Butch Vig on Producing Smashing Pumpkins’ "Siamese Dream”

In this clip, producer Butch Vig discusses the pressure he felt recording The Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream after his success with Nirvana.
Original video here: • Butch Vig: From Smashi...
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[@rickbeato2]

Full Interview Here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4aciX2amZl5oq8

[@divisionmonarchy]

The album is perfection from start to finish, and still holds up sonically 30+ years later.

[@jeffe2222]

By far their best work.

[@facelessandnameless]

Total masterpiece!

[@youreatoilet]

Their Magnum Opus

[@bronzeagekid8223]

These stories are absolute gold. It’s funny that I never really appreciated the golden age of rock I was living through at the time until now.

[@RAEckart22]

I hated the hair metal era, so when we heard Jane's, RHCP & Pumpkins, rock was back

[@GabzitoHD]

Maybe we'll appreciate the now as the olden age of music before AI takes over completely

[@ctrlaltdestroy8821]

What did you listen to? Did you miss out on G&R, STP, Pearl Jam, MC 900 foot Jesus, Radiohead, The Toadies, etc?

[@Sneakycat1971]

I liked the 90s much better than the 80s but the late 60s and early '70s was the golden era. It's not even close.

[@listeningtojets]

I def appreciated it and still do! Everything was electric

[@cgh7337]

Butch Vig must've been the most in demand producer in the early 90s after producing Nevermind & Siamese dream back to back.

[@tristangruener9571]

Siamese Dream is one of the greatest sounds ever, a defining album for the 90s

[@bubbasparxxx9492]

Jimmy’s drumming on SD is incredible. Extremely influential for generations to come.

[@steverixon1789]

Geek USA

[@electricnebraska]

Big facts

[@sprthrwwychnnl73]

“If you want to be great, you have to do heroin.” -Gar Samuelson

[@Steve-vd3nx]

Jimmy’s drumming on this and Mellon Collie are stupid. He does not get the respect he deserves as one of the great drummers of the 90’s

[@patrickgorski3275]

I was in a band that opened for the Smashing Pumpkins the first time they every played Madison, WI at O’Cayz Corral. Only 2 people came to watch show. Afterwards, I was having a drink at the bar with D’arcy, and she said, “I wish I was in a band like yours. You guys look like your having fun,” which still sticks with me, particularly afterwards since they got/are so big. You could already tell things were not great in the band.

[@nickrizzo4635]

I assume it’s true. But damn what a story.

[@handcrafted30]

That’s a great story.

[@2Guys1ControllerShow]

What was your bands name?

[@patrickgorski3275]

@@2Guys1ControllerShow Turbodactyl. We played mainly in Wisconsin (Green Bay, the Fox Valley and Madison) as well as Minneapolis (First Ave, 7th St Entry) opening for mostly local bands, but also touring bands. The Pumpkins were the ones that got the biggest. I still have the flyer from this show (remember flyers?). Cover charge was $3.

[@thetruth3462]

@@patrickgorski3275great story

[@bwharris2002]

Siamese Dream is alternative rock mastery. Every single thing about it is perfect, from the songwriting to the production. Alt rock will never reach those heights again. SD is my favorite album by far.

[@bernstock]

Siamese Dream has a FAT sound like no other. An all-time classic!!! Love to hear Butch speak about it. What a resumé..

[@IDontTalkToCops]

Jimmy’s drumming on Siamese Dream is sick. Ons of my favourite drummers.

[@charlesthomas9294]

As a Madison native, it's always been such a point of pride for us that Butch and Smart and Garbage were all local products. Got to meet Butch the night I got engaged in February 2003, and he was a real gentleman and had no rock-star ego going on.

[@jasonoldham1215]

Siamese Dream is one of the greatest records ever recorded in my opinion. Fantastic from beginning to end. Saw Garbage in Austin when they were opening for Smashing Pumpkins during the Mellon Collie tour. They sounded outstanding, way better the SP did.

[@dangremaus1164]

I’ve said the same thing! Saw them in So Cal during the tour. Garbage rocked that show. SP was like the encore.

[@floretionguru2977]

Rick getting to see Butch years before they would talk and then Butch presumably watching Rick for years before being interviewed by him is a very interesting setup.

