JOHN ROBB

–“It’s not where you’re from it’s where you’re at…”

In April 1989 everything felt possible. exploring the possibilities and creating genre them until John Squire put The Waterfront the album and then their management of the
defining bands. together with Mani and Andy Couzens in time. It was like they knew even then that
East Europe was in revolution, insurrection the early eighties crafting up a set of jangling they were going to do something important.
was in the air, and the greedy eighties were Whilst in most other cities the dance and Postcard, Orange Juice and Fire Engines
over – E was on the streets and the party was rock scenes didn’t cross over, in Manchester influenced songs that made the demo stage They hired Gareth Evans, the maverick
in full swing. Manchester was loved up and the bands were in the clubs, soaking it up, but never played any gigs. manager of the International club, to look
music was changing, fast. Acid house had fusing and changing. This tradition had after the band after a legendary meeting
shifted the goal posts – two summers of love gone all the way back to the Manchester When The Waterfront fell apart Ian and where he showed them wads of cash and
had made things go wonky, drugs were the black music backdrop in the sixties that John rejoined after the singer was fired up dropped his trousers to show them underpants
new currency and suddenly indie music was eventually saw the birth of northern soul to by Geno Washington gate-crashing a party he was selling. Amused, the band took him
outmoded whilst the clothes were getting the Buzzcocks whose punk rock buzzsaw in his Hulme flat and telling him that he was on. They liked the idea that he was on the
flared and the mood was getting baggy. attack had a subtle danceable pulsebeat in a star and that he should do something. A outside of the Manchester ‘in’ crowd.
the background. Within a couple of years bemused and enthralled Brown rang Squire
What was needed was a band that understood Joy Division and New Order were soaking and the Roses started to come together. The five became four when Andy Couzens was
what was happening and fuse it with rock ‘n’ up the robotic genius of electro and, whilst no longer a Rose and a few weeks later original
roll. To join up the loose ends. To connect The Stone Roses didn’t play acid house The initial five piece were outsiders in the bassist Pete Garner voluntarily left the band,
the classic optimism of sixties rock n roll to beats, they soaked up the culture and the city’s mid-eighties music scene, the band had feeling he was holding them back, allowing
the revolutionary idealism of punk to the vibe. You could feel it in their music – that started with a flurry of fan graffiti and high Mani to finally make up the classic line-up.
new territory of acid house. sense of space, that sense of community, expectations. The warehouse parties in 1985
that sense of loved up – anything can happen had been a harbinger for the future and This new Stone Roses were a different beast.
The Roses swaggered into this scenario. excitement that hit a raw nerve with a new debut ‘So Young’ single had created a ripple John’s guitar was now freed from rocking out
They looked and sounded perfect for the generation. Add to this combustible situation of excitement. and was now a deft, stunning array of melodic
moment, and in pop the moment is every- the sudden demise of the alpha band of the six string action and the songs had a new light
thing. Their lean, modish look of ‘87 was mid-eighties, The Smiths in 1987, and you I already knew Pete Garner, the bass player, touch that played to the band’s strengths.
now looser and baggier – from Ian’s super have a very interesting situation. from his days running Paperchase – one of
cool flares, Paul Smith top and perfect hair the few alternative outlets in mid-eighties The line up in place the band played a handful
to John’s artful take on the street look and The Roses also came out of that strong Manchester, whilst Ian Brown lived in West of gigs and worked those songs hard – never
Mani’s ‘man of the people’ clobber and tradition of ‘scallydelia’, the North West Didsbury next door to Mark Tilton the has a band in Manchester rehearsed like the
Reni’s hats – the band had the look, and street love of the psychedelic twist. guitar player in my band the Membranes. Roses, never has band seemed so assured of
quite definitely had the music. Manchester was a big drugs city, and it His flat seemed to be a 24-hour revolving their success.
messed with minds, it messed with the door with all kinds of hipsters and
They had spent the heady summer of 1988 music. All the bands from Manchester and characters wandering in and out. They 1988 saw them get signed to Silverstone
readying the album, recording an absolute Liverpool had that psychedelic twist to their looked rough and ready to rumble but after a near miss with Rough Trade. They
classic guitar record whilst soaking up the sound and the Roses now had it big style. they were always friendly. A few months then made the masterstroke of hiring John
acid house explosion – combining the sense later we rehearsed next door to the pre-gig Leckie to produce them and spent the rest of
of possibility and space of one with the Sparked by punk having proudly won an Stone Roses in Chorlton and listened to the year honing the album down.
classic melodic chime of the other. Bringing Adverts album on a local radio station them honing down the songs that would
the energy and excitement and song writing competition in 1977, Ian Brown was a pop eventually make up what came out as the Released in May 1989, the eponymous debut
nous of the swinging sixties bang up to date culture fiend. He had added northern soul underrated ‘Garage Flowers’ – the first LP was a perfect record of sun-kissed melody,
and creating a new psychedelic. to his punk fix and had been running with album that never was – or a collection of brilliant playing and twisting and weaving
the scooter boys in the early eighties where demos recorded with Martin Hannett, who songs that mixed euphoria and melancholy
Hometown Manchester was party central; the backdrop was brilliant music and a they were keen to work with because of with a situationist, sardonic punk attitude
every night there was a scene somewhere sense of the loyalty to the gang that later his connection with cult Manchester punk and a blissful beauty. It caught the music
– from the legendary Haçienda to the non- would infuse the Roses. Just before this, in heroes Slaughter And The Dogs. scene, already rattled by acid house, completely
stop all nighters in Hulme the city was 1980, Ian had a band fling with the Patrol on the hop. The Stone Roses perfectly caught
consumed by acid house. With a strong – a Clash fused youth club outfit he had put The decision to not release the tracks was the spirit of its times.
band tradition and a city centre big enough together with his best mate John Squire for a an early sign of the band’s innate self belief
to party but small enough for everyone to handful of local gigs. – most skint groups at that stage of their The album’s sound, brilliantly recorded by
know everyone else it was inevitable that career would have run with what they super-producer John Leckie – who had
there was going to be a collision. Since punk, Drifting into the scooter gangs had put had managed to record, but the Roses assisted on the Beatles’ Abbey Road and
music in the city had been cross-pollinating, the band on hold briefly for the pair of perfectionism saw them instinctively dump early John Lennon and George Harrison

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solo releases, as well as Syd Barrett’s last the generation. The raves had brought the lack of conventional music biz know-how On the album, ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ was
sessions in 1974 and some of the best of good times back to pop, a generation was allowed him to make the most audacious underlined by John Leckie’s pure sound that
the punk and post punk records like XTC, shifting. The frenzied excitement of acid decisions that matched the band’s outrageous gave the song and the album that huge space
Magazine and the Adverts in a brilliant house and the timely abdication of The Smiths vision. This was the bundles of cash in his that filled the world with sound. That summer
career – was perfect. left a huge gap for someone to swagger in pocket, gold bullion in his drawers, knicker- it seemed like every bed-sit in Manchester
and somehow tie up all these loose ends. flashing Gareth of the early years. seemed to have the album playing out of
Leckie took what the Roses provided him The Stone Roses not only took the throne, its windows, as did every stall in Afflecks
with and, with the band, turned it into that they fucking smashed it. Instead of kow-towing to the musical norm, Palace, and it was booming out of every car
huge, spacey updating of psychedelia which the Roses had the belief that had been so searching for hidden raves. The album was
was perfect for big sonic space opened up by The band’s sheer self-belief was inspirational lacking in indie music. The fallout from punk everywhere. It had the E vibe nailed down.
ecstasy. The classic acid house sense of space and it would soon ooze through to a whole and the ultimate put down of ‘sell out’ had That loved-up E vibe made everything feel
that filled the big warehouses with its new generation. People would now swagger for years seen bands scurrying away from possible, super tactile, very human, beatific,
sound was all there with the Roses. This was instead of walking, the youthful Gallaghers the spotlight. The Stone Roses, though, coming up into the night with that sense of
the much mooted acid house influence – not were, like thousands of kids, taking notes believed that they were going to be as big community. It was at one with the big sound
so much a direct sonic influence but an and preparing to do their own thing with as the Beatles and they could well have systems, the mad journeys in cars looking
understanding of the dynamics and the all the Roses template. Just about every British been – for a brief flicker of time they were for parties, with the cassette of the Roses
togetherness that the blissed out nights of guitar band in the nineties of any note was the biggest band in the world to the people album banged into car stereos switching
’87 and ’88 – the so called summers of love getting inspired into action in these crucial that understood, leaving behind a debut backwards and forwards with the Happy
– had instigated in those beat-up warehouses few months of heady excitement. album that still inspires people 20 years later. Mondays as the two bands soundtracked the
and fields up and down the UK. This under- crazed euphoria of that glorious year.
standing of the new dynamic shifted the The Roses backed the swagger with their In the winter of 1988 I interviewed the band
Roses away from being a retro psyche band sheer pop nous. The Roses were hipsters; for the now defunct music paper Sounds and ‘I Wanna be Adored’ was an anthem. It built
and made their guitar workout sound modern, they knew their music inside out. Mani borrowed a demo, maybe a rough mix, of and built like going up on an E, like the best
and to this day not dated in the slightest. wanted who Geoff Travis from Rough Trade ‘Made Of Stone’ which, when it blasted out night out ever. It was spooky, thrilling and
suggested, John Leckie to produce the album of my cassette recorder, shivered the spine. melancholic and uplifting. It had that
The Stone Roses had arrived without because he loved Dukes Of Stratosphere – A song as good as the Beatles and Stones but psychedelic tinge of colour, that hint of
anyone’s permission but instead of coasting the cult XTC spin-off who sounded like a sounding bang-up-to-date – that chorus and sadness all mixed up into its groove. Ian
to number one like Oasis did five years later, perfect 60’s trip. Ian Brown was a walking those dark words about burning cars and Brown’s vocals were perfect as he sang like
the Roses went into the charts at number 19 musical dictionary – hip to northern soul, cold and lonely streets sounded like a snapshot a fallen angel with attitude.
and rumbled on through the summer with punk rock, acid house, all the great street of late eighties Manchester. On release the
word-of-mouth building the story before musics – and mashing them up in his head. album delivered. From there on in the album never dropped
the music business got on board for the John Squire was the first non-macho guitar a beat – sequenced perfectly, every tune led
Blackpool gig that August. hero steeped in the genius skills of Hendrix, The bass rumble of ‘I Wanna be Adored’ from the one before and the album built and
the melodic power of the Beatles. And Reni? is one of the great rock openers. One of the built, teasing with a hint of climax, and then
The Stone Roses album was the crossroads The best drummer of his generation. I’ve Roses’ oldest songs, dating back to their dropping back. It was all ebb and flow and
between the ecstasy-driven communal rush never seen anyone who could play drums 1985 two-week stint in Sweden which had a superb sense of dynamics.
of acid house and the Smiths generation like that – the talk in the early days was been the band’s ‘Beatles in Hamburg’ rock
letting their hair down. It was the bridge often about Reni – “check out the amazing ‘n’ roll rite of passage. Somewhere in amongst As ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ climaxed it was
between two previously alien cultures and drummer” hipsters would say and he always all the chaos and madness of a first trip followed by the brisk, pristine pop of ‘She
its very sound, its very vibe, captured the delivered. If the Roses ever reformed it would abroad they had started playing that Bangs The Drums’– the Roses’ first Top-
essence of that great year. And like punk, be a buzz just to see him play those drums rumbling bass line with those Pollock fleck 40 hit when released as a single. The song,
2-tone or the Beatles and the Stones, it was again – dextrous, fluid and exuberant – he of paint guitar licks decorating the song, which captured the euphoria of falling in
one of those moments when the music and could hit hard like a rock drummer but also and those words: were they arrogant? Was love but with a bitter aftertaste, was pure
times are perfectly matched and people get had a real swing and that infectious energy. there a religious reference? What were they guitar pop, like the Monkees played by
the bands that they want instead of having saying? The meaning would get lost in the street-smart hooligans from the North.
them thrust upon them. The Roses had been Manchester’s best-kept Roses’ swaggering rise as they took on a It came with that fantastic couplet that
secret, the city loved them but outside they new definition. “I don’t have to sell my soul” unintentionally captured the generational
The Stone Roses album arrived in a brave were unknown. They were packing out the sang Brown, setting the Roses’ stall from the shift – “Kiss me where the sun don’t shine,
new world where anything seemed possible International clubs managed by their own off – they never sold out. Instead they would The past was yours but the future’s mine”
as the old regimes crumbled politically and manager Gareth Evans – the most maverick crash and burned spectacularly – far better – and, like the rest of the album, was an
musically and powerful optimism thrilled of all rock managers whose optimism and then to become average. embarrassment of melodic riches.

