Rarities and B-Sides

Rarities and B-Sides is a compilation album of The Smashing Pumpkins that features almost every B-side, demo, and outtake released up until that time, amounting to over 8 hours of playback. It was only released digitally on online stores such as iTunes. Virgin also released the promotional compilation True Power. True Faith. with the same artwork in support of the digital release. The band apparently did not authorize either release, rather it was an invention of Virgin EMI who owned rights to all the songs at the time. Rarities and B-Sides was removed from all streaming services and digital stores in 2018.

Most songs can be found on previous compilations such as Pisces Iscariot, Judas O, The Aeroplane Flies High and Earphoria. The single "Rocket", was itself excluded from the compilation, but it does include the B-side "Never Let Me Down Again". Besides that, all singles owned by EMI at the time were included on this set.

The release is notable however for offering the first digital releases of seven tracks that were previously only available commercially on vinyl: "Bullet Train to Osaka", "Terrapin", "Siamese Dream", "Purr Snickety", "Not Worth Asking", "Honeyspider II", and "Infinite Sadness".

Songs excluded
The original "Honeyspider", as well as, the original single versions of "Tristessa" and "I Am One" were not included on this compilation because they are owned by Sub Pop and not EMI. "My Dahlia" and "Sun", the first commercially issued Smashing Pumpkins recordings, were not included in this compilation, probably due to licensing issues. They appeared on the Light Into Dark compilation.

Also missing on this release are four songs from Pisces Iscariot: "Frail and Bedazzled", "Whir", "Spaced" (all Siamese Dream outtakes) and "La Dolly Vita", a B-side from Tristessa (on Sub Pop).

Additionally, seven official remixes of Smashing Pumpkins songs were excluded from the compilation. These include "Moby Mix" and "Cement Mix" from the "1979" remixes and all of "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" remixes.

Personnel

 * Billy Corgan – vocals, guitar, bass guitar, production
 * D'arcy Wretzky – bass
 * James Iha – guitar
 * Jimmy Chamberlin – drums, production