3. “Fools Gold” – The Stone Roses
(From the album The Stone Roses)
1989
The Stone Roses had released their debut album and seen some success with “She Bangs The Drums” but they had not yet had a true signature song or hit. That was about to change. For the next single the band intended to release a new non-album song they had recorded called “What The World Is Waiting For” and back it up with “Fools Gold”, a new dance/rock hybrid track recorded in the same session as the singles B-side. However, when one of their label’s A&R men heard “Fools Gold” he strongly encouraged The Stone Roses to release “Fools Gold” as the single instead. Unsure if that was a wise choice the band and their label compromised, releasing “What The World Is Waiting For/Fools Gold” as a double A-side. However, it would be “Fools Gold” that would become not only a hit but The Stone Roses signature song. The danceable beat and hazy, psychedelic tone of the song hit the zeitgeist of the moment perfectly as Manchester, the hometown of The Stone Roses, was becoming the center of a dance and drug fueled musical and cultural scene that became known as Madchester. Built from the bottom up with the funky rhythm section provided by Reni and Mani, “Fools Gold” was a club anthem. John Squire’s wah-pedal effects make the guitar part feel hypnotic and spacy, while Ian Brown sings a laid back, almost lazy feeling vocal that drifts into the mix and adds to the pulsing, hypnotic feel. “Fools Gold” became one of the anthems of the scene and the moment and made The Stone Roses big stars. The ascendency of both the Madchester sound and The Stone Roses as one of its leaders was then sealed when both they and the Happy Mondays played on the same episode of Top Of The Pops. The Stone Roses performed “Fools Gold” and the song became a UK pop hit, going to #8, while also hitting #5 on the US alternative charts. Following the success of “Fools Gold” on the charts (and more importantly on the scene) meant that “Sally Cinnamon”, “Elephant Stone”, “Made Of Stone” and “She Bangs The Drums” were all eventually re-released and most did better on the charts than the first time they came out. The success of “Fools Gold” also really launched the success of their eponymous debut album and with more attention put on it its critical reputation grew until ultimately it won a slew of awards that year and has become revered as one of the best British albums of all time. Ultimately, “Fools Gold”, which originally had been a non-album single, was added to most editions of The Stone Roses released outside of the UK or as a CD and so the song is now generally considered as part of the album.
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