Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

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Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Double album by The Smashing Pumpkins
Released	October 24, 1995
Recorded	March - August 1995 at Pumpkinland, Sadlands, Bugg Studios, Chicago Recording Company; The Village Recorder
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	2:01:50
Label	Virgin
Producer(s)	Alan Moulder Billy Corgan Flood
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Pitchfork Media (6.8/10) link
The Smashing Pumpkins chronology
Earphoria (1994)	Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)	The Aeroplane Flies High (1996)

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (also shortened to Mellon Collie or abbreviated to MCIS) is a double CD and triple LP that was released on October 24, 1995 by The Smashing Pumpkins through Virgin Records.

Regarded as one of the quintessential and defining albums of the 90s, Mellon Collie was voted the 29th greatest album of all time in 1998 by Q magazine readers. In 2003, the album was ranked number 487 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Time Magazine named it the Best Album of 1995.

Contents 1 Track listing 1.1 CD/Cassette version 1.1.1 Disc one: Dawn to Dusk 1.1.2 Disc two: Twilight to Starlight 1.2 Vinyl version 1.2.1 Side one: Dawn 1.2.2 Side two: Tea Time 1.2.3 Side three: Dusk 1.2.4 Side four: Twilight 1.2.5 Side five: Midnight 1.2.6 Side six: Starlight 2 Recording 3 Release 4 The album 5 Outtakes 6 Chart positions 6.1 Album 6.2 Singles 7 Personnel 8 Samples 9 Footnotes

[edit] Track listing

The CD version of the album was divided onto two discs, entitled Dawn to Dusk and Twilight to Starlight. The cassette version is divided similarly. The triple vinyl version, however, is divided into six sides, Dawn, Tea Time, Dusk, Twilight, Midnight and Starlight, respectively. The vinyl also featured two bonus songs ("Tonite Reprise" and "Infinite Sadness"), and a completely different track listing. The singles from Mellon Collie were collected on The Aeroplane Flies High box set, which also includes the vinyl bonus track "Tonite Reprise". "Infinite Sadness" is only available on vinyl and digital download.

[edit] CD/Cassette version

[edit] Disc one: Dawn to Dusk

1. "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" – 2:52
2. "Tonight, Tonight" – 4:14
3. "Jellybelly" – 3:01
4. "Zero" – 2:41
5. "Here Is No Why" – 3:45
6. "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" – 4:18
7. "To Forgive" – 4:17
8. "Fuck You (An Ode To No One)" – 4:51
9. "Love" – 4:21
10. "Cupid de Locke" – 2:50
11. "Galapogos" – 4:47
12. "Muzzle" – 3:44
13. "Porcelina of the Vast Oceans" – 9:21
14. "Take Me Down" – 2:52

[edit] Disc two: Twilight to Starlight

1. "Where Boys Fear to Tread" – 4:22
2. "Bodies" – 4:12
3. "Thirty-Three" – 4:10
4. "In the Arms of Sleep" – 4:12
5. "1979" – 4:25
6. "Tales of a Scorched Earth" – 3:46
7. "Thru the Eyes of Ruby" – 7:38
8. "Stumbleine" – 2:54
9. "X.Y.U." – 7:07
10. "We Only Come Out at Night" – 4:05
11. "Beautiful" – 4:18
12. "Lily (My One and Only)" – 3:31
13. "By Starlight" – 4:48
14. "Farewell and Goodnight" – 4:22

[edit] Vinyl version

[edit] Side one: Dawn

1. "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" – 2:52
2. "Tonight, Tonight" – 4:14
3. "Thirty-Three" – 4:10
4. "In the Arms of Sleep" – 4:12
5. "Take Me Down" – 2:52

[edit] Side two: Tea Time

1. "Jellybelly" – 3:01
2. "Bodies" – 4:12
3. "To Forgive" – 4:17
4. "Here Is No Why" – 3:45
5. "Porcelina of the Vast Oceans" – 9:21

[edit] Side three: Dusk

1. "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" – 4:18
2. "Thru the Eyes of Ruby" – 7:38
3. "Muzzle" – 3:44
4. "Galapogos" – 4:47
5. "Tales of a Scorched Earth" – 3:46

