FOR ARTISTS:

1) Songs Allowed: You are permitted to submit covers of Smashing Pumpkins songs from the early years of the band (1988-1994). You may record covers of SP songs from this era, everything from the earliest demos to Gish, from Siamese Dream to Pisces Iscariot and Vieuphoria. Album tracks, b-sides, outtakes, demos, and live tracks are permitted to be covered, with a few exceptions as noted below but when in doubt, just ask:

a) SP Originals, Not ‘Covers of covers’: All covers submitted must have been originally recorded and performed by The Smashing Pumpkins. Please do not submit covers of songs that SP covered themselves. Unfortunately, this means songs like "Landslide" and "Girl Named Sandoz" from Pisces Iscariot or songs they covered live or as demos like "Cinnamon Girl" and "Sookie Sookie" are not allowed. If you are unsure whether a track is an original SP song, please consult the SPFC

b) Songs from Other Eras: Covers of demos or live tracks released from this era that appeared on releases after Pisces Iscariot are not permitted. For example, even though "Set the Ray To Jerry" was recorded as a demo during the Siamese Dream era, it was later recorded and released as a b-side during the Mellon Collie era and therefore is not allowed. Also, it should go without saying that covers of "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" are not allowed, even though an early live version was performed in 1994. Furthermore, any other songs off the early Mellon Collie Demos in 1994 are not allowed either.

c) Side projects: Any songs written and recorded only for side projects and solo ventures are not permitted. In other words, please do not submit covers of songs by JP and the Cats, The Marked, Coat of Eyes, Snaketrain, and later side projects like Starchildren. Of course, if a song ended up as a Pumpkins song later, that's fine as long as they were released as SP songs between 1988 and 1994.

d) Song Preference: Please note that preference may be given to tracks that have not previously appeared on Ghost Children and Ghost Children 2, especially for the ‘Best Cover Song’ Selection. Songs that have appeared on previous releases include "Not Worth Asking", "Siva", "Rhinoceros", "Crush", "Starla", "Drown", "Moleasskiss", "Today", "Disarm", "Geek USA", and "Mayonaise". However, you are still permitted to cover these songs, but it is recommended that you try to record a different cover.

e) Additional Excluded songs: Since "Soma" already appears on the original version of the Ghost Children/Machines of God digital EP, please do not submit a cover for that song. It will not be eligible to appear on the updated version of the EP. We do not want to have two covers of the same track on the same release.

f) Number of Songs Allowed: While you may record as many covers as you like, you are only allowed to submit one song for the contest. So we recommend you put as much effort as you can into the one song you plan to submit. As they say, put your best foot forward!

2) Definition of ‘cover’ song: A cover song for the purposes of this contest constitutes your own unique rendition of a Smashing Pumpkins song from this era (see above rules)-anything from a straight forward cover to a completely new take on a song is permitted. If you submit a track involving you singing or playing along to the original Pumpkins version of a song, your entry will be disqualified and it will not be posted on the site. Your track will also be disqualified if you submit a video cover instead of an audio cover. Only one cover song is permitted per artist/band.

3)Recording Quality: While you are not required to go into a studio to record your cover song, the quality of track should be comparable to tracks that appear on Ghost Children 2/Friends and Enemies, whether it's a good home demo or something you professionally recorded. Please ensure that your demo is clear and audible. If your cover is selected to be on the extended version of the Ghost Children/Machines of God digital EP, please submit a lossless version (ie a wav file) to us in addition to the mp3 you've uploaded for the contest. This gives us greater flexibility in the formatting of the release. Also, you never know if we may want to use your cover for a future release.