Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan is currently working on the MACHINA reissue, and he discovered never before heard rehearsal recording from The Arising! 1999 tour, featuring early versions of MACHINA songs featuring D’arcy Wretzky. The 1999 tour was the first tour featuring the original lineup in nearly three years, and ended up being the original band’s final tour as the long rumored reunion failed to materialize this year. Below are excerpts from recent Billy Corgan Instagram Q&A’s.
Most surprising find today?
Hard to quantify, but found: an acoustic version of Age of Innocence I don’t remember doing, lots of Arising tour rehearsals with whole band playing, and a forgotten song called Aldo Novacaine.
Any chance of non Machina live versions from Machina Era tours? i.e. new wave To Sheila from free tour.
I found Arising versions of older songs, like Pug. Not sure how to best share those. And please don’t write and say just put them out for free blah blah. Ain’t happening. But I could see where a live disc or video with older songs makes sense (i.e. MACHINA style).
Home has always been a favorite of mine. Any tracks showing the evolution of that song?
The earliest versions feel a bit different. I was surprised how in many cases the first go round of songs was quite good but for whatever reason we tore everything [apart].
Acoustic Imploding Voice from Kosukai 2000-07-02 is beautiful. Any chance of inclusion?
There is a studio acoustic version I found today recorded at the same session as ‘Untitled’.
Is there a stripped down version of Raindrops + Sunshowers? Or was it a heavy new wavey thing from the get go?
It started off straight and shoegazey and went through a very electronic phase before pivoting to the version on the album. I have heard this transitioning if you will over the last two days of work.
Is this going to be a triple vinyl or quadruple?
Complete vinyl set would be resequenced, completed MACHINA, original versions/mixes of M1 and M2, and probably one disc and maybe two of relevant extras. CD box set would have maybe a live show as well plus video. Streaming version would just be resequenced record and a collection of extra tracks.
