Memories

Guillermo Andres Molina Tique Bogotá D.C., CO

I remember watching I Am One, Siva and Rhinoceros on MTV like their interviews and performances there too. The 90’s were an incredible time, full of amazing music. Times have changed, there are people who say the old times were better and even that they don’t like streaming platforms but I just say that I love old times but I’m very thankful for the present because now we can watch and listen to whatever! My only memories with Gish by Smashing Pumpkins were their cool videos on MTV, that’s it, I remember that because getting a CD or cassette in my hometown was almost impossible. I had to wait going to the capital, can you believe it? Or I had to tape songs from the radio. We had to request songs from the DJ but sometimes it was complicated because the native language from here is not English so it was harder to remember the names of the songs, but at least we could write them down after seeing them on TV. Now I can watch and play whenever and as many times as I want! It’s hard to say what’s my favorite song from Gish, but I think I’m really crazy about Daydream! Thanks Billy Corgan for all your wonderful music. I love and I’ll love Smashing Pumpkins forever because I grew up listening to and feeling them!

Not so impressive memory haha

Chris Kotra Hallett Cove, AU

Started listening to the band in early high school. I was obsessed and listened to all of the albums obsessively. Main memories of Gish involve playing particularly the first two songs, I am One, and Siva in the car. There’s quiet breaks in those two songs and by coincidence, I remember I would come to a stop waiting for traffic and the music would have a break. Then I’d take off accelerating again and the guitars and drumbeat would come roaring back. I felt like I was part of the music. 

As years have gone by, I’ve come back to Gish every now and then and have realised how different it feels to other Smashing Pumpkins albums. I don’t know what any of the lyrics are meant to mean but it doesn’t matter.

Keep it up SP!

A career fan

Joel Kalamazoo, MI, US

Siamese Dream is the first album I bought with my own money. I was fifteen. During the massive Mellon Collie tour, I saw SP five times. In one form or another, I’ve seen WPC 28 times. While I love the original line up, and most of them getting back together, seeing them in Chicago at the Metro was the best. It was a baseball themed fundraiser, right when Oceania was getting released. That iteration of the band rawked, and the only time I have managed to be near front row. Thanks for the music WPC/ Billy!

Gish Headgear

Cale Chicago, IL, US

Here is some Gish-themed headgear, inspired by A 19th century fashion plate.

Never stopped listening

Lee Chicago burbs, US

Gish is the only album I have ever played literally over a thousand(or pretty damn close to a 1000) times in its entirety. Gish is an absolute masterpiece, it encapsulated a unique time period for SP. Gish was a catalyst album for them that capped off one era and jetted in a whole new journey with Corgan being the ring leader of the magical circus. 

I’ve listened it to Gish throughout all the major points in my life, from breakups to new beginnings, through great times and some really shitty times ones, Gish has been a life-long friend to me, well a 30 year old, life-long friend anyway. 🙂

Happy Birthday Gish!

Air Force Basic Training

Jeff San Antonio, US

After 6 weeks of Basic training and getting a first paycheck… I along with about 100 trainees were driven to our technical school. I had three CDs to play on my disc man.  Gish, Nevermind, and Achtung Baby.  Gish made the 7 hour bus ride to technical training. more bearable!

Big Sibling’s Mistake… My Gain

Nathan Milwaukee, WI, US

I had to have been 11 or 12, with a nascent interest in music. Shortly after ‘Today’ was released as a single, my older sister went out to buy what she thought was Siamese Dream and came home with Gish instead… disappointed with her purchase, she gave it to me, forever altering my appreciation of music and giving me a favorite band at the same time. 

Black Lights & Tie-Dye

Janay Larson El Paso, TX, US

I bought
my first copy of the album, & the sound was unreal. Wanting to memorize it,
I noticed it didn’t come with lyrics. Every night under a black light, I’d try
to learn & write down every word I thought was said. Hours spent enveloped
in the lyrics were an escape; a sacred time transported to another era. Now, the
album conjures up that same inner peace. I still feel those amazing memories of
happiness, deciphering lyrical genius, & music that made me.

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I don’t live, I inhale I don’t give, I unveil…

Jose Francisco Javier Garcia Ortiz Tustin, CA , US

I first bought the Gish CD exactly on May 28, but wayyyy back in 1998! KROQ played it a lot those days and I fell in love with both Smashing Pumpkins and Gish. My dad drove me to Blockbuster Music to buy it. My first impression was that it was Grungy, the typical 90’s Nirvana sound since this album was produced by the Father of Grunge Butch Vig! Here I am holding my beloved vinyl copy, which I bought 15 years ago at Virgin Megastore San Francisco in November of that year during a 3 day weekend. 

My favorite song? Rhinoceros, that bass line and guitar feedback… 

I am wearing my Gish shirt, which arrived today in time!

Love and peace to you all Pumpkins fans.

Cheers to 30! 

1979

Serena New York, US

I first heard 1979 when I was in graduate school in the mid-90s.  It reminded me of growing up in small town Texas in the 1970s — we even had that live wire that, devastatingly, killed an elementary schoolmate.  I thought the song was for me and all these years later, I still think most of the SM’s songs are for/about me!  I had my SM cassette tapes with me in Austin, Houston, London, New York and even, Zimbabwe.  Long live the Pumpkins!

