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Artist / Heroes,
Photographic Evidence That Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins Uses The Hot Hand Phaser/Flanger
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Posted by: Jeffrey McAlack | Posted in: Artist / Heroes,
The Source Audio archive department recently dug deep into that mysterious and unruly jungle known as the Internet to uncover a very exciting picture. We’ve now got photographic evidence that a genuine rock legend is using one of our pedals. Billy Corgan, the mastermind behind iconic 90s alternative rock architects the Smashing Pumpkins, did indeed play through a Source Audio Hot Hand Phaser/Flanger during the band’s Zeitgeist tour. We apologize for the Sasquatch/Loc Ness Monster quality level of the photo, but what are you gonna do? It’s the Internet not a Life Magazine photo shoot.
Now, please allow us to present our case:
Exhibit A: I’m sure everybody out there will agree that this is, in fact the Hot Hand Motion Controlled Phaser/ Flanger. Please keep in mind it’s dimensions, color, and user interface.
Exhibit B: Next we have the newly discovered photo. You’ll notice the item inside the red circle. Does it or does it not have an uncanny resemblance to the Hot Hand Motion Controlled Phaser/Flanger. Right about now, you’re probably saying to yourself, “Yeah, that’s the Phaser/Flanger, but who is the guy at the microphone?” Well, to tell you the truth, we don’t know. Maybe it’s the Pumpkin’s sound engineer. Regardless, what you need to do is study the amp and effect rack configuration behind him.
Exhibit C: Now, if you would please click this link. Do you not agree that the rig behind Billy Corgan is in fact the same one we looked at in the previous picture? Convinced? We’ve tried to contact Mr. Corgan to say few words on the subject, but alas, he’s kind of a tough guy to get in touch with. But if you are reading this Billy, please drop us an email, we’d love to talk.
Check out this smoking performance of the song “Tarantula” on Late Night with David Letterman from the Pumpkin’s Zeitgeist period. This is late 2007, about seventeen or eighteen years into SP’s career, but they were still pumping out epic rockers with monster hooks and massive guitars. Billy admitted that this tune was heavily influenced by the early work of German metal heroes, The Scorpions—it certainly gives me a touch of “Steam Rock Fever”.
You know what? Every time I start talking about a great band, I’m instantly inspired to go back and reexamine their musical catalog. So let’s do just that, and take a little walk through a few of the high points of Smashing Pumpkins’ recording career.
Siva – I remember seeing this video for the first time on MTV’s 120 Minutes. I had never heard of the Smashing Pumpkins before, but was instantly blown away. I remember going to the record store a few days later and buying both Gish and Nevermind. At the time I didn’t realize these two bands (along with a few others) would completely change the landscape of popular hard rock music, I just thought I had purchased a couple of killer records.
Disarm – From Siamese Dream, the record that made Smashing Pumpkins a household name (households that weren’t afraid of high voltage rock ‘n roll that is). We all knew the Pumpkins could play loud but “Disarm” proved that Billy Corgan’s grandiose style translated superbly to the rock ballad—what a gorgeous and haunting melody.
Bullet with Butterfly Wings – The old Pixies trick of going from a soft verse to a loud chorus became a bit of a cliché in the 90s, but when it’s done well by a great band with a top knotch song writer…it sounds soooooooooooo good!
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