SmashingPumpkins.com has a countdown clock counting down to Thursday morning for an announcement. New album? New tour? It’s something. And most likely involving 3/4 of the orignal lineup. 3/4 yes. NO D’Arcy Wretzky. Pumpkins have their explanation below.
“In reuniting The Smashing Pumpkins, the band’s dedication remains to its fans and its music. To that, James Iha, Jimmy Chamberlin, and William Corgan haven’t played a show with D’arcy Wretzky for over 18 years. But it’s not for a lack of trying,” the band said in a statement Monday.
“For despite reports, Ms. Wretzky has repeatedly been invited out to play with the group, participate in demo sessions, or at the very least, meet face-to-face, and in each and every instance she always deferred. We wish her all the best, and look forward to reconnecting with you all very soon.”
If a new album or music is the plan, the upcoming album would be the first Smashing Pumpkins LP to feature Iha since 2000’s Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music, although Wretzky tempered expectations when she told fans that Iha only appeared on one of the songs Rubin produced.
Regarding Wretzky, the band statement follows comments the bassist allegedly made to music site Blast Echo where she largely blamed Corgan for her exclusion from the reunion, which would have marked the first time Smashing Pumpkins’ classic lineup performed together since April 1999.
Additionally, Wretzky claimed that Corgan offered her a contract to rejoin the Smashing Pumpkins, only to rescind the offer. “My apologies to all of the Smashing Pumpkins fans out there who are excited about this oncoming reunion tour of the original members of the band. I know this is a huge disappointment for me, as well, but it’s not going to happen,” Wretzky told Blast Echo in late January. “I only just found about yesterday that the band has decided to go with a different bass player.”
See how this all plays out, BUT TBH, one of my favorite Pumpkins songs did not feature Wretzky on it. Check out ‘Stand Inside Your Love’ from the afore mentioned ‘Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music album. Also saw this tour, and the band was a MONSTER. See how it plays out on Thursday.
