SMASHING PUMPKINS - 666 FAQ Updated 2/3/99 compiled and maintained by: Jesse Miller - mije9801@stcloudstate.edu This is the Frequently Asked Questions concerning the bootleg video known as 666. This file is intended to answer any questions concerning the 666 Video. Any questions, corrections or comments, mail to: Jesse Miller The latest version of this document can be found at: http://www.ualberta.ca/~michael/666faq.txt -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1. WHAT IS THE 666 VIDEO? The 666 is a bootleg video, recorded at Pumpkinland in March 1995. It is a video of The Smashing Pumpkins in the studio, rehearsing tracks for their album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. It was recorded by MTV for their Rockumentary about The Smashing Pumpkins. "The video is a lot like Let It Be, only there's no Yoko and The Pumpkins aren't breaking up." -Jesse Miller 2. WHERE AND WHEN WAS 666 RECORDED? 666 was recorded at Pumpkinland, Chicago; Pumpkinland is the band's rehearsal space. Before the official tracking for Mellon Collie began at Chicago Recording Company, The Pumpkins (with producers Flood and Alan Moulder) entered Pumpkinland to rehearse and review the vast amount of material written over the past 2 years for the Mellon Collie album. The contents of the 666 Video was recorded over two days in March 1995. The exact dates are unknown, although it is believed to be either 3/2/95 or 3/3/95. 3. WHO RECORDED THE 666 VIDEO? 666 was recorded by MTV for the MTV Rockumentary on The Smashing Pumpkins, broadcasted before the release of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. It seems that the cameraman who filmed the footage had been fired from MTV, so he took all of the tapes he filmed with him. Only 15 copies of the master were made; all other copies of the 666 Video seem to branch out from these first generation tapes. 4. HOW LONG IS THE VIDEO? IS IT COMPLETE? The 666 video is about 75 minutes in length. There is a number of edits and cuts in the video, a few in the middle of the songs. As it is surely apparent, the 666 Video as we know it is NOT complete and is absolutely NOT the entire Pumpkinland Session, but just the footage shot by ONE of MTV's cameras. The final version of the Rockumentary made use of many different camera angles not present on the 666 video. Also present on the Rockumentary is a clip of Rubberman, absent from 666. 5. WHO IS PRESENT ON THE VIDEO? Billy Corgan Darcy James Iha Jimmy Chamberlin Flood Alan Moulder Jeff Moleski 6. WHAT SONGS ARE PERFORMED ON THE VIDEO? THE BOY (0:28) Just the main riff played by Billy. WHERE BOYS FEAR TO TREAD (0:05) Just the first few notes. Billy bursts into this a few times during the video. THE VIPER (3:28) Consists of the two riffs heard in the Pastichio Medley (at 6:40-6:48). TRIBUTE TO JOHNNY (3:43) Sounds a lot like the final released version, but lacking the brief bass solo. It starts with Billy playing the two main riffs unaccompanied and the rest of the band joins in after about a minute. PORCELINA OF THE VAST OCEANS (8:00) The lyrics are a bit rough, but this sounds mostly like the early live performances of Porcelina. XYU/RACHEL (3:54) A jam consisting of the one riff that is very similar to XYU. It is also very similar the Rachel riff in Pastichio Medley (at 4:20-4:36). So Rachel probably evolved into XYU, and this performance is somewhere in the middle. ZERO (rhythm section) (1:54) (2:19) Two takes of just Jimmy and Darcy practicing Zero. It's interesting to hear it without guitars and vocals. THRU THE EYES OF RUBY (3:04) Although this extremely early version of Ruby shares the same structure as the final version, the music is much more laid back, consisting of the clean fingerpicking part with lots of flange; it is very similar to the Ruby performed on the Adore Tour. This early version of Ruby also has completely different lyrics; it's difficult to hear the rough vocals, but one line seems to be: "Look into the mirror / What it is you see." This song is cut after about three minutes. V-8 (1:35) Consists of the two riffs briefly heard in the Pastichio Medley (at 15:35-15:49). XYU/RACHEL (with lyrics) (4:43) Another jam of the XYU riff, only this one has rough lyrics. The lyrics are a variation of the first verse of XYU, even though the song is still in the same vein as Rachel. There is an additional change in the song that was not in the previous take, nor in the final version of XYU. THE BLACK RIDER (1:45) The Black Rider is basically the riff in the Pastichio Medley (at 5:49-5:59), but after a little over a minute, the jam dissipates into a chaotic breakdown jam, similar to the beginning of the Die riff in the Pastichio Medley. THE TRACER (0:05) (0:12) (0:22) (0:28) This is just Billy showing the riff to Flood a few times. CUPID DE LOCKE (0:13) Billy breaks into the main guitar part to Cupid after playing The Tracer to Flood. THE TRACER (0:31) The longest take of The Tracer and the only take to involve the whole band, this is a part of the song that is not in the Pastichio Medley (at 7:24-7:37). An edit of this footage was used in the Rockumentary, although a few different camera angles were incorporated that are not present on the 666 video. ZERO (blues version) (0:24) A humorous jam of Zero that Billy jokingly called Zero Strut. ZERO (0:11) (0:34) (0:10) (2:37) A number of takes of Zero, the fourth is the only complete take. Billy complains that Jimmy is a millisecond off and the rest of the band has to catch up to him. 7. WHERE CAN I GET THE 666 VIDEO? The video is not as hard to locate as you think. If I was able to get the video, you are too! Just try posting In Search Of ads on various online BBs. Try the SP Newsgroup. Try asking around in the SP trading community. With a little luck and devotion, a deal is sure to come your way! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= OTHER 666 FACTS: - There is little to no sound for the first four minutes of the video. - After practicing Tribute To Johnny, Billy suggests that Johnny Winter could come in and play on the album, but be given a xylophone! - During a technical problem involving the bass drum, Flood suggests either playing Speed or Porcelina, but Porcelina is played; while the band tunes down to D, Billy says he "was thinking Speed." - A timer appears at the bottom of the screen at about 34:04. The timer reads 1:12:12 for a second, then jumps to (and is then set at) 17:57:32. This means that there was possibly 18 hours of material recorded by that camera, not contained on 666. - 53 seconds is cut from the middle of the second take of XYU/Rachel. - One can see the progressions to two new songs written out on a music stand before Darcy. The first day the song is "New Jam"; on the second day the song is "Very Beautiful". - The last six and a half minutes is a zooming in-and-out shot of a microphone as Billy talks about trailers and basketball. - The timer reads 18:53:17 at the end of the video. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= EOF