Ep500: Billy Corgan - Record Collector

06/02/25 • 55 min

The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music Nerds

Billy Corgan discusses his unconventional record collecting philosophy while revealing the complex saga behind the Machina albums, the 25 legendary vinyl copies, the upcoming Machines of God boxset, Mellon Collie vinyl releases and more.

Topics Include:

Billy working on book for 10 years, restarted multiple times
Billy buys lots of records but isn't fussy collector
Prioritizes clean vinyl condition over perfect covers or variants
Worked at record store in 80s, understands collector mindset
Collects obscure major label releases from 60s and 70s
Searches for forgotten bands with no online information trace
Loves jazz on 10-inch records from late 50s/early 60s
Record collection has no organization, total mess at home
Bought thousand records on last tour, resells some
Machina originally sprawling concept record about band breaking up
Virgin Records treated band poorly despite massive previous sales
Never finished complete Machina vision during original 2000 sessions
Released truncated 15-song Machina I album through Virgin/EMI
Band toured 11 months knowing they'd break up afterward
Three weeks before breakup, Billy rushed to finish leftover recordings
Record company rejected finished Machina II
Billy dumped complete Machina II free on internet in 2000
First major band to release album free online, predating Radiohead
Machina II became viral sensation, fans loved the record
Produced only 25 hand-cut vinyl copies of Machina II
Each copy uniquely wrapped in printed tape, all different
Sent copies to Robert Smith, fans; now worth thousands
Years of legal battles with Universal over complete release
Initial "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" vinyl release
Alterations for Mellon Collie running order
New Machina box set finally coming through Madame ZuZu's
Box contains 80 songs: complete vision plus extra tracks
Universal separately reissuing original Machina I album remastered
ZWAN vinyl reissue underway
Archive contains over 60,000 pieces of physical media
Hundreds of live concert recordings from 90s tours available
Billy passionate about rewarding dedicated fans who dig crates

Enter to win a record from us to celebrate Ep500

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide

Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/2Y6ORU0 Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36qhlc8

Topics Include:

Billy working on book for 10 years, restarted multiple times
Billy buys lots of records but isn't fussy collector
Prioritizes clean vinyl condition over perfect covers or variants
Worked at record store in 80s, understands collector mindset
Collects obscure major label releases from 60s and 70s
Searches for forgotten bands with no online information trace
Loves jazz on 10-inch records from late 50s/early 60s
Record collection has no organization, total mess at home
Bought thousand records on last tour, resells some
Machina originally sprawling concept record about band breaking up
Virgin Records treated band poorly despite massive previous sales
Never finished complete Machina vision during original 2000 sessions
Released truncated 15-song Machina I album through Virgin/EMI
Band toured 11 months knowing they'd break up afterward
Three weeks before breakup, Billy rushed to finish leftover recordings
Record company rejected finished Machina II
Billy dumped complete Machina II free on internet in 2000
First major band to release album free online, predating Radiohead
Machina II became viral sensation, fans loved the record
Produced only 25 hand-cut vinyl copies of Machina II
Each copy uniquely wrapped in printed tape, all different
Sent copies to Robert Smith, fans; now worth thousands
Years of legal battles with Universal over complete release
Initial "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" vinyl release
Alterations for Mellon Collie running order
New Machina box set finally coming through Madame ZuZu's
Box contains 80 songs: complete vision plus extra tracks
Universal separately reissuing original Machina I album remastered
ZWAN vinyl reissue underway
Archive contains over 60,000 pieces of physical media
Hundreds of live concert recordings from 90s tours available
Billy passionate about rewarding dedicated fans who dig crates

Enter to win a record from us to celebrate Ep500

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide

Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/2Y6ORU0 Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36qhlc8

Previous Episode

Ep499: Alice Bag and Kid Congo Powers – Jungle Cruising with Juanita & Juan

Punk legends Alice Bag and Kid Congo Powers discuss their collaborative lounge project "Juanita and Juan", reflect on the diverse, inclusive LA punk scene, discussing moments like the first Germs show, the "Up in Smoke" filming, and the tight-knit community that reshaped music forever.

Topics Include: