from: ftp.maths.tcd.ie

JANUARY 1991
--------------------
ON JANUARY 13th, TSR book into Bluestone rehearsal studio in Pembrokeshire,
South Wales. their manager, Garath Evens, is keen for the band to stay for as
long as possible, to keep them away from the public eye while the legal 
dispute with their record label Silvertone continues. It soon becomes evident, 
however, that their behaviour is too erratic for them to stay there long.
         It's in the middle of winter and the band entertain themselves 
any way they can. They use pool cues as baseball bats and fire pool balls 
across the studio, eventually breaking a large double glazed window. Ian 
apologises the next morning. Reni's catchphrase becomes "What day is it?"
          After heavy snowfall, the four of them take large silver trays and 
toboggan down a nearby hill.
         Their favourite pastime (besides shooting lit balls of paper at each 
other through a space heater) is to build a bonfire outside the studio and
throw aerosol cans into the blaze, causing lumps of red hot metal to explode
outwards like shrapnel.
         In tribute to Noreen, Bluestone's owner, John takes her #400's worth
of Harrods carving knives and helped by the others, fashions a circumcised 
nine foot phallic symbol out of snow (in the style of Henry Moore) on the 
doorstep. Such is its impact that local farmers dub Noreen 'The old cock 
and ball', a nickname she has yet to loose.
	The band refuse to eat anything other than chips, when they are 
served baked potatoes they throw them on the fire, much to distress of 
Bluestones waitress, Pippa. On leaving, in the dead of night at the end of
February, a van comes to pick them up. It gets stuck in the snow and a tractor
has to pull them out.
         As they depart John Squire assures Noreen that all damages will be 
paid for. Ian signs the Bluestone Guestbook as 'The laziest man in show 
business'. Reni writes 'What time is it?'. Mani scrawls, 'Nothing off for good 
behaviour, Viva la proletariat' and, 'PS the sheep are tight'. John Squire in 
tiny letters simply signs his name.

FEBRUARY '91
---------------------
AFTER MONTHS of whisperings about their wish to leave Silvertone, which 
resulted in an injunction preventing them from recording any new material
the Roses announce that they will go to court in March 4 to free themselves
from their contract. Their lawyer, John Kennedy, has prepared a 40 page 
document explaining why their deal is not legally binding.
        Associates of the band claim they have enough new material to fill two
new albums, and a behind-the-scenes bidding war is in full swing.

MARCH '91
----------------
THE CASE begins in earnest. Peter Prescott QC, on behalf of Silvertone, tells
the court that the Roses, "Can't now be heard to say 'Boo Hoo, I now want to
get out of the contract." Gary Gersh, head of A&R for Geffen, has made manager
Garrath Evans a huge offer that will cover all legal fees.
Evans staying at the plush Russell Hotel in North London, is noticeably buoyant
dodging Journalists while wearing a permanent grin.
        The band turn up in court to hear Geoffrey Howard, the man who 
represented them when they signed the Silvertone deal, give evidence. London
begins to get in a lather about rumours that the Roses will stage a huge 
summer comeback gig in the south-east of England.

APRIL '91
--------------
IAN BROWN and Mani re-appear in court, sitting with fans while the case
meanders on. It is revealed that Evans' real name is Ian Bromley, and 
Silvertone allege that he Has a ten year deal with the band and receives 
33.3% of all their earnings. Silvertone also claim that Evans also never  
provided the Roses with any detailed information about the finances of his 
company, Starscreen Management
       The proceedings take a decisive turn when it is revealed  that the 
contract with Silvertone is somewhat one-sided; according to two of several 
bizarre clauses the label isn't obliged to release Roses product anywhere else 
in the world and the band only get half-rate royalties on any greatest hits 
package.
        Evans announces that the roses- whose debut album has sold more than
250,000 copies in the USA- will play in New York's Madison Sq. Garden and
the LA Forum.