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 Next, the album tripped out with the underlining the audacity of the anti-royal But the Roses have one more ace up their
tumbling psychedelic guitar arpeggios of tirade. ‘(Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister’, sleeves. ‘I Am The Resurrection’ is 8:12
‘Waterfall’, before collapsing into the is another twisted love song. Or is it? of perfection. The discipline required to
mindfuck reverse trip of ‘Don’t Stop’ (parts The mystery is the key to the track that is not only play a song as complex as this, let
of ‘Waterfall’ run backwards, with new vocals dripping in melody disguising its lyrics. alone write it, tells another story about The
and effects recorded over it messing with your Stone Roses. This was a band that worked
mind). Backwards guitars had been a mid- The anthemic ‘Made Of Stone’ with its hard – for years you would see Ian Brown
period Beatles staple – the Roses just went one dark lyrics of car crash and death contrasted walking down the road on his way to John’s
further and reversed the whole song! brilliantly with the optimistic rush of the house to work on tunes for the band. Where
chorus. This is the Roses at their best: that most bands rehearsed once a week the Roses
Lurking just below the surface of the album’s weird intertwining of dark melancholy and would be doing the band 24/7, packing each
super melodic rush was a punk rock politic powerful optimism, the pure schizophrenia song with an album’s worth of ideas.
like that on ‘Bye Bye Badman’ which touched that cuts through this album, the stone and
on the situationism that fascinated the band. the rose, the yin and the yang of the band, The attention to detail of the song, the endless
Situationism was created by the intellectual perhaps coming from the twin personalities teasing of the end section, and the climactic
French anarchists whose 1950’s philosophies of Brown and Squire, two quite different build were the ultimate finale. During those
had been the inspiration to the 1968 Paris people who, for a few years worked perfectly heady years of the big Manchester party, every
riots before influencing key players in the in tandem without ever losing themselves in club would finish with this track, playing
punk movement with its ideas lurking in the the whole. ‘Made Of Stone’ is, for me, one it past closing time and into the night with
background of the Sex Pistols shtick. The of the great Roses moments, an anthemic, the dance floor packed with kids buzzing
Roses, being big Pistols fans, had picked up melodic masterpiece with that deceptive on adrenaline, drugs or booze, squeezing
on this, and the situationists, and the Paris dark heart. This bitter/sweet Stone/Rose the last few minutes of joy from their youth
riots flavoured the album, from the lemons on approach continues on ‘Shoot You Down’ soundtracked by one of their own. And
the cover to that tricolor in the top left hand with its brisk jaunt that masks yet another that’s what made The Stone Roses perfect.
corner making obtuse situationist references. dark set of lovelorn lyrics where the
protagonist seems to want to kill his lover. For once there was a band that was top of
The whole concept came to Ian when he the pile that came from the same place, and
was hitching around Europe in 1985. He All the time the album is building towards walked it like they talked it. They were the
had met a former French 1968 veteran it’s double crescendo with first, ‘This Is The perfect band for the perfect times, those few
revolutionary who had explained to him One’, another one of The Stone Roses’ oldest years when everything seemed possible and
the whole scenario, telling the vocalist about songs that was written way back in the 1985 the future really was ours.
the lemons which were used by the rioters aborted album/demo sessions. Needing one
to dispel the tear gas fired at them by the more song to complete the album, Hannett
cops. The song, which Ian once explained, apparently locked the band in a room, where
was written from the perspective of a instead of wasting their time; they came up
protester singing into the face of one of the with this classic. Oddly enough, the track
riot cops. You can almost smell the tear very nearly didn’t make the album, as its
gas and the lemons when Ian Brown sings, euphoric dynamic was hard to place and
“Choke me, smoke the air, in this citrus- hard to record. Thank fuck they put it on
sucking sunshine I don’t care.” And could there though, as it is one of the best moments
the badman they were waving goodbye to on the record. Peppered with more biblical
have been the French iron man president of references, ‘This Is The One’ is yet another
the time of the riots, Charles De Gaulle? track on the album that steeps itself in
religious imagery.
Still not pulling any punches on the
political front, ‘Elizabeth My Dear’, was The most euphoric song on a euphoric
a one minute assault of pure anti-royal album, ‘This Is The One’ is rousing and
invective. Sung over a deceptively folky take huge, a football anthem still played at Old
on the traditional ‘Scarborough Fair,’ it Trafford as Manchester United take to the
sounded like Johnny Rotten jamming with pitch. The song builds and builds; surely
Simon and Garfunkel, that juxtaposition there can be nothing that can follow this?

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 JOHN LECKIE
–Producer

The initial contact came about through I had met them when they supported James in that part of the building – it was just all
Geoff Travis at Rough Trade who they at the International Two in the middle of ’88. programmers and producers and girl singers.
were about to sign to in 1988. He sent me And then I went back the next day to the Samantha Fox was always hanging around!
a demo tape that they had done – I found the International Two where they rehearsed on
postcard that he sent with it the other day: it stage before the soundchecks of the bands It was a good laugh then. Everyone was
had a picture of the Woodentops on it! showing up later. Then we did some demos working full on to get the job done even
at a place called Coconut Grove in Stockport. though it was funny hours to work, starting
And then I got a second postcard a couple of I can’t remember which songs we did but I at seven in the evening and on to about seven
days later – this one had Batman and Robin remember it was good. or eight in the morning. This went on for a
on and it said, “Have you heard it yet?” week, then on into the following week.
What really struck me about them initially
When Geoff Travis sent me the tape of The was their positivity – their collective positive I wanted to capture them live because I had
Stone Roses he said that they used to be called enthusiasm, looseness, mateyness and love. seen the shows and the live thing was really
the Angry Young Teddy Bears and I thought, I was welcomed in, and made to feel very happening because of the way Reni was
I know that name. There was already that comfortable – it was like a family thing playing the drums. One of the impressions
connection there. The earlier tip off came from the beginning which was great. It was I got of the live thing was that it was a bit of
from someone with the La’s – a roadie or just comfortable, there were no bad vibes a drum overload – in a great way, in terms of
a mate, who I had been working with who or uncomfortable silences – no-one left the the way Reni would take off and be singing
said “Oh, there’s this band in Manchester room – everyone was together all the time. the harmonies as well. It was all really
who used to be called Angry Young Teddy exciting. Although I saw it as a live band,
Bears and they really want you to do their I didn’t mix ‘Elephant Stone’ first. We I was always interested in the psychedelic
record.” And I can remember thinking actually went in and recorded ‘I Wanna factor and that meant you could throw in
“Oh yeah.” And then I heard nothing else Be Adored’, ‘She Bangs The Drums’ and ideas, like the little backwards things, little
and then a couple of years later Geoff Travis ‘Waterfall’. And one other song. We did sound pictures to add to what John already
got in touch and someone said they used to four songs, and then I mixed ‘Elephant had on the demos with his guitar parts
be called the Angry Young Teddy Bears. Stone’, which Peter Hook had recorded and also the harmonies which were really
in Suite 16 previously. That track came as important to the songs – the classic ones
My name had come up because of the work part of the deal. It had all happened quite were ‘Waterfall’ and ‘She Bangs The Drums’.
I had done with the Dukes Of Stratosphere fast, so we recorded those four tracks and I always record bands live, I don’t really take
– the psychedelic side project of XTC. It all the time we were doing those tracks them apart and process them. I always start
wasn’t detailed – like, how did you get the the band was trying to go somewhere with a live thing and just kind of touch it up
sound on that track? It was more general more comfortable and go to Rockfield or a bit. I had never heard the tracks that they
like how did you get the overall sound? somewhere a bit more comfortable than had done with Martin Hannett until years
living in a bed and breakfast in Kilburn like later – that was never mentioned and we
When I went up to meet the Roses for the first they were doing. focused on the songs that we were doing.
time, we all went for some pizza in Stockport
and Reni was saying “What’s your favourite The record company owned the studio and A lot of the time they were saying, well, Ian
record of all time?” And I just came out with the deal was that we would get cheap studio more than any of the others, “Can you make
Love’s Forever Changes and they all fell time. But we didn’t have a lot of time, we it less 60’s?” and I was thinking, “What
about and said “Oh, that’s our favourite only had five, maybe eight, days to do four can I do? Turn the tambourines down, or
record as well!” And I remember Ian was a songs. Which we did, finished and complete. turn Reni’s harmonies down?” Reni would
big fan of the Adverts as well whose first And we mixed them later even then the do about three or four part harmonies and
album, Crossing The Red Sea I had produced rough mixes were good. We did the mixes Beach Boys-style singing on bits, so there’s
and we talked about that. at Battery One, which was one of the five probably more on the tapes than what
or six studios that the label owned that were you can hear although, it’s a bit scatty. He
After that meeting I went up to Manchester churning out songs. It was like a hit factory! would try and sing the harmony but some
again. I’m a bit vague as to what the There was an engineer, in house producers, of the notes would occasionally be off but
chronology is – whether I went to a gig or and songwriters. The Roses were signed he would have all these ideas. You’d have to
whether I turned up at the International to Silvertone, which was created for them work on it so it wouldn’t be abandoned.
Two to see them rehearse… I definitely – like a special independent label as part of He would then suddenly get this other idea
remember going to see a gig which was after the main label. There were no other bands – “I’ll do this falsetto!” – and that would

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take four hours! But it was worth it – Reni’s we could go out to the country and go The band were very professional to work Reni just had a collection of drums – you
harmonies really help make that record and residential, live in and people will cook for with. They listened, they knew what what can’t say Reni plays a lovely drum kit – every
are a big part of it really. us”. It was really through their label boss, they wanted. There were always discussions tom, cymbal and drum is from a different
Andrew Lauder that we got into Rockfield, – sometimes heated! They always thought kit. That’s how he makes it up. He’s such
A lot of the arrangements on the first album, because Roddy McKenna, who was the A&R they could do it better, but when they got a great player. When I listen to him play,
apart from ‘Resurrection’, are pretty well guy at Zomba when they signed, got us to a take, that was it. Everyone agreed and we I just sort of think, “Fuck! No-one plays
already arranged by the band in the way do the late night sessions because they were moved on. That’s the way it worked really. like that!” The last time I saw him was a
that they played them live. I’m thinking cheaper! They didn’t have to spend, we could They were professional. A lot of the guitar few years ago at his house and he had been
of ‘Waterfall’, ‘She Bangs The Drums’, ‘I get the record done with a smaller budget amps and equipment were rented from an rehearsing his band the Rub for about a year
Wanna Be Adored’ – I mean there’s a longer and that’s why we were bunged in for the in-house hire company called Dreamhire, in his rehearsal room at the time.
intro on ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ which was late night sessions! But then Roddy went to which was owned by the record company,
shortened, - the intro can always go on as Chicago to look after that side of the label, we could hire anything we wanted. And When I listen to the album now – and you
long as you want really. All those songs, the rap side of things, and Andrew Lauder John, of course, wanted to try out all the might think it’s complete bullshit, but I
apart from ‘I Am the Resurrection’, which came in to run Silvertone. And he said, “Of different guitars, which was great! You still think it’s one of my favourite records
we worked out at Rockfield Studios at the course you can go to Rockfield!” So it was could just go round and check them out, because I can play it now and really enjoy
end, they’re all the band’s arrangements that really Andrew that allowed us to go there. same with snare drums and things like it and still feel rather good about it. I’m
they came to. I didn’t pull the songs apart that; you could go out and bash a few snare amazed at how it holds together really;
or say, “You’ve got to shrink the chorus.” I think Roddy wanted to keep it all in-house drums in the warehouse and say “I’ll have you know, it’s like a unified album – not
There was nothing like that. A lot of it was in case it wasn’t working and they could this one for a week.” That was very useful. a collection of tracks. There are no weak
fully formed. My job was just to take the get another producer in because you’ve got points in it and I love how musical it is. It
photographs and then touch it up a bit. to remember that Zomba also managed a But we didn’t actually end up using a lot of was totally about the music – the whole
team of hot producers. There must have different guitars. There was a pink Fender thing is about the music and the playing and
I’m a listener you see, because I’m not a been about five or six in-house producers Strat which was from Dreamhire – I don’t the melodies. Even when I went back to the
musician, I’m not a writer, I’m not a song- that were all on retainers. It would of been know if John ever bought it but we rented it demos – which I just dug out – I can hear
writer, I can’t play an instrument. I’m always a lot easier for the label if The Stone Roses for the whole period and even rented it up it on the demos. It’s not really what I did
the guy that’s standing half-way down, you was produced by one of the Zomba house to the second album as well. There was a to it; it’s already there in the tunes. If John
know, in the middle of the gig; I’m in the producers, in their own studio, which is Fender Twin Reverb amp with a JBL speaker strummed them on his guitar they came
audience. My job is finding what people want what the plan was. I’ve got to be grateful upgrade – not the Fender speakers, it was across as unique – ‘Bye Bye Badman’, ‘Shoot
to hear. It doesn’t really matter what musicians really that the Roses stuck out for me – they really heavy to lift with the upgrade. With You Down’ are just really great.
want to play, it’s what you want hear. said, “No, we’ve got to use John Leckie”. the JBL Elecro-voice speakers the sound
And slowly we ended up at a different studio is much purer, not broken up like with The album still comes across as a unique
The bulk of the sessions were done at with a different producer when the original the original speakers. John also used his and brilliant record.
Rockfield Studios and at Battery and we plan was to keep it all in-house. The band painted-up Hofner guitar, a Rickenbacker
did a bit at Konk Studios. I’d been telling stood their ground on a lot of things. They 12 string for parts and sometimes an
them about Rockfield saying “You know, took no nonsense. acoustic 6 string that we hired and Mani
you don’t have to live in bed and breakfasts, played his Rickenbacker bass.

