John Squire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the British poet and historian of that name from 1882–1958, see Sir John Squire.
| John Squire | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 24, 1962 Broadheath, Altrincham, England |
| Genre(s) | Alternative rock, Madchester |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, Vocals |
| Years active | 1984 - 2007 |
| Label(s) | Silvertone, Geffen |
| Associated acts | The Stone Roses The Seahorses |
| Website | www.johnsquire.com |
| Notable instrument(s) | |
| 1964 Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman (Walnut) Hofner T4S (Custom Jackson Pollock Paintjob) 1960 Fender Stratocaster (Pink) Gibson Les Paul Fender Jaguar Custom built by Stuart Palmer (Two models built, one in white, one in sunburst Gibson SG |
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John Squire (born John Thomas Squire on 24 November 1962) is an English musician, songwriter and artist.
Squire is best known as a member of The Stone Roses, a rock band in which he formed a songwriting partnership with Ian Brown. After leaving The Stone Roses he went on to found The Seahorses and has since released two solo albums. Squire is also an accomplished painter and recently announced that he was giving up music for good to fully commit to painting.[1]
As a contemporary of Johnny Marr of The Smiths, Squire was amongst the most accomplished British rock guitarists of the 1980s, known for his chiming melodies, spiraling riffs and live solos.[2]
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[edit] Early life
Squire was born in Broadheath, Altrincham, near Manchester, England. He grew up on Sylvan Avenue in Timperley and after attending Heyes Lane Junior School, he passed the eleven plus exam and went on to attend Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, where he met Ian Brown. They formed a close friendship during their teens, bonding over a shared love for punk rock.
[edit] The Stone Roses
In the early 1980s Squire and Brown founded a rock band that eventually became The Stone Roses, with Squire as lead guitarist from 1984 to 1996. The partnership between Squire and Brown formed the heart of the band's lyrical and musical output.
The band became one of the most influential acts of its era. Their 1989 eponymous debut album quickly achieved the status of a classic in the UK, and topped NME's list of the Greatest British Albums of All Time. Squire co-wrote all of the tracks with Brown. The cover art was painted by Squire, it is a Jackson Pollock influenced piece containing references to the May 1968 riots in Paris.
By the mid-1990s the Roses were being hailed as pioneers of the Britpop movement. Squire displayed a vocal dislike of most of the bands, dismissing them as "Kensington art-wankers". The most notable exception was Oasis. Squire even made an appearance at their Knebworth concert, playing guitar on "Champagne Supernova" and a cover of "I Am the Walrus".
The band's second album, Second Coming (released in 1994), was mainly written by Squire. He has credits on all but one of the tracks, most of which credit him alone. The album's featured a heavier blues-rock sound, similar to Led Zeppelin.[3] The album was met with mixed reaction from fans, and shortly after band infighting and rumoured cocaine abuse led to his departure from the band on April Fool's Day 1996.
[edit] The Seahorses and solo career
Picking three unknowns, Squire formed a new band, The Seahorses, in 1996. The band's only album Do it Yourself was released in 1997. The Seahorses disbanded due to creative differences in 1999.
Squire released his first solo album, Time Changes Everything in 2002. A concept album followed in 2004 entitled Marshall's House.
[edit] Artwork
Besides music, Squire is also a well-known, published artist. His artwork has adorned album covers and promotional posters for his and the Stone Roses' music. In the 1980s, Squire's artistic style was heavily influenced by the action painting technique of Jackson Pollock. In recent years, Squire has shown a broader use of mediums and has incorporated newer influences to his work. One of his artworks formed the cover for Travis's 1997 release U16 Girls. In 2004, Squire held two well-received art exhibitions in London and Manchester.
Over the past four years Squire has worked full time on his artwork which he has exhibited at The Smithfield Gallery (July 2007) and The Dazed Gallery, London (September - October 2007).
At the Smithfield Gallery opening, Squire told a reporter from the Manchester Evening News that he was giving up music for good. He explained that "I'm enjoying this far too much to go back to music."[1] When asked about a Stone Roses reunion, he said it was "highly unlikely".[1]
[edit] Intentions for a Stone Roses reunion
Although it has been over a decade since he left the Stone Roses, Squire allegedly has a lasting feud with ex-bandmate Ian Brown, whom he has not spoken to since his departure from the Stone Roses. In a 2005 Q magazine article, Squire blasted Brown, claiming "When he (Brown) was stoned, he was at best a tuneless knob and at worst a paranoid mess" (this was in response to queries about what had gone wrong with the Second Coming recording sessions, and the state of Brown's vocal due to his cannabis intake). Although both Brown and Squire have performed Stone Roses songs in their solo gigs, a band reunion seems unlikely.
John Squire was interviewed in June 2007 by Dave Haslam on XFM Manchester radio and discussed his current work as an artist, and claimed that even if Ian Brown phoned him and suggested a Stone Roses reunion, he would turn the offer down.[4]
[edit] Trivia
- His favourite album of all time is The Beatles' Revolver.
- His favourite concert of all time was seeing The Clash in 1977.
- Squire has also voiced his concern about Led Zeppelin, he said the one-off gig was so good he wouldn't want it tarnished by a full tour following it. "I went to see Led Zeppelin… I was blown away. The Clash in 1977 were probably the only ones who have topped that."
When asked why, he stated: "I know it’s selfish [on my part]. They should be allowed to, but I would like that moment [the O2 Arena show] to be crystallised. I don’t want to read reviews of mediocre Led Zeppelin gigs."
[edit] Discography
Albums
- Time Changes Everything (2002) # 17 UK
- Marshall's House (2004)
Singles
- "Joe Louis" (2002) # 41 UK
- "Room In Brooklyn" (2004)
Live Albums/EPs
- Time Changes Everything Live EP (Japan only) (2003)
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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