MAY '91
------------
THE ROSES win their case. They sign to Geffen for a reputed #20 million, with
an initial advance of #2.3 million.  "We are looking forward to a new release
in the Autumn" says Mel Posner, head of Geffen's international A&R department.
        The band resume rehearsals in a rented house in North Manchester, but
proceedings are cut short when John Squire flies to Tenerife with his girlfriend
Helen.
        The band travel to the Cup Winners Cup final in Rotterdam to see
Manchester United beat Barcelona 2-1.

JUNE/JULY '91
--------------------
SILVERTONE ANNOUNCE they are to appeal against the courts verdict. Proceedings 
are not expected to start for nine months, triggering the Roses' conscious 
retreat from public view.
        Football occupies them more than anything else. Aside from the 
Rotterdam expedition they occasionally have conversations with their publicist 
Philip Hall letting him know their immediate intentions and engaging in 
animated conversations about 'the beautiful game'. Reni begins playing with a
BBC team that also includes members of Yargo and A Certain Ratio: the team
that plays at Platt Fields - Man Citys training ground - on Tuesday nights.
Ian Brown occasionally shows up too.

AUGUST '91
-----------------
SILVERTONE, STILL smarting from reported roses-related losses of #1 million,
release 'I wanna be adored' as a single, and re-format the album: a gatefold
package is now available.
       The increasingly wayward Reni appears in court on four charges, including
threatening behaviour and illegal parking. He pleads not guilty.
         Aside from the legal Hoo-hah, he is also the owner of three houses in
Manchester including one maisonette in a desirable mini-estate near the G-Mex
centre - and is earning reasonable amounts of money from being a landlord. He 
and his girlfriend - a paediatric doctor at St. Mary's Hospital - are 
expecting a child.

SEPTEMBER/NOVEMBER '91
----------------------------------------
RENI's GIRLFRIEND gives birth to a son, Cody. The drummer is cleared by
Manchester Magistrates on charges of disorderly behaviour and police 
obstruction , having refused to move his car which was causing a blockage
on Burton road. He admits two offences - parking in a no waiting zone and
causing an obstruction - and is fined #50. In court Reni states: " I have already
lodged a complaint about the way I was physically abused by the Police"
        Promoted by the increased availability of bootleg tapes and albums of 
old material in Manchester, Ian returns to Strawberry Studios with tour manager
Steve 'Adge' Atherton to buy back 16 old session tapes - produced by Martin
Hannett - from 1985.
        The Roses are confirmed as headliners for a vast summer show in 
Hertfordshire in aid of Oxfam.

DECEMBER '91/ JANUARY '92
------------------------------------------
IT IS now reported that the Roses won't be releasing any new material until
Autumn, as the trauma of the Silvertone case has blunted the bands creative edge
"After the court case", says a friend , "John Squire showed the band what he 
had written and the band said it wasn't good enough. Instead of going straight
to the studio, the band wanted to get it right. They realise they can't rely on
hype."
        The Roses, Garreth and Geffen have a summit meeting mid-way through
a frenzied bout of house-hunting on the back of the Geffen advance. Insiders 
say that the court case "took a lot out of them".

FEBRUARY/MARCH '91
---------------------------------
THE ROSES part company with Garreth Evans after months of speculation surroun-
ding their deteriorating relationship,and plan to start recording their second
album with producer John Leckie. Geffen schedule it for release in the early
Summer. 
        Keen to record near Ians house, but not enamoured with nearby studios
the roses hire The Rolling Stones mobile studio and move into the Old Brewery
in Ewloe, North Wales, a rehearsal studio with 12 bedrooms. Sessions tend
to start at 4 or 5 PM and crawl to a close in the wee hours.
        The Roses bring six songs to the sessions, and work proceeds 
satisfactorily although they continue to indulge a passion for throwing
eggs at each other. Ian continues his teetotal lifestyle and goes ashen-faced
at the mention of mixing his chips with any other food, and is sufficiently
consumed by keeping  fit  to take up boxing-style skipping exercises. John
restricts himself to a few glasses of wine. Only Mani, already calling himself
"the rogue rose", expresses an interest in beer.
        The group last six weeks at the old Brewery, resolving to return after
a break. It becomes obvious that the Eastnor Castle gig for Oxfam will not 
be graced by the Roses' presence; The Cure are eventually announced as 
headliners, but the show never takes place.

