Billy Corgan Guitar Solo 1985

This video was part of a recording done in 1985. Billy was in a band called Hexen, with Jim Malone and John Sterba. We all know what happened to Billy, to see what became of Jim and John, go to rhino39.net. or search youtube for "rhino39" or "Threat".

[@JimMalone]

For anyone who cares. I was there. This solo was not planned or practiced. We showed up to jam and a friend had a camera. In 1985 we were in high school, and a camera was rare. We recorded a bunch of jams, and Bill did an improve solo. We mostly were just goofing around. I posted it because I knew I had something rare, and thought people would enjoy it. So enjoy! - Jim

[@enriquejimenez8693]

Thanks for sharing, Jim!!

[@dg3513]

Jim Malone Billy is a gem. Thank you for sharing. Met him in Portland in early 97 shortly before Bowie's 50th BDay. He was very kind to a star struck fan.

[@MrPyroguru]

I wish he kept shredding in his music. His playing is awesome!

[@TheJohnnyLucasFilmHouse]

Thanks for sharing Jim

[@Batt3redSav]

Incredible story that had to be shared.

[@mikenoface]

In one of his Siamese Dream era Guitar Player mag interviews he said (paraphrasing) "he realized that soloing this way (like Yngwie) really only appeals to other guitar players, but soloing in the context of great songs appeals to everyone". That always stuck with me.

[@Orangetension]

Thankfully he didn’t go in that direction.

[@aspaceproductions]

I mean it's so true. Good songwriting can appeal to both sides. But most of the time technical guitar playing only appeals to other musicians (it's very rare for non musicians to care more about technical skill but there are some out there).

[@aspaceproductions]

@@Orangetension Yeah, I agree completely. Siamese Dream has a few show offy parts but it's very minimal and pretty much the last record Billy ever did any "shreddy" type shit on. But I do think it's a great asset to have a high level of technical ability whether you actually use it or not. It opens up the doors of songwriting and let's you not be limited. Also, it helps you be able to play the more simple shit flawlessly. There are plenty of guitar players that cant play live nearly as well as on their albums.

[@lueysixty-six7300]

@@Orangetension just think, had he chosen wrong (like most did) he could have been a casualty in the first wave of Grunge that destroyed hair metal...before he ever even got a start... Bullet with the Butterfly Effect..

[@supernothing77]

I remember that interview, but he sounds nothing like Malmsteen whatsoever here...or Randy. It's generic 80s wankery. He started focusing on what made him unique and what he was good at. - quirky catchy guitar lines and songs

[@uneedtherapy42]

He used to be a little boy

[@lucasargandona4658]

uneedtherapy42 so old in his shame

[@theguitarproject9833]

A killer in me is a killer in you!

[@herozero96]

@@theguitarproject9833 i send the smile over tto you

[@skripnigor]

herozero96 ooh the years burn

[@potatoheadhaoy]

He used to be a little boy but The world is a vampire sent to drain So life's a bummer when you're a hummer Would you bury me?

[@vikonja121]

it's not the greatest solo he's ever played, but considering that he's 18 in the video - which means that at that point he had only been playing guitar for 3 years, it's absolutely astonishing how good he plays

[@James-Lee-Smith]

It took me about 15 years to get that good.

[@zombified3362]

I guess you just have to do a LOT of practise.

[@user-ct1ns6zw4z]

@@zombified3362 He practiced 5 hours a day every day, IIRC

[@haikalfauzi_]

@@user-ct1ns6zw4z how dyou know

[@user-ct1ns6zw4z]

@@haikalfauzi_ seems it was actually 4 hours a day kzbin.info/www/bejne/poqroGBve81oms0

[@dandantheman9960]

“Guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet. But your kids are gonna love it”

[@mistymountainmom5304]

MULLET WITH BUTTERFLY WINGS. just kidding, lol i love billy in anything!

[@rustedglory142]

Late, yes, but compliments on your awesome comment hahahahaha

[@US395Official]

Dude. That's a song name.

