BILLY CORGAN Says D'ARCY WRETZKY Will Never Return To SMASHING PUMPKINS

According to The Pulse Of Radio, frontman Billy Corgan says that bassist D'arcy Wretzky will never return to SMASHING PUMPKINS.

In an interview with Baltimore's 98 Rock, Corgan commented on all the recent reunion drama and said: "We spent two years trying to rebuild the bridge with her, and, at the end of the day, she chose not to be involved. We made every effort to involve her, including offering her the ability that she does not even have to be on the tour. She could show up at any time, she could play as much as she wanted to play."

Corgan went on to say: "She insisted that even though she hasn't been on stage in 19 years, that she should play every song... And we were, like, 'This is just an unrealistic thing for somebody who hasn't been on stage for 19 years — to expect you to play a three-hour show.'"

In the end, Corgan said: "What it came down to is that she didn’t really wanna be involved. It was like a game of chicken and, eventually, we called her bluff and we made a decision to move on."

Earlier this year, Wretzky spoke to The New York Times about her failed return to SMASHING PUMPKINS, claiming that Corgan misled her about the reunion. She revealed: "He was stringing me along and using me to be able to say that it was, in fact, a reunion of all the members. Billy can be incredibly charming and funny and fun, but when it comes to money and giving credit where credit is due and any kind of work situation, it's not pretty."

Wretzky said there were disagreements about how the members would be paid, with Corgan making twice as much as the others. She added: "I really wanted to do this tour for the right reasons. If everybody was doing it for free, I would have done it for free."

The "Shiny And Oh So Bright" North American arena tour is SMASHING PUMPKINS' first in nearly 20 years to feature founding members Corgan, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. Longtime SMASHING PUMPKINS guitarist Jeff Schroeder, bassist Jack Bates, and keyboardist Katie Cole are also taking part, as the band moves to a three-guitar lineup to better emulate the signature tones and textures of their albums.