Jimmy Chamberlin: The Drummer Behind The Smashing Pumpkins' Iconic Sound 

I worked as a backline tech for the Pumpkins on the Mellon Collie tour. No offense at all to Matt Walker, who is an excellent drummer, but the whole live act deflated when Jimmy left the situation. In all my years of touring, I've never been as excited by a drummer I heard daily as much as I was with Jimmy. He was the foundation of all that was good with that band. And a super guy as well. It's great to see him today so healthy and filled with joy for his craft.

The fact that Jimmy Chamberlain from The Smashing Pumpkins has a drum teacher, at this stage of his life and career, should be inspiring to you. Yes, you.

Reminds me so much of Neil Peart. it’s crazy to hear him say he isn’t a song writer hearing how articulate he is, he would be great. Lot of respect for the 🎃 now

There are only a hand full of rock drummers that you can immediately identify just by listening to a track. Jimmy’s one of the few. God mode.

My only two complaints about this interview is 1) I didn’t get to see him play Drown, and 2) it wasn’t 7 hours longer. Absolutely incredible interview start to finish.

I'm 45 years old. The 15 year old in me just said this is the coolest interview on RU-vid. I agree with him.😎

Rick is on fire with these interviews lately. Jimmy is extremely articulate and an incredible player. Please don’t stop these

Can really see why Corgan and Chamberlin have worked together for so long, genius nerds! 🤘

"The confidence in the destination allows the flexibility of the interpretation within the architecture." That was profound

Possibly Rick's greatest interview and that's saying something. The drum demo Jimmy gives is a masterclass and a treasure. This video will be studied for years to come.

This has got to be one of my favorite interviews of all time. I’m a guitar player and longtime huge Pumpkins fan, so I’m already very well familiar with how much of a true beast of a musician Jimmy is, but MAN… I had no idea the depth of insight he has as to the art he helps create. What an amazing musician he is. True to the very core.

I clicked on the interview to hear him play and hear Pumpkins stories. Rather than fast-forwarding, I just listened and I'm glad I did. The amount of practical and technical knowledge Jimmy has about drums and music in general is astounding.

The most eloquent guest you've ever had AND a monster musician with an arranger's ear.

I'm so glad Jimmy survived the rock and roll machine and is here with us to do interviews like this. What a great guy. One of my top drumming influences of all time.

Beato, that was THE interview. Your best. Please have Jimmy back sometime to continue going through his genius within Pumpkins songs

His stick control is amazing. Phenomenal.

I couldn't believe he played Jellybelly in its entirety. I don't think I've seen a drummer do that before in a demo. Awesome. Great interview.

Rick, this is what you do: I'm not a drummer, nor am I very familiar with the Pumpkins. But this is one of the coolest interviews I've ever seen and I am just incredibly grateful for it, as well as impressed with Chamberlin. Thank you so much.

1:00:47 Jimmy's response to Rick's question about AI is the most perfect answer to why real art will always prevail!

How can someone be this good?!

I had the privilege of meeting Jimmy out in the wild, he came into the restaurant I worked at in Wicker Park in Chicago in 2017, as he was leaving I told him what a fan I was and he was gracious enough to chat with me and he started geeking out about all the new SP stuff that was in the works. He is humble and genuine. What a blessing that he is with us, making music at a high level and raising a family. God bless you JC!

This guy is an oracle. So much wisdom and pure geekyness.

This is one of the most Underrated Drummers out there. Jimmy is Awesome 🤟👽

Daaaaaaaaaamn he sound's soooo good! Love Jimmy's playing. Sucha key element in the Pumpkins!

I was a drummer who grew up in Crestwood In the south suburbs of Chicago. I was big time into Jazz and Marching band. I would listen to the Buddy Rich drum battles with Max Roach or Gene Krupa, and what stood out was how smooth and clean Buddys rolls and diddles were. When I first heard Gish, I almost fell over listening to basically Buddy Rich playing rock drums. The clean perfect 64th note rolls, the accents perfectly timed with the guitar. I was immediately obsessed with Jimmy Chamberlain and practiced obsessively with my stick control. Jimmy also influenced my sobriety years later from my addiction to Heroin. Jimmy means so much to me and he literally changed my life. I saw the pumpkins at the metro right before Siamese Dream was released and could not believe what I was seeing. The greatest drummer of all time, excluding Buddy Rich.

