Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Episode 102: Jimmy Chamberlin
Today is the greatest day I’ve ever known, because one of my favorite drummers is here in my home. Jimmy Chamberlin changed the sound of rock music, MTV, and radio in the 90s when his drums were heard around the world. His approach to jazz, fusion, and rock all coming together helped create the unique sound of Smashing Pumpkins that no one had ever heard before.
In this interview, we go deep on how Jimmy developed that sound, his approach to drumming, and his philosophies on music and life. We talk about how The Smashing Pumpkins became a band, and how they made their iconic albums Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Siamese Dream, and Gish, while double clicking into Bullet with Butterfly Wings, 1979, Tonight, Tonight, Today, Cherub Rock, Jellybelly, and so much more. We also discuss the incredible scene that was the 90's, his drummer friends, what that magical moment in time felt like to him, and a whole lotta drum and music talk.
Jimmy is an incredibly intelligent human with profound thoughts that will really make you stop and think. He also shares a ton of great stories from his 40+ year career.
I hope you enjoy my conversation with a true drumming legend, Jimmy Chamberlin.
Go with Elmo Lovano’ is a weekly podcast where Elmo interviews creatives and entrepreneurs in music on HOW they push forward every day, got where they are in their careers, manage their personal lives, and share lessons learned and their most important insights.
Big thanks to our friends Moises for supporting the show! If you need stems, they’re the best in the game. Check them out! moises.ai
Another huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year!
Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, Zoom hangs, invite only events, and discussions about music and music careers. patreon.com/gowithelmo
0:00:00 - TRAILER
0:04:22 - INTERVIEW STARTS
0:06:46 - DRUMMING AT 15 YEARS OLD
0:09:23 - INSPIRATIONS
0:13:10 - LEAVING HIGH SCHOOL EARLY
0:15:39 - HOW CONNECTIONS ARE MADE
0:18:11 - JP AND THE CATCH, 10 PIECE SHOW BAND
0:20:20 - MEETING BILLY CORGAN
0:23:51 - FIRST REHEARSALS WITH SMASHING PUMPKINS
0:30:59 - JANE'S ADDICTION, SOUND GARDEN
0:31:49 - CAMERON AND PERKINS DRUM CIRCUS
0:33:08 - COMITING TO THE BAND
0:35:08 - GISH, “WINDOW PAINE”
0:36:26 - VIRGIN RECORD DEAL, DECISION MAKING
0:39:12 - SIAMESE DREAM
0:41:01 - STRUGGLES WITH SUCCESS
0:43:57 - MELLON COLLIE
0:46:15 - PLAYING WITH NIRVANA
0:47:31 - KURT COBAIN
0:48:51 - SIAMESE DREAM
0:41:33 - DRUM COMPOSITION
0:53:52 - BILLY CORGAN
1:00:02 - SONGWRITING, COMPETING 90’S BANDS
1:01:38 - WRITING “TODAY” AND “CHERUB ROCK,” BUTCH VIG
1:05:59 - DAVE NAVARRO
1:07:32 - MUSIC INPIRATIONS
1:09:36 - MELLON COLLIE, “BULLET WITH BUTTERFLY WINGS”
1:13:39 - SELF EXPRESSION THROUGH MUSIC
1:19:57 - “BULLET WITH BUTTERFLY WINGS” SESSION
1:25:22 - PLAYING SMASHING PUMPKINS SONGS LIVE
1:28:10 - MUSIC CHANGES
1:31:21 - “JELLYBELLY”
1:32:30 - “TONIGHT, TONIGHT”
1:37:32 - DRUMMING COMMUNITY
1:43:21 - JAZZ CATS VS. ROCKSTARS
1:45:35 - HOW SMASHING PUMPKINS KEEP TIME
1:45:54 - “1979,” CLICK TRACKS
1:51:09 - AGHORI MHORI MEI
1:51:43 - THE NEW MUSIC GENERATION
1:53:48 - RELATIONSHIP WITH BILLY CORGAN TODAY
1:55:15 - YUNGBLUD, "ZOMBIE”
1:59:00 - TECHNOLOGY
2:01:31 - AI, CLAUDE AGENTS
2:10:17 - JOHN BONHAM, TONY WILLIAMS
2:11:56 - AI IN MUSIC CONTINUED
Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated!
Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: elmolovano.komi.io
Follow Jimmy:
instagram.com/chamberdrums
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instagram.com/gowithelmo
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Episode 102: Jimmy Chamberlin
Today is the greatest day I’ve ever known, because one of my favorite drummers is here in my home. Jimmy Chamberlin changed the sound of rock music, MTV, and radio in the 90s when his drums were heard around the world. His approach to jazz, fusion, and rock all coming together helped create the unique sound of Smashing Pumpkins that no one had ever heard before.
