Starla
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Starla" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Song by The Smashing Pumpkins | ||
| B-Side to "I Am One" single | ||
| Single released | August 1992 | |
| Recorded | Spring 1992 | |
| Genre | Alternative rock | |
| Song Length | 11:01 | |
| Record label | Caroline Records | |
| Producer | Billy Corgan, Kerry Brown | |
"Starla" is a song by The Smashing Pumpkins. It was recorded (along with the song "Plume") in Spring 1992 to be featured on the single for the Gish version of "I Am One".[1] It was also included on the b-sides and rarities compilation Pisces Iscariot. At just over 11 minutes, it is the longest song on that album, and the most personally important to frontman Billy Corgan.[2] A video of the band performing the song live was also featured on the 2008 Smashing Pumpkins documentary If All Goes Wrong and can be viewed at [1] [3].
[edit] Song Inspiration and Arrangement
Corgan got the inspiration to write the song when a fan at one of the Pumpkins' concerts told them her name was Starla, a name that Corgan admired. Subsequently to writing the song, Corgan discovered that her name was actually Darla.[1]
In a column he wrote for Guitar World, Corgan explained how the song got its arrangement and the interesting effect used at the beginning of the song:[4]
For the song "Starla," from Pisces Iscariot, I had a riff which didn't really do much for me. Then, I ran it through a fuzz (which gave it a drone-y sound and added some different harmonics), and panned it back and forth in time with the song. Soon, I started to hear an orchestration for the song. The effects inspired the arrangement, even though I didn't end up using the original effects on the final version of the tune.
[edit] Guitar Solo
The last 5 minutes of the song consist of a lengthy guitar solo. Allmusic said "Starla" "proves that Corgan was one of the finest (and most underrated) rock guitarists of the '90s"[5] The solo was recorded at 7:00 in the morning, and Corgan claims a police siren can be heard at the 5:27 mark of the song, right before the solo, because this part of the song was recorded in an apartment that was not sound-proofed.[1]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c Corgan, Billy. Pisces Iscariot Liner Notes. 1994. http://www.spfc.org/songs-releases/song.html?song_id=166
- ^ "Listessa Interviews Billy Corgan, 1998/05/29". http://www.spfc.org/online/qualityposts.html?content_id=542. Retrieved 2007-06-08.
- ^ "Smashing Pumpkins: If All Goes Wrong" (http). Apple inc.. http://www.apple.com/quicktime/guide/hd/smashing_pumpkins.html. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
- ^ Corgan, Billy (1995). "Guitar Geek U.S.A.". Guitar World.
- ^ Prato, Greg. "Pisces Iscariot" (http). Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Ahx65mpbf9fco. Retrieved 2006-10-07.