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 IAN BROWN
–Vocals

We always knew the songs were strong, and Dingwalls at the end of December ‘87 and that whoever came up with an album like John Leckie is dead laid back, he had a
we pretty much had it all worked out. We Zomba and Rough Trade were there and that had to be a genius because it sounded pseudonym – Swami Anand Nagara which
did a week in Coconut Grove with John Geoff Travis said he’d give us a two single like 60’s psychedelia but modern. When is his Sanyassin name by appointment of
Leckie where he instilled the ‘Work out your deal but he wanted to see how they did we met John Leckie his brief was that he Bhagwan Shree. He’d been in the communes
endings and your beginnings’ in us. The last before he offered us an album deal, whereas wanted to get each song sounding like it’s in the late 60’s and we used to call him
chord on Sugar Spun Sister is like a Pistols Roddy McKenna from Zomba offered us an the ultimate live version but with a twist. Swami. He’s a cool guy.
ending, we ended it on a Pistols chord – and eight album deal straight out so that’s why He’d done Pink Floyd, Lennon, George
every detail like that, we worked it all out we went with them. So Zomba bought the Harrison. He’d done the Adverts LP as well The band were well tight by this point. We
before we went in. Every tiny detail. We ‘Elephant Stone’ single off Rough Trade, and and I’d won that album in a Manchester were rehearsing in the International Two, in
spent five years writing the record. It was Geoff Travis sent me a post card saying, Evening News competition in 1977 where the cellar – rehearsing non-stop. We used to
all sorted before we went in. Every detail. “I think you’ve made the wrong decision, but you had to name their first single, and I rehearse on the stage in International One
I’d still use John Leckie as your producer” knew that because the Adverts ‘One Chord before we moved to International Two – that
John Leckie was Geoff Travis’s idea. We’d Wonders’ was the first punk single I had was the big advantage of having Gareth as
done the singles deal with Rough Trade It was Mani who had the Dukes of bought – so I won the album. So I was like… our manager owning them clubs. We used
to put out ‘Elephant Stone’ but they didn’t Stratosphere album, so we all went to ‘I know that guy Leckie! He did the to watch all the sound checks for the bands
offer us an album deal. We did the show at Mani’s and listened to the album and agreed Adverts LP.’ coming in to play that night in the club…

10
except Duran Duran who wouldn’t let us in! The last songs we wrote for the album were had a discussion with John (Squire) about every track we played back, the drums sound
That was the night Gareth wouldn’t let Jasmine ‘Bye Bye Badman’, ‘Shoot You Down’ and whether we should include ‘This Is The One’ brilliant, they get you every time. Reni had
Le Bon into the Duran Duran gig, he was ‘Don’t Stop’. We wrote them between the on the album; he thought it was too rocky some skill. He should have carried on after
like, “not tonight love” and shut the door on first recording sessions for the album in but I was sure it was right. It worked and it we split, he’d have been like Gene Krupa or
her! He always stopped the liggers coming in July ’88 and the next sessions in September still does today. They still play it today every Buddy Rich. He’d fill the Apollo up now if he
but he’d always let the kids from the estates ’88 and we had them written for that. I week at Old Trafford. It’s a mega song. It’s just set up his drum kit in there and played.
in for free. That’s how Noel came to see us remember Mani was going to The Haçienda dynamic – the quiet bits are quiet, the loud
– I love that story! Gareth saw him walking every night then, I was just going once or bits are loud – it really builds. I never wanted it to be seen as me as the front
down the street, and this was years before twice a week because we were working. man, we wanted it to be seen as a 4-piece
Oasis, and just waved him over with a load It was a red-hot summer and me and John I was asked what it would be like if the rest band like the Beatles. I always refused to
of tickets and said, “Come and check these were just staying in and writing, as we of the band were there when we re-mastered do pictures on my own for the press – that
guys out.” didn’t have enough tunes for the album even the album, but you know what… I think wasn’t the idea of the band. We spent a lot
though we had started recording it. So we we’d have all just got on with it without of energy making out we was a four piece
At the time Gareth wasn’t cool at all. did ‘Bye Bye Badman’, ‘Shoot You Down’ any problems. When John Leckie and I got and not a lead singer and a band. When the
He didn’t look cool, he didn’t talk cool. and ‘Don’t Stop’ that August. There were a together for the re-mastering it was the first album came out, the label told us not to
Everyone thought he was a knob. People couple of tracks that we didn’t have time to time I’d heard the album for a long time. expect a chart position. They were, “You
would always say, “Why have you got him finish like ‘Where Angels Play’ – which we It sounded really great. It sounded really won’t get in the charts with this, you’re
as your manager?” but I think it was because just never finished properly and that should lean, there was no flab on it at all. It was an independent guitar band and it won’t
he was a bit crazy, we knew he wasn’t scared have gone on the album. The sessions for the actually the first time we’d mastered it for happen,” and we were like, “Yeah we will.
of anybody – and plus he had his clubs, album were all night sessions, 7pm-7am. We an actual CD, so you could squeeze loads We’ve done loads of gigs and 300 or so
which was handy for us. But the thing with had a lot of fatigued humour going on. We more out of it. There’s loads more bottom people would come to each one in each
us was, the more people that would say to shared a rented house in Kensal Rise with end in it now. Which is important. When town, so we will – bands now who sound
us, “Don’t get him, he’s a dick,” the more this businessman called Jonathan. So we’d we first did it, I remember we weren’t that like us will go straight into the Top 10!”
we’d think, “No, he’s the man!” be getting in stoned out of our faces just as happy, it didn’t sound bottom-endy enough, But then it was different, and after our
he’d been eating his breakfast with his suit it sounded a bit ordinary to us but now it’s album came out things changed. That
We knew he didn’t know fuck all. But we on going off to do a day’s work, it was pretty got a lot more bass in it. summer everywhere I went I’d hear the
knew that he was never scared of nobody and funny. It was part of the Zomba contract album coming out of cars, houses, pubs,
he didn’t think anybody was out of reach. you had to use their studios and we were the Hearing it now at the mastering, it just hits bedsits… everywhere. The record sold itself.
He never thought about the consequences, first to get out of that and go to Rockfield. me how lean it is and well-played it is, and
like the time he rang up NME and said “Why listening to the instrumentals – just how But it was all the graft that went into the
haven’t you put them in yet? I’ll give you a two ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ and ‘This Is The One’ tight it is. Everyone’s got a part but it’s fluid album that made it sound easy.
week holiday in Bermuda if you get ‘em in!” were written back in 1985, but them two in the space at the same time. There’s loads
they always seemed to last the distance. I going on. The playing is brilliant. And on

11
 GARY “MANI” MOUNFIELD
–Bass

I will still play the album out when I DJ and kind of a loyalty, determination and a good man! We just used to go away – lads from really pin down what I do, it’s just what
I still listen to it for pleasure, you know? vibe spirit that came with me. Moston and Failsworth. We used to just comes out. It’s a feeling thing. I probably
Which is strange as you get a lot of people jump on trains and travel round Europe know fuck all knowledge-wise how it works,
in bands who just hate to go back and listen Before the Roses, I used to play in mad little without paying and line up opportunities but I’ve just got good feeling and a pretty
to their record, don’t you? It still sounds punk bands around north Manchester, just to get clothing, anything! You know? good instinct for stuff.
brilliant to me. It doesn’t sound dated in any fucking about basically, you know, like you They were pretty naughty days, but when
way, shape or form. do? I would come home from school and go Thatcher backs you into a corner you have The rest of ’em were amazing players, unreal
in to some music shop in Manchester and got to get out of it somehow, haven’t you? man – some of the best players ever, you
I think it still stands up and I think it’s still nick the Clash song book and the Pistols It was like a Robin Hood vibe! know? Reni was phenomenal – I learnt a lot
very relevant. People remain interested song book and learn from there. I always from him. He was a great teacher. He told
20 years down the line, it’s sort of like kind of had the ability to listen and change When I came back from Europe, I was me a lot about rhythm and stuff to listen
become one of them rite of passage LPs, and figure out what was going on and then hanging round town when my brother told to – he turned me on to things which I
like everyone got into Dark Side Of The play them in a pretty basic way. me he had bumped into Clint Boon who told probably wouldn’t have listened to that
Moon before, now it’s the Roses. There are him that the Roses were looking for a bass much. Reni
just certain rite of passage LPs in people’s I was first introduced to Ian in ’79, but I player. Clint had, in turn, met John and Ian got me listening to a bit of Coltrane and
life and I think we are in that category knew his face already. Ian has one of them who had just gone and put an advert up in stuff like that. He was an amazing drummer.
now! How the fuck we managed to get that faces, a really striking looking guy, you know? A1 or somewhere in town. I think my brother He was that good, he could do anything.
together I don’t know! He used to love Planet Of The Apes and I said, “Our Mani’s doing nothing.” And He’s done gigs with one arm – and when he
thought, “Fucking hell! He is amazing, this then I got a call from John later that evening played with one arm it was as good as two!
It was a lot of hard work. No one ever gave guy!” You know what I mean? He would and he said, “Come down.” They had been The guy is a total genius, a proper fucking
us anything on a silver plate. There were stand out of the scene. He used to say I was persevering with Rob Hampton who had one-off you know? It was really educational
always things conspiring against us and like James Cagney, just mooching about on been in the band for about a week after Pete to be around all of them because there was
stuff like that, but I think it’s just the unity my own, you know? Up to no good! When (Garner) had left. Rob was a good mate of a lot of different kind of mixtures of styles
we had together as mates and as a band, we used to go on the scooter runs we used the band but for some reason just didn’t click. that people liked that were getting thrown
the confidence that we had that just made it. to hang out and just cause general mayhem So I just got a call and I just thought I’d give into the pot. I think that’s what made it a
There was nothing better than being in each at the seaside which was great. I think we it a shot because I was always a fan of the pretty unique sound because it had bits of
other’s company every day and sitting in that really bonded over a mutual love of northern band. I always looked for them and always everything in there.
old Spirit lock-up in Chorlton and kicking soul, punk, psychedelic and garage music. used to go and watch them back when
ideas about. It was always based around music. they were doing the more kind of punky/ The album wasn’t a straight 60’s record
psyche kind of gear. I always knew they had because there was like a risk-taking thing
I was always pretty much on a catch up job – I met John in the legendary Pips nightclub in something, and I knew I would always end going on. We were listening to a lot of new
the rest of the guys had been together for a Manchester. He was quieter than us, more up with them anyway. It was just a feeling music as well and going forwards. When
lot longer than I had and I sort of came into the big thinker, you know? It’s great to meet that I would be there at some point in time. people said, “You can’t do that”, we said,
it kind of later, but at a good time I think – people who are different, you know? But we “Well, why can’t you?” It’s there to break
so I took what was there and sort of put my forged a great friendship pretty much straight So I went to meet them and it was just like, down the laws of physics in a way and trying
own stamp on it in a way. It was good you away from loving Woody Allen films and let’s see what happens basically. And I just things that are a bit dangerous and a bit
know, a great learning curve and I had to loving music and scooters. This was before started going to stay at John’s house in risky, you know?
learn fast. It was pretty difficult because I me and him did that band, The Waterfront, Chorlton and chatting through things till
always felt I was looking over my shoulder for that we had before the Roses. We didn’t play late in the night. And gradually I came up to People like the fact that we were like normal
approval because it was John and Ian’s songs, any gigs, we just sort of recorded a two or speed playing-wise and then the confidence guys and the mandate was always, “If we
I was always seeing if what I’d done fitted in three track demo which sounded very kind was there to just start taking risks and can do it, then why can’t you?” If you look
with what their scheme or theme was. of Postcard Records, you know like Orange trying things with the music and just pulling at a lot of the bands who have come in our
Juice. There was always a little whiff of the each other along. wake, a lot of them have got up after The
People say that when I joined the band Fire Engines in there as well – we had one Stone Roses because we kind of opened the
that’s when they became the band, and song that sounded like the Fire Engines’ Being in the Roses really suited my bass style door and showed people the way of doing
that’s heart-warming, it gets me buzzing… ‘Meat Whiplash’ which was a great song which was a mixture of things I had picked things and then just let them get on with it,
I did feel we became more unified and even that was the b-side to their best known up from people like Chris Hillman from The you know? And anyone who doesn’t see it as
though I probably wasn’t as talented as the single, ‘Candyskin’. Byrds. I love everything about The Byrds, an influence is a liar!
other guys, I think I brought something to great band and a great look with top tunes.
the party in a spiritual kind of way. I don’t After The Waterfront stopped I took to What I do is kind of like bass with a touch People always say that the album was really
want to get all hippy about it but there was going abroad and thieving with a vengeance, of playing lead in parts – in fact I can never euphoric, maybe because it just felt like,

