Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan Explains ‘Starla’ in New Webisode

2012-03-01

Story by Cat Badra

Billy Corgan says ‘Gish’ B-side ‘Starla’ is ‘probably one of the most memorable songs’ by the Pumpkins

In the Smashing Pumpkins’ third webisode supporting the Pumpkins’ recent “Gish” and “Siamese Dream” reissues, frontman Billy Corgan explains the genesis of the melodic Pumpkins track “Starla,” and how it ended up as a B-side on “Gish.” Watch Corgan explain it all plus give an acoustic performance of “Starla,” below.

“We often find ourselves in the situation — because of the success of our album and the success of the band internationally — we found that there were a system in place in the U.K. where in order to get your your single heard and released and pushed by the record company, you had to give them what is called B-sides, which, in the tradition, of the record business is an extra song not on the album,” Corgan explains.

“So, ‘Starla’ was one of those songs that was done at the very last second,” he added. “We stayed up all night. The song was half written, and I believe we completed the song after about a 12, 13 hour session, about 7 a.m., and it’s one of those songs that there has been a lot of debate through the years of whether or not is should have been on ‘Siamese Dream,’ because that’s probably the album it would have ended up on had we kept the song. At that point, we didn’t think enough of the song to rate it worth consideration for ‘Siamese Dream,’ and yet it’s probably one of the most memorable songs we did.” Check out Corgan describing the track “Daydream” off “Gish” on the Pumpkins’ artist page.

Watch Smashing Pumpkins’ Webisode No. 3 – ‘Starla’:

 




Cat Badra
Posted by Cat Badra | Alternative, Grunge, Music, Rock News

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