Original Smashing Pumpkins may reunite in 2018

Smashing Pumpkins may reunite all original members in 2018. Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin discussed the possibility during an interview with WGN Radio’s Justin Kaufmann on Tuesday (June 27th). He says that he, along with frontman/founder Billy Corgan, are talking about reuniting with guitarist James Iha and bassist D’arcy Wretzky next year.

“[Corgan] and I have done so many things together and we’ve written so many songs. We know that when we get together to play music, good things happen. We’ve never questioned that,” Chamberlin states.

“The two hours that we spend playing music together is the greatest thing in the world. It’s the other twenty-two hours of the day that him and I — He’s got opinions. I’ve got opinions We’re grown men, right?” he explains. “We’re talking about playing next year with the band and somebody asked me what it’s like trying to coordinate that, I said, ‘It’s like Grumpy Old Me 3, only there’s four grumpy old men and one’s a woman.’ That’s how it’s gotten to be later on when we’re all crotchety.”

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It would be the first time the foursome had performed together since 1999. Over the years Chamberlin has been in and out of the group, but rejoined Corgan in 2015 when the Pumpkins co-headlined a tour with Marilyn Manson. Chamberlin says the group rehearsed for five days, but were ready after two.

“Musically, we’ve never been at odds. I can honestly say that since 1988, I don’t think Billy and I have ever argued about music, not one time,” he states. “I can’t think of one time where I played something and he was like, ‘What!?’ or he played something and I was like, ‘Oh, don’t!’ Our musical relationship is that intact. Even when I came back to do the Manson tour in [2015], we hadn’t played since 2007. I mean, you’re talking about going out and [performing in front of] eighteen thousand people. We rehearsed for five days. That was it. And after two days, we were ready to rock. I mean, it’s just in your DNA.”

In March 2016, Iha joined Corgan and Chamberlin on stage for the first time in 16 years to perform a series of songs in Los Angeles. However, Wretzky hasn’t performed with the group since the band’s original breakup in 2000.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com