In this interview, we go deep on how Jimmy developed that sound, his approach to drumming, and his philosophies on music and life. We talk about how The Smashing Pumpkins became a band, and how they made their iconic albums Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Siamese Dream, and Gish, while double clicking into Bullet with Butterfly Wings, 1979, Tonight, Tonight, Today, Cherub Rock, Jellybelly, and so much more. We also discuss the incredible scene that was the 90's, his drummer friends, what that magical moment in time felt like to him, and a whole lotta drum and music talk.
Jimmy is an incredibly intelligent human with profound thoughts that will really make you stop and think. He also shares a ton of great stories from his 40+ year career.
I hope you enjoy my conversation with a true drumming legend, Jimmy Chamberlin.
Go with Elmo Lovano’ is a weekly podcast where Elmo interviews creatives and entrepreneurs in music on HOW they push forward every day, got where they are in their careers, manage their personal lives, and share lessons learned and their most important insights.
Big thanks to our friends Moises for supporting the show! If you need stems, they’re the best in the game. Check them out! moises.ai
Another huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year!
Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, Zoom hangs, invite only events, and discussions about music and music careers. patreon.com/gowithelmo
0:00:00 - TRAILER
0:04:22 - INTERVIEW STARTS
0:06:46 - DRUMMING AT 15 YEARS OLD
0:09:23 - INSPIRATIONS
0:13:10 - LEAVING HIGH SCHOOL EARLY
0:15:39 - HOW CONNECTIONS ARE MADE
0:18:11 - JP AND THE CATCH, 10 PIECE SHOW BAND
0:20:20 - MEETING BILLY CORGAN
0:23:51 - FIRST REHEARSALS WITH SMASHING PUMPKINS
0:30:59 - JANE'S ADDICTION, SOUND GARDEN
0:31:49 - CAMERON AND PERKINS DRUM CIRCUS
0:33:08 - COMITING TO THE BAND
0:35:08 - GISH, “WINDOW PAINE”
0:36:26 - VIRGIN RECORD DEAL, DECISION MAKING
0:39:12 - SIAMESE DREAM
0:41:01 - STRUGGLES WITH SUCCESS
0:43:57 - MELLON COLLIE
0:46:15 - PLAYING WITH NIRVANA
0:47:31 - KURT COBAIN
0:48:51 - SIAMESE DREAM
0:41:33 - DRUM COMPOSITION
0:53:52 - BILLY CORGAN
1:00:02 - SONGWRITING, COMPETING 90’S BANDS
1:01:38 - WRITING “TODAY” AND “CHERUB ROCK,” BUTCH VIG
1:05:59 - DAVE NAVARRO
1:07:32 - MUSIC INPIRATIONS
1:09:36 - MELLON COLLIE, “BULLET WITH BUTTERFLY WINGS”
1:13:39 - SELF EXPRESSION THROUGH MUSIC
1:19:57 - “BULLET WITH BUTTERFLY WINGS” SESSION
1:25:22 - PLAYING SMASHING PUMPKINS SONGS LIVE
1:28:10 - MUSIC CHANGES
1:31:21 - “JELLYBELLY”
1:32:30 - “TONIGHT, TONIGHT”
1:37:32 - DRUMMING COMMUNITY
1:43:21 - JAZZ CATS VS. ROCKSTARS
1:45:35 - HOW SMASHING PUMPKINS KEEP TIME
1:45:54 - “1979,” CLICK TRACKS
1:51:09 - AGHORI MHORI MEI
1:51:43 - THE NEW MUSIC GENERATION
1:53:48 - RELATIONSHIP WITH BILLY CORGAN TODAY
1:55:15 - YUNGBLUD, "ZOMBIE”
1:59:00 - TECHNOLOGY
2:01:31 - AI, CLAUDE AGENTS
2:10:17 - JOHN BONHAM, TONY WILLIAMS
2:11:56 - AI IN MUSIC CONTINUED
Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated!
Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: elmolovano.komi.io
Follow Jimmy:
instagram.com/chamberdrums
Follow Go With Elmo:
instagram.com/gowithelmo
tiktok.com/@gowithelmo
https://x.com/gowithelmopod
Follow Elmo Lovano:
Instagram.com/elmolovano
https://x.com/elmolovano
Follow Jammcard:
youtube.com/@jammcard
instagram.com/jammcard
jammcard.com