12
“Here we are, we have got our chance, let’s track record… I was particularly getting it just sounds like a dreaming summertime it is with Reni is the fact that he doesn’t
use it!” You can spend a lifetime fucking off on that Dukes Of Stratosphere album bit of modern day psychedelia you know? think of it as better than he has done before.
sitting around waiting for a chance to do that he had done because there are some I can see his view on that in a way but I’d
something and then fuck it up but we grabbed great sounds on there. It’s XTC doing a The album’s different moods are the sign pay money to see him play the drums again.
it with both hands. We had the songs there, 60’s psychedelic record. It’s just amazing. of a brilliant lyricist being able to relay the He’s got a style unlike anything I had seen
and getting a proper studio and a proper With that I fell in love with John Leckie and message. If the music lures people into a before, you know. Keith Moon and John
producer in will bring the best out of them his style. So I kind of suggested him to the false sense of security with one mood then Bonham are in there, but he was a show-off
you know? We were called arrogant weren’t others and said have a listen to this and see you can change it all lyrically and Ian was as well – a proper showman – and he had
we? But that arrogance was 100% self-belief what you think of this, and said why don’t great at that – his lyrics are amazing! more styles of drumming.
– knowing what we were going to do and we get a guy who’s fucking great at getting So many people write about normal stuff
what we could achieve with it. For me the these kind of sounds? like what they have had for their tea. But Ian It’s strange how Manchester always had that
album stands up 20 years down the line, writes songs about history and stuff that he dance music thing going on. I think ’cause
that time has absolutely flown by, and it still He was really important. He added the felt, he’s a deep thinker and a deep feeler and we were always kind of into dance music,
stands up! Records that have been made flavour and it’s always good to have someone he’s in touch with his spiritual side. I love his and for me punk rock is dance music. We
since then sound dated now! that can translate your ideas. If you get voice, it’s from the heart man – great talent were always into getting on the dancefloor
someone that can understand what you’re can’t be taught. It’s got to be felt. up north. Drinking and dancing, these were
John Leckie was really good at finding trying to achieve and translate it via the desk the things you do when you were depressed
great sounds and the guy had a bit of a and onto the tapes then that’s great. I think I’d love to see Reni play again. I think what and poor, and we are all really good at it!

13
ALAN “RENI” WREN
–Drums & Backing vocals

Don’t Feed the Underdog Go Figure Heads (Reni - 2009)

“Can’t that be the record?”

Said Dougal in his estuary whine.
The Dylans deep in Northern bubble,
Problem looping wouldn’t
break meniscus for Elvis.
One more spin on the roundabout
may make the magic.

Rolling into Capital Outsider Artist status;
A biblical returning,
Make em love or maybe hate us.
No mean feat for a crypto swami cabal,
Read by Capital as three whippet trainers
and a Cabana bus boy.

Don’t feed the underdog.
Muttering Mutley mutters on the
backbench of the console room.
Zeus and Freckle,
Chewing on the synaesthetic rapture flash
Lost in the mix,
Forming the Orange Dot n Matchstrike
Church of the Waterfall.

Dougal and Cabana boy laying

covert night-time piano parts
against church dogma.
Who bangs the what?
Sausage, blowing grandbaby–
mescherschmidts mind with cherubic
airs and Motown fingers.

Grandbaby– mescherschmidt
blowing Church minds with converse
overtime manoeuvres.
Ibex on the mountain pulling vespers
from the West End breezes.
He’s into our hearts; He must
before the big Zee freezes
Be one of us.
And what will Dougal say?...
“Can’t that be the record?”

For Simon Dawson.

15
 IAN TILTON
–Photographer

I first find out about The Stone Roses in They were playing in front of a big white We were trying to do something different that
1985/86. Howard Jones, the manager at the screen so it was very, very simple to shoot. wasn’t being done at the time, and it did keep
time, told me about them. I was asked to They did a few takes of ‘Waterfall’, and that psychedelic edge that they wanted but
photograph him for the Manchester Listings away we went. It must have only taken it gave it a kind of technical hard black and
magazine, City Life when he was the about two hours. white edge, which was kind of of its time.
manager of The Haçienda. So I went round
to his house and did the photographs and he I took a load of pictures on black and white After the album came out I did Blackpool
said, “Oh, you might want to have a look at and then handed them over to John (Squire) Empress Ballroom just because I wanted
this band I’m working with at the moment, and he said, “OK, can you print this one, to. I just said can I come along and they
they are really good,” and he pulled out this one and this one,” and he chose, I don’t said, “Yeah, yeah that’s fine come along,
these photographs what were just like prints know, about 20 and I handed them over to come along in the tour bus.” It was a really
from Boots that were really shit and you him and he did all the layout by cut and paste brilliant day. We were all chilling out with
could hardly see the band in them. And that for the album sleeve later on. He didn’t ask a few of their mates – Alan with no teeth
was the first I ever knew of them, although I me to do pictures for an album sleeve directly and Chris the Piss. I’d just done a front cover
had seen their graffiti round town! so it was fantastic they wanted to use the for Sounds, four individual head shots on a
pictures on an album. We didn’t know it was colour background. Reni had his hat pulled
The first time that I photographed them was going to be that massive at all at the time. down over his eyes and it made his chin look
for a feature in Sounds music paper in 1987. enormous – ha ha! I left my camera at the
We went into my studio and did the pictures. John called me up a few days later and said, back of the bus and went to talk to Steve
They wanted something a bit different “Let’s have a look at the pictures and I’ll Adge at the front. The band pinched my
for the photographs, which was kind of play you the album so far.” So he played me a camera, and took pics of each other sticking
refreshing – rather than a band just saying, tape that they’d done, not all the tracks but a chins out, taking the piss out of Reni,
“Well, you’re the expert, you just take the few of them. It sounded pretty 60’s to me, I pushing out their jaws like Jimmy Hill.
pictures!” They didn’t want to be lined up could really see the influence of The Who in
as a four piece, so I did them two plus two. there. And then he played me a couple of the Arriving in Blackpool there were fans every-
I wasn’t sure how the editor would feel backwards tracks, which was more like The where wanting their t-shirts and anything
about that, but they ran them anyway. Beatles. They always did their own thing. else they had signed and the band were pretty
obliging. They were kind of like, “We are
The photo on the back of the album cover I did all the shots on the album bar one, which the kings here, we know we are going to fill
is from the Granada TV appearance – their is a shot which I think Simon Taylor did. this place”. It was just supremely confident.
first time on TV. That happened pretty There were some other photographs I did at
spontaneously, I think it was maybe even the the time that were kind of done outside There was a great vibe about the gig as
day before or even the day of them doing the Gareth’s farm. I’m not sure it was a farm but well. You knew everyone knew they were
recording, and Gareth phoned me up and it was a country house with loads of fields going to have a great time and they’d have
said, “Oh, Ian, do you want to come along around it and I photographed them on infrared something to tell their mates and they’d be
and just take some pictures of the band on film through a sheet of glass. We took the really envious they didn’t go. And I was on
TV, they’re going to be on telly, on Tony paint and we put the glass down in the middle stage with them taking pictures! It was an
Wilson’s programme – so come along.” of the field, John painted it, then we got the amazing gig.
So I just went along and documented it. two roadies to lift it up and hold it so that I
could photograph the band through the glass.

16
20
Timing is everything in music. The Stone After having learnt, lived and toured most of was a total rock star – totally arrogant, We all realised it was a milestone in terms
Roses album came out bang on midday on the back catalogue note for note, I can safely say totally beautiful. of the quality. The production was beautiful
the right day in right year in the right decade that this album is too much for us mere mortals and it was perfect for what The Roses were,
– unbelievable timing. When it came out I to handle at once. Maybe one song a year? The album came out a bit after that, almost it had that psychedelic edge and the melodies
just thought, “At last!” We used to go and from nowhere, and everyone went crazy. that were a big a part of what they did.
see them all the time and I thought, “I want AZIZ IBRAHIM The Smiths were big and fantastic, but they
that set list recorded as a record so I can play –The Stone Roses 1996 didn’t have the council estates, but the Roses John Leckie’s production was perfect, it
it at home.” So it was kind of a relief – it was got everywhere – they took that music to the could not of been a better production job.
so long in the making – we’d been waiting council estates. It seemed to me that there He provided the perfect blend bringing out
five years for it! I saw The Stone Roses when I was 15 at were a lot of working class kids at the gigs for the softness in the band. The Roses always
Legends in Warrington and it changed my the first time since punk. It was connecting reminded me of Simon & Garfunkel,
Obviously it’s their finest ever moment. If I life. So I’ve got them to thank. It’s about to a young audience that went across all I mean that in a complementary way because
only recorded two albums and one of them making that connection with the public. social boundaries that indie music hadn’t I’m a fan of that mellow end of the psychedelic
was this debut album, I would be fucking really done till that point. They were loved – spectrum, it’s always appealed to me. You
pleased with that. They blew me away. Lyrically, they were that hadn’t happened before with indie music. could hear The Byrds in it and at the same
striving for something so much bigger. It was Everyone could relate to it. I could relate to it. time you could hear John Squire was into his
The whole album is so well executed. It’s the strange; there were a few girls at the front of Led Zep, it was just the perfect blend – not
exact expression of what that group was about. the stage and the rest were lads, very hard, They had everything: great guitar, great too much of any one thing.
It was so fucking on the money that it could aggressive lads. This whole contradiction rhythm section, great sound, great attitude…
have been recorded tomorrow morning. gave me tremendous inspiration. and for me, being in a band and being a The extremes between ‘Elizabeth My Dear’
musician, they really inspired me. I loved their and ‘I Am the Resurrection’ are amazing
If you want to know what British pop music RICHARD ASHCROFT attitude, that and the fact that they always – you could not imagine one band doing that
sounded like in 1989 then put that album on –The Verve tried to top themselves. The album came out since the psychedelic era. It wasn’t
and if you want to know what great classic and it was amazing but then came ‘Fools something that rock bands did in the 80’s,
British pop music is all about in the bigger Gold’. That really inspired me. They created so for me it was a total knock back in the
picture, you should put it on as well – it’s I remember when we were growing up The a great atmosphere on their records, which so direction of the psychedelic years which I
an amazing feat to capture the time of the Stone Roses were really important: everyone few bands can. The darkness of ‘Fools Gold’ liked.
late 80s and then 20 years later you can still had the clothes, I had the paisley shirt and the with its critique of western society – of money,
put it on and it still sounds right. It still says bell bottoms and floral hoody! The Roses power and greed was great. I knew Mani from before The Roses and
what’s great about British music. were a big part of that. And then they I think in some ways I helped him get the
disappeared for five years and no-one knew They made amazing records – joyous, gig. One night I saw John Squire and Ian
Musically it’s painting pictures from a time, where they were. One day Mark, our guitarist euphoric and psychedelic but with that Brown down the Boardwalk, they were
and I don’t just mean 1989 – it also harks in Elbow, was delivering pizzas to a studio darkness as well. It was great for us that The gutted because they had no bass player –
back to the 60’s that I am obsessed with, yet and The Stone Roses were in there and he told Roses and The Mondays kicked the doors Pete (Garner) had left. It was me who said,
still without being retro. us and we didn’t believe him and had to go down to let us do what we did, if they hadn’t “I’ll keep my ears open and I know our bass
down and have a look! It just seemed amazing happened Screamadelica wouldn’t have player Scott (Carey) would be well up for
They could have only come from Manchester. that there they were in Bury when the whole happened. There wouldn’t have been the it but you can’t have him I’m afraid!” He
The attitude and the swagger is one thing, world seemed to be looking for them… audience there. There was a scene that came would have been well up for it!
the clothes are another, but to make music with them – the feeling at the time was great,
that is so of its fucking time, but that is also GUY GARVEY the whole atmosphere in Britain was amazing. It must of been a Friday night at the Boardwalk
timeless could only happen in Manchester –Elbow The feeling to be young at that time was when I saw the boys sitting at the table
– it just doesn’t really happen anywhere else. incredible, there was an amazing energy. looking glum and the day after I saw Mani’s
The Roses helped to create a great moment brother Greg walking through Manchester
This album, and the band, have achieved I think it’s a great record. For me when I in youth culture. and I said, “Tell your brother that The Roses
mythical status. They inspired us. first heard it I just thought it was amazing are looking for a bass player.” I don’t know
for someone of my age to be taking all the For people like us who grew up with punk, whether I can claim credit for getting him
NOEL GALLAGHER great parts of the 60’s that I loved, like 80’s music was bad and drab and un- the job but that’s just the way it happened!
–Oasis The Byrds and Love, and to do something soulful, so we all looked back to the 60’s
modern with them. for inspiration, but The Roses did it better I wish at the time I had realised that it was
than anybody. It was relevant. They took a big part of musical history – it would have
The first time music ever did anything for It’s a euphoric and joyous record with a wee the feeling and the attitude from the 60’s been nice to have been there with a different
me was when I heard The Smiths and then bit of darkness as well. There’s a feeling in and did something with it that wasn’t a set of eyes. We were seeing history being
I saw The Stone Roses at the International the record that people tap into, in the same throwback; they took that attitude and made made. It was just so many fucking elements
Two just before the album came out and I way they tap into the ecstatic feeling of those it contemporary. And as a musician they of the story that just made it a musical piece
thought, “Yes!” That’s here today, in my early Beatles singles. I think that’s why people were inspirational. of history. But I never realised it at the time.
face, I can go with that. Morrissey was a bit love it. Beyond the lyrics and the guitar playing
weird for me, but Ian Brown was more of it taps into a feeling. The ecstasy and the BOBBY GILLESPIE The Stone Roses album was this fucking
a lad. Him and John Squire were just lads, energy every time you hear it was a total hit. –Primal Scream amazing, psychedelic punk record and I
straight off the street, making this incredible remember thinking, “Fucking hell! They are
music, and it really appealed to me. The first track I heard was ‘Made Of Stone’ just moving the goalposts there, what are the
– I saw them the week before it came out at At the time it was nice because obviously rest of us going to be expected to do?” That
Everything just felt right that night and I went The Escape Club in Brighton – they played being Mancunians we had seen the build up. album would change the next twenty years
home and dreamt of being in my own band. for 20 minutes and they were incredible, and We played gigs with The Stone Roses in the of British music. It’s that influential.
then Ian walked off the stage. I’d never heard early days and we knew there was an album
LIAM GALLAGHER of them before that and I was blown away. imminent and were looking forward to it. CLINT BOON
–Oasis John’s guitar was amazing, and Ian Brown –Inspiral Carpets

