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Tarantula (The Smashing Pumpkins song)

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"Tarantula"
Single by The Smashing Pumpkins
from the album Zeitgeist
B-side
  • "Death from Above"
  • "Zeitgeist"
ReleasedMay 21, 2007
Recorded2007
Genre
Length3:51
LabelReprise
Songwriter(s)Billy Corgan
Producer(s)Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin
The Smashing Pumpkins singles chronology
"Untitled"
(2001) 		"Tarantula"
(2007) 		"That's the Way (My Love Is)"
(2007)
Alternative cover
iTunes release

"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 reunion.

Release and structure

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Billy Corgan mentioned during a concert of June 5 in Berlin that "Tarantula" was titled in honor of the German rock band Scorpions, with whom Corgan had recently collaborated on the Scorpions song "The Cross". The intro and the outro of the song are inspired by the song "Dark Lady" of Scorpions, while Corgan stated that he wrote the solo of the song thinking how Uli Jon Roth could have played it. Corgan and Chamberlin believe the song is a culmination of music they've been listening to all their lives, specifically the Scorpions and UFO.[3]

"Tarantula"
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A 30-second clip of the song was released on May 14, 2007.[4] On May 21, 2007, the single was released on iTunes for the United States, followed by the United Kingdom and Canada on 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-inch 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-inch was released in a clear plastic sleeve on white vinyl. Hilton talked to Stereogum about the cover art, saying: "Billy [Corgan] and I were friends, and he called me one day and was like, 'I want to do this photo shoot with you and Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears. I have this whole idea; will you come and meet me?' [Editor's note: Spears and Lohan didn't end up making it to the shoot.]We went to some studio or something, and we shot it together. It was really awesome. I love him. He's so talented and such a nice person. It was just so cool to be on an album cover for one of my favorite bands growing up."[5]

On July 15, "Tarantula" entered the UK Rock Singles Chart at number one.

Critical reception

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Upon release, "Tarantula" received mixed reviews. Drowned in Sound commented 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."[6]

Alana King of website Roomthirteen called "Tarantula" a "promising track and is proof that the Smashing Pumpkins are as strong and resilient as ever."[7] Rob Taylor of website Clickmusic.com called the single "a slick and professional effort worthy of anyone's ear."[8]

Music video

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The music video debuted on July 2, 2007 on Spinner.com.[9] 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 3D. The video was directed by P.R. Brown.[10]

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.[11]

Additional information

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Formats and track listing

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  1. "Tarantula" – 3:51
  2. "Death from Above" – 4:06
  3. "Zeitgeist" – 2:49 (Dutch CD single bonus track)

Charts

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Chart performance for "Tarantula"
Chart (2007) Peak
position
Australia Digital Tracks (ARIA)[12] 46
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[13] 50
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[14] 14
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[15] 30
Canada Rock (Billboard)[16] 8
Denmark (Tracklisten)[17] 14
Ireland (IRMA)[18] 44
UK Singles (OCC)[19] 59
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[20] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[21] 54
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[22] 2
US Pop 100 (Billboard)[23] 50

References

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  1. ^ Mitchum, Rob (July 9, 2007). "The Smashing Pumpkins Zeitgeist". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 20, 2012. Songs like "Doomsday Clock" and "Tarantula" wave the flag of stoner rock like Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult without embarrassment, and could likely pass for Queens of the Stone Age if it wasn't for that characteristic Corgan whine.
  2. ^ Law, Sam (November 30, 2021). "The 20 greatest Smashing Pumpkins songs – ranked". Kerrang!. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  3. ^ Chamberlin, Jimmy and Billy Corgan. (Interview subjects) "Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist Track by Track Archived 2007-12-22 at the Wayback Machine" (video).
  4. ^ "FMQB: Available for Airplay". FMQB.com. Retrieved May 14, 2007.
  5. ^ "We've Got A File On You: Paris Hilton". Stereogum. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  6. ^ "Single Review: Smashing Pumpkins - Tarantula". DrownedInSound. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  7. ^ "Smashing Pumpkins - Tarantula - RoomThirteen - Online Rock Metal Alternative Music Magazine - Reviews Interviews News Tours". Roomthirteen.com. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  8. ^ [1] [dead link‍]
  9. ^ "Tarantula Music Video". Spinner.com.
  10. ^ "Tarantula video news". Mvwire.com.
  11. ^ "Tarantula video news". Smashingpumpkins.com.
  12. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 257.
  13. ^ "The Smashing Pumpkins – Tarantula" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  14. ^ "The Smashing Pumpkins – Tarantula" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  15. ^ "The Smashing Pumpkins Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  16. ^ "The Smashing Pumpkins Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  17. ^ "The Smashing Pumpkins – Tarantula". Tracklisten. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  18. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography The Smashing Pumpkins". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  19. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  20. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  21. ^ "The Smashing Pumpkins Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  22. ^ "The Smashing Pumpkins Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  23. ^ "Artist Chart History — The Smashing Pumpkins". Billboard.com. Retrieved June 2, 2007.
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