And he's said the only other man who could play like Lee is late Led Zeppelin icon John Bonham. Corgan revealed last week he'd brought in the sticksman to play on Monuments To An Elegy, one of two Pumpkins albums under production.

Now he says: "I've had the fortune of being in the room with some of the all-time greats, and when you're that close to someone who is the best at what they do, you gain insight into the way they are able to communicate to so many.

"Let's call it a universal language - which music is, obviously. In applying it with heart and soul they present intangibles that give dimension and depth to a composition which otherwise would not be as kaleidoscopic.