[@scottythetrex5197]

One of my all time favorite albums. I love the distortion on the guitars.

[@benharris144]

I once spoke to Butch Vig and Shirley Ann Manson from Garbage (but mostly Butch) for about half an hour. It was when I was just getting serious about music. I mentioned that I was a drummer and Butch became immediately interested. He was admittedly a little tipsy, but he was incredibly nice and clearly passionate about others being passionate about music. He gave me a business card with his email on it. It was only a couple weeks after that I realised just who Butch was, and that Shirley was the vocalist of Garbage. I have no idea how it didn't click with me at the time I was speaking to them. There might have been other legends at the table too as it was a table of 6.

[@Errcyco]

The dude behind the scenes of every early 90s album you loved. His approach was so analogue and tribal. Dudes a stud.

[@N0Negatives]

Would love to hear more from him about Garbage! I was always amazed at the quality of their sound heavy, hard guitar, but extremely crisp and clean. Such a nice change from the grunge. I could crank it way too loud on my cheap car stereo and it would still sound good.

[@dhollsynthmusic]

probably the most emotive rock album of the 90's.

[@svenbras6735]

Please do something with Alan Moulder and/or Steve Albini. True masters in capturing and creating the most vicious sound.

[@Sadlander2]

If you have a moment with nothing better to do, here's how I discovered the Smashing Pumpkins: I was 14 years old. Back then, I used to live with my parents on the 4th floor of an apartment building. I had a friend who was a little older than me, he lived on the 2nd floor of that building. One night, when I was at his place, he had invited a few of his friends to play video games on his Nintendo NES and one of them had brought a CD that they played on repeat for the whole time. I didn't know that band. Half of the songs were songs played on acoustic guitars and the other half were songs played on electric guitars, all live versions. I didn't play video games with them, I just sat there, watching them and listening to the music and the more I listened to those songs, the more I liked them, especially one of the songs that was played on acoustic guitars. I later found out that this song is called "Disarm". When they were about to leave, I asked the guy who brought the CD who the band was and he was so happy that someone else liked The Smashing Pumpkins as much as he did. He even let me keep the CD for a couple of days, so that I could copy it to a cassette tape. A few days afterwards, I took the little money that I had and bought the Siamese Dream album.

[@NESADDICT]

This story speaks to me on so many levels.

[@spikeboots5133]

@@NESADDICT Nice story. Keep it real.

[@Beermalls]

Sonically my favorite album of all time! Siamese Dream!

[@robbyray]

Great interview! Great shoutout to Cosmic Psychos. More people should know about these legends!

[@hobojungle1]

Literally was just listening to this album in the sauna a couple mins ago. One of the best rock albums of all time.

[@Grunger999]

One of my favourite albums ever!

[@alibabaschultz352]

@@luke5100 He's always been an opinionated narcissist. But, i think most artistic geniuses are.

[@DouglasRichardson-er4ky]

One of my best friends and I listened to Siamese Dream brand new in his 1972 VW Super Beetle in Madison WI we KNEW Gish, we knew Smart Studios, we were BLOWN AWAY ... the super beetle had a subwoof we got rip roarn baked hot boxed on some good Hawaiian bud which was RARE in Madison usually Kentucky ditch weed 🔥💨 great album! 😎🤘🏻

[@maudlinfaust]

Sounds like a great day dude

[@DouglasRichardson-er4ky]

@@maudlinfaust ... memorable year for music, Nirvana Nevermind also was blowing our college kid heads off. Beastie Boys had new stuff out Gen X 🙋🏻‍♂️ present

[@RJReda]

SO cool to see this, SD is one of my all-time favorite albums! 🤘

[@Pbnj1379]

This was the surprise interview I absolutely love!

[@TheEireplane]

Fantastic interview, worth listening to it in full

[@lpdoogles5485]

Love when you have other producer interviews 😊

[@seanmathers7914]

What a cool interview!

[@TheAncientEmo]

Rick I think it would be awesome if you could get Mark Rubel & Matt Talbot on to talk about recording downward is heavenward.

[@CleanFamilyVideos]

I don’t know you and you don’t know me but thank you for recommending such a great record.

[@DivadMick]

This is my favourite album of all time. Every song is perfect. The whole thing is just brilliant.

