The Stone Roses were one of the most influential bands to come out of England during the late 1980s and early '90s. Along with the Happy Mondays, they comprised the core of the Madchester Baggy scene, centred around Manchester, England, though purists would argue that "Madchester" happened around The Stone Roses without them being an active part of it. Ian Brown hated the term "Madchester" and took offence with interviewers who referred to them as such.
The Stone Roses were formed in Manchester during the early- 1980s by guitarist John Squire and vocalist Ian Brown. Childhood friends, Squire and Brown had both played in bands before, although Brown had previously played bass. They recruited a talented drummer, Reni (real name Alan Wren), with bassist Pete Garner and rhythm guitarist Andy Couzens completing the original line up.
In their early days the Roses had an aggressive, punky sound, and their influences ranged from The Clash and The Sex Pistols to Manchester band Slaughter and the Dogs. They had a dedicated following in Manchester, but they were considered unfashionable and somewhat uncouth by the local music scene at the time, a scene dominated by Factory Records and Tony Wilson. (Publicity shots from around that time feature Squire in a bandana and Brown wearing leather trousers.)
In 1985 the Roses released their first single, the Martin Hannett produced double a-side "So Young/Tell Me". A doom-laden affair, it was largely unsuccessful and was later disowned by the band. At this point Brown had yet to develop his trademark cool delivery and had a shouty, in-your-face style, and the rest of the band had not yet found the groove that was to characterise their best material.
By the time of their next single, "Sally Cinnamon", the Roses' sound had changed considerably. Released in 1987 on FM Revolver records, "Sally Cinnamon" contained chiming guitar hooks and a strong melody, and sounded more like The Byrds than the Pistols. Brown had developed a new, softer singing style and Squire and Reni were becoming more confident and streamlined, and much less noisy.