Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan discussed David Bowie in a new LAUT interview. The interview was in German, so this quote is via Google Translate.
“David was really a special person. Bowie came to Virgin Records when the Pumpkins were huge. He brought out some great records about Virgin. But I saw how the press treated him then. ‘Oh, Bowie is past,’ and at the same time he wanted to bring his work to the future. I did not really talk to him about it, but I heard behind the scenes what was going on at the time. I’m not going to get bored with you, but there were certain things going on behind the curtain, and I thought to myself, ‘Hell, that’s about David Bowie, why do not people respect him?’
You can see how his heroes are treated inappropriately, but the situation is mastered and the oar is rumbling as David did it, who made very good music until the end … I admire him for it. He could just have lived in the past and say ‘I’m David Bowie, who cares if I write a good song again?’ Like Neil Young and Bob Dylan, I also admire him for always looking for a strong work. This is not easy when you are a legend like him.”