Red Rhinoceros

Karmann Sloane El Paso, TX, US

Having just been adopted into my forever family, I remember
that SP was the first music I’d ever heard in my new home. Our kitchen was
painted red, and when I asked my mom why that was, she introduced me to the
video for Rhinoceros, from her favorite album. It was always a source of
inspiration for her, and since she’s passed that down moreover, Gish will
forever be a soundtrack to real love and contentment.

Summer of 91

Aaron Frankfort, ky, US

I had a best friend named john that came back from summer camp in 91′ and one of the older camp counselors was playing Gish in the cabin. John asked who the band was and bought a gish cd on the way home. He brought it over that weekend and was so excited to have me hear it. We were both 11 at the time and the moment i heard I Am One i was hooked for life. The Pumpkins helped shape my love for music, i would not be the same person without them.  

Hooked at first listen

Jeremy Bourbonnais, IL, US

Was 19, in the Navy at a dance club in Orlando, FL. When I heard Siva playing I went to the DJ and asked who it was. Went out the next day and bought Gish. SP has been my favorite band ever since. 

Coming back to Gish

Patrick Johnson Northvale, NJ, US

I became a fan during the Siamese Dream era. Wanting more, I also picked up Gish. I liked it, but it was such a different album and I didn’t immediately get it. But, I kept going back to Gish. And then one day Gish clicked for me, especially “I am One.”  Then the album became a favorite of mine. 

My first SP memory

Jed Shaffer Clinton Township, MI, US

In 91, a friend had a friend in Chicago. This FOAF sent my friend a mixtape to “educate him”. On it were songs from Gish. It was the only thing on the tape that stuck with me, but I couldn’t find Gish at my local record shop. It’d be 2 more years before I found the Pumpkins.

Life Changing Moment

Matt San Diego CA, US

Its a story, more than 300 words! So i made a jpg of it

Gish on vinyl

Lea Sharpe Lynchburg, VA, US

The first I ever heard Gish, I was in my junior year science class, and would purposely finish all of my work early to listen to the album. Specifically, Siva rocked my world. Later the next year, my family and I went to the Bridge Stone arena in Nashville to see the Smashing Pumpkins, my now favorite band. I had wanted Gish on Vinyl extremely bad, and I couldn’t find my brother at the merch table. To my surprise, I turn around with him holding Gish on vinyl just for me! 

My favourite Gish track

Margo -, PL

I love this track 🦏

First listen

Fredrik Sollentuna, SE

I worked in a record store and a newsletter promoted Gish so I ordered a couple of copies. I instantly put on Gish and was blown away by it. Been a fan ever since!

Old Box of Tapes

Bernie Bazzett Caledonia, New York, US

Around October of last year my aunt heard that I was getting into cassettes so she dug out her old box of tapes and sent them to me. I got the package one morning before school and opened it up and the first thing I saw was a homemade copy of Gish. I ended up skipping my first class to sit and listen to that tape and was completely blown away. My mom heard me listening to it a few days later and told me she remembers that my aunt took her Gish tape to make the copy that I know have. 

My favorite album

Pablo Antonio Orizaba, MX

I hear about the band and i wanted to learn more about so i discovered Gish and i hear Rhinoceros for the first time and I was completely amazed , i figured out than i want to have Gish in CD so the last december i receive my copy as a birthday gift and now i’m happy to form part of this 30 anniversary of Gish 

Discovery

Dave Hulegaard Port Townsend, WA, US

15 years old with money burning a hole in my pocket, I went to the record store to buy Swervedriver’s Raise. While scouring the S section, my eyes locked onto the Gish cassette. I’d recently heard “Siva” and loved it, so my eyes looked no further, and I left with Gish. Happily. 30 years later, it’s still the most influential record I’ve ever owned. 

The original double CD 😅

fabrice WITTELSHEIM, FR

My original double CD, Always love it and listen to it 😍

Wait… they already put out an amazing album?

Kyle Wrightsville Beach, NC, US

Singles st dropped when I was 15. Drown was my 1st exposure to TSP. I quickly went back and grabbed Gish and had my mind blown at its beautiful sounds and songs. Bury Me was the rocker I needed. 🙂 I was a year shy of full immersion with the release of SD, beginning work at the record store and seeing TSP for the 1st time in Nov. ’93. Since then, Gish and SD have been the soundtrack of life, followed very soon by MCIS, Adore, Machina, etc., etc. What a ride!!

The night SP blew Pearl Jam and RHCP off the stage

Mike Hiratzka Miami Beach, FL, US

The first time I saw SP was in Cincinnati in 1991, Pearl Jam opened and RHCP headlined.  I was front and center on the barricade for SP, it was incredible!  They were by far the best band on stage that night, and watching Billy and Jimmy  up close was amazing.  One of the concert highlights of my entire life!

Gish and the Girl

Cam Miller Dayton, KY, US

In Oct. of 1991, I asked to be the lunch hour DJ of my suburban Detroit high school. I had just moved there the previous spring and was trying to “fit in”  so I completely fabricated a story of how I had been a DJ at my old school in South Carolina (I had not). My first order of business was to ask students to write down what music they wanted to hear. A punk rock girl walked up, wrote “Smashing Pumpkins Gish ” on the sign up sheet and walked away.  I bought the CD. The LONG BOX CD and fell in love with the Pumpkins… and that girl. She became my first high school girlfriend. 🙂