Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream engineer Jeff Tomei was recently interviewed on ‘Smashing Pumpkins: Breaking The Band’ on Reelz Channel, and he claimed that when recording the 1993 classic, Billy Corgan would demand James Iha give him the guitar after being unsatisfied with his playing. Smashing Pumpkins are currently on tour, with drummer Jimmy Chamberlin being devastated by tragic news.
Tomei said, “There were times with James where we’d plug the guitar in, he’d play a part, and Billy would say: ‘That part doesn’t work.’ [James] would say, ‘Well, that’s the part.’ Billy’s reaction was usually, ‘Give me the guitar, and get out.’”
He added, “I remember we would usually have D’arcy come in and play through the song in the overdub phase and kind of get a vibe on what she was doing with it and what she was playing, but it would be the same thing. ‘Give me the bass, and get out.’”
A fan recently told Corgan on his Instagram story Q&A, “Terrible REELZ doc just aired. Can’t believe how they disregarded 01-19 SP.” Corgan responded, “LOL vultures will be vultures, idiots will be idiots, fools will be fools.”
Another fan asked, “You said in 98 you changed your approach to singing, what was the reason behind it?”
Corgan responded, “Didn’t have chops to sing what I was writing melody/length of phrase wise.”
Another fan said, “Has your taste on mixing changed or were some of the (soon remixed) LP’s rushed?”
Corgan shot back, “Not rushed, no. I just got a bit caught up in the current way of mixing which I now detest. Should have just stuck to the way I personally like to hear things.”
