Random Fri Feb 18 2011

Talk about weird coincidences: According to a tweet by Billy Corgan, Nicole Fiorentino, the current bassist for Smashing Pumpkins, was also one of the young girls on the cover of Siamese Dream (the one on the left, apparently). "She said she didn't want us to know because she thought maybe we wouldn't let her be in the band," Corgan added. Corgan conducted a search for the girls in 2007, so it's interesting that he just found this out now.

Before joining the Pumpkins full time, Fiorentino had been a member of the touring band, and was the bassist for the latest incarnation of Veruca Salt. She also played with Spinnerette, Light FM and Twilight Sleep. Her first band, Radio Vago, broke up in 2005.

According to Wikipedia, Fiorentino was born in 1979, which would have made her 13 or 14 when Siamese Dream came out -- which doesn't put this story out of the realm of possibility, though it would probably mean the photo was a few years old when it was used on the cover. Fiorentino has not addressed the news directly, so keep an eye out. [via]

UPDATE: According to Rolling Stone, an assistant to the photographer who shot the cover photo says he was "pretty sure the photo was shot specifically for the cover," which would most likely mean Corgan is screwing with us.