[@thuglife5059]

The Everlasting Gaze I see you everywhere ;)

[@hunterjenkins11]

Yes!!!

[@beerinoculum]

Adayla Caldwell COMMENT OF THE MILLENIUM

[@jazzmasterash5860]

Dive-bombing with a Bigsby. Absolute *MADLAD*

[@rsvp9146]

Got that right... damn

[@balibuoy1625]

les paul+bigby+dive bombs=out of tune

[@BigBoss1292]

Even in his early days he was incredibly skilled. I always liked the fact that Corgan was never show-offish on the records or even live. He had the skills but never relied on them in his playing. His solos on the Pumpkins records and more thought out and expressive, which I personally like more. But, this is some incredible stuff here (obviously very 80s Van Halen and thrash metal influenced)

[@cdreyes81]

exactly. he serves the music

[@nuke97]

BigBoss1292 it makes me reflect on the time when Billy Corgan introduced Van Halen at an award show and David Lee Roth disrespected him in front of the audience. I felt so horrible for him cuz those guys were his idols into do that to him like that on stage was so f***** up. You can tell they were an influence on him in this video.

[@woody5476]

@@nuke97 Do you think there is a video of that on KZbin?

[@CNNBlackmailSupport]

I'm 50/50. He never shredded, but his solos on Siamese Dream were so bizarre and avant-garde that I knew he must have had some form of mastery. No one makes the solo on Cherub Rock without the capacity for understanding the intimacy of their music. It's too perfect to be a lucky coincidence from a mediocre guitarist. James Iha and Kirk Hammet are two of the luckiest guys on earth. Their lead singer does it all, so they could just do the shows. Not that they did that, but they certainly had the option.

[@misharialeisa6408]

yeaaah the song always comes first!!! Shredding rules but has it's time and place

[@guanyu5091]

Ladies and gentlemen, Billy Corgans' Eruption

[@wahwahgaboor]

more like wankfest 300 series on a budget

[@12south31]

Who is Billy Corans?

[@leob4403]

@@wahwahgaboor butthurt Van Halen fanboy spotted

[@iloopedaround2798]

@@leob4403 no bro. He just spelled corgan’s name wrong

[@hinkhall5291]

@@12south31 some irish bloke.

[@iaingreig9685]

This is why he is such an awesome musician, not because he has amazing technical skill but because he has it and rarely chooses to use it. Good music is about moving people and not about showing off your technical ability.

[@plunderpunk2]

All kids picking up guitars in the 80's aspired to mindlessly shred like this. I was one of them.

[@curtismason4733]

Mindless? That statement alone shows that YOU can't do it.

[@nuke97]

Curtis Mason lol

[@idonteatcheetos]

@@curtismason4733 Dude when you're that good you don't have to think about what you're playing that much. Eventually you get to that point as a musician if you practice enough.

[@WillCorg]

Thanks Edward Van Halen! Thankfully WPC scaled it back a bit. We got the Soma solo and countless others out of the deal.

[@croman5931]

Curtis Mason you will understand one day if you actually get good. almost every guitar player goes through a phase like this. trying to play the hardest sounding thing you can. its easier than it looks. just tapping and alternate picking

[@StephenAndrew777]

I can't do that. Growing a mullet requires too much dedication and focus.

[@voteZDLR]

His Dad was a modestly successful musician actually and first started off by discouraging Billy saying "he wouldn't have the discipline necessary to learn the guitar and he should probably just give up before beginning" this would've discouraged 99.99999% of people trying to get into music for the life of a rockstar like Billy did, but Billy I think actually was determined to learn just to spite his Dad. Eventually his Dad did begin steering him stylistically, specifically encouraging him to listen to John Beck and Jimi Hendrix and probably others, but yeah the main thing Billy improved his playing by doing was basically enslaving himself in his bedroom for at least 5 hours a day practicing nothing but warmups, technical exercises and scales. He worked HARD to become as good as he did, but there is no denying that he is also an extremely talented artist on top of all that, but the main thing is he was willing to work for it really, really hard and he did it, but not even his Dad was supportive until his son finally defied all odds and became a rockstar. He'll never see glory days like he had at their peak in the 90s ever again, though, unfortunately.

