Received the Smashing Pumpkins x Vosges - Mellon Collie Sessions chocolates and they are beautiful! 🤩
I wanted to get them last year but I ended up putting them in the back burner. Now, when I saw them again on social media I decided to jump on them.
It’s quite possibly the most beautiful representation of the Mellon Collie artwork and it brought a poster with it! I’m thinking of framing it.
I used this painting I’d done as a backdrop for the Funko Pop and the thing is that I was absolutely inspired by Mellon Collie’s art direction for that paining.
It now hangs above my bed as an invitation for a good night’s sleep since I’ve had sleeping troubles for some years now.
Hope you’re digging the Billy Corgan Funko Pop as much as I am!
Janjo 🖖🏼
September 11, 2026 - This is the moment I gave my friend her copy of Melissa’s 90s Rock Photographs book. She was actually coming with me to see Melissa in Toronto but things got complicated for her and she had to cancel.
To give you some backstory, her birthday is April 12 - the same date that Live Through This was released so I gifted her Hole’s CD on her birthday back in ‘95 or ‘96 (cant remember) - so she’s also a fan to say the least.
In any case, she absolutely loved Melissa’s memoir so she was all in to go see the exhibit and meet Melissa in person. She couldn’t go but I got her the book and when I arrived at her place, I told her husband that he might want to have the camera ready…
So here you go - here’s a cool moment between fans of the band and Melissa.
Just saw the video in my photos today and thought I might as well share it with you guys.
Is there more information on this Courtney Love song with James Iha (The Smashing Pumpkins)? They seem to have recorded it back in 2012?
This goes back to that first iteration of Died Blonde from 2013.
*Comes from an Exclaim article but Reddit doesn’t seem to let me post the link.
It’s not every day that we, the fans get the opportunity to receive such incredible gifts from Hole. I am beyond excited, appreciative, and grateful for this.
I especially want to thank Eric Erlandson for undertaking this project. I remember way back in the Kittyradio days when Eric talked about wanting to create a project encompassing all things Hole — he even spoke of a box-set back then.
Today, we’re seeing that vision become a reality with the first delivery of Eric’s “comprehensive archival campaign.” And it is absolutely beautiful. Tomorrow, I will be receiving the zoetrope versions of Live Through This and Celebrity Skin.
What an incredible way to celebrate Hole’s legacy and 35 years of Pretty on the Inside.
I posted the video on the Facebook groups but only shared a pic here on Reddit. Just thought I’d share.
Can someone cross verify with their old-school CD copy of POTI to see if it also says “Engineer Brian Foxworthy - Music Box Studios LA”?
For some reason I don’t quite remember it being in the original 🤔
In the wake of Bob Mackie’s passing, I can’t help but think about the unreleased song titled “Bob Mackie’s Gown.”
The song is one of the tracks Hole wrote during their New Orleans Sessions, which took place between Live Through This and Celebrity Skin.
According to the band, they moved between New York, Memphis, and New Orleans to try to write new material for a new record. However, Courtney Love and Eric Erlandson were dissatisfied with the songs, so they ultimately abandoned them.
Among these were “Bob Mackie’s Gown,” “Down By the Sallie Gardens,” and “Marie Antoinette.” In her memoir, Even the Good Girls Will Cry, Melissa Auf der Maur writes that the lyrics “All dressed in red, always the bride. Off with her head, all dressed in white. Off with her head…” are lines that survived from “Marie Antoinette.”
The songs from the elusive New Orleans Sessions remain among the most sought-after unreleased material in Hole’s catalog; and now that Eric Erlandson is overseeing Hole’s comprehensive archival campaign, there is renewed hope that these songs will finally see the light of day.
Hole’s reissues of their three classic albums are scheduled for release on September 18, 2026, and will mark the beginning of the archival campaign. It has also been hinted that Hole’s MTV Unplugged is next, with a potential release in 2027.
Bob Mackie’s Gown is a an unreleased song from Hole.
The band wrote it during the New Orleans Sessions that took place between LTT and CS records.
What better time than now?
Rest in peace 🙏🏼 🕊️
To those following Hole’s Reddit, I recently posted my painting of Hole in The Simpson’s style since Melissa explains in her memoir that the band was to appear in an episode but their management decided to not go with it in the end.
So I visited her exhibit in Toronto tonight and was able to give my Hole/Simpson’s painting to Melissa!!!