[@jomppeautio2798]

Butch Vig is an incredible guy and a great producer..

[@keithferreira3866]

Great stuff!

[@IgnacioChavez]

Beato, good questions, good ideas and best of all good taste

[@phasmoid666]

I was at The Point show; one if the best Rock experiences ever.

[@rockyscarlet]

This king doesn't get enough recognition.

[@kevinaustin0369]

Masterpiece!

[@Littleneddygtw]

Awesome thx guys

[@steven2640]

For first three albums of this era you'd be hard pressed to find a band that was more successful creatively than the Smashing Pumpkins.

[@TheTobesOfHades]

Met Butch a few year ago. Very nice guy.

[@chadmcfarland9660]

Thank you Mr. Vig for this masterpiece.

[@mflee6590]

Love this era of music

[@rdubb77]

Billy trolling the audience with the Donovan Song is 💯 Billy Corgan

[@jasonmcwatts1684]

I was at a Pumpkins show maybe 15 years ago in London - think it was just Billy playing as SP - the crowd was a really obnoxious bunch of folks who just wanted to hear Siamese Dream and Melancolie back to back, and Billy was trying to play his newer stuff. Crowd kept shouting at him to play the old stuff and you could see he was getting progressively annoyed. Eventually he turned to the audience and basically said, fine you motherf***rs, you want the old stuff, here it is, and proceeded to play Bullet with Butterfly Wings at literally 3 times the normal tempo and then walked off stage. Pissed the entire audience off massively but I thought it was hilarious - it's like, it's Billy f***ng Corgan people, he's earned the right to play what he want to play and not be a performing monkey...

[@chickeastwater9883]

You should put Original Date , of interwiews in the Descriptions. For later viewing.,, much later 10 yrs.......

[@AmericanHuskyCash]

The mello yellow story is classic 90s antics Amazing!

[@drlorenzana]

I wore out this album start to finish for an entire year or two. Never seen SP live…and maybe for the best, from stories I hear? One of my favorite records…

[@ogidy001]

Saw them in 98 on the Ava adore tour in Melbourne. They were very good and oddly funny.

[@rpdunn8]

Subscribed!

[@JohnDoe-qu7gm]

One of my all time favorite albums

[@derekhell666]

Overwhelming Colorfast is and was AMAZING.

[@MrMeadfoot]

Great drummer.

[@giselaafonso]

Great to know the man behind one of the records of my life.

[@noveltycrusade]

Legend ❤

[@brooksdurham8244]

God I grew up in Marietta, & when I found out that Siamese Dream was recoded at Triclops Studio I was blown away 🙌🎶🖤

[@m-funkshun]

Anybody remember Autumn '91? Like everything dropped that fall... Bad Motor Finger, BSSM, Nevermind, ad nauseam. Wonderful times.

[@scottmactavish9716]

The Mellow Yellow story reminds me of one of John Mulaney's best bits, where he and his friends played "What's New, Pussycat" maybe 20 times in a row on a restaurant jukebox until people were losing their mnds!

[@Gorgonzola0987]

Butch’s impression of a plane taking off is uncanny! The man’s talent knows no bounds

[@molin1]

I loved that Overwhelming Colorfast album so much.

[@MrAphex117]

I knew since the Singles soundtrack and their song "Drown" the next album was gonna be huge.

[@crazycatman5928]

November 26, 1996 Laffayette la. I seen Garbage and Smashing Pumpkin. They came back to play a show that was canceled due to Chamberlain and Keyboardist issues. Billy opens up the set by openingly ridiculing the town by saying something like I don’t know why we are even here in Lafayette. I never held that against him… always hated living in Louisiana. From what I remember it was a great show.

[@scottcorkery7863]

Props to Rick Beato...he knows ppl😂😂😂❤❤❤

[@veloracer]

Overwhelming Colorfast was produced well... Saw them in Madison at OK's Corral

[@alexanderednie1205]

Cherub Rock and Rocket are 2 of my favorite songs from the 90s

[@johnny310xx]

Cool, dude

[@fernandocidburghi1488]

Done. Subscribed...

[@Johnlennonswag2013]

i like this record 🪚

[@RyanCoomer]

omg that accent sounds like home!!!!