[edit] Side four: Twilight

1. "1979" – 4:25
2. "Beautiful" – 4:18
3. "Cupid de Locke" – 2:50
4. "By Starlight" – 4:48
5. "We Only Come Out at Night" – 4:05

[edit] Side five: Midnight

1. "Where Boys Fear to Tread" – 4:22
2. "Zero" – 2:41
3. "Fuck You (An Ode To No One)" – 4:51
4. "Love" – 4:21
5. "X.Y.U." – 7:07

[edit] Side six: Starlight

1. "Stumbleine" – 2:54
2. "Lily (My One and Only)" – 3:31
3. "Tonite Reprise" – 2:40
4. "Farewell and Goodnight" – 4:22
5. "Infinite Sadness" – 4:02

[edit] Recording

After the 14 month Siamese Dream tour, Corgan immediately began writing songs for Siamese Dream’s follow-up,^[1] a double-disc concept album, described by Corgan described as "The Wall for Generation X,"^[2] a comparison with Pink Floyd's famous two-LP concept album. In March, 1995, the Pumpkins began recording in a rehearsal space, instead of entering the studio straight away.^[3] At these sessions, the band recorded rough rhythm tracks with producer Flood, after parting ways with long-time producer, Butch Vig. Originally designed to create a rough draft for the record, the rehearsal-space sessions ending up becoming the new album's foundation. These raw tracks meant that the new record retained a certain organic essence, in contrast to the highly constructed sound of their earlier albums.

Following the rehearsal space sessions Flood, co-producer Alan Moulder and the band applied the finishing touches to the rough tracks at the Chicago Recording Company studio.^[1] Much of the tension found in the Siamese Dream recording sessions had dissipated, and hence, the recording for the album was much more relaxed comparatively. By the time recording for the album had finished, Corgan had written about 56 songs for Mellon Collie, according to statements in interviews^[4] This culminated in a double album release featuring 28 songs and lasting over 2 hours. The album was going to have 31 songs, but this was cut back to the 28 songs.^[5] Other names considered for the album were Venus and Chloe,^{[citation needed]} Sad and Sadder,^[6] The Phoenix Meets the Dwarf, Basketball Land, and Baseball City.^[3]

[edit] Release

Mellon Collie debuted at number one on the Billboard charts in October 1995, certified nine times platinum in the United States.^[7] At the time, the album was the best-selling double album of the decade. The album spawned five successful singles—"Bullet with Butterfly Wings," "1979," "Zero," "Tonight, Tonight," and "Thirty-Three"—of which the first three were certified gold and all but "Zero" entered the Top 40. All charted high on the Modern Rock Charts.

"Mellon Collie" was nominated for Album of the Year, Record of the Year ("1979"), Best Alternative Music Performance, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal ("1979"), Best Pop Instrumental Performance ("Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness") and Best Music Video, Short Form ("Tonight, Tonight") at the 1997 Grammy Awards. They also won Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal for "Bullet with Butterfly Wings".

Along with the success of the album, the band's music videos were widely acclaimed. The '"1979" and "Tonight, Tonight" videos combined to win 7 MTV Video Music Awards at the 1996 ceremony, including the top award, Video of the Year, for "Tonight, Tonight."

[edit] The album

Mellon Collie is loosely a concept album, with the songs intended to hang together conceptually as a symbol of the cycle of life and death.^[8] The sprawling nature of the album means that it utilizes several different diverse styles amongst the songs, contrasting to what some critics felt was the “one dimensional flavour” of the previous two albums.^[1] A much wider variety of instrumentation is used, such as piano (Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness), synthesizers and drum loops (1979), string orchestration (Tonight, Tonight), and even salt shakers and scissors (Cupid de Locke).^[1]

The closing track from the Dawn To Dusk disk, "Take Me Down", was sung by James Iha. The Twilight To Starlight closing track, Farewell and Goodnight, is sung by all four members and is the only Smashing Pumpkins song to feature lead vocals by all four Smashing Pumpkins.

[edit] Outtakes

Rough mixes of the entire first disc, plus Lily (My One and Only), done on May 31st, 1995, circulate on a tape commonly referred to as "Sequence IV". Most of the tracks very nearly resemble the versions found on the album, the only notable difference being that Bullet with Butterfly Wings does not have any vocals.

