Sunday 7 January 2024

Made of Stone


Trust me #64
Made of Stone by The Stone Roses

'We're not made of stone, I don't think you are, do you?' Ian Brown, Blackpool Empress Ballroom, 1989

In 1989, The Stone Roses were simultaneously the coolest and hottest band on the planet. Forever fluid, they could never be accused of being made of stone. The Roses completed recording and mixing their debut album in February 89 and they chose Made of Stone as the first single to be released on 6th March.

Made of Stone was the Roses 4th single after So Young/Tell Me, Sally Cinnamon and Elephant Stone. Brown, Squire, Reni and Mani had moved miles away from their debut single and harder sound. The additional of Gary 'Mani' Mountfield in late 87 was the final piece of the puzzle.

'When Mani joined it almost changed overnight. It became a totally different groove ... straight away, everything just fell into place.' Ian Brown

The effervescent Mani lifted everyone and he, along with producer John Leckie, helped to warm the Roses sound. It was already coming, as evidenced by the Sally Cinnamon single with the under-rated b-side All Across The Sands, but now the Roses hit their peak in terms of writing and recording.

Stone Roses, Charing Cross, Glasgow

Some songs released on their iconic eponymous debut album had been around for years. I Wanna Be Adored and This Is The One date back to 1985. 

From what I can gather, Made of Stone was written in 1987 and introduced to the Roses live sets in early 1988. Roses books often credit Primal Scream's seminal Velocity Girl, released in 1986, as being an influence.

As the Roses hit 1989 they had a brilliant album and a string of excellent b-sides up their sleeves, all yet to be released. In early spring, Made of Stone was the first song they chose to release as a single, b/w Going Down (another song that dated back a few years) and Guernica

The single kicked off 1989 for the Roses. Within 6-months they would go from playing Polytechnics and 500 capacity venues like Rooftops in Glasgow, to headlining ambitious shows/events at Blackpool Empress Ballroom and Alexandra Palace, releasing She Bangs The Drums, I Wanna Be Adored, their eponymous debut album and the iconic Fools Gold single along the way. The Roses last appearance of 1989 was on Top of the Pops as Fools Gold reached number 8. It really was the perfect year 

'It's about scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup Final, dressed as Spiderman on a Harley.' John Squire on Made of Stone

The Roses would then only play 8 shows in 1990, culminating in their Glasgow Green show and then the band didn't play again (minus Reni) until the spring of 1995. I still find this remarkable. A band at the peak of their powers going so quiet.

But back to Made of Stone.

Made of Stone, Blackpool Empress Ballroom, 12th August 1989

Made of Stone rides in on a chiming Squire riff that sounds melodic and melancholic. Reni and Mani come in together and Ian sings, your knuckles whiten on the wheel, the last thing that your hands will feel while Squire sprinkles magic as the Roses build to the majestic chorus. 

Sometimes I fantasize

When the streets are cold and lonely

And the cars they burn below me

Don't these times fill your eyes

When the streets are cold and lonely

And the cars they burn below me

Are you all alone?

Is anybody home?

For me, the chorus hints at the desolation and frustration caused by the Tory government across Britain in the 80's. The streets are cold and lonely, cars are burning and eyes are filled with tears. Imagine finding this band and this single in 1989 - the clothes, the haircuts, the artwork and the chorus beginning sometimes I fantastize! The Stone Roses were perfect.

To hear 75,000 people singing the opening lines of the chorus, sometimes I fantasize, when the streets are cold and lonely, on the Sunday at Heaton Park is an experience I will never, ever forget. I swear that the entire crowd leapt and levitated as one when the band hit the chorus for the first time.

After the second chorus, Squire gives us a beautiful searing solo, leading to a third and final chorus, before a chiming guitar outro leads us to the conclusion. What a song!

Are you all alone?

Are you made of stone?

Made of Stone is added to my Trust Me playlist; search for Everything Flows - Trust Me on Spotify , or CLICK HERE Check below for all previous blogs in my Trust Me series.

Previous Trust Me blogs

1. Something On Your Mind by Karen Dalton
1A. Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells
2. I Am, I Said  by Neil Diamond
3. Where's The Playground Susie?   by Glen Campbell
4. If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lighfoot
5. Gimme Some Truth by John Lennon
6. Gone With The Wind Is My Love by Rita and the Tiaras
7. In The Year 2525 by Zager and Evans
8. The Music Box by Ruth Copeland
9. The Ship Song by Nick Cave
10. Sometimes by James
11. I Walk The Earth by King Biscuit Time
12. Didn't Know What I Was In For by Better Oblivion Community Centre
13. When My Boy Walks Down The Street by The Magnetic Fields
14. The Man Don't Give A F**k by Super Furry Animals
15. All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun by Jeff Buckley and Liz Fraser
16. Are You Lookin' by The Tymes
17. A Real Hero by College & Electric Youth
18. Feelings Gone by Callum Easter
19. Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground
20. Did I Say by Teenage Fanclub
21. Don't Look Back by Teenage Fanclub
23. Belfast by Orbital
24. Clouds by The Jayhawks
25. Dreaming Of You by The Coral
26. Everlasting Love by Love Affair
27. Walk Away Renee by The Left Banke
28. Teenage Kicks by The Undertones
29. Shaky Ground by Sneeze
29. Rill Rill by Sleigh Bells
30. I Can Feel Your Love by Felice Taylor
31. The State We're In by The Chemical Brothers w/ Beth Orton
32. Sunshine After The Rain by Ellie Greenwich
33. Losing My Edge by LCD Soundsystem
34. Mondo 77 by Looper
35. Les Fleurs by Minnie Riperton
36. Rat Trap by The Boomtown Rats
37. How High by The Charlatans
38. I Can't Let Go by Evie Sands
39. Pop Song 89 by R.E.M.
40. Summertime Clothes by Animal Collective
41. There She Goes by The Las
42. We're Going To Be Friends by White Stripes
43. Autumn Sweater by Yo La Tengo
44. Sister Rena by Lomond Campbell
45. Revolution by The Beatles
46. Lazarus by The Boo Radleys
47. Wrote For Luck by Happy Mondays
48. American Trilogy by The Delgados
49. Loser by Beck 
50. Silent Sigh by Badly Drawn Boy
51. Comedy by Shack
52. Take The Skinheads Bowling by Camper Van Beethoven
53. Freakscene by Dinosaur Jr
54. Thank You For Being You by The Pastels
55. I Think I'm In Love by Spiritualized
56. Chestnut Mare by The Byrds
57. Cannonball by The Breeders
58. Like A Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan
59. You Make Me Weak At The Knees by Electrelane
60. Lucky by Radiohead
61. Strange Currencies by R.E.M.
61. I Am The Cosmos by Chris Bell
62. Like A Ship (Without A Sail) by Pastor TL Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir
63. Nothing But A Heartache by The Flirtations

1 comment:

Swiss Adam said...

A perfect song in lots of ways. Clearly remember the interview in NME with that Squire quote. They had it all for a while and then blew it very badly.

I read somewhere that the verses are about Ian's experiences hitchhiking in Europe and the cars burning below him were as seen from a balcony in Hulme.