Jimmy and Billy are why the Pumpkins sound like no one else, both are unbelievable players

As a young, geeky musician who played classical sax, Jimmy Chamberlin with the Pumpkins was the first drummer I ever admired outside of Buddy Rich or Krupa. It turned out most of my drummer friends loved him, too. I can remember sitting in the car blasting Siamese Dream and practically crying with my buddy over JC's high-hat usage. To this day he still an inspiration to me and I'm sure countless other musicians. Loved this interview and awesome to see him happy and healthy and kicking ass

He is such a killer drummer, and he seems so genuine and sincere. You can tell he doesn't have a fake bone in his body. He got choked up remembering his sister - what a great guy!

Jimmy had an amazing recovery. I didn't think he was gonna make it but he did. And he seems to be flourishing. Congrats, man.

Billy Corgan and Butch Vig were already my favorite interviews, but now you completed the list with Jimmy! Such honor to be able to hear the ones responsible for my all time favorite album talking about how it was created! And to see Jimmy playing Jellybelly was an indescribable moment. Thank you for this! PS: to complete the 90s gold, we just need you with Dave Grohl and Eddie Vedder. Pleaaaase!

I am first and foremost, a drummer. This interview gave me a renewed sense of energy, purpose, and outlook on my role in the band. There are some things I’ve inherently done over the years, that line up with some of Jimmy’s techniques, reasoning, and playability. But Jimmy was so good in the explanations of why they work. One of the best interviews I’ve seen in a long time. Jimmy is one of the most articulate and well-spoken musicians and wow…The thought that has went into each and every piece of music he’s had his hands in. And the fact that he’s still leaning, leaning on other musicians for some of their knowledge. A life-long student if you will. You never can know enough. Always room for improvement. And age is just a number. Jimmy looks and sounds fantastic. So happy for him. Great questions and dialogue, Rick. Superbly done.

This is the best thing I have ever watched. Jimmy is so giving of his knowledge and influences and it is a joy to hear him speak so passionately about his craft and lift up everyone who got him there. Absolute legend of a man and my favourite musician of all time. He is most of the reason that I play drums. Long live JC.

Jimmy has reached god level status long ago. This is an incredible interview whether you play drums or not. His old school influences are so key to his sound...I feel a lot of that old stuff is lost in today's players. Thank you Rick for sharing this! It's brilliant.

Search for "smashing pumpkins Pinkpop 94, drummer cam", and be blown away

Wow, what a great dude, very interesting and humble. No wonder there is so much depth to his playing.

His drums sound FANTASTIC!

The drums on Gish hooked me from the first moment. Amazing drummer who rocks and swings simultaneously.

I've been waiting for this!!! Another great interview with one of the best drummer of the 90s!!! Thank you so so much, Rick! Take care, brother man!!!

In a single month you’ve interviewed my 3 favorite drummers: Jimmy, Danny, and Josh! 😊

My favorite drummer of all time... I went to Canada on holiday when I was 13 and heard the pumpkins for the first time.... it wasn't Billy's singing that sucked me in... it was Jimmy's drumming. I've never been hit with something so powerful before. Made me go back to Ireland and pick up the sticks and became a drummer in my first band at 14. Thank you, Rick, for having him as a guest. Thank you, Jimmy, for your genius.

His work on siamese dream gets better every time i listen. Been listening to it for twenty years

The drumming on "Tonight Tonight" is mesmerizing. It makes the whole song.

This is EASILY on of the top-5 interviews i've ever watched! What an eloquent speaker (apart from a GREAT drummer) Jimmy is!!! And what a great ear and deep knowledge and understanding of music he has! And much credit to Rick for being such a great listener!!!

As a longtime fan, it is absolutely insane to hear Jimmy talk so much and in such detail. Really a special video. Thank you Beato

The trifecta is complete! You've interviewed my 3 favorite drummers....Stewart Copeland, Danny Carey and now Jimmy! Thank you, Rick!

He's one of those drummers you can just listen to without instruments and never get bored. Great player. Amazing dynamics. Extraordinary wrist control. And most importantly, great taste.

This has to be the best music interview I've ever seen.

What a level of musician, someome who would never forget about dinamics. Just to see him it's worth a whole show. Saw him with SP, what a magic night.

I played a gig with Jimmy when I was really young, he was so kind and supportive to me and I’ll never forget that. Twice the drummer as the other guys around, half the ego

Such an incredibly dynamic and powerful drummer. Kind of underrated in the grand scheme of things.

