Elephant Stone

For the band, see Elephant Stone (band).
"Elephant Stone"
Single by The Stone Roses
B-side The Hardest Thing In The World
Released October 1988 (UK)
Format 7" vinyl, 12" vinyl
Recorded January 1988
Genre Madchester, jangle pop, neo-psychedelia[1]
Length 3:00 (7" version)
4:51 (12" version)
Label Silvertone
Producer(s) Peter Hook, John Leckie
The Stone Roses singles chronology
"Sally Cinnamon"
(1987)		 "Elephant Stone"
(1988)		 "Made of Stone"
(1989)

"Elephant Stone" is the third single by The Stone Roses and their first release on Silvertone Records. Originally released in October 1988, it showcased the group's growing confidence and incorporation of dance rhythms.

Background

The album was produced by New Order bassist Peter Hook in his own studio. It was initially scheduled for release on Rough Trade Records and remixed by John Leckie following a deal with Silvertone Records.

"Elephant Stone" was released in two alternate versions; the original ran for nearly five minutes and featured an extended drum intro, while the later, shorter cut ran for three minutes and included layers of wah-wah guitar. On its original release it failed to make the chart, but reached #8 on re-release in March 1990.

The b-side "Full Fathom Five" (named after a Jackson Pollock painting) is essentially an alternate single mix of "Elephant Stone" played in reverse.

Irish musician Rob Smith released an acoustic version of the song on his Live In New York & Dublin live EP in 2011.

John Squire on the hidden meaning of "Elephant Stone", "What is about? Love and Death... War and Peace... Morecambe and Wise..." Squire also said about "Elephant Stone", "It's about a girl... Who I don't see any more...."

Although released as a non-album single, the track did appear on the US release of the bands debut album The Stone Roses and also on some post 1989 reissued UK editions of the album. It has also appeared on the compilation albums Turns Into Stone, The Complete Stone Roses and The Very Best Of The Stone Roses.

Track listing

1988 release

7" vinyl (Silvertone ORE 1)

catalogue number in black

  1. Elephant Stone (3:00)
  2. The Hardest Thing in the World (2:39)
12" vinyl (Silvertone ORE T 1)

catalogue number in black

  1. Elephant Stone (4:51)
  2. Elephant Stone (7" Version) (3:00)
  3. Full Fathom Five (2:56)
  4. The Hardest Thing in the World (2:39)

1990 reissue

7" vinyl (Silvertone ORE 1)

catalogue number in red

  1. Elephant Stone (3:00)
  2. The Hardest Thing in the World (2:39)
12" vinyl (Silvertone ORE T 1)

catalogue number in red

  1. Elephant Stone (4:51)
  2. Elephant Stone (7" Version) (3:00)
  3. Full Fathom Five (2:56)
  4. The Hardest Thing in the World (2:39)
Cassette (Silvertone ORE C 1), CD (Silvertone ORE CD 1)
  1. Elephant Stone (4:51)
  2. Full Fathom Five (2:56)
  3. The Hardest Thing in the World (2:39)
  4. Elephant Stone (7" Version) (3:00)

References

  1. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Stone Roses". Allmusic. Retrieved 25 August 2014.

External links