Gary “Mani” Mounfield Of The Stone Roses & Primal Scream Dead At 63

Gary “Mani” Mounfield, the bassist who helped the Stone Roses define the Madchester era, then joined Primal Scream for some of their most vital works, has died. Mani’s brother Greg announced his death in a Facebook post, writing, “IT IS WITH THE HEAVIEST OF HEARTS THAT I HAVE TO ANNOUNCE THE SAD PASSING OF MY BROTHER GARY MANI MOUNFIELD. RIP RKID.” He was 63.

Born and raised in Manchester, Mani joined a band called Fireside Chaps with guitarist John Squire in the early ’80s. The band changed its name to the Waterfront and, in 1983, brought in singer Ian Brown, a former bandmate of Squire’s. When the Waterfront fizzled out, Brown and Squire launched the band that became the Stone Roses, with Mani joining the fold in 1987 to complete the lineup alongside drummer Alan “Reni” Wren. In a 2002 MOJO article, Brown cited the bassist’s addition as pivotal to the band’s development: “When Mani joined it almost changed overnight. It became a totally different groove … Straight away, everything just fell into place.”

The Stone Roses became key players in Madchester, the late ’80s and early ’90s Manchester music scene that found bands fusing rock music with the acid house that was fueling UK rave culture at the time. Though not as dance-oriented as Madchester peers like the Happy Mondays, the band became fixtures at Manchester’s famed Hacienda club.

The hype around the Stone Roses in England built to a peak with the release of their 1989 self-titled debut, a masterpiece of anthemic guitar pop that established the band as British rock royalty. Mani’s propulsive bass lines and interplay with Reni had as much to do with that as Brown’s hooks and Squire’s riffs, particularly when the group stretched out and locked into a groove on songs like the epic closing track “Fools Gold.” Mani’s bass part was central to the appeal of “I Wanna Be Adored,” the album’s iconic slow-build opener, and his pogo-ing low end lent an irresistible momentum to “She Bangs The Drums,” among other memorable highlights.

The Stone Roses took five years to follow up their debut, and 1994’s bluesy sophomore album The Second Coming was tepidly received, in part due to the way it divorced the band’s sound from their Madchester roots. Reni quit the band in 1995 just before touring behind The Second Coming was to commence, and the Roses’ set at Glastonbury that summer had to be canceled when Squire broke his collarbone in a mountain biking accident. Though they eventually played a sold-out UK tour late in the year, by 1996 Squire had departed as well, and the Stone Roses came to a close.

Mani quickly joined forces with Primal Scream, the Glasgow-based band whose dance-rock opus Screamadelica had existed in conversation with the Madchester scene. Mani stuck around in Primal Scream through 2011, departing only when the Stone Roses mounted a reunion tour. During his tenure in the band, they released some of their best work, in particular 2000’s aggressive electro-rock masterpiece XTRMNTR. (Mani’s bass on “Kill All Hippies” will punch a hole in your soul.) His final years in Primal Scream coincided with his five-year stint in Freebass, a supergroup with fellow Manchester bass heroes Andy Rourke of the Smiths and Peter Hook of Joy Division/New Order.

Below, revisit some of the brilliant tracks Mani played on.