The Smashing Pumpkins’ Bold Album Launch And How It Almost Fell Apart
In October of 1995, The Smashing Pumpkins gave us Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, a wildly ambitious double album (or even triple album) that remains revolutionary 30 years later. To celebrate its release, they unleashed an equally ambitious launch including a record release show at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago on October 23, 1995 that was simulcast across dozens of alt rocks stations around the United States. But things didn’t quite go as planned…
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WATCH NEXT:
👉 The Story of ZERO: https://youtu.be/tcBu05dvLPg
👉 The Story of Today: https://youtu.be/sHrImJFDuYM
👉 Behind the Album Art of Mellon Collie: https://youtu.be/FDAbx1VZQ60
BINGE WORTHY:
Poetic Wax on Smashing Pumpkins: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLylroYWVYWWW9lI-SrU4IgSctCqMEOMdx
Poetic Wax on 90s Alt Rock: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLylroYWVYWWVMPcvhbgG6DncbcS9U05uh
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Poetic Wax is hosted by Andy Fenstermaker.
CHAPTERS:
0:00 The WILD Ambition of The Smashing Pumpkins
1:38 A Risky Launch For Mellon Collie
4:41 The Rise of Simulcasting
6:15 What Made The Smashing Pumpkins’ Event Different
7:30 What Went Wrong & How It Almost Failed
9:36 A Forgotten Legend
CLIPS:
Interview at Riviera (Audio Clip): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKfXPlngToo
“Zero” Repeat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs0KimLedu4
Live on SNL 1995: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzPTFzJPmq0
Smashing Pumpkins Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjO0Xou_RPg
MTV Rockumentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hhQYP_rpfk
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@drewlittell
March 15, 2026 at 5:35 am
Listened to it live on Q101 back in the day. I was 12 but I knew something big was happening and it ended up changing the course of my entire life.
@thetheRedundant
March 15, 2026 at 5:35 am
I was 14 years old at the time & stayed up late on a school night just to record the show off the radio 🙂 Good times.
@wzev628
March 15, 2026 at 5:35 am
I recorded this live show and listened to it so much before I could afford the album that I was disappointed with the studio versions of the tracks they played that night – To this day Thru the Eyes of Ruby, Porcelina, An Ode To No One even Zero sound better live to me
@theroguerider
March 15, 2026 at 5:35 am
Whenever I hear Billy say “we” when talking about the Pumpkins, it was obvious he meant “me”.
@Getoffthedemocrack
March 15, 2026 at 5:35 am
I was at that show. It was awesome
@DavidHicksRke86
March 15, 2026 at 5:35 am
I hated this album. All his beautiful psychedelic harmonies were gone from Gish-Pisces and in its place was someone with a bloated ego his band hated dressed up in a costume that only meant something to him. With that being said Billy C is a musical genius who solo recorded Gish and Siamese with Jimmy C. I think Flood had a lot to do with it. It always bothered me everyone talks about the big hits off this record and Siamese but never asked Corgan guitar questions about his epic string bends during the intro to ‘Hummer’ or the Kimberly guitar that the ‘Mayonaise whistle’ was created on. The song ‘Bury Me’ off Gish musically is better than anything off of MCIS (not lyrically). MCIS’s scope is massive and his lyrics are amazing I just couldn’t do the new sound. The art work though was amazing. I’m biased though because I hate double albums and the extreme visual and musical change was just too much for me. I actually love everything Billy C has ever done except this album
@MrHsauvageau
March 15, 2026 at 5:35 am
Geez just get to the point you repeat the same thing for 10 minutes… 😴😴😴
@morganyoung2150
March 15, 2026 at 5:35 am
Good stuff man–keep it up.
@ragerjnbthe8thsaiyan
March 15, 2026 at 5:35 am
One of the best albums of all time🎸
@Large_23
March 15, 2026 at 5:35 am
I remember hearing the radio show live. I tapped it and bought the double tape the next day.
@gnarly-narwhal
March 15, 2026 at 5:35 am
I remember this!!! It's on vinyl? I need. I did the same thing for the adore radio show from Houston. Boombox and stack of cassettes at the ready.
@depthspektre
March 15, 2026 at 5:35 am
Let’s be real, Billy was balding since SD era, he can bs all he wants about appearance and the like, but the truth is he was balding.
@JasonCaringella
March 15, 2026 at 5:35 am
I too was at my home radio, recording what proved to be a crazy show. Still have that old cassette tape😎
@SkinnyEatWorld95
March 15, 2026 at 5:35 am
By far one of the greatest bands to ever exist. Billy Corgan is the reason I picked up the guitar all those years ago. Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness was the first album of theirs I bought. Just wish I wasn't a baby when this all happened😅
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