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Smashing Pumpkins' Corgan speaks on Virgin lawsuit

Billy Corgan says label 'do not have the right' to use their name

' Billy Corgan has spoken about the lawsuit the band have filed against their former label Virgin.

The group, who reformed last year after seven years away, are suing the label for allowing their name to be used in a promotion with Amazon.com and Pepsi.

Speaknig to Billboard, Corgan said: "I'm sure they indicated to Pepsi that the had a right to do this, full well knowing they do not have the right."

The lawsuit claims that Virgin have 'irreparably harmed the group, their reputation and goodwill with their fans'.

Virgin and are reportedly partners in the ownership of the band's back catalogue, but Corgan claims he and his band members have the right to veto any deals of this manner.

The frontman added: "You're going to see more of this playing fast and loose with the rules, hoping they don't get caught. At face value, it's not a large deal. But in terms of precedent it is, because there will be much more of this coming."

Corgan also said that he has made offers to buy the band's catalogue back from Virgin, but he explained that they are not keen to enter into discussion.

He admitted: "They wouldn't put a number on it. They've atrophied the catalogue down so low that they probably hope we'll crawl back and ask for cash."

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Comments (5)

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wellduhobviously

Mar 26, 2008

You know what really harms the good will of fans, Billy?

1. Reforming a much-loved band without two of the original members (replaced with hired hands in what seems to be a blatant move to ensure the band is even less of a democracy than before its original demise).
2. Cashing in on the huge interest in the reformation by releasing a shit ton of different versions with different bonus tracks, cover art and extras - knowing full well there are people who will buy all the versions.
3. Books of (terrible) poetry.

ape_dosmil

Mar 28, 2008

I agree with points 2 and 3 ... Don't really see that point 1 is of any significance though. For starters D'arcy had already left the band (possibly been fired) by the time they split so it never seemed likely she was going to take part in the reunion. James Iha had no interest in the reunion.

Anyways, it's always been fairly common knowledge that almost everything you hear on a Pumpkins record was performed by Corgan and Chamberlin. Corgan played most of the guitar and bass parts on the records. Iha and D'arcy had very little input when they were in the band because as you say Smashing Pumpkins has certainly never been a democracy. So it's really the same band it's always been. Unfortunately Billy Corgan just doesn't appear to be able to write the types of songs he once did any longer.

wellduhobviously

Mar 29, 2008

I disagree completely - James' involvement is massively understated. He co-wrote 'I Am One', 'Soma' and 'Mayonaise' - three of their most popular songs; and he was in the band long before Jimmy replaced their drum machine.

In all, he wrote or co-wrote thirteen songs for the band and sang on two or three covers they recorded. Not as prolific as Billy maybe, but hardly a hired hand.

While Billy's perfectionism lead him to record the vast majority of guitar parts, I wouldn't take his post-split anti-James rhetoric as undeniable evidence of James' contributions. Read interviews and articles from the time of Mellon Collie, for example, and Billy talks openly about how James was very much involved; and the Adore EPK seemed to suggest Billy was too busy with his piano to care about guitar, so James came up with a lot of the guitar textures, particularly those using the eBow (like on 'For Martha').

The fact nothing Billy has released since the split has been upto the standards of the original line-up is clearly more than just him losing his touch.

rainbowpanda

Mar 29, 2008

was zeitgeist really ment to be "the next pumpkin album "?

Number Johnny Five

Apr 3, 2008

Pumpkins is the brand by which Corgan can guarantee a modicum of sales.Solo or as Zwan he's just not worth shit.And his voice is the weakest i've ever heard by a landslide (coming in close second is the guy from that Irish band who thought they were the Beach Boys and had a song with an instrumental break that was the Mork and Mindy theme... The Thrills I think they were called. The No Marks they should have been called).And the production on Melloncollie... totally ruins the album for me (even moreso than the images of Muppets as I hear the vocal).Corgans middle name should be "Lucky".