21
 It was a difficult time for me when the important music with my friends and that’s The debut album is everything I like about I worked with The Roses early on. They’d
album came out. I’d known Ian and John exactly what we did. I’m proud when I see music… thrashing drums, great guitar; with done a couple of small records and Gareth
since the late 70’s when we bonded over it sharing company with Forever Changes, the template of the band I saw a kindred [Evans, the band’s manager] decided the
punk and became friends, hanging out Revolver and Funhouse in the all-time great spirit in them. I like punk and psychedelic people they were working with weren’t big
every night after school and walking the lists... and they weren’t even debuts. Initially and if you mix the two it’s brilliant. enough for them, so now was the time to go
streets talking music and bands. When they dismissed by the press, the album’s beauty is big time. I was going to The International
formed The Patrol I became the “roadie” now apparent to all, enjoy.............. The Stone Roses had sent me a tape when all the time, where Gareth gave me free
and attended all their rehearsals and gigs, I had a label called Deltic in the mid-80s. drinks and asked me to do it. I eventually
eventually playing bass on one song for an PETE GARNER It was a blast of energy, which I really liked. agreed to do it for nothing after hearing
encore. Four years passed and the idea of –The Stone Roses 1984-1987 ‘Sally Cinnamon’ and a few other demos.
forming another band surfaced, this time I was going to put The Roses stuff out.
with Ian on vocals and me on bass. Once The idea behind my label was we would I was working with Mike Johnson the engineer
Reni joined we jacked our jobs in and On my wall hangs the artwork John Squire put out good music when all the other labels at the time, producing the New Order records
rehearsed 5 days a week and played gigs sent me for the release of what was to be the were putting out shit. We even put out my and we’d started doing other bands. The Roses
around the UK and Europe, releasing 2 first Rough Trade single, ‘Elephant Stone’… old rubbish; the idea being that one record were the first session we did.
singles,”So Young” and “Sally Cinnamon”. what worked with the Smiths failed with the would pay for the next one. But unfortunately
After recording an album with Martin Stone Roses for a variety of reasons; a lack we had a lovely secretary that worked there The only problem The Roses had then was
Hannett, we decided not to release it as it of will from the band and manager, a lack called Karen, whose flat-mate had a band that Reni thought he was a better singer
didn’t sound finished and wasn’t the classic of a contract being produced at the right called Trash, which she kept badgering us than Ian. Ian Brown writes from the soul,
we had all wanted to make. moment by the legal department at Rough to sign. We wanted to do The Stone Roses – and Reni could sing from the soul. I always
Trade and an unfortunate need to remix the we thought they were phenomenal – and we thought he wanted the singer’s job, so there
I left the band after the Sefton Park gig in recordings, which ended up alerting Zomba had this four-track cassette demo that they was sometimes some tension there – but
1987 after much deliberation. Mani was in the first place. Whatever it was, it has had sent. We were all so vibed-up, but we apart from that the whole thing went well!
the obvious choice to replace me. After been one of my greatest regrets that this put the Trash record out… and it bombed. I really liked all the individual characters, even
some time I went to see them rehearse wonderful album never graced our label. It didn’t sell one fucking copy and we ran Gareth – although he was as nutty as a box of
and they played me two new songs: ‘I Am It came close and I am glad to have played out of money, so didn’t sign The Stone Roses. frogs… he was just an odd character! But he
The Resurrection’ and ‘Made of Stone’. a part by putting the band together with gave me no stipulation on what to do or how
I was blown away and thanked them for John Leckie for the recording, but close CAPTAIN SENSIBLE to do it, so we just got on with it.
writing the best 2 songs after I had left, was to be not close enough. The artwork –The Damned
ha-ha! Before the album came out, Ian reminds me of my own stupidity. There was a great moment when Gareth
gave me a copy and after hearing it once on came into the studio and said, “What you
headphones I knew they’d made a classic. The one that got away. I love it still. doing Hooky?” and I said, “I’m just doing
Twenty years later and those songs are so the bass” and he was like, “Great, great.
strong, they can still be heard in stadiums, GEOFF TRAVIS Will you be doing the treble next?” So I’m
taxis, bedrooms, shops, nightclubs and –Rough Trade Records not sure how much he knew. But we became
rehearsal rooms all over the land. People friends and the sessions became a doddle.
who don’t know me assume I must be bitter,
but my friends know better, I joined to make PETER HOOK
–Joy Division & New Order

22
At first I hated the Stone Roses then one It still sounds as fresh today as it did 20 The album is mind blowing really, they are To me, that album coming out was the start
night I was at home, about to crash out years ago, there’s been a lot of bands come one of those bands that when you heard of the Manchester thing really – the start of
in front of the TV and I decided instead and gone in that 20 years, but The Roses’ something you would think, “What is that? the feeding frenzy.
I would go and see the Happy Mondays, debut is still as fresh and poignant today What is that? What genre is that? Where are
who were playing in Chester in a small as it was then. their heads at?” Which I guess must have It was the most special album that came
basement of a pub. I had the strange feeling been the same when people heard The Smiths out of Manchester for me since The Smiths.
that they were about to break, I don’t know It’s a timeless classic and a great crossover for the first time. It was just one of the albums that you just
why, because we were releasing the third album. There was nobody like them in couldn’t help liking from beginning to end.
version of ‘Wrote For Luck’, but I thought Manchester, like there was nobody like the With The Roses, they heard something It was what you were looking for. I was
this might be the last time they played a small Mondays, and there was nobody like The so fresh and so different and it had that always looking for pop music with an edge
gig, and indeed it was. Anyway, I went into Stone Roses as well – just completely original. arrogance, the level of arrogance that you – you know the way it was in the sixties? I
the dressing room and the drummer, Gaz can hear when they are playing. I think was just sort of knocked out by it. It became
Whelen, goes, “Hey Tone, listen to this”, We had just massive, massive, massive loads there is always that fine line you have got a running joke with other people on the
and put something in the cassette player, of respect for them. Who knows what to understand that if you are in a band, you radio station how much I played them.
and the cassette plays and I’m like, “Fuck would’ve happened if they hadn’t split up? have got to feel like you are the best band
that’s fantastic, what it is?” The whole group In fact, I know what would have happened, that’s ever been, otherwise what’s the point TERRY CHRISTIAN
go, “Nyah, it’s The Roses,” because they all they would have gone on to be as big as of being in a band? You can’t think, “Well –Radio DJ & Author
knew I hated The Roses. The Stones. They could have annihilated we’re alright.” You have got to be good. You
U2. But that didn’t happen and that’s one have got to be great and you have got to be
But I was always extremely flattered that, of the reasons why the album is such a classic the best and you have got to have that level
even though they knew I initially hated them, today. of confidence and swagger coupled with
they used a photo of their TV performance talent. More importantly, you have got to be
on The Other Side Of Midnight for the sleeve PAUL RYDER able to back it up, and they did. Brilliantly.
of the great first album. They proved me –Happy Mondays
wrong and I liked that. MIKE JOYCE
–The Smiths
TONY WILSON
–Factory Records

