Zero (song)
Encyclopedia
"Zero" is a song by American alternative rock
band The Smashing Pumpkins
. It was the third single
from their third album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
, and was a return to the familiar angsty rock of the first single, "Bullet with Butterfly Wings
". This style of their music was called "Cybermetal" by Billy Corgan
. "Zero" was written by Corgan and was the first song recorded for Mellon Collie. The song has six rhythm guitars, with two line-in twelve string acoustics. It is characterized by its guitar riff and renowned drumming by drummer Jimmy Chamberlin
; the drumming on "Zero" placed 238th on digitaldreamdoor.com's list of the greatest rock drum performances.
The cover artwork features photography by Corgan's girlfriend at the time, Yelena Yemchuk
, who also directed the music video.
" was segued into "Heavy Metal Machine" or "Bullet with Butterfly Wings
". Billy changed "and God is empty just like me" part for "and God is empty just like you" for the tour. "I'm your lover, I'm your zero" was also changed to "I'm your lover, I was your zero".
"Zero" was reintroduced in 2007 in the promotional tour for the band's reunion album Zeitgeist
.
and described by NME
as "very cinematic and creepy at times". The concept of it was to set it in a Roman
Mansion, with lounging guests, while the band acts as their entertainment. The band predominantly wears black, which contrasts the room's vibrant wine-stained colors that are associated with the Roman period.
and included "Pastichio Medley", a medley of parts of songs from the Mellon Collie sessions that mostly remain unreleased. The medley runs over 23 minutes and features over 70 songs. The medley also features snippets of songs that actually were released; the snippet of the song "Disconnected" is a riff from an early version of "The Aeroplane Flies High (Turns Left, Looks Right)" and the riff called "Rachel" ended up being worked into the album track "X.Y.U."
The track "Tribute to Johnny" is an instrumental; a homage to guitarist Johnny Winter
. Not long after the release of the EP, Smashing Pumpkins touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin
died of a heroin overdose, leading many uninformed fans to assume this song was a tribute to Melvoin.
Additionally, the title of the song "Marquis in Spades" is a reference to the French aristocrat and novelist, Marquis de Sade
.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band The Smashing Pumpkins
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 was the third 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 third album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is the third album by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, released October 24, 1995 on Virgin Records. Produced by frontman Billy Corgan with Flood and Alan Moulder, the twenty-eight-track album was released as a two-disc CD and triple LP...
, and was a return to the familiar angsty rock of the first single, "Bullet with Butterfly Wings
Bullet with Butterfly Wings
"Bullet with Butterfly Wings" is a song by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. It was the lead single from the band's 1995 double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. The song won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. This song was the band's first Top 40...
". This style of their music was called "Cybermetal" by Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
. "Zero" was written by Corgan and was the first song recorded for Mellon Collie. The song has six rhythm guitars, with two line-in twelve string acoustics. It is characterized by its guitar riff and renowned drumming by drummer Jimmy Chamberlin
Jimmy Chamberlin
Jimmy Chamberlin is an American drummer, songwriter, and producer. He is best known as the former drummer for the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. After a drug-related incident with touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin in 1996, Chamberlin was fired from the band and joined The Last...
; the drumming on "Zero" placed 238th on digitaldreamdoor.com's list of the greatest rock drum performances.
The cover artwork features photography by Corgan's girlfriend at the time, Yelena Yemchuk
Yelena Yemchuk
Yelena Yemchuk is a professional photographer, painter and film director, best known for her work with The Smashing Pumpkins. Born in Kiev , Ukraine, her family moved to Brooklyn, New York when Yelena was in her early teens....
, who also directed the music video.
Live performance
"Zero" was played virtually intact, but simply played quicker than usual during the Mellon Collie tour. It was almost never played during the promotion and tour for Adore, only as a brief teaser, but was reintroduced in the brief Arising! tour in 1999. The Sacred & Profane tour of 2000 included a variant: it started off with a pulsing drumbeat and build-up to the song, which then would be played in style reminiscent of speed metal, removing much of the nuance and grunge-sludge anthemic appeal of song. Late in the tour, the band would segue from "Cash Car Star" into "Zero", the same as "Everlasting GazeThe Everlasting Gaze
"The Everlasting Gaze" is a song written by Billy Corgan and recorded by The Smashing Pumpkins. It is the opening track from the band's 2000 album Machina/The Machines of God...
" was segued into "Heavy Metal Machine" or "Bullet with Butterfly Wings
Bullet with Butterfly Wings
"Bullet with Butterfly Wings" is a song by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. It was the lead single from the band's 1995 double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. The song won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. This song was the band's first Top 40...
". Billy changed "and God is empty just like me" part for "and God is empty just like you" for the tour. "I'm your lover, I'm your zero" was also changed to "I'm your lover, I was your zero".
"Zero" was reintroduced in 2007 in the promotional tour for the band's reunion 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...
.
Music video
The music video was directed by Yelena YemchukYelena Yemchuk
Yelena Yemchuk is a professional photographer, painter and film director, best known for her work with The Smashing Pumpkins. Born in Kiev , Ukraine, her family moved to Brooklyn, New York when Yelena was in her early teens....
and described by NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
as "very cinematic and creepy at times". The concept of it was to set it in a Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
Mansion, with lounging guests, while the band acts as their entertainment. The band predominantly wears black, which contrasts the room's vibrant wine-stained colors that are associated with the Roman period.
B-sides
Unlike most singles, "Zero" was released as an EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
and included "Pastichio Medley", a medley of parts of songs from the Mellon Collie sessions that mostly remain unreleased. The medley runs over 23 minutes and features over 70 songs. The medley also features snippets of songs that actually were released; the snippet of the song "Disconnected" is a riff from an early version of "The Aeroplane Flies High (Turns Left, Looks Right)" and the riff called "Rachel" ended up being worked into the album track "X.Y.U."
The track "Tribute to Johnny" is an instrumental; a homage to guitarist Johnny Winter
Johnny Winter
John Dawson "Johnny" Winter III is an American blues guitarist, singer, and producer. Best known for his late 1960s and 1970s high-energy blues-rock albums and live performances, Winter also produced three Grammy Award-winning albums for blues legend Muddy Waters...
. Not long after the release of the EP, Smashing Pumpkins touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin
Jonathan Melvoin
Jonathan Melvoin was an American musician active in the 1980s and 1990s.He was the brother of Susannah and Wendy Melvoin of Prince and the Revolution. He first learned to play drums, and was cited by friends and relatives as one of those people who could play anything...
died of a heroin overdose, leading many uninformed fans to assume this song was a tribute to Melvoin.
Additionally, the title of the song "Marquis in Spades" is a reference to the French aristocrat and novelist, Marquis de Sade
Marquis de Sade
Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade was a French aristocrat, revolutionary politician, philosopher, and writer famous for his libertine sexuality and lifestyle...
.
EP Track listing
Chart performance
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... Alternative 30 Canadian rock/alternative chart The Canadian rock/alternative chart was first published on June 11, 1995 by RPM magazine under the name Alternative 30. The song which held the number-one spot on this first chart was "More Human than Human" by White Zombie... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs | 9 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
3 |