Additional demo material from the Mellon Collie sessions circulates via three sets of bootlegs, commonly referred to amongst fans as the MCIS Demos One, Two, and Three. In addition to demo versions of most songs that made the album or The Aeroplane Flies High, many songs which have never been released by the band appear on these tapes. This is not a complete listing of unreleased songs from the Mellon Collie sessions, merely the ones that circulate.

• "A/B/G/Drop A" (3:00), instrumental.
• "A/Ab/E/B/F#" (2:44), instrumental.
• "A Drone" (3:48), instrumental. This is a working version of the unreleased song "Speed".
• "Autumn Nocturne" (1:36). This is not, as often rumoured, a demo of 1979.
• "Dizzle" (2:09), instrumental.
• "Blast" (4:13), instrumental.
• "Busy Down Tune Bb-G" (2:43), instrumental. this song's alternate title was "Lucky Lad".
• "Depresso" (3:01), instrumental.
• "Feelium" (4:32), instrumental.
• "Frantic Ab Groove" (3:02), instrumental. At least two recordings are know to exist, but only one circulates.
• "The Groover" (5:14), instrumental.
• "Germans in Leather Pants" (2:58), instrumental. this song's alternate title was "New Wave Echo".
• "James Complex Song" (3:13), instrumental. this song's alternate title was "So So Pretty".
• "Jackboot" (5:05), instrumental. This song was often played live following Silverfuck on the Siamese Dream tour, and appears on the Earphoria album following said song.
• "Methusela" (4:18).
• "New Wave A to G" (3:17), instrumental.
• "No Escape" (2:47), instrumental. this song's alternate title was "Weeping Willowy".
• "Pretty Drop A" (1:38), instrumental. this song's alternate title was "Milleu".
• "Rings" (3:57), instrumental.
• "Walking Country" (2:33), instrumental.
• "Wishing You Were Here", a rough demo of "For Martha" which would later appear on Adore. Two versions circulate, the first being Corgan's solo piano rendition, clocks in at 3:06. The second, a full band demo with electric instrumentation, is exactly one minute longer.
• "With Longing" (3:17), instrumental.

Several untitled instrumental pieces also circulate on these tapes. The titles here are the titles the songs circulate as on bootlegs.

• "Instrumental (Pre-X.Y.U.)" (3:08).
• "Instrumental (Embryonic)" (2:44).
• "Unknown" (4:10).

Many songs circulate in even rougher form from the rehearsal video "666". Shot on March 1st and 2nd, 1995, the circulating video lasts around an hour and contains the following tracks. Please note that track timings are not exactly correct, as a studio banter is included in some cases.

The tapes from March 1st contain the following:

• "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, 4:22, as performed by Corgan in his home for the MTV cameras.
• "The Viper" (5:10), instrumental.
• "Funky Jam" (1:14), an improvised jam the band played while soundchecking.
• "Tribute To Johnny" (4:45), which would later appear on the Zero EP.
• "Porcelina of the Vast Oceans" (8:02) would appear on the album.
• "Rachel" (4:02), a rough instrumental version of "X.Y.U.", which would appear on the album.
• "Thru the Eyes of Ruby" (3:13) contains alternate lyrics to the album version, but is cut, signaling the end of the tape from March 1st.

The tapes from March 2nd contain the following:

• "V-8" (1:39), instrumental.
• "Rachel" (4:48), in a longer form, but still without lyrics.
• "The Black Rider" segues into "Die" (1:35). Both are instrumental.
• "USA" (0:55), instrumental.
• "Zero" (2:39), is remarkably similar to the album version.
• "The Boy" (1:32), instrumental.
• "Zero" (blues version) (0:37), instrumental.
• "USA" (0:49), instrumental.
• "Cupid de Locke" (0:20), instrumental.
• "USA" (0:29), instrumental.
• "Zero" (1:31), instrumental.
• "Zero" (drum and bass only) (2:15), instrumental.
• "Zero" (drum and bass only) (2:31), instrumental.

Even rougher snippets and demos appear in the Pastachio Medley, on the Zero EP.

