Billy Corgan Hints Smashing Pumpkins Are Recording With Rick Rubin

In a lengthy soliloquy of an Instagram caption, Billy Corgan has apparently revealed that Rick Rubin is producing the new Smashing Pumpkins reunion album Corgan has teased for several years. (In typically digressive Corgan fashion, the post’s stated purpose was to refute rumors of ill health; apparently he caused quite the scare among fans when he posted a photo of himself getting some kind of IV infusion with a caption claiming he was “making peace with God.”)

“I share a window (curated as it is) into my crazy life,” Corgan wrote alongside a headshot from the early ’90s, when the Pumpkins frontman still had hair and wore loud thrift-store button-downs. “As an example, we are currently in the studio with Rick Rubin,” he continued. “But unless I show you a picture of Rick sitting Buddha-like at a mixing desk, you probably wouldn’t know that.”

I’ve had a crazy life. Good crazy, but crazy nonetheless. For example. I saw this picture of myself the other day. Besides having a generally good idea of when it was taken (1993 or 1994) I don’t remember actually taking the photo, nor do I remember countless others like it between the years 1991-2004. Now, perhaps that says something about my inability or desire to remember, but I’d argue it’s an unfortunate result of the blur of those years. Which leads me to this time, or this moment, where like so many, I share a window (curated as it is) into my crazy life. As an example, we are currently in the studio with Rick Rubin. But unless I show you a picture of Rick sitting Buddha-like at a mixing desk, you probably wouldn’t know that. Or when I, in a very naive way, post a shot with a needle in my arm and ramble on about making peace with God and time left on dear ‘ol Earth, it sent some signal to friends and associates alike that I was sick or wanted other’s sympathy. (As fact, it was an IV full of vitamins and homeopathy to assist in getting over this vicious flu). So yes, was sick, and no, not serious in any way nor would I share such info here because this window I’d prefer to be one where you see the sunlight streaming through. The only addendum to that is when I saw how others were reacting to their perception of my misguided and poorly worded message, I chose not to react in kind; in essence I let the shadows cast be whatever you-they-them want to believe. Because we live now in a world where perception often outweighs reality, and that’s fine. So to that, here’s a new pic I just took of me with my sandy-brown, curly hair flowing in the studio breeze. Lots of love, WPC #wpc

A post shared by WilliamPatrickCorgan (@williampcorgan) on Jan 27, 2018 at 10:23am PST

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Corgan’s “we” probably refers to two other former Pumpkins members, drummer Jimmy Chamberlin and guitarist James Iha. Last week, Corgan shared a photo of the three sitting in a recording studio. And in the past week, both Corgan and Chamberlin have shared photos of the same drum kit parked in the corner of what is likely Rubin’s Malibu recording space.

A studio still life #art!

A post shared by WilliamPatrickCorgan (@williampcorgan) on Jan 27, 2018 at 5:15pm PST

New studio – same rock power.

A post shared by Jimmy Chamberlin (@chamberdrums) on Jan 23, 2018 at 8:36pm PST

Rubin previously worked with Corgan on his 2017 solo album Ogilala and with the Smashing Pumpkins on the 1997 song “Let Me Give the World to You.”

Last week, former Pumpkins bassist D’Arcy Wretzky seemed to confirm that a Smashing Pumpkins reunion was taking place, but implied she wasn’t invited to participate.

“I only just found about yesterday that the band has decided to go with a different bass player,” Wretzky told the rock blog BlastEcho.