Mayonaise (song)
Encyclopedia
"Mayonaise" is a song by The Smashing Pumpkins
, first officially released on the 1993 breakthrough album Siamese Dream
. It was written by Billy Corgan
and James Iha
and was recorded from December 1992 to March 1993 at Triclops Sound Studios. According to Corgan, the whistling sound (feedback
) heard in "Mayonaise" came from a cheap guitar he bought, which, whenever he stopped playing it, created the whistling sound. This sound was then incorporated into the song. Corgan apparently got the title for the song after he looked "in [his] refrigerator".
Despite having garnered considerable radio play and remaining a fan favorite, "Mayonaise" was never an officially released single.
In the 2008 documentary If All Goes Wrong
, when talking about "Mayonaise" Corgan downplays Iha's contributions to the song, attributing "minor aspects of the chord structures, essentially, but it's really only two parts" and says Iha "gets a lot of credit, probably undue" for writing a "fucking fantastic" song "because his name is on the credit but I wrote the song."
, an acoustic mix (labeled as an outtake) of the Siamese Dream recording was featured on the Mashed Potatoes box set given to friends in 1993-1994. It was also a part of the official promos Still Becoming Apart and The Smashing Pumpkins 1991-1998, with a slightly phased acoustic guitar
part and a tambourine
. Most recently, a live acoustic (mayonaise works as an instrument) version was released on Earphoria
and the Vieuphoria
video. The Vieuphoria version, originally broadcast in 1993 on the British television show Naked City, features the band playing the song intertwined with footage of the band.
On the most recent Smashing Pumpkins tribute album, compiled by MySpace and Spin, The Academy Is...
covered the song.
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...
, first officially released on the 1993 breakthrough album Siamese Dream
Siamese Dream
Siamese Dream is the second album by the American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, released on July 27, 1993 on Virgin Records. The album fused diverse influences such as shoegazing, dream pop, grunge, classic rock, heavy metal, and progressive rock.Despite recording sessions fraught...
. It was written 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...
and James Iha
James Iha
James Yoshinobu Iha b. March 26, 1968 in Chicago, Illinois) is a Japanese American rock musician. He is best known as having been a guitarist and co-founder of the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins and for his eclectic musical projects of recent years, most notably being a permanent...
and was recorded from December 1992 to March 1993 at Triclops Sound Studios. According to Corgan, the whistling sound (feedback
Audio feedback
Audio feedback is a special kind of positive feedback which occurs when a sound loop exists between an audio input and an audio output...
) heard in "Mayonaise" came from a cheap guitar he bought, which, whenever he stopped playing it, created the whistling sound. This sound was then incorporated into the song. Corgan apparently got the title for the song after he looked "in [his] refrigerator".
Despite having garnered considerable radio play and remaining a fan favorite, "Mayonaise" was never an officially released single.
In the 2008 documentary If All Goes Wrong
If All Goes Wrong
If All Goes Wrong is a feature-length documentary about The Smashing Pumpkins, which chronicles the band's residencies at The Orange Peel in Asheville and The Fillmore in San Francisco in summer 2007. It was screened, in competition, at Ghent Film Festival in October 2008...
, when talking about "Mayonaise" Corgan downplays Iha's contributions to the song, attributing "minor aspects of the chord structures, essentially, but it's really only two parts" and says Iha "gets a lot of credit, probably undue" for writing a "fucking fantastic" song "because his name is on the credit but I wrote the song."
Versions
Several versions of the song are available. Before being officially released on Siamese DreamSiamese Dream
Siamese Dream is the second album by the American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, released on July 27, 1993 on Virgin Records. The album fused diverse influences such as shoegazing, dream pop, grunge, classic rock, heavy metal, and progressive rock.Despite recording sessions fraught...
, an acoustic mix (labeled as an outtake) of the Siamese Dream recording was featured on the Mashed Potatoes box set given to friends in 1993-1994. It was also a part of the official promos Still Becoming Apart and The Smashing Pumpkins 1991-1998, with a slightly phased acoustic guitar
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
part and a tambourine
Tambourine
The tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
. Most recently, a live acoustic (mayonaise works as an instrument) version was released on Earphoria
Earphoria
Earphoria is a live album by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. It is the soundtrack of the band's Vieuphoria video. While the video has been widely available since its initial release, the CD was only released in a limited number of promo CD copies in 1994, and was subsequently...
and the Vieuphoria
Vieuphoria
Vieuphoria is a long form music video by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, originally released on VHS on October 4, 1994 and DVD on November 26, 2002...
video. The Vieuphoria version, originally broadcast in 1993 on the British television show Naked City, features the band playing the song intertwined with footage of the band.
On the most recent Smashing Pumpkins tribute album, compiled by MySpace and Spin, The Academy Is...
The Academy Is...
The Academy Is... was an American rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 2003. Before dispersing, they were signed by the Decaydance imprint of the Fueled by Ramen label. They were originally known as "The Academy", but added the "Is..." in 2004 to avoid legal complications with other...
covered the song.