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Jimmy Chamberlin Re-Joins Smashing Pumpkins

(Again, Again, Again)

Just got word that Jimmy Chamberlin has re-joined Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins.  Sources close to the band report that following a serendipitous invite to the true-fan only ‘Amazon Listening Party’ for the Smashing Pumpkin’s forthcoming album,  Oceania, Chamberlin was so awestruck by the quality of the recording that he reached out to former bandmaster Corgan and tabled a deal to re-join the outfit.   

Sources reveal that Chamberlin privately cited many reasons for his return to fold; “it’s been too long… it’s totally driven by a desire to not sound anything like ‘classic pumpkins’ and to explore totally new ground… It’s all about the cash… I just love wrestling and tea and so does Billy…my shaman told me to do it… Teargarden has been an unmitigated success so far – it's the best release method ever”.

However, the official announcement, announced over at Smashing Pumpkins.com states Chamberlin’s true motivation:

"I want Corgan’s dreams, his songs and his band back together..."   

"...I have waved any creative input and final say on everything, it will be, and rightly so, all Billy's. This is a make or break year for the band and only securing the best marketing deal will ensure the bands future, not the music.”

When asked by the "gatekeepers" of Smashing Pumpkins fandom, oddly comment disabled site Crestfallen.com, about the specific moment he realised he wished to reconcile his musical ideology with Billy’s own, Chamberlin explains;

“It was about 7 or 8 tracks into the new record. In each track I heard the drums doing things I have done in other songs or pretty much would do - given the chance.  I kept thinking, this in an odd bastardisation of my originality as an Artist and if Billy wanted to just get someone in to play like me, why not pick, say Matt Walker.  He actually did it OK”.  He continues “I figured that; if they’ve got a new guy in and he’s just going to approximate what I’d do, but so incredibly poorly I can’t really comprehend it, I should probably just do it myself”.  

Chamberlin continues, “I was quietly optimistic that Billy would move forward in new musical directions, as he always used to try and one of the reasons I used to love the band, but now my priorities have changed & it’s why I’m back in; I am all about living in the past now. I am the difference, I am the 97%.  I realised that touring on ‘Rat in a Cage’ into my 60’s, is my real dream future”, gushes Chamberlin.

Talking about the future, for the handful of you out there wondering about the prospects of drumming tyke Mike Bryne, unfortunately the one and only music pundit who was in the slightest bit bothered by his dismissal, didn't have much hope;

“Even if my life depended on it, and I had Bonham, Moon and Rich as my phone-a-friends, I couldn’t pick this guys style out of a line-up of 5 ‘mathrock’ drummers."

Bryne, tweeted his disappointment at his inevitable dismissal; “shit. I dun goofed #imitationnotnecessarilythesincerestformofflattery”. 

Chamberlin Talks Korg

Right Here

Nothing really news worthy per-se, but will be interesting to hear kind of track what he incorporates this drum into next...

Jimmy Chamberlin - Folk Rocker

Jimmy Chamberlin hit the throne for a single track, "Born Again", with soulful folk band Cory Chisel and the Wandering Son - when they took the stage on the 07th of March, at the Vic Theatre Chicago.
 
Will post vid/audio if it appears.

Full story over with my chums at HU.

Wait a minute - It appears James Iha has also graced the stage with Corey... http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/317327_301039836588809_171710496188411_1277845_944696669_n.jpg

Unite JC & BC - in your mind

http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/music/10517030-421/vote-who-belongs-in-chicagos-all-star-band.html

Corgan Continues Charm Offensive...

Further to Corgan's most recent contradiction, thanks to Machine Somehow reader Chris and Arachnea, here's a little extract from a recent interview Corgan conducted with Mojo Magazine here in the UK, where he continues to lavish praise on musical soulmate Jimmy Chamberlin... 

Mojo: You were playing with James and D'arcy but the arrival of Jimmy Chamberlin changed everything. How?

Corgan: When Jimmy joined the band we were playing a lot of kind of Cure type songs, very simple beats. Right away I could tell it was almost like he was playing dumb. We had one heavyish song and he was playing it without breaking sweat when any other drummer would have been huffing and puffing, so it wasn't too long before we sold our Jazz Chorus amps – which were the alternative amp of choice – and we got Marshall half-stacks. The louder we played, the louder he played. He was always one step ahead of us. There was nothing Jimmy couldn't do. Jimmy is an incredible emotional interpreter of the song, He would bring these emotional swells, almost like an orchestral swish, to what we were doing.

Did the band come close to splitting around Mellon Collie…?
No... Are you going to kick out one of the greatest drummers in the world who just helped make this massive album? Are you going to kick him out when you are playing this sold-out tour all around the world?...