23
 I remember the first time I heard it properly The album is one of the best albums ever. I lived in this house, there were 6 or 7 of us, When it came out we used to play it after a
was in the back seat of someone’s car on the But the genius of that album was putting a horrible grotty house in Whalley Range night of DJing at The Haçienda and it was
way to The Haçienda. My friend Ali was The Stone Roses with John Leckie.I don’t and Alan Smith, who worked with The a refreshing antidote to the previous four
driving and he had it on a cassette in the car. think anybody would or could have done Roses, brought back a copy of that first hours of banging Chicago house. It was chill
Everyone was kind of going through it a better job, the production is absolutely Stone Roses album before anyone else had city and it really worked. You would hear it
going, “Oh, this track is really good, this stunning. He manages to make them really heard it. I’d been listening to it and I could in a hotel room or somebody’s lounge and
track is really good, this track is really polished without it being sickly. tell it was a classic… rather than something it worked because of the heavenly melodies,
good…” and it just continued like that till you can latch onto and like just because of the infectious rhythms, the addictive hooks
the end. It’s something quite special really. The guitars are multi-tracked all over the your mates. and the sense of space in its recording.
place, there’s layers upon layers of guitar
TIM BURGESS everywhere. But he makes it sound like four I remember Blackpool very well! I remember I always remember ‘I Am The Resurrection’
–The Charalatans mates making a good racket. He manages being stuck on a tram line. Some guy was where you think it finishes and it comes back
to make it sound like that, yet it is an off his head driving, and the car got stuck in again and by then, instead of being chilled
extraordinarily detailed and delicate piece on the tram lines, so we were going round out, everyone was raring to go again! The
It’s a fantastic record, there’s so much of work. With the songs being so good the the tramlines, right past the venue and we album had a euphoria to it and I like to think
variation – I mean look at ‘Elizabeth My temptation would be to sort of over-produce couldn’t get off! some of those obscure Detroit techno tracks
Dear’, the way that it gets into a sort of a bit and I think with hindsight they would that we would play at The Haçienda when
Simon & Garfunkel space but it’s still really probably agree that the production was When we got in it was just bouncing, Mani and Ian were in there had worked their
quite punky, and it’s quite oppositional obviously bang on. sweating… tripping. There was this huge way into the making of the album because,
really. It’s truly a generation-defining record. backstage and most of the audience was even if rhythmically the drums were rock,
It’s amazing how influential that album backstage! It wasn’t all this, you know, they had some amazing funky parts in the
TOM HINGLEY has been to all generations – being a studio “You can’t come in – VIPs only.” It seemed playing as well.
–Inspiral Carpets owner and record producer I get bands like about a third of the audience was all
in all the time paying big homage to The there, – it was that kind of feeling, a tribal GRAEME PARK
Stone Roses – 90% of them. That shows feeling. There was a crazy atmosphere! Ian –DJ
Obviously the guitaring made it and the how significant and ground-breaking and Brown went mad, talking about chucking
melodies, you can’t beat it can you? brilliant and superb that album is and was. himself off the balcony. Cressa went a bit
weird, doing lots and lots of bird whistling! They used to actually rehearse in the next
‘I Am The Resurrection’ is amazing, just MARTIN COOGAN rehearsal room to us in Chorlton behind the
amazing, it just sort of goes along doesn’t –The Mock Turtles STELLA Carpet Warehouse, so I was kind of used to
it? You want to hear what’s coming up, you –Intastella hearing the tracks before they even came out.
know? It was an amazing band and I also
love the paint splattering on the covers and There aren’t too many bands that can I think rather then song-wise, for me they
on the guitars and everything like that. represent an era and The Stone Roses The album is one of the most complete just captured the mood in the city, the
had a look, sound and attitude that was records I have ever heard - I think it’s groove, you know? You used to hear it
WILL SERGEANT genre-defining. They were The Clash of up there with Love’s Forever Changes, everywhere that year – coming out of every
–Echo And The Bunnymen their generation. The opening bars of the it’s up there with Pet Sounds. The raw window, every shop, every club, leaking out
album take you back to a place in UK music confidence of the record is stunning; it was everywhere! It’s just a great album.
evolution. How many bands can do that? re-introducing guitars into the music scene.
The haunting intro from Mani on ‘I It brought out guitars of a certain kind MIKE PICKERING
Wanna Be Adored’ is the beginning of DARYL SMITH – shining, melodic, interesting, free-flowing, –DJ
the awakening of the giant, that takes –Cock Sparrer comprehensive… but not self-indulgent.
the listener on a journey into an exciting
imagery of fact and fantasy and ends in But also, in my opinion, John Leckie and It’s one of the best albums I’ve ever heard
triumph with ‘ I Am The Resurrection’. They were the most influential band of my his production don’t get enough credit. without a rap on it! We were next door to
A collage of raw talent. Timeless. generation. That album inspired and He took whatever elements that made The The Roses when they were recording the
defined a whole new musical era. It caused Stone Roses great, and multiplied them by album in Battery Studios. We both didn’t
Tales of caustic love, sang by a fearless mayhem on a whole new scale in all the a thousand; he focused and found ways of have any money so we were all nicking
angel. Written by the most gifted musicians right ways – exactly how music should be. making all of the different elements work sandwiches that I think were meant for
of THEIR generation. It’s charming and It was something else and still stands up to as a whole. He created atmospheres that you Def Leppard who were in the other studio.
melodic barbed wire love. The tracks follow anything I’ve heard since. could live in; I mean that’s one of the things
in a natural flow of sweet street attitude that The Stone Roses album does, like all I cannot listen to any other record created
through shadows in the sunshine, made by NICK REPTON great records it creates a great atmosphere. by any other band in the history of pop
a “closed unit of integrity” (the band), who –The Vortex You can inhabit the album – there is music from start to finish – it’s the only
were safe in the confidence of knowing something that goes on that is absolutely album I can listen to that way. The songs
“we are one”. unique. It is a stunning piece of work. are fantastic and the band’s playing was
Me and Tony from Puressence went to And it’s the album that unleashed Mani on brilliant, whilst Reni was one of the best
The LP, like the Roses themselves, is “made Spike Island and from the first drink we an unsuspecting world. And I think you drummers I’d ever heard in my entire life.
of stone”, so it never grows old and remains were dancing in the field. The feel of the day should all be grateful for that.
locked in our hearts and as part of our (the was amazing, everyone was waiting for The JOHNNY JAY
listeners’) DNA, forever........ Roses to come on – the album had changed PETE WYLIE –Producer
everybody! -The Mighty Wah!
DERMO
–Northside JIMMY MUDRICZKI
–Puressence

24
26
The first time I had heard The Stone Roses, I always like the idea of the link between Ian Brown and The Stone Roses were
I was living in Battersea with the rest of my the Sex Pistols and The Stone Roses. It was music for the 21st Century, forever set
band, Dodgy and we heard ‘Made Of Stone’ like both ends of the same generation – with in stone, music for a lost generation
on the radio. It was as if someone slapped the Pistols at the beginning singing, “I am and voice of the music for a decade of
me round the face with a huge kipper! an anti-Christ,” and The Roses at the end oppression and rhythm – repetitive
singing, “I am the resurrection.” It was like genius at work.
Never before had a band got me like that. the bookends of the music of our generation
Punk, The Clash and The Ruts had been from 1977 to 1989. ALEX PATERSON
important. But I have never had a band –The Orb
happen for me the way they did. I just The Roses were just the band that we all
knew straight away. wanted to be in. We were already in a band
and The Roses made us feel that we must The Stone Roses changed everything. They got
The Stone Roses was such a fucking be on the right track. In our own way we indie kids dancing and took guitars to the rave.
phenomenal act, and they affected so many were into English culture and English music, They set a new blueprint for cool as well...
different people – they got real street thugs from the past four decades, and The Roses
into their music, artists got into their music, did that and also brought back melodies and MARK MOORE
girls loved The Stone Roses and musicians harmonies – and we thought if they could do –DJ & S’Express
loved The Stone Roses, trippers loved it, then there was hope for us all.
The Stone Roses… it was just a band that
everybody, that every kind of section of NIGEL CLARK They made a wonderful contribution to
society on the outside of the circuit got into –Dodgy British music – to have been the right age and
for whatever reason, because they had songs caught up in their scene at the time must have
like ‘Shoot You Down’ and ‘Waterfall’. been a great experience. Let’s face it, once
They didn’t make an impression on me grunge arrived it was all downhill from there!
‘Waterfall’ is such a delicate song and they immediately – I was listening to different
referenced poetry and they referenced artists stuff at the time. I think it took me a few MILES HUNT
and the referenced all these things, but they more months to take stock of it. It should –The Wonder Stuff
were still a bloke’s band. have been the perfect timing for me – I was,
like, 20 years old and this band was dead
If it wasn’t for The Stone Roses then there cool. And then I realised. The Stone Roses made me feel like anything
wouldn’t be Radiohead, there wouldn’t be was possible. My brother turned me onto
The Verve, there wouldn’t be Oasis. Nineties I remember distinctly being in this nightclub them when I was 15. I remember listening
music wouldn’t have existed the way it did in Bolton on a Tuesday night and hearing to them through my grandparents’ old tape
without The Stone Roses. They just reached ‘I Wanna Be Adored’. It was like a piece of player. It was pure escape for me. I thought,
out to so many different people, and that music I had never heard before. That song is “If real lads like them can bring people
makes them really important. incredible and then I got it and realised what together, then so can we.” Then we did.
an amazing band they were. They were, and still are, a big deal for me.
The musicianship was phenomenal. Reni
is a fucking phenomenal drummer. The DAMON GOUGH ROB HARVEY
bass lines are phenomenal, the guitar is –Badly Drawn Boy –The Music
phenomenal. It was just perfectly timed,
the egos were just perfectly balanced and
they just meant so much to so many people. I had the Pixies ‘Debaser’ on one side and The I was given The Stone Roses album as a
Everything about them was perfect. Roses first album on the other side of a C90 Valentine’s present when I was 14. That was
cassette. I must have listened to that tape over the first night I heard the lyrics, “Kiss me
The Stone Roses are as important as the 500 times. I remember thinking the end of ‘I where the sun don’t shine, the past is yours
Beatles, Bowie and The Sex Pistols for me. Am The Resurrection’ sounded like the coolest but the future’s mine.” And I’ve believed
If you’re going to talk about British music Starsky and Hutch music I’d ever heard. them ever since.
in 100 years time, I guarantee they will be
in the top 5 most important bands. Everything they did was cool. After they went KEIREN WEBSTER
on Top Of The Pops even that became cool… –The View
MATTHEW PRIEST they wore flares and that became cool. I draw
–Dodgy the line at the pink tracksuit though!
When me and Webby first listened to the
DANNY MCNAMARA album together it pure blew our mind, man.
For a certain generation they provided not –Embrace
only a gateway into an undiscovered history KYLE FALCONER
of wonderful music, but also a sense of –The View
identity and hope for the present. Live, they
were an awesomely powerful force. There was
a magnetic charisma that came from the stage
when they played that made them the greatest
band in the world. They gave you a reason to
want to form a band and join the party.

MARK MORRISS
–The Bluetones

27
When Howard Jones managed them in the I can’t believe it’s 20 years. It doesn’t sound like For me The Stone Roses were everything The Stone Roses are British pop art at its finest;
early days, they didn’t seem like they were it. Some things age better than others. Some people were trying to be in the 80’s. Bands a perfect combination of musical and visual
going to get anywhere. Then there was the things will never age. Some things are timeless. like Primal Scream, House Of Love and imagery which still affects the zeitgeist 20 years
paint incident when they sprayed their name Jesus And Mary Chain – the groups that later, all delivered with genuine menace.
in town, then they changed line-up and then I fell in love with The Stone Roses when got big always seemed to have something
Mani joined – it was like it suddenly fell into the album was first released and it’s never missing. I was not aware of this till I saw the PAUL MOODY
place and the band was perfect… left me. Every teenager wants a band to call Stone Roses for the first time at this really –Journalist
their own, to capture the moment. A band weird small gig at Middlesex Poly in 1988.
In 1989 I photographed them for an on-the- that says the past was yours, but the future’s It is still the best gig that I have ever been
road feature for the NME where we went to mine. Most have to make do with poor to – they actually had the ‘chops’, to use I first heard about the Roses in ’88. I had
Paris to do them. In those days they would facsimiles of the real thing. We were just a rockist term! They could play their just moved to London from Wigan. I don’t
play Paris and the whole crowd would go lucky. By the time I came across them as a instruments brilliantly – they took all the think anybody necessarily rang me up and
crazy and you would think they were getting fresh-faced 14 year old in 1988, the Roses other bands out of the picture completely. said, “You’ve gotta check this band out,”
big in France till you realised that most were the complete package. What the world They were really charismatic and they but if you’re into that kind of scene, and
of the crowd had come from Manchester! was waiting for. They looked impossibly looked like a gang in a way that Primal music, you just keep abreast of these things.
At the gig in Paris I met Gareth Evans cool, untouchable, the last gang in town. Scream had been attempting. Back then they were nothing, so it’s not like
backstage and he opened a briefcase with Even the name was perfect. The Stone Roses. they were on Top Of The Pops every week.
what must have had about 100 grand in Chosen because they wanted “something The album, when it came out the following There was no hyping going on. It was just a
various currencies in it, it made you laugh that said we were hard but beautiful, like a year, took everything to a new level of genuine word-of-mouth ground support.
really, Gareth was always really fond of the typical northerner”. When the album arrived what people would aspire to. They had the The Stone Roses were certainly the last band
grand gesture! it was a revelation. From the initial opening melodies and they were groundbreaking. I got into as a paying punter before I started
rumble of ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ to the They set the bar high for the 90’s and put designing the sleeves for Oasis. I was like a
Usually for an NME on the road feature we glorious extended outro of the anthemic ‘I a line at the end of the 80’s. They took all dumb, awestruck fan of the Roses whereas
would photograph the band live or posed on Am The Resurrection’, it ebbed and flowed these influences and did something new. I used to go drinking with Liam Gallagher.
the road somewhere, but this was something as all great albums should. The initial With the Roses you realised you had been I used to buy Roses tickets, used to buy the
special because at the time everyone was intoxicating ecstatic rush of ‘She Bangs The waiting in vain for years for something to records, so I was quite literally a paying
so swept up in the excitement of The Stone Drums’, the astral stoned pop of ‘Waterfall’, really happen and all of a sudden it did! punter and that was what made it doubly
Roses. It was really exciting, so we decided the backwards freefall of ‘Don’t Stop’, exciting. I remember buying the album which
that we would do something different – and the psychedelic insurrection of ‘Bye Bye BOB STANLEY to my mind is one of the all time classics…
the idea of covering them with paint like Badman’, the anti-royal skit of ‘Elizabeth –Journalist & Saint Etienne
one of Johns sleeves in that session has now My Dear’, the bitter-sweet ‘Sugar Spun BRIAN CANNON
become a classic. Sister’, the rallying cry of ‘Made of Stone’, –Sleeve Designer for Oasis and The Verve
and the hushed ‘Shoot You Down’ building I saw the Roses by accident at Leeds
The album was perfect, every song is perfect into the crescendo of ‘This Is The One’, it Warehouse in May ’89 after going down to
and the sequencing of the tracks is also was exhilarating, life affirming. It sounded see the support band. It was amazing. They The great thing about the record is that it
flawless. It’s one of those few records that utterly of the moment, but already timeless. were in their ascent and everyone wanted in – captures the moment, and it captures a pop
sounds faultless all the way through. You I remember people dancing on the tables cultural moment of great optimism with the
don’t just listen to a couple of tracks but the Two decades on, the Roses remain the with excitement. Berlin Wall coming down and the end of the
whole album – the record is really timeless. touchstone, and their debut remains a stone- Cold War. The 80’s had been pretty grim
cold classic. Plenty have tried to better it A day or so later the album arrived in the and The Stone Roses captured a political
A great record is about having a good since. No-one has. I doubt anyone ever will. post and sounded every bit as good as the moment of great optimism – it was nearly
producer and, like Joy Division with Martin This is the one. gig, if not even better. What I loved about the end of Thatcher as well and it was acid
Hannett, they had someone in John Leckie The Stone Roses was that although you house, everything was dayglo, but that
who saw the whole picture and captured the LUKE BAINBRIDGE could hear echoes of everything from the record made it interesting.
band. It’s become one of the great British –Associate Editor, Observer Music Monthly Byrds to Hendrix to Martin Hannett’s early
albums. At the time you would hear it 80’s production jobs and (somewhere in So in some ways it’s really not so much to
everywhere. As we liked to say at the time there) acid house, it had a mercurial drive do with the band in the end, it’s to do with
at the NME, it captured the zeitgeist… and freshness that didn’t sound like anything the moment. And they caught it, and it’s
else around. You could hear their self-belief never been caught like that again.
KEVIN CUMMINGS in the tunes: simultaneously powerful yet
–Photographer gentle rollercoasters that aimed for the mind JON SAVAGE
and the feet. I can still remember waiting –Journalist & Broadcaster
in the chip shop queue for lunch on the day
it arrived, desperate to run all the way home
just so I could play it again and again and
again. It’s still one of my favourite albums
of all time.