Corgan used to say about Jimmy when they were just coming up and doing shows with many bands on the bill on the same day: «Jimmy knew he always was the best drummer on the bill, he never got nervous».

This is amazing. When I was 14 years old (around 1996) and learning to play the drums, I had Siamese Dream memorized, so I could play the songs entirely without the music playing. At the time I thought it was because I was getting so great at the drums, but now hearing him do it, I realize it’s mostly just because those drum parts were so *musical*, it just makes sense to play them start to finish like that. They are very linear that way; it’s like learning a Chopin or Beethoven song on the piano. One part leads so naturally into the next, you just can’t help but play it all start to finish that way. It would feel unresolved if you stopped it mid sentence. Being a great player isn’t what makes him so legendary as much as being a great composer of drum music.

I always felt like Jimmy fell under the "if ya know, ya know" status for many years, which always confused me. I was blown away with his playing from the moment I heard him. A giant of a drummer and a major contributor to the "pumpkin sound"

I’ve never even hit a drum in anger but I could listen to Jimmy talk drums for hours. He’s such an intelligent and eloquent Man and his dedication to his instrument is just incredible. Great job, Rick!

One of the greatest drummers of all time and he gives all the credit to his influences. Amazed by his eloquence and intelligence. Another fantastic interview, Rick.

I still remember seeing the Pumpkins at Metro in Chicago before they were signed. They had so much fire. Billy may be the driving force and the most recognizable member but they are not the Pumpkins without Jimmy behind the kit. Ive seen them with other drummers during Jimmys absences from the band and the dynamic shift is so massive they dont even feel like the same band. The second you hear Jimmy's snare rolls and those insanely tight syncopated parts he and Billy are famous for....THEN you know its a legit Pumpkins gig. Jimmy is in that elite class of drummers where you know instantly recognize him as soon as he begins playing. Definitely one of my all time favorite players

I’m fascinated by Jimmy’s awareness and his natural tendency to keep evolving

"Jellybelly" was worth all the trouble, it's one of the Pumpkins best songs. 🤘

I am so glad we didn't lose Jimmy. I love that he will just play the whole damn song, and I love that he says "Corgan".

Wow. Your best interview yet. Jimmy has so much to offer, not only about Smashing Pumpkins or drums. Very inspiring.

Rick laughing at the end of Jellybelly is pure gold! No way any other drummer could have matched Billy on the first three albums. Absolute masterpieces!

I love how you can hear the whole song with just his drum parts. Easily recognisable, proper drummer

I hadn't heard Jimmy interviewed since '94. I never realized what a big brain he is. I was always a fan, bet have a totally new appreciation for the man. Bravo.

This channel just blows me away. Jimmy!!! What a great guest! What a monster drummer!

Jimmy Chamberlin taught me to plays drums second hand as I transcribed literally dozens of his drum parts! Living legend!

My fav drummer of the 90's alt scene. A hero of mine. The Bonham of the 90's ,not that he played like Bonham but was a drummer influenced by jazz and made his own footprint on the instrument. I would love to have a beer with this guy. Now Chamberlain is much a style as Bonhams style of the 70's. My first books were the "Around the drums with ...."series as well.

When i was a kid i got Siamese dream on cassette. Hearing his drums changed how I i hear music. Looking forward to watching this. After finishing this video, best interview yet. Im glad this is here for people to watch anytime

Best interview ever! Thank You Rick! Jimmy is my favorite drummer and this is a treat! And im a guitar player!

"The confidence in the destination allows the flexibility in the interpretation within the architecture", Jimmy knows his sh1t ❤

Been waiting over 30 yrs for this interview. Rick has really out done himself on this one. Asking all the questions with the depth and detail I’ve always wanted to know. Unbelievable!!! Not much can be said that hasn’t already been said about this living legend drummer JC. Great, great interview!

Another absolutely awesome interview. Jimmy Chamberlin is an iconic drummer that has an iconic personality. I'm amazed at how articulate, kind and knowledgeable he is. Per usual Rick, you just know how to have a wonderful conversation with another master from the music industry. Thank you.

This might be my favorite interview on the channel thus far. I was fortunate to see Jimmy play a small club show at The Blue Note in MO when he and Billy went on the road as Zwan. I got to shake Jimmy’s hand after the show and it is a moment I will never forget. The Machina-Zwan-Zeitgeist era recordings are some of my absolute favorite drum performances to listen to. Thank you Jimmy!