In 2001 you and Jimmy formed Zwan with Matt Sweeney (Chavez), Dave Pajo (Slint/Sterolab) and Paz Lenchantin. What were you trying to achieve?

Jimmy and I had held this myth that if James and D'arcy had been better musicians the Pumpkins would have been bigger. So Zwan was an attempt at getting better musicians. It wasn't designed to be grandiose like the pumpkins, it was the opposite – let's have some fun, let's make a really good record with people we like. We went to Key West and rented a house. We would sit on the front porch and write songs and play all this kind of groovy stuff. Then, when it got serious the whole thing started to blow up and it was like "Oh my god, I am in the same nightmare again." It was the classic thing where you get out of a bad relationship and you think, "I am never going to do that again," and you go out and get the same kind of girlfriend but worse. That's what I did.

Updated Downloads

Added one or two bits and pieces here, for the canny eyed amongst you. Grab um before SOPA (mk2) gets um for no good reason. Oh, and if you have any requests or shows I don't have - give us a shout down below - or on twitter or such like. Cheers.

Drum Hero... DRUM GOD - Jimmy Chamberlin

http://thepantherlabmusic.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/drum-gods-jimmy-chamberlin/

Jimmy Chamberlin DRUM HERO

"I think Jimmy Chamberlin is a fucking animal, just unbelievable." So says drumming tyke Mike Byrne again.

 

Skysaw to make Cathedral Centrepiece of new Record

Well, it could be an EP - so say's Mike in a new interview with ROCK EDITION

Happy New Year

Happy Christmas

Go Buy the Smashing Pumpkins Re-Issues...

Top Marks for Smashing Pumpkins Re-Issues

Taking a leaf from HU and Crestfallen.com, check them out here

Did Corgan just sort of Appologise to Chamberlin...?

Thanks HU xx

Here's a transcript for part of an interview on Radio 1's Zane Lowe program, with Billy Corgan, celebrating Siamese Dream.

Corgan contradicts his previous remarks about the end of his relationship with former Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin...

Zane Lowe: How can you guys not be in contact still? Even if you’re not making music, if you have that kind of spiritual kinship? That’s deeper than that! Isn’t it?

Billy Corgan: You know, we’ve all had — and this may sound a little bit strange, but — we’ve all had great romances in our life, you know? And, they don’t always all go the way we want them to. And it doesn’t mean we don’t love, and doesn’t mean we don’t think fondly of… But I think relationships run their course. Jimmy and I made so much incredible music together, so, you know, if we never play together again, that’s okay with me.

He — you know, I want to speak for him for a second, I feel I can — he wanted to have his own musical journey. He was always on my musical journey. And so I have to really bow my hat to him and say…I think it’s that time in his life where he has to have his own musical journey. He’s entitled to it. He’s earned that. I understand why a fan would want to see him play with me and play those songs. He did it. Maybe having his own band and having his own music experience and not having somebody sort of veto over his head what the drum fill should be…I mean, you’ve got to remember, as psychic as that relationship was, he had to deal with me going, “Nah, I don’t really like that drum fill.” You know, “Can you slow that part down?” Because as the songwriter you get to make the calls. And he was always so so supportive of my music, so, I can’t say a bad word about it. I just think we reached a point where there was nothing else to do, and that’s that. The ugliness part is just the part of…that just goes with breaking up.

Cool///Pics///Here

http://www.facebook.com/VicsDrumShop

Chamberlin's Skysaw release second 'Official' Video

DRUM SOLO!

More on Vic's Drum shop when I spot it - for now, enjoy;



oh - DOUBLE PEDAL

Go See Jimmy @ Vic's Drum Shop

Jimmy Chamberlin and Umphrey's McGee

Kicking off the music portion of the Groupon Arts Collaboration Series, here's Jimmy with Umphrey's McGee at their recent performance;

Question

I don't quite understand why it seems at times to be accepted by 'a general listening public' [e.g. not musicians & certainly not drummers] that whilst the rest of a given band plays note for pretty much note what a song is [as defined by a recorded version of it ] - whilst the drummer plays what amounts to degrading, say 'Asturias', into power chords (with half the strings missing) and yet that, that seems to be OK with them?

Whyyyyy...

