The first of Billy Corgan's former bandmates has rejoined the fold following
the surprise announcement last week that Corgan intends to reunite his
platinum-selling alternative-rock group the Smashing Pumpkins.Joliet
native Jimmy Chamberlin said on Friday that he is eager to make music with
Corgan again. His position is no surprise, since he drummed with Corgan in
the short-lived band Zwan, as well as performing on several tracks for the
Great Pumpkin's first solo album, "The Future Embrace," released last
Tuesday.
But the status of former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha and
bassist D'Arcy Wretzky remains a mystery.
"All I can say is that the Smashing Pumpkins are Billy, James, myself and
D'Arcy," Chamberlin said. "In an ideal world, that's what it will end up
being. The hope is that everybody will come to the table, but I can only
speak for myself in saying that I'm in, and I'm excited."
Chamberlin said he has not spoken to Wretzky since she left the band in
August 1999. He communicates with Iha by e-mail, and though they have not
discussed the Pumpkins reunion, "I intend to reach out to him."
The drummer said he and Corgan have been talking about reforming the band
"for some time," but he doesn't know whether the singer and songwriter has
spoken to Iha and Wretzky, or if Corgan simply "opened the door" for them to
return when he placed two full-page advertisements last week in the
Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune.
"It's still all very new, and I don't know if anybody really knows what's
going on," Chamberlin said. "We really haven't sat down at the table and
figured out the nuts and bolts."