DAVE SIMPSON
–Music Journalist

29
 I know this sounds incredibly corny but What an album. The Stone Roses were everything. We used to
The Stone Roses album kinda means watch MTV and we’d videotape every single
everything to me. It’s such a euphoric record – there’s no thing about them – it was hilarious. I’ve got all
negativity on it. It’s almost like putting a bit these old videos at home of the chart positions
‘Fools Gold’ came first for me – an instant of sunshine in your life. The lyrics on ‘She of The Stone Roses every week. It was crazy,
classic. It was an English melody that came Bangs The Drums’ have got to be some of like an obsession. It was total Beatlemania
from Manchester over a breakbeat and the most empowering couplets ever, it makes for me, I was an utterly obsessed 16 year old
I’d never heard anything like that before. you feel like you’re on top of the world, travelling to Alexandra Palace and Spike
There was other stuff around the same it really does. Island. I actually made myself get carried out
time coming out – like Primal Scream’s of the gig to the first aid area, just in case they
‘Loaded’, but all those type of things were When I’m listening to it I don’t feel like I’m came backstage to see the sick people!
quite staggery, bluesy, ‘Fools Gold’ was just sat on a bus. I feel like I’m somewhere else
like a haunting, angelic melody over this completely and I don’t get that very often I first got into them when I heard ‘Made Of
James Brown break and I’d never heard because I’m not like one of them dreamy Stone’ and ‘Elephant Stone’ when they came
anything like that in my life. thinkers. I’m fairly down to earth but the out. It was different from anything else I
album makes me go somewhere else, I can’t had heard at the time – the whole look, the
I was listening to all this hip-hop at the time explain it…. attitude they had in the music, the arrogance,
and playing guitar – I was like 12 or 13 the total belief.
years old and the Roses changed everything. Ultimately, the thing about The Roses was
I was coming back to England to visit my that you knew the tunes were written by My favourite song is ‘I Wanna Be Adored’
dad and after hearing ‘Fools Gold’ I went seemingly normal lads – it’s very inspiring. because at Alexandra Palace when Ian
to Notting Hill Record Exchange, took it It just seemed like they were four lads from Brown sang that I swear he was looking at
home and listened to it non-stop – it’s just our side of town. When you see pictures of me! And I was crying! ‘I Wanna Be Adored’
the perfect record. them you can imagine the conversations they was brilliant and I also love ‘I Am The
are having, taking the piss out of each other, Resurrection’ obviously – I always said
The whole album is a perfect record; to having a laugh. And to me that’s the most that that’s what I was going to get played
have the balls to just open your first album important thing about being in a band, if at my funeral.
ever with the line, “I don’t have to sell my you’re not enjoying it and having a right good
soul, he’s already in me”, that’s the fucking time then there’s no point. That’s what music I liked the whole band – Ian Brown, for
coolest thing ever. That kind of cockiness is about, having a good time and enjoying it. me, was like phenomenal… And then John
and confidence is beyond measure. The When you see early photos of them larking Squire as well, but everybody had their own
first thing you notice is just the sound of around you think, “I’ll have some of that! It wee personality in the band and that came
the record. Something happened with that looks great.” Looking back at some pictures through. And together it was just magical.
album that will never happen again. of us, we look like right miserable gits. That’s
why we started smiling a lot more! CAROLINE McKAY
It’s weird to me that all those songs are –Glasvegas
on the same album. I can’t think of another LIAM FRAY
album where it feels like you are listening –The Courteeners
to a greatest hits album. You can’t believe I never owned any baggy flared jeans or
that all those songs are on one record at anything but that was mostly because I was
the same time. I loved the way that there was a kind of a still at school and our family was too poor
mystique, you couldn’t touch them. They for fashion that had to come from shops.
It’s just beautiful. When I listen to ‘Waterfall’ just were these dead blunt people. They I did however get access to many great
or ‘Made Of Stone’, it actually sounds like a are one of the best British bands ever. They records. The Stone Roses was one of them.
waterfall, when the water hits you and you were one of the few bands, apart from The
just see the spray everywhere. That is what Rolling Stones and The Clash, who took I never knew I’d end up on pills and red
that record sounds like, the mist and the black culture and made use of it in their wine years later at the Eden Project,
spray like it never touches the ground. own music without sounding like UB40. unwisely deciding to pay tribute to Ian
Timings-wise, it was the end of the 1980’s, Brown with a run across the stage and a
It’s weird. I have photographic memories the end of Thatcher and the end of the Cold dive into the crowd. Fair enough in
of putting the album on the first time. War. When you put music in its time period, some ways, he didn’t appreciate this and
That record occupies that place in time. you understand. It looked like a bright threatened to kill me with one finger later
Timeless and forever. new future for the century, and the album on in the evening, but well, I was rather
captures that kind of optimism, you know? pilled up and I meant well. I guess he’s a
“The past is yours but the future’s mine, serious fella and that’s one of the things I
MARK RONSON you’re out of time,” says it all. Perfect. liked about the debut album. It had honour
–Producer and pride and seemed to stand for and mean,
JON MCCLURE something. It was brave. I mean to start off
–Reverend And The Makers with one of the longest fade-ins I’ve ever
heard was a bold beginning. We used to
dance to it. You could dance to it. The bass
and the drums were enough on their own,
they weren’t just keeping time and marking
out the notes.

YAN
–British Sea Power

30
Others will tell you of the dynamics
of it all, the time around and before
this album but I remember.....

The hash, the weed,

The need for speed
Ginger, Evans and Linzie Reade.
Paint tins thrown
Kids born now grown
Warehouse fights
And two day nights

Everyone will know about

the massive gigs,
And events.
But it’s the little things that
remain predominant with me.

Sawmills stars,
Reni’s car,
Mushroom brew,
And a wide eyed crew,

The song for the queen,

At Glasgow Green,
For where I’ve been,
And all I’ve seen,

From wearing flares,

And throwing chairs,
For bouncing crowds,
And Preston Clouds.

They say you always

Remember your first love,
This is true.

So in no particular order
thanks for...

The songs,
The runner from Milan,
Pitch and toss on the
poop deck,
Northampton Road Menders
Magonagals,
Lanzarote eyes,
First Japan trip,
My atlas.

Thanks for the sound,

Track to an earlier chapter of my life.
The laughter and the tears.
Thanks for them all,
And Philip Hall R.I.P.

One love.

STEVE ADGE
–The Stone Roses’ Tour Manager

31
 In December 2007 I was the final DJ, bar
the residents, to play at Manchester’s now
fabled Electric Chair – one of the city’s most
important club nights ever. I wanted to
finish off with a track that truly summoned
up the spirit of Manchester, and settled on
‘I Wanna Be Adored’ by The Stone Roses
– an ethereal anthem from an era that placed
the city at the forefront of popular culture,
back in the late 80’s. Whilst ‘Fools Gold’
is obviously the Roses track most geared
to the dancefloor, ‘I Wanna Be Adored’
evoked the unity evident in that E’d up
epoch, subsequently echoing through to the
Electric Chair and still dearly cherished by
those who experienced it first hand, whilst
becoming a source of continued fascination
for those who didn’t.

Thankfully, I can say “I was there”, and when

I played ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ that night, 18
years on, I knew that the same memories
resonated with others - only a great album can
be of its time whilst, paradoxically, remaining
timeless, and The Stone Roses certainly fits
this description hand in glove and deserves all
the adoration it generates.

GREG WILSON
–DJ

A friend of mine has a cherished Roses

T-shirt that came with a limited promo seven
inch. It’s been worn so many times, only the
smell holds it together. She likes to ponder
how it is now old enough to buy her a drink.
Another friend will go into a half-hour, non-
stop loved-up rant, arms aloft, at the mere
mention of the words “Ian” and “Brown”. For
me, this album reminds me of the communal
hands in the air and cheer of recognition that
goes up every time I play ‘She Bangs The
Drums’ in a festival tent to a few thousand
people. The Stone Roses were that kind of
band – they weren’t just liked or appreciated
by people, they were truly loved. And The
Stone Roses was their finest moment.

RICHARD NORRIS
–DJ & Producer

I think there’s two generations of kids

growing up at the time: there’s the ones that
actually got into house culture, and there’s
the ones that didn’t and The Roses were
probably the only band that appealed to
both. They led people into different cultures
– they were really influential in that respect.

JON DA SILVA
–DJ

32
For me, the album The Stone Roses came
around at a once-in-a-lifetime point. The
album was the soundtrack to my last
summer in school, the last few weeks before
I left Newport to move to London. They
were that magical thing in the days before
the internet – a word of mouth success. For
the people who had the record, it was like
a badge of honour. It spun relentlessly every
night back at mates’ houses through that
long hot summer (well, I was working in
the local steel works shoveling grease out
from under furnaces so it was hot for me),
accompanied by a bag of carry-outs and the
brackish fug of crudely rolled spliffs. No one
got bored of it, no matter how many times it
got played. The album meant everything to
me, it came at the point where I was leaving
childhood behind I suppose, where anything
still seemed possible. To me, they really could
have become the biggest band in the world.

There’s the one thing no one else has really

pulled off since – The Roses had the songs.

And what fucking songs they were...

ROBIN TURNER
–Heavenly Records

For me, The Stone Roses is the best debut

album of all time. It was perfect for its
times which were also a great time for me –
a second burst after punk! I liked its pride,
its arrogance, and I liked its all-consuming
love of the people. Listening to it creates
sides – a real them-and-us situation.

They were the perfect group. It was one of

the first records I played to my kids when
they needed to learn about music, and I
don’t get nostalgic when I listen to it, it still
sounds really contemporary.

JEFF BARRETT
–Heavenly Records

George Harrison once said The Beatles saved

the world from boredom. Maybe they did,
maybe they didn’t....what I do know is that
The Stone Roses saved me and many others
from boredom. It was never where they were
from for us - always where they were at.

JAMES ENDEACOTT
–1965 Records

From the unabashed swagger of ‘I Wanna

Be Adored’ to the indie-Balearic hybrid that
was ‘Fools Gold’; the hypnotic cascade of
‘Waterfall’ to the brazen über-funk of ‘I Am
The Resurrection’… they had it all.

TIM HEALEY
–DJ & Producer

33
34
One of the best albums of all time and for
a moment the greatest band in the world.
No one else could touch the Roses and there
is still something mysterious about them.
They operated on their own terms, not
motivated by money or fame. Even now
you can still never tire of listening to that
album; it makes most records sound black
and white. It really is a magical thing.

EMILY EAVIS
–Glastonbury Festival

In the Summer of 1989, my dad got me a

temping job for BT on Portland Street. It was
a brilliant time to be in the city. Everywhere
you went, you had the feeling that something
big was happening. It seemed like everyone
you met had a connection with the music
scene - no less a figure than Clint Boon’s dad
worked on our floor.

Every lunch time, I would make the trek

from Portland Street to Afflecks Palace with
a brief stop at Piccadilly Records. Then one
day it appeared in the window– The Stone
Roses at the Empress Ballroom, Blackpool.
I bought three tickets on the spot for me and
my brothers. It was a night that I don’t think
anyone who was there will ever forget. It felt
like the start of something major. The Stone
Roses remains the best album ever made.

