While The Stone Roses’ self-titled debut album is an all-time classic that the band never came close to bettering, it could have turned out a very different record. As The Stone Roses turns 30, John Earls speaks to producer John Leckie… and also hears from Peter Hook about how he nearly produced the album instead…
By the time The Stone Roses started work on their debut album, they’d already used three different producers on their first three singles. Released in 1985, debut single So Young dates from when the band were still a five-piece, featuring original bassist Pete Garner and additional guitarist Andy Couzens. So Young was produced by Martin Hannett. He may have worked magic on fellow Mancs Joy Division and later Happy Mondays, but Hannett’s doomy default sound was all wrong for The Stone Roses.