Mani

Born in Manchester, England, as Gary Mounfield, the bassist acquired the single-word nickname Mani through longstanding British custom. Over nine years with the Stone Roses he supplied what many regard as his defining musical impact. He stepped in for original bassist Pete Garner in 1987 and featured on every key release and single the group issued from “Elephant Stone” onward. His lines, shaped by the approach of Joy Division/New Order’s Peter Hook yet delivered with equal force and distinctiveness, anchor tracks such as “I Wanna Be Adored” and “Fools Gold,” two of the most instantly identifiable recordings to emerge from the late-’80s Madchester movement. Offstage, his open and affable nature made him a widely liked figure throughout the British rock community.

While the Stone Roses struggled to finish the album that would follow their debut, and as John Squire and Ian Brown largely withdrew from view, Mani grew increasingly visible and outspoken in interviews. That visibility peaked after Squire quit abruptly in 1996 following the release of Second Coming; Mani spoke candidly to the press about the guitarist’s departure. He remained alongside the only other surviving original member, Ian Brown, through the band’s last show at the 1996 Reading Festival. Shortly afterward he declared the Stone Roses finished and confirmed his move to Primal Scream, describing them as “one of only three other bands [he] would ever consider joining,” the remaining two later identified as the Jesus & Mary Chain and Oasis.

As a new member of another foundational Madchester act, Mani contributed to the revitalized sound heard first on “Motorhead” and the single “Kowalski” from 1997’s Vanishing Point. His playing also drove the standout 2000 release XTRMNTR, demonstrating that more than fifteen years of experience had not diminished his capacity to shape vital, contemporary music. Outside these commitments he appeared on late-’90s recordings by Dot Allison and on the debut solo projects of former bandmates Ian Brown and Aziz Ibrahim. Among all the Stone Roses alumni, he kept the possibility of a reunion most openly alive, repeatedly describing the group’s story in interviews as “unfinished business.”