Mixtape Madness: Songs That Should Be On the Smashing Pumpkins Reissues http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/152708/mixtape-madness-songs-that-should-be-on-the-smashing-pumpkins-reissues/

Gish and Siamese Dream SPECIAL EDITIONS

Pre-order @ Smashingpumpkins.com

Here's hoping Billy hasn't done a George Lucas

Buy Jimmy Chamberlin's Zwan Kit

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jimmy-Chamberlins-Yamaha-Maple-Custom-Absolute-17pc-Kit-/230688035078?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35b6141106

Jimmy Chamberlin's Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute 17pc Kit

Tom Sizes:
5.5x8
8x10
9x13
12x14
15x16
16x18
Single Headed Toms
5.5x8
6x10
8x12
8.5x13
10x14
Gong Bass Drum
18x20
Bass Drums
18x20
18x22
18x24
Snares:
5.5x14
7x14 (Elvin Jones)

Chamberlin Teams with Groupon - Breaks Records

Ex-Smashing Pumpkins drummer Chamberlin partners with Groupon  [http://shar.es/btM6N]  and brings you a a world record breaking 1st event with a screening of "Ferris Bueller’s Day Off" @ Wriggly Field


Guess that maybe why he was hanging about here

Corgan on Jimmy Chamberlin's Return to Smashing Pumpkins

... in 1999 (sorry)

In a recent phone interview, with detnews.com Corgan recalls Jimmy Chamberlin's triumphant return to the band in 1999;

...The Pumpkins had just reunited with drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, and while there were rumors he was back with the band, the audience wasn't sure until Chamberlin sat down behind his kit and pounded out his signature intro to "I Am One."

"I'll tell you what, I've played a couple thousand shows in my life, and the sound that came out of that audience when they realized it was Jimmy on the drums was probably one of the top five moments that I've ever had on stage," says Corgan. "It was a complete joy, it was so beautiful."...

Listen to that moment, here or here

Here's hoping that one day, this moment can be repeated...

Marathon Man (& Woman)

 Looks like Jimmy and Lori Chamberlin, successfully completed the Chicago half-marathon, which they were running in order to raise funds for Cure JM; a foundation which supports research into finding a cure for juvenile mitosis, a debilitating condition which their son, Lucas, suffers from. They raised over $3,000 for the cause.

Chamberlin Attends Charity Fund-Raiser

On 06 October, Jimmy Chamberlin was in attendance at the "Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center 2011 Momentum Awards Dinner" a fund-raising event attended by 'entrepreneurs, seasoned business people and financial types' according to ChicagoBusiness.com 

Billy Corgan Finally Talks some Sense

Q. You're the only original member of The Smashing Pumpkins and I've heard a lot of people say, 'Well, that's not the real Smashing Pumpkins.' What do you say to that?
A. "I say, of course it's not the real Smashing Pumpkins..."

Modern Drummer Reprints an Old Interview with Jimmy Chamberlin

http://www.moderndrummer.com/site/2011/10/drummer-to-drummer-jimmy-chamberlin-and-william-mohler/#.To4mknJ-zcx

William [Billy Mohler]: What advice would you give up-and-coming drummers searching for their own voice?
Jimmy: Don’t go too far into someone else’s trip. Be your own player. You have something inside of you that is special and unlike anything else in this universe. Tap into it. Practice until you can release it. And then unleash it on the world. We’ll be listening!

Take heed, Mike Byrne. 

They also have a cool clip from Gannin Arnold's DVD, if you haven't seen that...

[http://moderndrummer.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/JimmyChamberlin.m4v]

Jimmy Chamberlin In-Store Apperance

Jimmy Chamberlin Hits DrumHead Magazine

Keep your eyes peeled on their site for further info

[New] Chamberlin in Modern Drummer Interview

HERE in the online portion of their 'Influences' feature

MD: ...What’s your attitude toward other drummers picking up on things you’ve played?  

Jimmy: ...My thing is that I don’t want to sound like anyone else. Even if I have to play sloppy to do it, I’m prepared to do that, because first and foremost what’s important to me is to not sound like anyone else... I often get chastised for telling people that the only point to practising is to learn to be yourself. But I really feel that way. 

Looks like the interview will be expanded in the November issue of MD
(TB: http://www.moderndrummer.com/site/2011/09/jimmy-chamberlin-the-ex-smashing-pumpkins-drummer-takes-a-new-direction-with-skysaw/trackback/)

Thank God JC already ruled this out... unlike some

Music Review: Gannin Arnold Project- 5 World Class Drummers - Music - Blogcritics

Music Review: Gannin Arnold Project- 5 World Class Drummers - Music - Blogcritics

Smashing Pumpkins Record Club

Smashing Pumpkins are opening up the archives, at last. Head over to SP.com and subscribe now for a previously unreleased and unheard version of Drown and there's an Easter Egg of an early version of Chamberlin's monster grover Geek U.S.A. to boot ...