APRIL/JULY '92
----------------------
RENI's BROTHER Paul Wren appears at Manchester Crown Court on three charges of
false pretension. Over a three week period he has taken #1400 from his 
brother's account, claiming to be Reni.
        The Roses return to the old brewery with Leckie for a month long stay, 
Workington a handful of new songs. At least ten of these are destined for 
eventual  release , among them 'Driving South', 'Breaking Into Heaven', 'Love 
Spreads' and 'Tightrope'. They're heavier than the first album, riding on what
studio employees describe as a "killer groove".
        Leckie tells them that they really ought to go on a creative sabbatical
and do some demos on their own, as studio fees are getting exorbitant. The
band  ignore his advice and make a new year booking at Square One in Bury.
       No one from Geffen has visited them: an air of nonchalance continues
to surround the Roses camp.

AUGUST/DECEMBER '92
----------------------------------
THE BAND return to Manchester, where the gang wars have all but obliterated
the baggy idyll. Clubs are wracked with violence and corruption, and the 
city's glitterati move out of the spotlight. The city's slide is epitomised by
the  Happy Mondays, degenerating rapidly as they announce that they're
playing to smaller venues to enable them to "see the whites in our audiences
eyes". A crucial European Tour is subsequently cancelled.
             Ian Brown is variously spotted in Mancunian supermarkets, the
upmarket southern suburbs, and parking a new BMW outside a chip shop on 
Beech Road, Chorlton. Once inside he continues his one dimensional culinary
adventures by ordering a bag of chips. More curiously, he makes a habit of
wandering up and down nearby Wilbraham Road and enthusiastically acknowledging
anyone he deems to be cool. The band are regularly spotted in two Chorlton pubs
the Beech and The Horse & Jockey, indulging in concerted drinking sessions
during which they sample every variety of bitter available.
         Mani continues to be a devout disciple of Manchester United, flying
to away games and regularly attending home matches at Old Trafford. The whole
band celebrate United's victory over Man City at manto's, a plush bar in the 
raffish Whitworth Street corridor.
        Their chronic inactivity is revealed by the fact that the hire vans 
once seen making daily visits to Steve Atherton's house are nowhere to be seen.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY '93
------------------------------------
WITH A tiny fraction of John Squire's fresh fortune, his girlfriend quits being
a stallholder on Manchester's Castlefield Market, and set's up a children's'
clothing business. Their daughter appears on the front of her first catalogue.
          The band, still in football/holidays/Lanzarote mode, receive word
that  Geffen's Gary Walsh is planning an excursion to Manchester to find out
exactly what is going on.
          His visit spurs a spate of whispers about a summer single. He tells
the band he's worried about not having heard a single note by them since 
their signing. He's also looking for a manager for the band, to replace the
long departed Gareth Evans.

MARCH/APRIL '93
--------------------------
OUT OF the blue, John Leckie is summoned to Square One studios, to work with
equipment hired from Hilton Sound in South London. As far as Leckie is 
concerned almost a dozen songs are heading towards eventual completion,
including 'Love Spreads', 'Your Star Will Shine', 'Driving South', 'Breaking
Into Heaven', 'Begging You' and a "five minute wonder" entitled "Ten Storey
Love Song".
         Geffen, itching to put out some momentum behind the stone roses return
begin approaching potential managers, the most notable of which is Elliot
Rashman, manager of Simply Red. Thinking himself unsuitable, Rashman suggests
that Nathan McGough, freshly divorced from the Happy Mondays, applies instead.
Tired of working with bands best described as 'quixotic', he decides not to.

