I have worked in different aspects of the music business for years, and when people know you like a certain band, they'll tell you things. I don't want to betray anyone, but here are some quotes that allude to it...
Greg Kot Interview 2008:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2...nd-james-iha/2
Quote:
Q. Did you make a sincere attempt to invite back Iha and Wretzky?
A. Sincere in the sense that we have to allow them the opportunity. They have the right to at least have the conversation. We said the door's open. We were met with complete indifference. D'arcy doesn't care. And James, it was a money thing.
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D'arcy Interview from Last year (where she first said she'd be open to talking and playing with billy again):
http://blastecho.com/ex-smashing-pum...s-her-silence/
Quote:
Speaking of The Pumpkins, she called former bandmate James Iha’s two appearances with the new version of The Pumpkins “really healthy,” and said Iha is the only member of the Pumpkins who she keeps in contact with, albeit just “here and there.”
Wretzky claims she’s been asked to rejoin The Pumpkins on four occasions, but then later says she hasn’t spoken to head Pumpkin Billy Corgan since 1999, the year she was fired. She would, however, “consider going back.”
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This pretty much confirms what people have told me, which is that Billy reached out to James and D'arcy though third parties, but never contacted them personally. I'm not saying Billy was particularly proactive in trying to get them to rejoin, but I think it's unfair to say he never even tried.
My guess would be that the second they did not respond back with overwhelming positivity, Billy took that as justification to just keep moving forward with Jimmy. Which, as someone else pointed out, was probably what Billy wanted to do back in 2000.
No matter what happens, I'm glad they're talking again. As I said in another thread, I would much rather have peace with the other band members showing up every now again (e.g., James playing on Corgan's record) than having a Pixies style reunion that runs out of steam after three months.