[@thegrandpencil4374]

And retardation.

[@JimMalone]

1985! We were screwing around for the camera. Back then a camera was a novelty. Just enjoy a rare video.

[@Cris18Martinez]

who are you? billys high school friend?

[@sl0wh4nd81]

@@Cris18Martinez kinda friend that was left after u get famous

[@sl0wh4nd81]

@John Smith life is hard for some people

[@PozitiveVibez2024]

Mad skills to be 18, and could've been easily the lead in a thrash band had he continued burning up the fretboard like that. Aside from jumbling other people's styles like Eddie Van Halen into his mix, and/or Dave Mustaine... Billy showed he knew how to do it and could hang with the best. Personally, I admire the road he took, which was his own path. Expressive, personal and it all came together in notes and harmonies that just worked... he knew it, he felt it and that's what he wanted and that's what he delivered. Like 'em or not, the Pumpkins will always be a rock legend in music history that will be popular to listen to for decades to come.

[@helixfire1198]

which is an example we could all follow

[@ezraiero2986]

solo or not, it still amazes me at how fast he can move his fingers

[@micael2222]

+Ezra Iero heee what...what do you mean exactly?

[@RetroFan]

I know right. I bet his girlfriends have some stories. LOL

[@shessomethingelse1639]

Retro Fan Lol... That escalated quickly

[@jpc9690]

He practiced on his mother (Chicago Is Crazy)

[@makaylarose2959]

@@RetroFan oof

[@voteZDLR]

That's one of the most important things a musician can learn from Billy Corgan. IMO. Because yes, I think he's one of the most underrated guitar players of all time. The only time you really get an idea of what he can do is when he solos in Pumpkins songs, but even then he defers to what makes the song sound good, cause even this as an example it sounds cool and it's impressive for a second or two he can play that fast -- but it doesn't sound good. It certainly wouldn't fit into the dream-like ambience that defined Smashing Pumpkins as we knew them as they developed.

[@dragonborn4045]

watching billy's left hand, i can see a lot of the shapes he used in his early smashing pumpkins guitar solos. that little burst of speed right there at about 0:38 is pretty much the same thing he did in "rhinoceros" and "bury me"

[@thesmallengineguy4694]

I'm speechless!! Absolutely amazing. He is truly one of the most gifted writers and musicians of his time!!

[@MattVarner]

That was the most precious thing I've ever seen. This week.

[@KevyNova]

How have I never seen this?!? Thanks so much for sharing, this is INCREDIBLE!

[@estelleaeon]

the fact he can shred that good and doesn't every song proves he's the greatest of all time

[@JoshLousk]

hendrix was absolutely positively better but i think billy corgan is right up there with him

[@willdyson7656]

I have always thought he was underrated but I never knew he was that fxxxing good.

[@shadowofblood80]

thanks so much for the video.Billy Corgan is amazing now and was just adorable then.I love to watch the look on his face when he plays.You can tell he really enjoys his himself.

[@james_d_eaton]

Wow, thanks for sharing Jim. Stuff like this is just amazing...seeing the big guys, before they were stars.

[@TheFuktastic]

Dude is a true badass

[@helixfire1198]

and eff the music industry for calling him a control freak and silencing him. theyre mad that he's not a sellout that lets producers bully him into making formulaic songs. but his independence creativity and authenticity has and will stick with me forever in my heart.

[@patrickhodgen9933]

I don't know why people are so shocked at this. Billy Corgan is arguably the best guitarist of the 90s - solos on Quiet, Geek USA, Plume etc are enough to tell you so. I'm mostly shocked at his horrible 80s tone in this video, glad he soon found out how to make his guitar work more musical and develop his own signature sound.

[@ctn1974]

I stronly agree with this comment!