ANDY BURNHAM
–Secretary of State for Culture,
Media & Sport

The great thing with The Roses album is

that it rocks and it rolls- the whole fucking
thing rolls, it’s got rhythm. And one of the
problems with modern music is that bands
know how to do the rock but they don’t
know how to get the roll. And the Roses
had it fucking down.

The first time I got into them, I was living

in Manchester, 1988 and 89. I’ll never forget
there was an interview in Sounds music
paper and there was an image Ian clapping
his hands, he’s wearing a Paul Smith t-shirt,
but he was talking about getting loans from
the DHSS to get a washing machine and
going off to Europe with the money! When I
read that it was like a sense of relief because
it was like, fucking hell, somebody is in print
talking about something that I can actually
relate to. It was as much of the stuff they
were saying as it was the music; it made a
really powerful combination.

GARY ASPDEN
–Adidas

35
 GIGOGRAPHY
–where it all began...

1984 October 23 The Moonlight Club London 1986 March 5 King Georges Hall, Blackburn
25 University Warwick
November 21 Labour Club Exeter
22 Kensington Ad Lib Club London May 10 University Manchester
24 University Warwick
31 McOnagles Dublin, Ireland

June 6 The Warehouse Leeds

1985 January 04 Fulham Greyhound London
19 The Marquee London July 5 Three Crowns Club London
7 The Ritz Manchester
February 08 Dingwalls London
20 The Maze Nottingham August 11 Mardi Gras Liverpool
13 Bluebird Club Barrow-in-Furness
March 29 Preston Clouds Preston

April 10 Bing Bang Club Linkoping, Sweden

11 Olympia Norrkoping, Sweden
19 Lilla Marquee Stockholm, Sweden January 30 International I Manchester
25 Kollingsborg Stockholm, Sweden 1987
26 Kulan Lindigo Stockholm, Sweden May 30 International I Manchester
30 Kulan Lindigo Stockholm, Sweden
June 26 International I Manchester
May 10 International I Manchester
24 Gallery Manchester July 3 Take Two Club Sheffield
17 Planet X Liverpool
July 04 Greydon Underground London
20 Flower Show I Manchester August 11 Sefton Park Liverpool

August 10 The Marquee London November 13 International I Manchester

15 The Haçienda Manchester
24 The Marquee London

September 11 Embassy Club London

1988 January 23 Dingwalls London
October 26 Riverside London
March 14 International I Manchester
November 02 University Manchester
30 Flower Show II Manchester May 30 International II Manchester

November 18 Legends Warrington

19 International II Manchester
26 Citadel St. Helens
28 Polytechnic London
29 Olivers Chester

December 2 LSE London

7 University Belfast
11 The Venue Edinburgh

42
1989 January 30 The Haçienda Manchester 27 Riverside Newcastle

February 17 Legends Warrington August 12 Empress Ballroom Blackpool

20 University Sheffield
23 Middlesex Polytechnic September 23 Barraca Valencia, Spain
27 The Haçienda Manchester 28 Rolling Stone Festival Milan, Italy
28 Escape Club Brighton
October 01 Futurama Deinze, Belgium
March 02 Coal Exchange Cardiff 03 Club Logo Hamburg, Germany
03 Legends Warrington 04 Luxor Club Cologne, Germany
10 Melkweg Amsterdam, Holland
April 05 Polytechnic Liverpool 12 Les lnrockuptibles Festival Paris, France
28 South Parade Pier Portsmouth 23 Club Citta Kawasaki, Japan
29 Brunel University Uxbridge 24 Kan-1 Hoken Hall Tokyo, Japan
25 Mainichi Hall Osaka, Japan
May 04 Polytechnic Liverpool 27 Nihon Seinenkan Tokyo, Japan

05 Queen’s Hall Widnes November 18 Alexandra Palace, London
06 International II Manchester
07 University Sheffield
08 The Warehouse Leeds
11 Trent Polytechnic Nottingham May 15 Patrol Copenhagen, Denmark
12 JBs Dudley 1990 16 Lund Mejeriet, Sweden
13 Angel Centre Tonbridge 17 Fryhuset Stockholm, Sweden
15 ICA London 19 Oslo, Norway
17 Edwards No 8 Birmingham 27 Spike Island Widnes
19 University Aberystwyth
22 Dingwalls London June 03 Provinssirock Festival Seinajoki, Finland
24 Polytechnic Oxford 07 Maysfield Leisure Centre Belfast
25 Park Lane Shrewsbury 09 Glasgow Green Glasgow
30 Guildhall Foyer Preston

June 03 Junction 10 Walsall
06 Majestic Reading
07 University Leicester
08 University Lancaster
20 Riverside Newcastle
21 Venue Edinburgh
22 Rooftops Glasgow
23 Town Hall Middlesborough
24 Roadmenders Northampton
25 Arts Centre Norwich
26 Bierkeller Bristol
27 Civic Hall Stratford-On-Avon
28 Irish Centre Birmingham
30 Polytechnic Leeds

July 10 La Cigale Paris, France

43
 CONTENTS

LP1 / CD1 EXTRAS2 / CD2 DEMOS / CD3 DVD

1. I WANNA BE ADORED 4:52 1. ELEPHANT STONE† 4:48 1. I WANNA BE ADORED 3:45 The Stone Roses: Live at Blackpool
Empress Ballroom 12th August 1989
2. SHE BANGS THE DRUMS 3:42 2. FULL FATHOM FIVE 3:03 2. SHE BANGS THE DRUMS 3:46

3. WATERFALL 4:38 3. THE HARDEST THING IN THE 3. WATERFALL 4:45 USB

WORLD 2:39
4. DON’T STOP* 5:17 4. BYE BYE BADMAN 4:20 AUDIO:
4. GOING DOWN 2:46
5. BYE BYE BADMAN 4:00 5. SUGAR SPUN SISTER 3:30 1. The Stone Roses: The Stone Rose
5. GUERNICA 4:22 2. The Stone Roses: Extras
6. ELIZABETH MY DEAR 0:59 6. SHOOT YOU DOWN 4:20 3. The Stone Roses: The Lost Demos
4. Backwards tracks:
6. MERSEY PARADISE 2:44
‘Untitled 1’
7. (SONG FOR MY) SUGAR 7. THIS IS THE ONE 4:00
‘Untitled 2’
SPUN SISTER 3:25 7. STANDING HERE 5:05 ‘Untitled 3’
8. I AM RESURRECTION 6:44 ‘Untitled 4’
7. MADE OF STONE 4:11 8. SIMONE 4:24 ‘Untitled 5’
9. ELEPHANT STONE 3:10
8. SHOOT YOU DOWN 4:10 9. FOOLS GOLD 9:53 VIDEOS:
10. GOING DOWN 2:40
9. THIS IS THE ONE 4:59 10. WHAT THE WORLD IS 1. Up at Sawmills: The Making of ‘Fools Gold’
WAITING FOR 3:55 11. MERSEY PARADISE 2:49 (John Leckie Home Video Footage)
10. I AM THE RESURRECTION 8:12 2. Single Promo Videos: ‘Waterfall’;
11. ONE LOVE (FULL LENGTH)˜ 7:45 12. WHERE ANGELS PLAY 3:06 ‘Fools Gold’; ‘I Wanna Be Adored’;
‘One Love’; ‘She Bangs The Drums’; and
12. SOMETHING’S BURNING 13. ONE LOVE 6:22 ‘Standing Here’.
3. Ringtones
(FULL LENGTH)˜ 7:50
4. Wallpapers
14. PEARL BASTARD 3:45
5. 48 page digital booklet
13. WHERE ANGELS PLAY˘ 4:15

All tracks written by John Squire/Ian Brown. All tracks written by Ian Brown/John Squire. All Tracks Written By Ian Brown & John Squire. The Stone Roses:
Published by Zomba Music Publishers Limited. Published by Zomba Music Publishers Limited. All Tracks p 1989 Silvertone Records Limited. Ian Brown, John Squire, Gary Mounfield & Reni
All tracks produced by John Leckie except All tracks produced by John Leckie except Ian Brown Management: Ian Brown
*Another Schroeder/Garage Flower Production. † Peter Hook and ºThe Garage Flowers At Battery Recorded at various venues in 1988/1989 – John Squire Management: Simon Moran
All tracks engineered by Paul Schroeder. Studios, NYC. including Coconut Grove, Stockport and Peter Hook’s Reni Management: John Nuttall
Studio, Manchester. ‘One Love’ taken from John Mani Management: G & R Management
20th Anniversary Edition compiled and All tracks p 1989 Silvertone Records Limited except Squire’s Porta-studio.
re-mastered by John Leckie & Ian Brown. † and º p 1988 Silvertone Records Limited, ˜ p 1990 Project Manager: Claire Jones
Engineered by John Davis at Metropolis. Silvertone Records Limited and ˘ p 1991 Silvertone Production Manager: Sherry Davies
Records Limited. 20th Anniversary Re-design by: PKD
All tracks p 1989 Silvertone Records Limited. Liner Notes & Interviews by John Robb
Special thanks to everyone who supported us.
Also thanks to MDMA Archive, Andy Holmes,
Will Nicol and Sony Music Archives

Made In the E.U. LC 12723.

BIEM/GEMA. 88697430302
© 2009 Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited.
1 2
‘LP’ Vinyl ‘Extras & Extras 2’ Vinyl
Side Breaks Side Breaks

46
PHOTOGRAPHY

PAGE* DETAILS PHOTOGRAPHER

1 Ian and John – ‘The Other Side of Midnight’, Granada Studios, Manchester. Ian Tilton
5 Ian; John; Mani; and Reni – Gareth Evans’ farm, Cheshire. Ian Tilton
7 Rockfield Studios exterior; Rockfield Studios interior – Monmouth, Wales and; album master tapes. Unknown; unknown and; Ed Cowburn
8 Rockfield Studios Visitor’s Book– signed by The Stone Roses and John Leckie. Rockfield Studios
9 Ian; John; Mani and; Reni – photoshoot for Sounds magazine. Ian Tilton
10 11 Ian montage – Spike Island. Ian Tilton
13 Mani – on stage at Spike Island and; Mani – soundchecking at Blackpool Empress Ballroom, Blackpool. Kevin Cummings and; Ian Tilton
14 Reni – Manchester. Ian Tilton
17 Reni; John and Cressa; Mani and; Reni and Ian – coach to Blackpool. The Stone Roses
18 19 ‘The Other Side of Midnight’, Granada Studios, Manchester. Ian Tilton
20 Ian and Mani – on stage at Blackpool Empress Ballroom; Reni – on stage at Blackpool Empress Ballroom and;
John – on stage at Glasgow Green. All Ian Tilton
22 Ian and John – Blackpool Empress Ballroom and; backstage at Blackpool Empress Ballroom. Both Ian Tilton
23 Ian with Peter Hook – Glasgow Green; Reni – backstage at Blackpool Empress Ballroom; Mani – Spike Island
Press Conference, Piccadilly Hotel, Manchester and; John – on stage at Melkweg, Amsterdam†. All Ian Tilton except †Kevin Cummings
25 Mani and Ian – on stage at Spike Island and; Fans – Spike Island. Kevin Cummings and; Ian Tilton
26 Mani – backstage at Blackpool Empress Ballroom; John – signing shirts at Blackpool Empress Ballroom; Cressa and Ian –
backstage at Blackpool Empress Ballroom; Reni – coach to Blackpool and; Ian – backstage at Blackpool Empress Ballroom. All Ian Tilton
28 The Stone Roses – Eiffel Tower, Paris. Kevin Cummings
32 33 The Stone Roses – Mani’s first photoshoot, Manchester. Ian Tilton
34 Mani – Blackpool promenade; John and Cressa – Blackpool promenade and; The Stone Roses with Cressa–
Blackpool beach. All Ian Tilton
35 Reni – soundchecking at Blackpool Empress Ballroom. Ian Tilton
36 The Stone Roses – Manchester. Ian Tilton
37 Ian and John – on stage at Melkweg. Kevin Cummings
38 Ian – on stage at Spike Island†; John – on stage at Glasgow Green and; Ian and John – on stage at Blackpool
Empress Ballroom. All Ian Tilton except †Kevin Cummings
39 Ian – on stage at Glasgow Green; Ian – on stage at Blackpool Empress Ballroom and; Mani – on stage at Blackpool
Empress Ballroom. All Ian Tilton
40 Ian, John and Mani – on stage at Spike Island. Ian Tilton
45 Fans’ view of the stage – Spike Island. Ian Tilton
48 The Stone Roses Ian Tilton

*Photography is listed left to right or clockwise from top left where applicable.

47