Smashing Pumpkins demo albums

Prior to being signed to a record label, alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins released several demo albums at their concerts in 1988 and 1989. After these four tapes, the band made a number of releases on small labels before signing to Caroline and later Virgin.

Nothing Ever Changes

Allegedly three versions of artwork for Nothing Ever Changes were created. The single copy known to exist outside the band's archive has a cover featuring a nun with bleeding hands and eyes. Artwork mock-ups for the other two covers are known to exist, but descriptions of the actual art have not emerged. The number of tapes created is unknown, but it is very likely an extremely small number.

Track listing

All songs were written by Billy Corgan.

1. "The Vigil" (aka "It Suits Me Well") – 3:35
2. "Nothing and Everything" (aka "Breathe") – 4:50
3. "Holiday" (aka "Heart") – 3:46
4. "Cross" – 4:23

Personnel

• Billy Corgan – vocals, guitar, bass, drum programming
• James Iha – guitar, artwork
• Ron Roesing – drums (tracks 1–2)

The Smashing Pumpkins

Track listing

All songs were written by Billy Corgan.

1. "Jennifer Ever" – 3:42
2. "East" – 4:08
3. "Nothing and Everything" – 5:52
4. "Sun" (remix) – 5:26
5. "She" (live) – 4:16
6. "Spiteface" – 4:38

Personnel

• Billy Corgan – vocals, guitar, producer
• James Iha – guitar, artwork
• D'arcy Wretzky – bass
• Jimmy Chamberlin – drums

Moon

Track listing

All songs were written by Billy Corgan, except where noted.

1. "Honeyspider" (alternate) – 2:32
2. "With You" – 2:40
3. "Egg" – 2:22
4. "Rhinoceraus" (alternate) – 5:19
5. "Bye June" – 2:09
6. "Stars Fall In" (mislabeled as "Stars Fallin") (Corgan, James Iha) – 2:58
7. "Daughter" (Corgan, D'arcy Wretzky) – 2:50
8. "Daydream" – 1:53
9. "Psychodelic" [sic] – 6:06

"Rhinoceraus" would later be retitled "Rhinoceros" and rerecorded for Gish. "Daydream" would also be rerecorded for Gish. "Bye June" later appeared on Lull, and "Honeyspider" (alternate) resurfaced on a limited edition of the LP version of Pisces Iscariot as "Honeyspider II".

Personnel

• Billy Corgan – vocals, guitar, producer
• James Iha – guitar
• D'arcy Wretzky – bass
• Jimmy Chamberlin – drums
• Mark Ignoffo – organ, engineer

Eye

Little is known about the Eye demo. It apparently compiles songs from the 1989 Reel Time sessions with songs from the 1988 sessions. There is contention about whether it exists at all, and no copies of it are widely known to exist.

Track listing

All songs were written by Billy Corgan, except where noted.

1. "Daydream"
2. "Egg"
3. "My Dahlia"
4. "Nothing and Everything"
5. "Psychodelic"
6. "With You"
7. "Rhinoceros"
8. "Stars Fall In" (Corgan, James Iha)
9. "Sun"

Personnel

• Billy Corgan – vocals, guitar, producer
• James Iha – guitar
• D'arcy Wretzky – bass
• Jimmy Chamberlin – drums

Outtakes

A number of tracks were recorded during the Moon/Eye sessions, at Reel Time Studios, but did not make the demo albums.

1. "Bury Me" (later rerecorded for Gish) – 4:21
2. "Cinnamon Girl" (Neil Young cover) – 2:42
3. "C'mon" – 4:58
4. "Daughter" (extended) – 3:56
5. "East" – 4:14
6. "Honeyspider" (edit) – 2:26
7. "Honeyspider" – 2:56
8. "I Am One" (later released as a single, and rerecorded for Gish) – 4:18
9. "Love" – 3:36
10. "Not Worth Asking" – 4:01
11. "Rhinoceraus" (later rerecorded for Gish) – 5:31
12. "Snap (If I Could)" – 3:35
13. "Waiting for You Now" – 2:23
14. "Fat Man Blues" (take 1) – 2:23
15. "Fat Man Blues" (take 2) – 2:07
16. "Bleed" – 4:15
17. "She" – 3:27
18. "Vanilla" – 2:58
19. "My Dahlia" – 2:50
20. "Waiting" – 3:35
21. "Sun" (abandoned) – 3:54
22. "Stray Cat Blues" – 3:37
23. "I Am One Part II" – 6:01

References

• Nothing Ever Changes at spfc.org
• The Smashing Pumpkins at spfc.org
• Moon at spfc.org
• Eye at spfc.org
• first Reel Time Studio Session at spfc.org
• second Reel Time Studio Session at spfc.org

es:Early 1989 Demos