APRIL/MAY '93
----------------------
IT'S NOW four years from the week that 'The Stone Roses' was released, and then
NME travels to Bury to find them. The band remain cautious and refuse to be
interviewed. "Come back in a few months and we'll do a proper interview"
declares Ian Brown.
       The band play pool while dodging  correspondence. Leckie increasingly 
feels that he's involved in something so strange that it's making his life 
unbearable.
        The Bands crew - apart from Steve Atherton and three other close 
associates, who are kept on the payroll - begin to loose hope of ever working
for the Roses again. They will later be taken on by Oasis, thus forging the
much trumpeted lineage that runs between the two bands.
       Mani celebrates Man Utd's first League Championship victory in 26 years
drinking with friends at Legetts Wine Bar in Failsworth, north Manchester,
the party is eventually broken up by Police.
        Gary Gersh is appointed President of Capitol records in America.
Responsibility for the Roses is handed over to Tom Zutaut, also in charge
of Guns N' Roses.

JUNE/JULY '93
---------------------
THE BAND check into the rockfield studios near Mounmouth, run by Kingsley
Ward, erstwhile manager of T'Pau. On July 26, Leckie arrives for discussions
about the state of play.
         Despite the fact that the album is pencilled in for October release,
he's so ground down by their erratic schedules that he decides to quit, 
eloping to work with (The) Verve and Radiohead.

AUGUST '93
------------------
PAUL SCHRODER, producer of Fool's Gold and Don't Stop, takes over from Leckie
The Band decide to start afresh, using what they've already recorded as demos. 
Local Engineer Simon Dawson becomes Schroder's right-hand man, gradually 
assuming a larger role.
         Ian's obsession with keep fit spreads to the rest of the band and
they all hire mountain bikes. John Squire is the keenest, also leading the 
band into the chilled out world of kite-flying.
        Novocaine, a local neo-punk band are booked into the next-door studio
at rockfield when the Roses arrive. Ian strikes up a friendship with  the band,
particularly with the singer Steve, which eventually culminated with him providing
a lyric for Novocaine's song 'Brain'.
         Sessions often last through the night, ending at 6 or 7am, recording
everything in as few takes as possible to get them sounding 'live'.
        Ian and Mani seem particularly lain back, hanging out with local 
musicians who come up to the studio, sitting around smoking and laughing at the
adverts on HTV. Ian is willing to talk on any subject, favourite topics being
Greek mythology and John Lennon. Encouraged by the calm surroundings, the band
start drinking at local pubs The Nags Head and The Bull. John Squire, as
expected , is the most aloof of the four, keeping his distance from the bands
new friends and often disappearing off to paint.
      Gareth Evans recruits Bernard Sumner to produce a single by Man Utd's
Winger, Lee Sharpe, Evans has formed his own label, Volcanic, and declares,
"I persuaded Bernard to work with Lee just as I persuaded Hooky to produce the
Roses' 'Elephant Stone'. It's going to be a brilliant record".

SEPTEMBER/NOVEMBER '93
----------------------------------------
MANI, ALREADY installed at a new house in Manmouth, ceases to be the Rogue Rose
by starting a relationship with a local girl. The other three's visits to Rock-
field become more intermittent as they spasmodically return to football/holidays
/Lanzarote mode and the Charlatans move into their freshly-vacated part of the
studio. The roses return to Rockfield in the first week of November. Also
in residence are Lush. Mani and Paul Schroder have become a double act,
hanging around with the Lush party.
          Mani celebrates his 29th birthday at The Bull with John, Paul, Lush
and their producer Mike Hedges, and the circle of Monmouth kids who become the
Roses new entourage. The survivors end up drinking tequila and champagne 
slammers with Ronnie Rodgers, ex-guitarist with T'Pau. A horrified Mani 
finishes the evening holding open the door of the taxi as Lush's Emma Anderson
is violently sick.
         There's also the annual Rockfield bonfire party, attended by Mani and
John Squire, who still tends to spend a worrying amount of time riding round
nearby lanes on a mountain bike. Ian Brown meanwhile , makes a habit of 
wandering around the studios in the wee hours, cadging fag-ends from the Lush
party in order to build Joints.. "Have you got any dimps?" becomes his 
catchphrase.
         The Roses begin formulating a plan for their return. Mani says that 
the band think the Spike Isl. and Ally Pally shows were fiascos, and they want
to play gigs in big tops,  a' la their last show at Glasgow Green. He also says
he's written his first song for the album "and it's much better than all the
others"
         The relaxed, jovial vibe surrounding the Roses' camp is amply 
demonstrated by a weird incident towards the end of the month. The phone rings
in Lush's living quarters midway through the day.
        "Is Moiré there?" says a hushed, deep voice, looking for Rockfield's
head caterer. " It's John"
"No," replies Emma Lush.
"It's just that we don't have any eggs," says john.
"They confiscated them all after we had this massive food fight. I s'posse 
we'll have to have cornflakes."

