Billy Corgan has been in a number of bands pre-pumpkins. One of them was called "The Marked"(both Billy and one of the other band members had a birthmark. Billy's is on his hand). "The Marked" played down in Flordia, but when that didn't work out Billy came home to live with his father again. Here back in Chicago, he played his guitar, and got a job working in a record store. He was writing music a lot of the time, hoping to be able to piece together a band sometime in the near future. Then, through a friend he was introduced to James Iha, a guitarist who had been in some bands, but was looking for something more serious, and so, the first two pieces of the band were fit together.