The Stone Roses

Before the first album

In 1980 Ian Brown and John Squire formed the Patrol with Andy Couzens and Simon Wolstencroft, and in 1981 Squire formed the Fireside Chaps, later the Waterfront, with Mani. Brown joined the Waterfront in late 1983, Couzens put together the line-up that became the Stone Roses and Reni was recruited in May 1984. Their first gig as the Stone Roses was on October 23, 1984, supporting Pete Townshend at the Moonlight Club in London. They recorded a first session with Martin Hannett at Strawberry Studios in January 1985, put out "So Young" and "Tell Me" on Thin Line in September 1985, and shelved an album from that year that was later issued as Garage Flower. Gareth Evans became their manager in 1986 and Couzens left. "Sally Cinnamon" came out on Black Records in 1987, when Mani joined on bass. They signed with Silvertone in late 1988, and "Elephant Stone" followed that October.

Pete Townshend is reported to have said Reni was the best drummer he had seen since Keith Moon. Pete Garner, the original bassist, died in November 2023.

The records

The Stone Roses came out on May 2, 1989 on Silvertone, produced by John Leckie, with Peter Hook producing "Elephant Stone". Mani had suggested Leckie, a fan of his work with the Dukes of Stratosphear. Sessions ran at Battery and Konk in London and Rockfield in Wales between June 1988 and February 1989; Sound On Sound says the album took 55 working days from October 1988 to March 1989. It reached 19 in the UK and 86 in the US. Melody Maker's Bob Stanley called it godlike on release, while Robert Christgau called the band overhyped. The Observer's 2004 poll named it the best British album ever, and NME's 2006 list of the 100 greatest British albums put it first. Rolling Stone ranked it 319th in 2020.

"Fools Gold" came out in November 1989, and "One Love" (number 4, July 1990) debuted at Spike Island, Widnes, on May 27, 1990, in front of about 30,000. Second Coming, produced by the band, followed on December 5, 1994 on Geffen to mixed reviews, with "Love Spreads" reaching number 2. Reni left in March 1995; Squire announced his departure on April 1, 1996, and Brown and Mani dissolved the band after Reading Festival that October.

They announced a reunion on October 18, 2011 and played Heaton Park on June 29, 30 and July 1, 2012. Shane Meadows' documentary Made of Stone premiered on May 30, 2013, and "All for One" and "Beautiful Thing" came out in 2016. Their final concert was at Hampden Park, Glasgow, on June 24, 2017, and Squire confirmed the split in The Guardian on September 16, 2019. Mani died on November 20, 2025. Noel and Liam Gallagher and the Verve cite them as an influence, and "This Is the One" has been played before Manchester United home matches since the early 2000s.