John Leckie, the producer of The Stone Roses' debut album, has revealed that the band nearly had a very different name: The Angry Young Teddy Bears. Thank God they changed their minds.
The Manchester band formed in 1983, but it wasn't until their self-titled debut album was released in 1989 that they became one of the most popular British bands of all time. According to John Leckie, who produced that album, they were very nearly called The Angry Young Teddy Bears.
"That's what the Roses were thinking of calling themselves when I met them," he told Q. "It sort of suits them in a funny way. The thing with the Roses is that even though there is a punk heritage, they're hippies. Ian especially. It sounds corny, but there's a lot of love there, and you don't really get that with other Manchester bands."
He also revealed that lead singer Ian Brown used a skipping rope for inspiration: "He had a skipping rope so he'd sometimes start skipping in the corner. Skipping and smoking that was his thing. Weed, bags of it, and nothing stronger. I never saw powders the whole time. Ian was dead against it. He was just very dedicated. The music came first."
Stone Roses recently revealed that they'll be playing huge shows in Manchester and Dublin this summer, as well as headlining T In The Park. See full dates below. Buy tickets and get more information here.
Wednesday 15 June - Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Friday 17 June - Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Saturday 18 June - Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Sunday 19 June - Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Friday 8 July - T In The Park, Scotland
Saturday 9 July - Marlay Park, Dublin