[@rockboy360]

He should've asked about the 40 guitar tracks on Soma!

[@satevo462]

TIL Siamese Dream was recorded in Atlanta, which I lived in for 20 years.

[@Liverpool-axeman]

Wow so what! I had a cat once 😂

[@redcomet0079]

*He is the greatest rock producer of all time* 🎧

[@Gaba.Groove]

❤❤❤

[@popandroid]

IF Rick hasn't heard Wall of Eyes yet, he should 'react' to it live...best non-Radiohead side project album yet, VERY retro/futuristic music theory whiz-friendly.

[@sarcasmo57]

Butch says Siamese like normal people. Have you ever heard how Billy says it?

[@Riffmaster227]

😂😂😂 C-A Mese. He says that on the live at the metro concert from 93.

[@BradleyJames66]

Looks like Todd Rundgren

[@petercook360]

I've always seen the recording span of Siamese Dream listed as December 1992-March 1993. I'm not sure where this six month break factors in. The record was out by July 1993.

[@PandaThiefChannel]

It sounds to me like he's saying they had not started recording yet, Billy was showing Butch demos, and they were about to go in and record, then Billy said he needed more time for more songs, and that must have been in June 1992. Then they came back and began actually recording at the studio December 1992.

[@slamjackson2137]

I keep thinking that thumbnail is David Spade.

[@MAKEITSTOP777]

🎸👍🏼👍🏼

[@guilty-of-being-right]

This was the best album SP did.

[@richardmaggio1979]

I am the 13%!

[@hellbenderdesign]

damn, what happened to _Overwhelming Colorfast?_

[@splashesin8]

😊

[@rinosphere]

"Did you know it was gonna be such a big record?" ... every time I hear that question, I wanna say Come on, does anyone?

[@empathogen75]

I saw a Marilyn Manson show in the 90s where they did the same thing that Butch talked about with Mellow Yellow, except it was Freebird by Lynyrd skynrd. By the third time they played it, there were like 6000 goth kids in black singing “this bird you cannot change!”

[@NickKizirnis]

Just Subscribed! Sorry about that

[@satevo462]

We had a singer that for mouths would just hum along to the songs we had but never had any actual lyrics. Finally, our guitar player told him to just let it out and stop trying to write the perfect lyric. He turned out to be the best frontman of any band I played in. And when we went into the studio, he learned how to do harmonies in like an hour.

[@Liverpool-axeman]

What has that got to do with anything?

[@mytorment]

I thought Billy said Butch worked with them on a sub pop demo/ep

[@Alwayz1999]

He did, “Tristessa” I believe.

[@MoonBaillie]

rick beato questions should exclude rick beato experience, or 'friends' networking. superficiality is killing the music.

[@mrlt1151]

Could you imagine if some record company guy pressured them to start recording without Today or Disarm? Completely different record.

[@augustjohnnycrashed]

Why dont u ask about Steve Marker and Duke Erickson?

[@neverfallnewsmedia]

If you have never had sexy time to this album, I suggest you try it. ❤

[@skylernorwood9526]

Arguably the best songs were the ones written during the hold

[@pattycakes456]

They couldn't hide from Manny Chevrolet 😅

[@Jamesp1972]

Butch seems like a great guy, Siamese Dream is basically the sound of the Russian Big Muff

[@Riffmaster227]

OP amp big muff not Russian.

[@tylerbrunton7696]

Torana, glad he dropped that after a hard "Toronto".

[@coolybrewster2661]

Another round and im on the ground, another glass and im on my ass, now i never done no wrong as such, im just the man that drank to much!

[@s3cr3tsquar333]

4:35 you went to commercial RIGHT when he was talking about the origin of the famous distortion, and then didn't go back to it. the one thins i wanted to hear. if this is the kind of thing i'm to expect, not subbing.

[@lorenmars5244]

Reminder. This is not Mutt Lange.

[@Cream1968]

You mean he didn’t sleep with Billy? …😉

[@Riffmaster227]

@@Cream1968😂😂😂

[@StuPedassol]

I love that he still has that "Myadisan" accent lol❤

[@park2466]

Windy Hill RD Marietta.

[@jackorion7157]

Ash

[@tb80038]

The band Ash?

[@jackorion7157]

@@tb80038 meant to write "smash"