Smashing Pumpkins and Smash Mouth are arguing over the 'Shrek' soundtrack DATE: 2024-05-24 20:39:52
The Shreksoundtrack is the arguably the quintessential album of the 2000s, rivaled only by the magnum opus of movie soundtracks, Shrek 2.
The opening scene — from Shrek bursting out of his outhouse to shattering a mirror with his ogreish grin — wouldn't be the same without Smash Mouth's iconic "someBODY once told me." Smash Mouth's "All Star" became an absolute banger, constantly resurfacing through memes and remixes. And their cover of the Monkees' "I'm a Believer" sweetly accompanies Shrek and Fiona through their swamp wedding as they party with the rest of the fairytale creatures.
SEE ALSO:Smash Mouth totally nailed International Women's Day with this very mediocre artHowever, when someone asked Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan if he'd ever seen "the hit movie Shrek" during a recent Instagram Q&A, Corgan revealed that his band was "offered the end credit song for Shrek 1."
"But the offer was withdrawn and given to Smash Mouth," Corgan said. "Who had hit with Monkees song."
In another answer, Corgan said that if Dreamworks hadn't withdrawn the offer, Smashing Pumpkins would have submitted "Untitled."
This is "Untitled," by the way. The moody song doesn't exactly give off a "happily ever after" vibe.
After Exclaim! covered the story, Smash Mouth disputed Smashing Pumpkin's claim with the spiciest diss on Twitter.
"Actually we said no and Michael Austin from Dreamworks kept calling ... We assume multiple bands we're [sic] asked." Smash Mouth responded. "If it feeds Billy's ego to think they were first let him think that. Def would have been a darker approach."
Harsh, but as Shrek himself says, "Better out than in!"
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And as Josiah Hughes pointed out, "Shrekwith Smashing Pumpkins would have been a dark art film."
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I mean, how different would the romance between Dragon and Donkey be if you heard angsty Smashing Pumpkins lyrics instead of "I'm a Believer?"
Via GiphySmash Mouth's identity will forever be intertwined with Shrek; in an interview with Polygon last year, frontman Steve Harwell said, "Obviously, the first Shrekis the best because that's the only one with our songs featured in it."
He also said that DreamWorks requested another Smash Mouth song for the second Shrek, but ultimately didn't use it.
Let's just take a moment to appreciate Smash Mouth's contribution to one of the greatest soundtracks of all time.
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