[edit] Chart positions

[edit] Album

Year	Album	Chart	Position
1995	Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness	The Billboard 200	No. 1
1995	Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness	UK Album Charts	No. 4
1995	Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness	Australian Highest Selling Albums	No. 14
1995	Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness	German Album Charts	No. 21

[edit] Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1995	"Bullet With Butterfly Wings"	Modern Rock Tracks	No. 2
1995	"Bullet With Butterfly Wings"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	No. 4
1995	"Bullet With Butterfly Wings"	UK Singles Chart	No. 20
1996	"Bullet With Butterfly Wings"	The Billboard Hot 100	No. 22
1996	"1979"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	No. 1
1996	"1979"	Modern Rock Tracks	No. 1
1996	"1979"	Top 40 Mainstream	No. 10
1996	"1979"	The Billboard Hot 100	No. 12
1996	"1979"	UK Singles Chart	No. 16
1996	"1979"	Hot Dance Music/Club Play	No. 17
1996	"1979"	Adult Top 40	No. 30
1996	"1979"	Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	No. 47
2005	"1979"	Hot Digital Songs	No. 54
1996	"Zero"	Modern Rock Tracks	No. 9
1996	"Zero"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	No. 15
1996	"Tonight, Tonight"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	No. 4
1996	"Tonight, Tonight"	Modern Rock Tracks	No. 5
1996	"Tonight, Tonight"	UK Singles Chart	No. 7
1996	"Tonight, Tonight"	Billboard Hot 100	No. 36
1996	"Muzzle"	Modern Rock Tracks	No. 8
1996	"Muzzle"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	No. 10
1996	"Thirty-Three"	Modern Rock Tracks	No. 2
1996	"Thirty-Three"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	No. 18
1996	"Thirty-Three"	UK Singles Chart	No. 21
1996	"Thirty-Three"	Billboard Hot 100	No. 39

[edit] Personnel

• Jimmy Chamberlin - Drums, Vocals
• Billy Corgan - Lead Vocal, Guitar, Piano, Producer
• James Iha - Guitar, Vocals
• D'Arcy Wretzky - Bass, Vocals
• Flood - Producer
• Alan Moulder - Producer
• Greg Leisz - Pedal and Lap Steel Guitar on "Take Me Down"

[edit] Samples

[edit] Footnotes

The Smashing Pumpkins
Billy Corgan · Jimmy Chamberlin
James Iha · D'arcy Wretzky · Melissa Auf der Maur
Kenny Aronoff · Matt Cameron · Dennis Flemion · Mike Garson · Jonathan Melvoin · Matt Walker · Joey Waronker
Discography (Categories: albums and songs)
Studio albums	Gish · Siamese Dream · Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness · Adore · Machina · Machina II · Zeitgeist
Compilations & EPs	Lull · Peel Sessions · Pisces Iscariot · Rotten Apples & Judas 0 · Earphoria · Rarities and B-Sides
Box sets	Siamese Singles · The Aeroplane Flies High · The Aeroplane Flies Lower
Singles	"I Am One" · "Tristessa" · "Siva" · "Rhinoceros" · "Cherub Rock" · "Today" · "Disarm" · "Rocket" · "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" · "1979" · "Zero" · "Tonight, Tonight" · "Muzzle" · "Thirty-Three" · "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" · "Ava Adore" · "Perfect" · "The Everlasting Gaze" · "Stand Inside Your Love" · "Try, Try, Try" · "[Untitled]"
Rare & specialities	Early 1989 Demos · Light Into Dark · "Daughter" · The Smashing Pumpkins 1991-1998 · Still Becoming Apart · Machina/Machines of God (promo) · The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music · Live at Cabaret Metro 10-5-88
Tribute albums	A Gothic-Industrial Tribute · Midnight in the Patch · The Killer in You
Videography
Videos	Vieuphoria · Greatest Hits Video Collection
Related articles (Category: Smashing Pumpkins)
Bands	Jimmy Chamberlin Complex · The Marked · Starchildren · Zwan	Producers	Alan Moulder · Butch Vig · Flood
Record labels	Caroline · Constantinople · Reprise · Sub Pop · Virgin	Studios	Pumpkinland · Sadlands
Other	Alternative rock · "Homerpalooza" · Mashed Potatoes · Bernadette O'Brien · Yelena Yemchuk