Soundgarden's Chris Cornell fired back at Smashing Pumpkins front-man Billy Corgan's claim that Soundgarden reunited simply to cash in. In August, Corgan said that bands like Soundgarden came back, "only to make money."

Cornell apparently has another way to make money. He's asking Corgan to pay him back for a favor. The Soundgarden singer tells ABC News:

“When Billy Corgan was completely broke, I got him a movie deal with Cameron Crowe where he made $40,000. He was very happy about that, and he was specifically happy about the $40,000. So next time you see him, tell him owes me my $40,000 back.”

Cameron Crowe directed the 1992 film Singles. It was set in Seattle and the soundtrack featured songs from Soundgarden and Smashing Pumpkins in addition to tracks from Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and other Seattle bands. The Pumpkins were one of the few non-Seattle bands to be featured on the soundtrack.

Crowe has been close to the musicians who came from the Seattle grunge movement of the early 1990s. In the Crowe directed Pearl Jam documentary, PJ20, Cornell was the most prominently featured figure outside of the actual members of Pearl Jam (See: Temple of the Dog). So, Cornell could have easily convinced Crowe to include the Smashing Pumpkins on the soundtrack.

To Corgan's credit, he was referring to the idea of a band returning to tour and play nothing but old hits. He made those statements in August, well before the release of Soundgarden's King Animal. His opinion could have changed after the album release.

Read more