DECEMBER '93
----------------------
ROSES PUBLICIST, Philip Hall, travels to Rockfield. Rough mixes are played
to him, and over the course of an enthusiastic four-hour meeting, he is asked
to manage the band. He accepts, but in a tragic turn of events, he loses his
battle against cancer weeks later. The band attend his funeral in London.
         Back at Rockfield, they play a bizarre driving game involving racing
round back lanes with their headlights off. Eventually, Simon Dawson crashes
his car into a ditch but escapes unscathed.
          Recording continues at a furious pace. Band members will disappear
for a day or two but always return to continue sessions as a band. Listening
matter at this point includes early Neil Young and obscure lo-fi American 
blues in a quest for a depth and bluesiness missing in modern records.
          Ian cultivates an obsession with obscure hardcore rap, while Reni
becomes fixated with early Led Zeppelin, zeroing in on the songs' component
parts in an effort to discover how they managed to sound so powerful.
         Ian shaves his head. A week later, Reni does the same.
         The group are given a final deadline by Geffen for the completion 
of their new album. Artwork for 'The Second Coming' is completed and, although
the band have yet to finish at Rockfield, there is speculation that 'Love
Spreads' will be released as a single on Valentines Day, 94. A spokesman
announces, "If the album comes out in March then there will probably be a 
single in mid-February, although we don't know what it is yet or when it will
come out".
         Ian shows up at TJ's in Newport just before Christmas. When approached
by a journalist from the Western Mail, the Journo is told: "Fuck off! I'm not
talking to no tape recorder. Take me as I am or don't bother".
         He is later seen buying vast amounts of junk food from a nearby 
service station at 3:30am. The band head north for Christmas, attempting to
wind down.

JANUARY '94
-------------------
HAVING RETURNED to Rockfield immediately after Christmas, Ian hears Oasis on 
Radio 1's Evening Session and is impressed.
          The next day Liam and Noel Gallagher, who are recording 'Definitely 
Maybe' at nearby Mono Valley, chance upon Ian coming out of WH Smiths. He's
shadow boxing like Muhammad Ali and upon seeing them declares, "Youse are 
them guys out of fucking Oasis, aren't you? I fucking heard you on the 
Evening Session Last night.. 'Cigarettes And Alcohol' ... fucking 'ell man, it's 
about time." Inevitably they start hanging around together and taking moonlight
tractor rides through the fields of Monmouth.
        The Roses travel to NY to begin the first of several discussions with
Peter Leake (manager of Natalie Merchant, The Cowboy Junkies and The 
Waterboys) who they desperately want to look after them.

FEBRUARY '94
----------------------
PAUL SCHRODER leaves Rockfield for the final time and returns to London, 
remaining tight lipped about Roses related events. Simon Dawson becomes 
producer.
         Ian Brown turns up at TJ's in Newport again to see Novocaine support
Dub War. He and Reni are mixing ' Driving South' at the time, which involves
guitar loops played over and over again, building into a trance.
         The band are listening to Aerosmith and old blues compilations. Ian
is by now in the habit of wearing a ski-hat. Squire has a soft-topped 
convertible Mercedes parked in the driveway. 'The Second Coming' is now due in 
"late April".

MARCH/MAY '94
------------------------
GARRETH EVANS issues a multi-million pound writ against the band, who are now
rapidly approaching the fifth anniversary of their debut album release.
        They arrive for another spell at Rockfield but leave soon for two weeks
holiday: John Squire further indulges his passion for cycling by taking his
bike on vacation to France. Reni is convalescing from a debilitating illness.
        They all return on May 14 to see to overdubs and vocals on the new 
tracks, and take delivery of a fleet of Ford Fiestas which they delight in 
racing around the back lanes, once again with the lights off. This time there 
are no catastrophic accidents.
        MCA, Geffen's parent company, inform interested parties that "People
who've been talking about the band listening to loads of Led Zep aren't a
million miles from the point". John Kennedy, the bands lawyer, says "The 
Second Coming" will be everything  its title implies."

