Love Spreads
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| “Love Spreads” | |||||
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| Single by The Stone Roses from the album Second Coming |
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| Released | November, 1994 | ||||
| Format | CD, cassette, vinyl record 12" | ||||
| Genre | Madchester | ||||
| Length | 5:46 | ||||
| Label | Geffen | ||||
| Producer | Simon Dawson | ||||
| The Stone Roses singles chronology | |||||
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"Love Spreads", written in 1992, was the first single from The Stone Roses' Second Coming. The record was a No. 2 hit in the UK.
Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream hailed the song "as the greatest comeback single ever." It showcased a bolder, edgier direction for the Roses' sound, especially John Squire's Led Zeppelin tinged guitars.
Squire was responsible for writing the lyrics of the song, a scathing attack on the traditional image of Jesus. Squire portrayed the crucifixion of the Messiah with a black woman on the cross. This continued the band's theme of questioning the depiction of Christ, first used in the track "I Am The Resurrection."
A re-recorded version of "Love Spreads" was used on The Help Album (a compilation of songs for the charity War Child). It was also used in a season 4 episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, "Invisible Evidence."
Currently, the song can be heard in a commercial for Cadillac.
In May 2007, NME magazine placed "Love Spreads" at number 44 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever.
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[edit] Cover artwork
John Squire designed the "Love Spreads" cover with the photograph of a stone cherub at the popular Newport Bridge in Clarence Place, Newport [1]. The stone cherub is modelled after Newport's coat of arms, which also contains a cherub with winged sea lions.
The cherub design was found on many pieces of Second Coming merchandise.
The cherubs were subsequently ripped from their mounts on the bridge, allegedly taken as souvenirs by fans of the band.
[edit] Music video
There are two music videos of "Love Spreads." The original UK version consisted of home footage. There are scenes of Mani, Squire, and Brown dressed as a chicken, the devil, and Death respectively. These scenes were interspliced with hidden images.
MTV was unsatisfied with the quality of the first video, so the band produced a second video for American audiences. This video featured the band in front of oil rigs mining for gold. Beck makes a cameo appearance as a gold prospector. In this video, Squire incorporated artistic influences from the likes of Andy Warhol and Andrew Wyeth. Fitting with the crucifixion theme of the song, Squire also opens the video sitting on a donkey, just like Jesus entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
[edit] Track listing
[edit] 7": [Geffen GFS 84]
- "Love Spreads" (5:46)
- "Your Star Will Shine" (2:56)
[edit] 12": [Geffen GFST 84]
- "Love Spreads" (5:46)
- "Your Star Will Shine" (2:56)
- "Breakout" (6:04)
- "Groove Harder" (4:26)
[edit] CD: [Geffen GFSTD 84]
- "Love Spreads" (5:46)
- "Your Star Will Shine" (2:56)
- "Breakout" (6:04)
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