why he would never let it be on a setlist
or let me sing lead vocals on another song ever again.
That’s just a fact.
Paudi O Cuan commented:
Regardless who played what she still had to go up in front of live audience for 12 years and play bass to all those songs LIVE!! Give her credit brother
D’arcy responded:
what the hell WAS i doing there while we were writing anyway???
Just My Opinion commented:
Wasn’t she only in the band because she was Billy’s girlfriend? I know he had to over-dub a lot of her bass lines in the studio.
D’arcy responded:
I was never Billy’s girlfriend.
Not even close. James and i were together for the 1st 4 yrs
Billy did not overdub or redo ALL of my parts.
