Tarantula (The Smashing Pumpkins song)
Encyclopedia
"Tarantula" is a song by The Smashing Pumpkins
. It is the first single
from their seventh album, Zeitgeist
, and their first release since their 2006 revival.
that "Tarantula" was titled in honor of the German rock band Scorpions
, with whom Corgan had recently collaborated on the Scorpions song "The Cross". Corgan and Chamberlin believe the song is a culmination of music they've been listening to all their lives, specifically the Scorpions and UFO
.
A 30-second clip of the song was released on May 14, 2007. The song was played in its entirety on the radio for the first time on May 18, 2007 when KROQ-FM
aired the world premiere. WBRU
in Providence
, Rhode Island
aired "Tarantula" twice in 15 minutes the same day. It was leaked onto the Internet
soon after. On May 21, 2007 the single was released on iTunes
for the United States
, followed by the United Kingdom
and Canada
the May 22. On this date, "Tarantula" was played for the first time live in Paris
at the Pumpkins' first show in seven years. The song was also played on the Late Show with David Letterman
on July 9, 2007.
On July 2, a single
was released on CD
and 7"
in the UK
, both containing the b-side "Death From Above". Both covers have a black-and-white photo of Paris Hilton
holding a BlackBerry
with the Zeitgeist album cover on the screen, and a low-resolution image of a mushroom cloud
in the background. A separate 7" was released in a clear plastic sleeve on white vinyl.
On July 15, "Tarantula" entered the UK Rock Singles Chart at Number One.
commented that that Corgan's vocals "are trying too hard to sound like Pumpkins vocals, clumsily washed in reverb" and "is too much like a cobbled together montage of Smashing Pumpkins sounds to be exciting." John Murphy of website OMH Music noted that while "all the elements are in place to make this a classic", "it seems as if Corgan's spent too long debating how the song should sound, rather than write any sort of memorable tune", ultimately calling it "disappointing".
Alana King of website Roomthirteen called "Tarantula" a "promising track and is proof that the Smashing Pumpkins are as strong and resilient as ever." Rob Taylor of website Clickmusic.com called the single "a slick and professional effort worthy of anyone's ear."
. The video was directed by P.R. Brown.
In July 2007, it was announced via the Smashing Pumpkins' official website that the green screen
files for the video would be released online. Fans with video editing skills will be allowed to make their own version of the Tarantula video and enter it into a contest via the website.
Two winners were announced in August 2007. 1st place was awarded to Levi Ahmu and 2nd place was awarded to Mason Williams. Both videos consisted of vast amounts of visual effects. Honorable mention was made for Ryan Webber for his live action take on the music video.
.
The song was also chosen as the theme song for the 2008 TNA Bound For Glory PPV.
This song is a playable track in the music video game Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades.
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
. It is the first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from their seventh album, Zeitgeist
Zeitgeist (The Smashing Pumpkins album)
Zeitgeist is the seventh album by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, released on July 10, 2007 in the United States and Canada. It was the first album The Smashing Pumpkins released after their 2000 disbandment and 2005 reunion. The album was produced by Roy Thomas Baker, Billy...
, and their first release since their 2006 revival.
Song info
Billy Corgan mentioned during a June 5 concert in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
that "Tarantula" was titled in honor of the German rock band Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
, with whom Corgan had recently collaborated on the Scorpions song "The Cross". Corgan and Chamberlin believe the song is a culmination of music they've been listening to all their lives, specifically the Scorpions and UFO
UFO (band)
UFO are an English heavy metal and hard rock band, who were formed in 1969. UFO became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
.
A 30-second clip of the song was released on May 14, 2007. The song was played in its entirety on the radio for the first time on May 18, 2007 when KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
aired the world premiere. WBRU
WBRU
WBRU is a commercial alternative rock radio station in Providence, Rhode Island that broadcasts on 95.5 FM. It was the first student-owned-and-operated campus radio station in the United States when it started as the Brown Network at Brown University in 1936...
in Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
aired "Tarantula" twice in 15 minutes the same day. It was leaked onto the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
soon after. On May 21, 2007 the single was released on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, followed by the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
the May 22. On this date, "Tarantula" was played for the first time live in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
at the Pumpkins' first show in seven years. The song was also played on the Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
on July 9, 2007.
On July 2, a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
was released on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
and 7"
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, both containing the b-side "Death From Above". Both covers have a black-and-white photo of Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
holding a BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
with the Zeitgeist album cover on the screen, and a low-resolution image of a mushroom cloud
Mushroom cloud
A mushroom cloud is a distinctive pyrocumulus mushroom-shaped cloud of condensed water vapor or debris resulting from a very large explosion. They are most commonly associated with nuclear explosions, but any sufficiently large blast will produce the same sort of effect. They can be caused by...
in the background. A separate 7" was released in a clear plastic sleeve on white vinyl.
On July 15, "Tarantula" entered the UK Rock Singles Chart at Number One.
Critial reception
Upon release, "Tarantula" received mixed reviews. Drowned in SoundDrowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
commented that that Corgan's vocals "are trying too hard to sound like Pumpkins vocals, clumsily washed in reverb" and "is too much like a cobbled together montage of Smashing Pumpkins sounds to be exciting." John Murphy of website OMH Music noted that while "all the elements are in place to make this a classic", "it seems as if Corgan's spent too long debating how the song should sound, rather than write any sort of memorable tune", ultimately calling it "disappointing".
Alana King of website Roomthirteen called "Tarantula" a "promising track and is proof that the Smashing Pumpkins are as strong and resilient as ever." Rob Taylor of website Clickmusic.com called the single "a slick and professional effort worthy of anyone's ear."
Music video
The music video debuted on July 2, 2007 on Spinner.com. It features the band (dressed primarily in the white outfits of the 2007 tour) playing with multiple extra people, in front of a psychedelic visual collage, and is partially shot in 3DAnaglyph image
Anaglyph images are used to provide a stereoscopic 3D effect, when viewed with glasses where the two lenses are different colors, such as red and cyan. Images are made up of two color layers, superimposed, but offset with respect to each other to produce a depth effect...
. The video was directed by P.R. Brown.
In July 2007, it was announced via the Smashing Pumpkins' official website that the green screen
Chroma key
Chroma key compositing is a technique for compositing two images together. A color range in the top layer is made transparent, revealing another image behind. The chroma keying technique is commonly used in video production and post-production...
files for the video would be released online. Fans with video editing skills will be allowed to make their own version of the Tarantula video and enter it into a contest via the website.
Two winners were announced in August 2007. 1st place was awarded to Levi Ahmu and 2nd place was awarded to Mason Williams. Both videos consisted of vast amounts of visual effects. Honorable mention was made for Ryan Webber for his live action take on the music video.
Additional information
The song was included in the video game Tony Hawk's Proving GroundTony Hawk's Proving Ground
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground is a video game developed by Neversoft for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles; by Page 44 Studios for the PlayStation 2 and Wii; and by Vicarious Visions for the Nintendo DS...
.
The song was also chosen as the theme song for the 2008 TNA Bound For Glory PPV.
This song is a playable track in the music video game Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades.
Formats and track listing
- "Tarantula" – 3:51
- "Death from Above" – 4:06
- "Zeitgeist" – 2:49 (Dutch CD single bonus track)
Chart positions
|
External links
- Spinner.com full video available for streaming.
- Spinner.com full song available for streaming.
- Levi Ahmu's first place fan made music video.
- Ryan Webber's third place fan made music video.