I Am the Resurrection

Last updated

"I Am the Resurrection"
Stone Roses I Am the Resurrection.jpg
Single by the Stone Roses
from the album The Stone Roses
A-side "I Am the Resurrection" (remix)
B-side "I Am the Resurrection" (dub)
Released30 March 1992 (1992-03-30) [1]
Genre Madchester [2] [3]
Length8:13
Label Silvertone
Songwriter(s) Ian Brown, John Squire
Producer(s) John Leckie
The Stone Roses singles chronology
"Waterfall"
(1991)
"I Am the Resurrection"
(1992)
"Love Spreads"
(1994)

"I Am the Resurrection" is a song by the Stone Roses and the final song on the UK version of their debut album.

Contents

The last four minutes of the song is an instrumental outro. The single was released on 30 March 1992, and reached number 33 on the UK Singles Chart. [4] It was the second of two singles released from their debut album while the band were estranged from their label Silvertone.

Background

Regarding the song's origin, drummer Reni revealed the track originated when bassist Mani played the riff of The Beatles' "Taxman" backwards. Reni said, "Mani would play the riff backwards during sound-checks and we played along over the top for a laugh. Finally we said, Let's do this joke-song properly and see what happens." [5]

Artwork

John Squire designed the "I Am the Resurrection" cover, (an up-close shot from the cover of the first album) continuing the Jackson Pollock-influenced theme of singles from The Stone Roses.

Reception

Q magazine placed it at number 10 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. [6]

NME magazine placed "I Am the Resurrection" at number 8 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever. NME also placed it at number 100 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. [7]

Religious and Messianic language

Biblical scholar James Crossley has noted the biblical language throughout the song, where the singer takes on the role of a Christ-like or God-like figure ("I am the resurrection and I am the life"). In addition to the title alluding to John 11, he argues that there are references to stubbornness and repentance found in the prophetic literature of the Old Testament, which repeatedly uses the language of "turning" to God, and persistence and redemption in the New Testament, which uses the language of knocking at doors (e.g. Luke 11:5-10; Luke 13:23-27). In Crossley's view, the song partly functions as "a story of God and Israel/humanity in the Bible" but now "applied to a human relationship". [8]

Track listings

7-inch vinyl (Silvertone ORE 40), cassette (Silvertone ORE 40C)

  1. "I Am the Resurrection" (Pan and Scan Radio Version) (3:45)
  2. "I Am the Resurrection" (Highly Resurrected Dub) (3:30)

12-inch vinyl (Silvertone ORE T 40)

  1. "I Am the Resurrection" (Extended 16:9 Ratio Club Mix) by Simon Harris (8:22)
  2. "I Am the Resurrection" (Original LP version) (8:12)
  3. "Fools Gold" (Bottom Won Mix) (6:59)

CD (Silvertone ORE CD 40)

  1. "I Am the Resurrection" (Pan and Scan Radio Version) by Simon Harris (3:45)
  2. "I Am the Resurrection" (5:3 Stoned Out Club Mix) (5:40)
  3. "I Am the Resurrection" (Original LP version) (8:12)
  4. "Fools Gold" (Bottom Won Mix) (6:59)

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [9] Gold400,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Stone Roses</span> English rock band

The Stone Roses were an English rock band formed in Manchester, England in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band's classic and most prominent lineup consisted of vocalist Ian Brown, guitarist John Squire, bassist Mani, and drummer Reni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madchester</span> Musical and cultural scene in late-20th-century Manchester

Madchester was a musical and cultural scene that developed in the English city of Manchester in the late 1980s, closely associated with the indie dance scene. Indie-dance saw artists merging indie rock with elements of acid house, psychedelia, and 1960s pop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mani (musician)</span> British bassist

Gary "Mani" Mounfield is an English rock bassist, best known for being a member of The Stone Roses and Primal Scream.

<i>The Stone Roses</i> (album) 1989 studio album by The Stone Roses

The Stone Roses is the debut studio album by English rock band the Stone Roses. It was recorded mostly at Battery Studios in London with producer John Leckie from June 1988 to February 1989 and released later that year on 2 May by Silvertone Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reni (musician)</span> English drummer

Alan John "Reni" Wren is an English rock drummer and member of The Stone Roses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Brown</span> English musician; singer of The Stone Roses

Ian George Brown is an English musician. He was the lead singer and the only continuous member of the alternative rock band the Stone Roses from their formation in 1983. Following the band's initial split in 1996, he began a solo career, releasing seven studio albums, a greatest hits compilation, a remix album, an 11-disc box set titled Collection, and 19 singles. He returned to singing for the Stone Roses in 2011, although this did not spell the end of his solo endeavours, releasing First World Problems through Virgin/EMI Records on 25 October 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Squire</span> English musician

Jonathan Thomas "John" Squire is an English musician, songwriter and painter. He was the guitarist for the Stone Roses, a rock band in which he formed a songwriting partnership with lead singer Ian Brown. After leaving the Stone Roses he went on to found The Seahorses and has since released two solo albums. In 2007, Squire gave up music to fully commit to painting. However, he later returned to music when the Stone Roses reformed in 2011. When the Stone Roses disbanded for a second time in 2017, Squire once again retired from music industry and returned to painting. However, he continued to play guitar occasionally, including making guest appearances for two shows with Liam Gallagher at Knebworth in 2022. In late 2023 he started working with Liam Gallagher on a collaborative studio album which released in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fools Gold (song)</span> 1989 single by The Stone Roses

"Fools Gold" is a song by British rock band the Stone Roses. It was released as a double A-side single with "What the World Is Waiting For" on 13 November 1989 through Silvertone Records. "Fools Gold" would go on to appear on certain non-UK versions of their self-titled debut studio album (1989). "Fools Gold" became the band's biggest commercial hit at the time. It was their first single to reach the top ten of the UK Singles Chart and stayed in the top-75 for fourteen weeks, peaking at number eight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Wanna Be Adored</span> 1989 single by the Stone Roses

"I Wanna Be Adored" is a song by the British rock band the Stone Roses. It was the first track on their debut album, The Stone Roses, and was released as a single. The US release charted at number 18 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart in 1990. In 1991, the single was released in the UK, Germany and Japan featuring previously unreleased B-sides.