Danny Carey, Josh Freese and now Jimmy!! My top 3!! 🙌🏽🔥

Rhythm lives inside this guy like a second person. Once he’s behind the kit that person takes control. Just spectacular. What a talent!

Thank you Rick. What a huge treat as a drummer to finally get to know the person Jimmy behind the phenomenal drummer he is.. his drumming with the Pumpkins was such an inspiration to me (and made me study the rudiments all over again ; ))

You know how Dave Grohl plays guitar like the drums, well Jimmy Chamberlin plays the drums like a guitar. And he's a riff monster🤘

Mellon Collie is STILL one of my fav albums of all time and that is much thanks to this guy. Legend.

As a kid I got to listen to Siamese Dream at a local record store in 1994, and the opening drum roll changed my life. I got my first drum kit the next xmas!

I know nothing about drums but I always knew Jimmy was good. Until now, I had no idea how good. He lives dedication and it’s very inspiring to see.

It's unbelievable how clean his playing is. 13 year old me is back in '95 right now, appreciating his playing so much more.

we deserve a Stephens Perkins interview like this one

“The emotional absence will the be death knell of all of that” - Jimmy Chamberlin, on the future of AI music

Damn i just realized that i saw the jimmy chamberlain complex live 19 years ago, time flies too quickly

Rick, thank you so much for that - as a life-long Pumpkins fan to see Jimmy open up so much and to see the joy he gets from talking with a fellow drum-geek was utter bliss!

Gosh, I feel him when he talked about his sister. My sister passed away in 2008, and I miss her dearly. We played music together from grade school to Junior College. She was a year older than me. Much love! 🙏❤

I'm an amateur guitar player, but I learned more about drums from this video with Jimmy, than any other video that I have seen. Big fan of the Pumpkins.

This was one of the finest interviews conducted. Perfect mix of gear talk, musical approach, and just life. The full play through of jellybelly was a thing of beauty. Kudos to you for not stopping him at any point.

Incredible interview! I always held Jimmy to be the best rock drummer of his generation, but this really drives home, not just how jaw-droppingly phenomenal he is, but what beautiful insight he has to offer, particularly regarding AI.

Mellon Collie was THE soundtrack to my life when I was sweet and sour Sixteen. Every song was a separate emotion, feeling that pertained to all and who was happening in my life at the time. School Blues, Teenage Kicks , Adolescent Adventures. I love that today, I can still get immersed in Mellon Collile- and Siamese Dream and combine those times and memories with how life today is carried and worked out via the same songs. Classic music grows and moves on with you.

I don't think I've seen any interviews with Jimmy by himself. In Pumpkins interviews and the bits on the Zwan DVD, he came off as very quiet. Here he's extremely well spoken and knowledge. I also love that as a drum idol of mine, he learned from the same old books that I did.

Hearing Jimmy play on Siamese Dream changed my life. I bought a drum kit shortly after and he’s been my inspiration ever since. I’ll come back to this interview over and over for the rest of my life. Amazing, thank you.

Jimmy and Danny were two of the best coming out of the 90s

I really respect how he's still a student, still learning, even when he's a master himself. That's a true artist. (favorite moment - the ultra-precise high hat on Hummer's descending scale -- OMG)

Such an articulate person, he’s a joy to listen to.

I’m sorry but I just paused this INCREDIBLE interview at 35:27 to say this: Jimmy Chamberlain might just be the most intelligent musician ever! Wow, the reasoning, strategy, and articulation from this guy is seriously blowing my mind right now! Great interview!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The breadth of music he's drawn inspiration from is super impressive. A great lesson for all musicians.

This was just like the Robert DeLeo interview you did Rick! Both guys just love music, and take inspiration from everywhere. Doesn't matter the Genres, great music is great music. Just like Robert, Jimmy's love and excitement is so infectious. I was sitting here just smiling the whole interview. I caught the Pumpkins just over 12 months ago, here in Australia with Jane's Addiction. Was a bloody great night :)

As a guitar player always focusing on the guitar, Rush and the Pumpkins pulled me into the rhythm section and made me appreciate the entire ensemble; drums and bass. Thank you Mr. Chamberlin!

What a cultured musician and talented drummer! The best thing Rick gets with these interviews is the desire of the viewers to hear and re-hear the records of all these monster musicians. And we are here for this motivation to keep on learning and being passionate about music.

This guy is an absolute beast. Gonna have to revisit the old Pumpkins catalogue after seeing him execute some of these parts. Holy Guacamole this guy blew my mind