[@Antoniusness]

Arguably the best guitarist of the 90's, please tell me thats a joke, there are so many guitarists during the 90's that are far better, not denying Corgan is good, but please

[@patrickhodgen9933]

Antoniusness well "arguably" is the key word in my comment - and besides, nobody I know of plays like or more specifically sounds like Billy Corgan nor does he play or sound like anyone else that much - that's what sets him apart. If someone tried to recreate the Siamese Dream guitar sound everyone would know instantly where they got it from, so surly being a musician with such a recognisable sound and style puts you up there with the best of his decade?

[@faggotsmoker9588]

That's not even arguable. I'm saying he's not.

[@IAmTimBaker]

I think it's fair to say Billy is BY FAR the best guitarist of the 90's alternative/grunge scene. I don't think he's "the best overall" but of the class of guitarists that blew up on the scene at that time, he stands above the rest.

[@scottfitzpatrick1939]

He is such an awesome guitarist and writer thanks for posting never really saw much of his improv

[@Melloh]

He learned to slow it down and play more soulful and expressive as time went on, while maintaining the speed lick. That's one of my goals, he is a true inspiration.

[@el_wilder8860]

Always knew Billy is a low key shredder.

[@helixfire1198]

listen to drown and geek usa machina 1+2 zeitgeist and like half of mcis he has solos in everything

[@thedude7099]

Living in elk grove village, I thought I saw Billy C. solo on a pirate tv station one day after work, he was either in hi-school or just out but it was amazing too. I really didn't know he was that musically skilled , though I knew he was a decent singer/song writer. Very under-rated musician. Genius even in all avenues of the industry.

[@beepst]

He was one of the few guitarists to bring technical guitar to dream pop/shoegaze terrains (Rhinoceros, Soma, Hummer, Geek USA, etc).

[@CXMusicProductions]

man, so many people hating this, calling it unmusical and whatnot. maybe it is. who cares? it's just billy noodling around, which is what guitarists do anyway. it's not meant to be fucking fur elise or anything. and THANKFULLY billy went through the shred phase like he did because his love for shred metal not only gave him the monster chops he needed to be the lead guitarist of the smashing pumpkins but also influenced his composition and vision so SP could stand out among sludgy, verse-chorus-verse-chorus bands like nirvana, dinosaur jr, and candlebox. way too many faceless 90's bands trying to sound original by trying to play simple songs and ironically they became formulaic cash cows for record companies and mainstream media.

[@gigistephens4633]

Haha, Have you heard a Dinosaur Jr song my friend? My god, they're guitarist is an elite soloist.

[@CXMusicProductions]

yep. i own "you're living all over me" and "without a sound". for what he does, J Mascis is awesome.

[@LemmyKoopaVGA]

Hey, don't shit on Dinosaur Jr.

[@skippyhandleman1625]

J Mascis is the Hendrix of Indie rock

[@momentumcharting6700]

Who is hating this? Everyone loves it.

[@olinmoseley5060]

WHAT THE HELL BILLY

[@Beamarkone]

Billy is a Legend! What amazing video! He is a true Song writer and Guitar Legend. A great inspiration 🎸

[@manlymen552]

just noticed how big his hands are

[@craigusselman546]

big boy squeaky voice.

[@DyordsNavatrutu]

wow billy is really the complete package. very talented

[@dathorndike4908]

Shredding like a metal guitar player!

[@V3ryM3tal]

This is a great video. I'm not surprised that he can play like this at all. Great guitarist.

[@DJSTOEK]

dope, thanks for posting.

[@germanandreagiri3079]

so glad he later learned how to play with his sould rather than with his eyes

[@TheJayofthejungle]

Billy Corgan is the best guitar player to come out of the "grunge" scene.

[@makaylarose2959]

Agreed.

[@utopiandiarrhea1686]

jayofdajungle Well he wasn’t from Seattle, so he didn’t get the Pacific Ocean slowing down his hands.

[@yoyomascousin6386]

What about Jerry Cantrell ??????

[@wahwahgaboor]

Mike McCreedy (Pearl Jam) owns Billy Corgan - sorry but Mike is way way way better - he can play just about anything

[@12south31]

Kim Thayil!!!!

