Time for yet another installment of the Coulda-Shoulda-Woulda Files, where we blow the dust off of a forgotten favorite and give its lack of chart success a once-over.
Artist: The Smashing Pumpkins
Album: “Pennies,” 1996
What happened: During the sessions for 1995′s Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Corgan and Co. banked oodles–and yes, “oodles” is a technical term–of better-than-average non-album numbers. “Pennies” was one of nearly 30 such tracks collected in the 5-disc 1998 box set, Billy Will Fire Us All If We Don’t Release This.
Why it should have been a hit: “Pennies” isn’t just the Pumpkin’s finest b-side–it may be one of the group’s best songs, period: Corgan had long spoken of his Lindsey Buckingham fixation, but here he finally put its on display, writing a heartfelt send-off that’s at once beautiful and bilious.
The Smashing Pumpkins – Pennies [MP3, link expired]
Finest B-side? I protest. “Set the Ray to Jerry.” But this does come close.
Perhaps he should have saved a few of these for the “reunion” album. When the hell is that thing coming out?
For those who try to find this box set, it’s under “The Aeroplane Flies High”