JUNE/JULY '94 
---------------------
FINAL MIXING of the album is due to start, with the release date now pencilled
in for September. Mani shows up backstage at the Glastonbury festival where he
witnesses the Oasis circus in full effect. Tom Zutaut's visits to Wales are 
becoming more and more frequent as his paymasters become increasingly  
anxious. The band, still without a manager, decide not to continue talks with 
Peter Leake.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER '94
------------------------------------
FINALLY, TOM Zutaut's anxiety is allayed when he flies over to hear the comple-
ted recordings, which still need final mixing. He is "very pleased with it".
     Beer Davies, the Roses' radio pluggers, are also invited to Rockfield.
Company boss Garreth Davies and his colleague James Chappell-Gill drive to
Wales. Whilst they are on route, a separate bizarre incident occurs outside the
studio. Two itinerant building workers from Manchester are camping down the 
road while trying to find work. Driving by Rockfield, they ask the guy at 
the end of the drive (all but hidden by the darkness) if this is the studio 
where the Roses are recording.
       "Yeah," he tells them. "The album's sound too." It becomes apparent
that the man is Ian Brown, and he invites the two builders into the studio.
Once Garreth and James have arrived, Ian and Reni play the album to the
 four of them. James keeps rocking back on his chair, gasping for words and
saying, "Fucking hell...". The record has an experimental edge with one of the
tracks featuring screeching violins. It sounds, James and Garreth agree, as 
if the Roses have leap-frogged their second album and made a fantastically
ambitious third.
        Mani, on a drive through Monmouth, plays Steve from Novocaine the 
finished album. He's blasé' about it by now, just looking out for individual
bass parts, but to someone who's hearing it for the first time the record
sounds "amazing".
        Ian and Mani both confide that they're itching to play live again. 
They've waited so long because they were determined to get the record right
and now they have they want the world to hear it. To celebrate their leaving
the studios they have a sumptuous formal dinner cooked by Anne the studio
chef. Inevitably, it includes chips.

OCTOBER '94
--------------------
THE BAND move to Metropolis studios in Chiswick with ex-Clash associate Bill
Price, where they work on the albums final mix. Having finished the Roses and
Steve Atherton fly to LA to play Geffen the tapes. They return to meet with 
Hall Or Nothing, their British publicists, to discuss the campaign for 'Love 
Spreads' but fail to turn up for their first meeting. At later discussions the
band insist the single is released on November 21st.
        The British arm of Geffen has no involvement with the release - so to
placate their increasingly frustrated staff, promotions company Beer Davies are
taken off the account and in-house pluggers take over. It is decided to couch 
the release of ' Love Spreads' in almost theatrical secrecy, culminating in a
securior van ferrying a cassette of the single to Radio 1.

NOVEMBER '94
----------------------
STEVE ATHERTON goes to Rockfield studios to collect the last of the substantial
archive amassed since the summer of 93. Feverishly screening his calls, he 
leaves a message on his answering machine which features a small child shouting
"You'll never take me alive, copper!".
        John Squire's artwork for 'Love Spreads' - featuring a gothic cherub 
atop a heraldic shield, a detail  from the Newport-Monmouth road bridge,
( JPEG --> ARTWORK/lovespreads.jpg ) - appears in the Japanese magazine
Rockin' On, along with a full LP track listing, proving that a great deal of
the album's songs are at least two years old. It is thought that a track called
"How Do You Sleep" might be a cover of the John Lennon song. It isn't.
         The Roses' associates are drilled into near silence. The single is 
debuted on Radio 1's evening Session on Monday, November 7th and the band go 
to ground in preparation for a predictable media onslaught that they will have
nothing to do with.
        This after 46 months of half truths, false starts and dashed hopes, is 
the resurrection.....

                                                         NME November 13th '94