[@steevpaterson4806]

What an awesome treat! Thanks, Jim!!

[@musicweirdo1]

Billy Corgan, being amazing even then. I'll never be able to show how much i appreciate that guy, pure genius.

[@jonvia]

Damn Billy is a beast!!! Great writer and guitarist!!!

[@barefootfrolick]

an incredible savant.

[@tperson8347]

Thank you! :) 🍊🍊 I saw this video a few years ago and I was JUST thinking about it yesterday! :) Funny how that goes

[@YK_Paul-J]

みんな最初はギターキッズだった。 デカい音を立てる喜び。どれだけ早く弾けるかの競争。そしてステージで演奏することの特別感。 Thank you for sharing your valuable footage. from Japan.

[@davidbenes6107]

Clearly he's getting ahead of himself in terms of what he can play smoothly at that speed here. Nevertheless, it's incredible. Off the top of my head, I can't think of anything that impressive that I've seen from a guitarist that age, and I have seen A LOT. Respect the fact that he didn't opt for a career as a show off guitarist, and had he done that, he would have been the best of the 90s. What he did is much more expressive and artistic, appealing to the fans but true to himself. His artistic genius shows up in so many ways, that people who actually listened to his music know about, that are way more captivating and beautiful than raw shredding.

[@niklausvenzendt]

David Benes amen sir.

[@avid2112]

@@niklausvenzendt Dimebag Darryl was good at 18 ,and I consider the 2 of them the best of their era.

[@SPEGAN777]

​@@avid2112 true! Dimebag was incredible. RIP

[@MichaelMitchell-nn2ig]

4 hours every day for 4 years

[@gongargongar]

You make it sound like it's impossible for anyone to play "better" than this. While I have a tough time assigning the word "better" to musicianship, I have known many folk who could play circles around this. It reminds me of being a teenager in my basement :P Now don't get me wrong. Corgan's guitar work has touched me on levels that no one else has. (Soma solo, Hummer outro, Bury Me, Here Is No Why solo) but this is just a kid here, and there are millions capable of doing "better".

[@eleventhave1]

WOW!!!!! just can't get over the awesomeness of this vid

[@Asillyhobo]

For a while I used to think James Iha did all the work and assumed Billy just did all the arrangements and studio work but I actually read Billy's bio, and the moment I read, "Corgan is the oldest son of William Corgan Sr., a blues guitarist" I knew, "Oh shit, Billy did all the work". This further cements my new found respect for Billy as a musician and not just as an artist and producer etc

[@drewlittell]

For sure. I’ve always said Corgan plays like a Chicago blues man. It’s all expressive bends and minor pentatonic runs

[@MattKittredge2112]

I started playing guitar almost 20 years ago, and I was kind of the same way...I just wanted to play fast. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But after a couple of years, I began to diversify my playing, and now, I enjoy playing many different styles - hard rock, metal, blues, punk, etc. It's all about diversifying and balance. There's nothing wrong with being able to shred really fast - but if it ends up being ALL you do (looking at you, Herman Li, lol) - it gets very tiresome, very quickly. That's why I've always liked players like John Petrucci, Paul Gilbert, and John 5...they each can tear it up whenever they want, but they also know when and how to keep things more melodic and groovy where it's appropriate. That being said....DAMN, Billy! Lol

[@leob4403]

Fuck Dragonforce seriously can't stand their bullshit "music"

[@Jerryman1980]

WOW! Good Work. Thank You Billy!

[@shildy]

I remember him giving me this VHS after you guys recorded it. :-)

[@TopazRocker]

No doubt, I think it's cool how Billy could play like this before SP and all, but it's a good thing he changed his music style the way he did. I'd much rather listen to the melodic rhythms and alternative sound that SP has then what Billy is playing in the video. It's good to be nimble on the fret board and be able to play fast but idk, shredding like this doesn't do much for me. Glad he chose to become an alternative song writer instead of playing like this. (My opinion)

[@moonontheman1657]

TopazRocker Agreed.