<i>Turns into Stone</i> 1992 compilation album by The Stone Roses

Turns into Stone is a compilation album by English rock band The Stone Roses, released in 1992. It consists of early singles and B-sides that did not feature on their self-titled debut album. The compilation reached number 32 on the UK album chart.

<i>The Complete Stone Roses</i> 1995 greatest hits album by The Stone Roses

The Complete Stone Roses is a compilation of singles and B-sides by English rock band The Stone Roses. It was released in 1995 without the band's input by their record company Silvertone, with whom they were embroiled in a protracted legal battle to terminate their five-year contract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She Bangs the Drums</span> 1989 single by the Stone Roses

"She Bangs the Drums" is a song by English rock band the Stone Roses. The song was released as the second single from their eponymous debut album (1989). It was released in the UK, Japan, and Germany. The single was their first Top 40 hit, peaking at number 36 on the UK Singles Chart in July 1989. A reissue in March 1990 improved by two places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Begging You</span> 1995 single by the Stone Roses

"Begging You" is a song by English rock band the Stone Roses, released as the final single before their initial break-up a year later, and was the third single from their second album, Second Coming (1994). "Begging You" was released in the United Kingdom and Australia, peaking at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No One Knows</span> 2002 single by Queens of the Stone Age

"No One Knows" is a song by American rock band Queens of the Stone Age written by band members Josh Homme and Mark Lanegan. It was the first single and second track from their third album, Songs for the Deaf, and was released on November 26, 2002. "No One Knows" was a chart success, becoming the band's first single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and their only single to top the US Alternative charts. The song was also critically acclaimed, receiving a nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 2003 Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elephant Stone</span> 1988 single by The Stone Roses

"Elephant Stone" is a song by the English rock band the Stone Roses. It was the third single released by the group and their first release on Silvertone Records. Originally released in October 1988, it showcases the group's growing confidence and incorporation of dance rhythms. The song was written by singer Ian Brown and guitarist John Squire. It was inserted as an additional track into the tracklisting of U.S. pressings of the band's debut album in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">So Young (The Stone Roses song)</span> 1985 single by The Stone Roses

"So Young/Tell Me" is the debut double A-side single by English rock band the Stone Roses, produced by Martin Hannett and released in 1985 on Thin Line. The single went without much notice outside of Manchester, and demonstrates a very different aggressive punk\new wave style than the band's later material with Reni in particular showcasing a more exuberant drumming style.

"Can't See Me" is a song by Ian Brown. It was written by Brown and Mani and produced by Brown. The song was remixed by Bacon & Quarmby and released as the third single from Brown's debut solo album Unfinished Monkey Business. It was released in June 1998, and rose to number 21 on the UK Singles Chart. The song's lyrics refer to an incident when Brown saw His former Stone Roses band-mate John Squire in a village in Hale, Greater Manchester, not long after the split of the band. According to this story, Brown waved to Squire, but Squire hid behind a newspaper and would not acknowledge him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterfall (The Stone Roses song)</span> 1991 single by The Stone Roses

"Waterfall" is the ninth single from The Stone Roses. The fourth single taken from their debut album The Stone Roses, it was released in 1991 and reached number 27 in the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Look Back in Anger</span> 1996 single by Oasis

"Don't Look Back in Anger" is a song by English rock band Oasis. It was written by the band's lead guitarist and chief songwriter Noel Gallagher, and produced by Gallagher and Owen Morris. Released on 19 February 1996 by Creation Records as the fifth single from their second studio album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995), it became Oasis's second single to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart, earning a quintuple-platinum sales certification in the UK. It was the first Oasis single with lead vocals by Noel, who had previously only sung lead on B-sides, instead of his brother Liam. Noel would later sing lead vocals on six other singles. The music video was directed by Nigel Dick, featuring the band performing at a mansion where a large group of women appears.

The Rub were an English rock band, formed in 1998 in Whalley Range, Manchester by former Stone Roses drummer Alan "Reni" Wren.

References

  1. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week . 28 March 1992. p. 21.
  2. Haslam, Dave (2000). Manchester, England: The Story of the Pop Cult City. Fourth Estate. p. 10. ISBN   978-1-8411-5146-5. The sights and sounds of Madchester – from the thrilling, rolling drum beats of the Stone Roses' celebratory 'I Am The Resurrection', to Central Station's big colour sleeve and poster designs – were qualitatively different to old Manchester.
  3. "The Stone Roses: I Am the Resurrection". XFM. Archived from the original on 16 May 2010.
  4. "Stone Roses". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  5. "The inspirations behind The Stone Roses' I Am the Resurrection". Radio X. 13 April 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  6. "Q Magazine – 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks Ever!". Q . March 2005. Retrieved 2 March 2014 via Rocklist.net.
  7. "The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time: 100-1". NME . Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  8. Crossley, James (April 2011). "For EveryManc a Religion: Biblical and Religious Language in the Manchester Music Scene, 1976–1994". Biblical Interpretation . 19 (2): 151–180. doi:10.1163/156851511X557343. ISSN   0927-2569.
  9. "British single certifications – Stone Roses – I Am the Resurrection". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 11 June 2021.