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:''"I Am One" is also the name of a song by W.A.S.P. on the album The Crimson Idol.''
"'I Am One'" is the first single by The Smashing Pumpkins. It was the band's first ever release and was written by Billy Corgan and James Iha.
Two recordings of the song were released. One was recorded in 1990 and was the Pumpkins' first release and first on Limited Potential. When ''Gish'' was recorded, "I Am One" was re-recorded and a new single was released on Caroline Records and Hut Recordings. Corgan later stated his regret with not re-working the song for ''Gish'', as the two versions are nearly identical. A video for the song was also filmed, but never released (until 2001) due to the band being unhappy with the result. Footage from the video was instead used on the long form video, Vieuphoria.
Since the original single is the Pumpkins' first ever release, its value is extremely high, and extremely hard to find with only 1500 copies pressed. There are apparently 3 test pressings also in existence, 2 owned by Billy Corgan and one by Limited Potential owner, Mike Potential.
In live performance (starting around the release of ''Siamese Dream'') Corgan would often improvise a speech during the bass break; as a result the song could extend to 8-10 minutes in length. The speech section is known among fans as "the I Am One rant". These rants were criticized, sometimes even by the other band members, due to their abrasive nature. Jimmy Chamberlin considered these rants to be "art-breakdown". The rants were apparently based around the erosion of the belief structure in America's youth, and Corgan has stated they were the gestation for many ideas he later explored on Mellon Collie. Some of the rants contained lyrics for future songs, most notably Zero. The recording of "I Am One" on Vieuphoria/Earphoria features the rant.
Recently, +44 covered "I Am One."

Contents

Singles

Limited Potential (original version)

I Am One 10"

Virgin (Gish re-recording)

External Links

Singles

Limited Potential (original version)

#"I Am One" (Corgan/Iha) 4:16
#"Not Worth Asking" (Corgan) 4:00

I Am One 10"

#"I Am One" (Corgan/Iha) 4:16
#"Terrapin" (Syd Barrett) 2:54
#"Bullet Train to Osaka" (Corgan) (instrumental) 4:16

Virgin (Gish re-recording)

★ The cover artwork was photographed by James Iha
#"I Am One" (Corgan/Iha) 4:07
#"Plume" (Corgan/Iha) 3:37
#"Starla" (Corgan) 10:59

External Links

★ All Music Guide review