[@rebecam.8397]

I never billy cowhand could shred this hard wtffffffffffff

[@rebecam.8397]

***** yes lol

[@starfuckerification]

he's trolling

[@zer8540]

EXPAND DONG lmao hes saying that because Corgan has a port wine stain birthmark on his hand that looks similar to cow spots

[@eliwallace3825]

@@zer8540 Nah he has vitiligo or something like that

[@mattyc.9332]

How cool! Love it....🎸

[@rsvp9146]

Damn. Had no idea he was that good. Awesome to hear this. Love Pumpkins and Early VH.

[@spanishkat4194]

He may be eternally cocky, but Billy Corgan is an absolute genius.

[@iago68]

think about how young you were then. this thrash horse shit works. you are now/hencforth a world class genius!

[@cey-39]

I knew when I got into the pumpkins in '93 that I was listening to genius. This just proves it.

[@Deanobucko917]

billy corgan at 18. he was in love with his guitar ability then and he is in love with it now.

[@loungydoc]

Weezer lead singer used to play this style as well before actual weezer

[@leob4403]

There's no proof of this though

[@amremorse]

There’s plenty of proof. His own playing has lots of arpeggios lifted straight from metal and classical. He’s also talked about his early guitar days.

[@jeremyhoffman6187]

Van Wholen?

[@GLITZandGLOOM]

Jeremy Hoffman Billy Van Corgan 😝

[@thetruthexperiment]

holy shit. I've always thought he's the most under rated lead guitar player, but this is the first time I've superficially looked up a Billy Corgan guitar solo. holy shit.

[@blessed7fold]

Wow I never knew Billy Corgan could shred. Well you learn something new everyday.

[@BrandonChaunceyOfficial]

Billy Corgan has the ability to shred, but literally doesn't shred once during his fame... thats inspiring and shows it's irrelevant.

[@Tomio2664]

He shreds in soma and a couple times in gish

[@Audfile]

Tomio2664 He doesn't shred, he throws all his talent into production. Which made Siamese Dream. Which still hasn't been topped, as far as sounds and soundscapes and layers.

[@Tomio2664]

Audfile I agree but listen to soma or any of the solos on gish or an ode to no one

[@calebwhitfield6279]

***** Billy shreds a lot. There's plenty of it in their first three albums. Haha.

[@banfasso3109]

Well, here's a dumb fuckin comment that 8 dumb fuckin people agreed with. I'm glad others have already addressed it with replies.

[@BelieberForeveer1]

This is perfect. Wow.

[@thedogoffaleash]

Why so many people hating on this. I'd be mad if this was in a song but this is literally just billy fucking around and showing us again how much better he is at everything than we are.

[@dreaminginnoother]

that solo was almost as rad as that mullet.

[@Tnteamclear]

After watching this, it makes me want to sell my guitar. I've been playing for 6 years and I can't even play a guitar solo, lmao!!! Next stop pawn shop!!

[@leob4403]

Keep at it, it took me many years to develop speed and precision in my fingers. Some people just have it easier than others

[@m_recordz]

Rhino 39 was formed in 1993 from two former Chicagoland bands, Vicious Circle and Threat. Since their inception, they have recorded six demos consisting of all original material. The band has remained true to their musical roots by maintaining driving melodies, vocal harmonies, and guitar leads in their songs. They kept all of the angst, power and aggression that is associated with metal music but have done so with an original flair. Each member contributes both lyrically and musically when writing material. Rhino 39 had a very diverse writing style ranging from a variety of topics from both past and current news events, to very personal emotions the members have had to face in life. Musical influences include Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth and Black Sabbath, and are currently compared to Godsmack and Drowning Pool. The band, in various forms, has played countless shows in the Tri-state area. Including opening for such national acts as Riot, Savatage, Gwar, Prong, David T. Chastain and bandmates with Billy Corgan (pre-Smashing Pumkins).They have also been featured on VH1 and in magazines such as Hit Parader, Metal Edge, RIP, Kerrang, Illinois Entertainer, and other local publications. Rhino 39 received radio play on several local, college, and national stations along with conducting live interviews on air. They have also recorded and performed live for two local cable shows that aired in the Chicagoland area.

