The hinges on the revolving door of Smashing Pumpkins line-ups were beginning to be put through their paces as the band began 2000. Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin has been sacked and reinstated, just in time to see bassist and founder member D’Arcy Wretzky on her way out to be replaced by former Hole member Melissa Auf Der Maur. Around the same time, Sharon Osbourne had also checked in and checked out as the band’s new manager, memorably declaring, “Unfortunately I must resign due to medical reasons – Billy Corgan was making me sick!”.
Despite the upheaval and turmoil, though, the Pumpkins still managed to creatively rally themselves at points, and nowhere is that more evident than on Stand Inside Your Love. It’s 25 years ago next month since the soaring alt-rock anthem was released as the first cut from the group’s fifth album Machina/The Machines Of God and it remains their last classic single, the final word on their hit-laden imperial phase. It is also, Corgan claimed in an interview filmed for the VH1 show Storytellers, the only time he had ever written a song for his partner.