I’m stoked to say the least!!! 😃
In Melissa’s memoir she writes that back in 1996, the band was invited to appear in The Simpsons’ “Homerpalooza” episode, with Hole originally written as the headlining band. Melissa Auf der Maur says the band loved their characterizations, but management rejected it for “making a caricature of Courtney.” 🤯
I’m no professional cartoonist but I went ahead and made them into Simpsons characters. Hope you like :)
Used canvas with acrylics. And Micron pens for the final lines and finishing touches.
Melissa’s exhibition starts today, September 2.
Her accompanying music project - Bass Womb Room comes out in two days, September 4.
And her new photo book on September 8 (also Celebrity Skin’s 28th anniversary).
*you can order her cassette ‘Bass Womb Room’ from her Bandcamp - there’s a link at the end of the article.
I thought by now we would have heard of Courtney’s memoir coming out, so sadly, I’m guessing that will not be happening in fall this year.
Perhaps, her management decided to let Melissa have her moment and not steal her thunder (which has kinda happened with every release Melissa did - she and Courtney released their records almost at the same time. In 2004 and 2010).
Still, with the Hole reissues coming out in September 18 it would be dumb not to release her first single now in September and capitalize on the buzz related to Hole.
Let’s see 🤞🏼
I recently found out that Cheap Trick mentions Courtney Love alongside Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash in their song “All Strung Out,” the last track on their 2016 album Bang, Zoom, Crazy… Hello!
I don’t know if this has been discussed before, but this is kind of a big deal! Hole made some pretty major references to Cheap Trick as an influence on their power-pop sound during the Celebrity Skin era.
Another song to add to ‘that list’! 😆
Turns out Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo’s white Gibson SG guitar is named after our girl!
“That one’s actually named Courtney, and when you flip it over, there’s a big picture of Courtney Love on there!”
Weezer’s been known to cover Celebrity Skin in several concerts and according to Courtney, they seem to be friendly as well.
Just wanted to share the love.
Btw, been listening to their latest album (Gold) and it actually sounds more like old-school Weezer. Liking it so far :)
“As remembered by Courtney Love, Flea, Billy Corgan and more…”
I know… we are still waiting on some news about Courtney’s own memoir The Girl With the Most Cake but I am very, very excited to know that Jennifer was able to finish her book before passing away recently.
Courtney’s new Instagram post finally confirms that the album is finished, but she also says, “I’m just tapping in, figuring out how to roll this out” and “I just need to understand how to do this.”
Perhaps she’s a little apprehensive and genuinely figuring out how to release this record. Or maybe everything is already carefully planned and she’s just teasing us before making a huge splash. Who knows?
She did mention that she was going off to do some of that “analog stuff” for the next few weeks, which, in my opinion, could very well mean sitting down and recording the audiobook word for word. But again, who knows…
In case she really is still figuring it out, maybe this is our chance to put our two cents in. 😂 How would YOU roll out Died Blonde?
Personally, I think Courtney should capitalize on September. Melissa is doing her exhibition, releasing new music and putting out a new book at the beginning of the month. And the book is essentially a celebration of Hole through photographs. I think Courtney should show up in Toronto, support Melissa’s exhibition and projects, and help bring even more attention to everything happening.
THEN, right in the middle of September, Courtney could drop a killer first single on Spotify accompanied by a music video on YouTube — ideally just before Eric’s archival campaign and the Hole reissues begin rolling out.
That could create some serious synergy between everyone’s projects. Melissa’s, Courtney’s and Eric’s. The word of mouth would be insane. September could basically become a full-on Hole extravaganza.
And the timing actually works. Artists seem to be releasing lead singles two or three months before an album these days, so Courtney could drop the first single in September, follow it with a second single in October or November, and finally release Died Blonde in December — which, as she’s said before, is the timeframe she’s wanted.
By then, the memoir should also be finished, so December could potentially become the month when the memoir, documentary and album all finally enter the world.
Then Courtney could spend the beginning of 2027 doing the book tour and attending the documentary premiere. The press surrounding all three projects could work together beautifully and finally give her the opportunity to tell the story she has been working so hard to bring into the world.
No one tells her story but her.
And after that? Tour. Melissa’s got new music so she could be opening for Courtney, which would be incredible. And who knows — perhaps Courtney could even open for Michael Stipe, who also sings on the record and is releasing his own record this year. Imagine all three of them on tour together and singing on Courtney’s set!
Anyway, those are my two cents — just in case Courtney really is out there trying to “figure it out.” 😂
What do you guys think? How would you roll out Died Blonde? What are your ideas and suggestions? In case she’s reading this for ideas…