[@IIExhibitAII]

Most underrated ever!! Corgan is beast on the guitar!

[@JimMalone]

I would just like to let people know, this is for fun. Keep it clean and constructive or you will be blocked from this channel. And if per chance, the anom guy is Bill, send me a private message, love to talk to you. Jim

[@roneystapes]

Thank you Yngwie!

[@HolyDiver1]

WTF, he's using a Bigsby like it's a Floyd Rose!

[@jackcross1580]

+HolyDiver1 if you've got a decent spring thats well lubricated bigsbys can be spot on and super versatile

[@claudiocruzat4768]

+Jack Cross amen to that. i have an old black squier and a guitar techo put a tremolo and schaller springs. ..graphite lubricante and voila! plays even better than a lot of fender strats. saludos

[@Raitor33]

still amazed...

[@thewhiteelephant]

So much metal influence I his playing. You hear it everywhere.

[@gubanedura]

He was young and one of the typical beginners, who want play loud and fast. Nothing strange. Afterwards, he became later that who we know him since SM appearance with his own style and charisma. I hope everyone, who began 10-20-30 years ago and now decided to listen to his first demos may exclaim "What the shit I used to play then. I am shy"

[@coffeecomics3583]

Piece of Cake - What?

[@leob4403]

i definitely couldn't play like that when I was a beginner lol. It amazes me how some people can develop this finger dexterity at such a young age

[@Randall_Kildare]

He's got hands like Brian May & chops like Dave Mustaine. Hope this kid make's it ;) Choked on the 'Mullet with Butterfly Wings' comments!

[@thestratdude1]

What's interesting is that you can hear some of that style in the solo in Cherub Rock and other SP songs. That's what made them so unique - Corgan obviously knew his way around the fretboard, but it didn't dominate the songs.

[@drewlittell]

Soma, Quiet, Geek USA and now the new song “Harmageddon” all have shred licks like this

[@neobes]

i wish he still kept a handcuff on the headstock as his trademark

[@JimMalone]

Meow, Meow... just enjoy the rare video! douche.

[@kenny75photography2]

1985. Sorry but I'm afraid you are just too damn loud. ;-)

[@SeekingNamelessly]

Thank you, Jim

[@nicklassayshi]

My brain just melted!!

[@noncompliant3865]

william corgan sr is a notable guitarist. so its no surprise to me jr can rip. never saw this video until now and i'm a well read, well versed punkins freak. even at 15 he showed brilliance. great find.

[@Adam-qv2bd]

It reminds me of this dork I knew in high school. He wrote "I shred to survive" on his guitar.

[@garylagstrom3864]

Well as we can plainly see Billy was great from the beginning!!! Reminds me of Eruption! Keep on Rockin Billy!

[@dsenunez]

Thank god he took another path than shredding. For me expression and feeling is most important, and that's what he does as a guitarist and composer.

[@mogmason6920]

Billy Corgan, the only man I know to squeal and divebomb with a Bigsby! That’s the iconic “Cherub Rock” solo tone as well!

[@robdogg1076]

The Greatest of all time Rock On

[@raspatism]

Awesome stuff.

[@whiiitn3yy]

WOW. HE HAS MASSIVE SKILLS. I love Billy. Hahah, his face is like "This is so simple"

[@floyd1090]

Shows how much of an influence Eddie Van Halen was on Corgan. From the tremolo notes, tapping, harmonics, and dive-bombs its all EVH. Good example of how one can be influenced but later on turn that into his own unique sound.

[@clocktowerhill8760]

Genius at an early age is so easy to spot.

[@dzre2087]

SUCH TASTE AND SUBTLE DYNAMICS!

[@xsitied2708]

this is cool and really rare🖤

[@cretinalert]

What a fantastic day that was!