In March 1977, I taped the single ‘Career Opportunities’ off Piccadilly Radio, which was the ’70s equivalent of downloading, and then the album came out in April 1977. Ian Brown Read Quote
When you live in Manchester and it’s raining every day, you’ve got to imagine the sun sometimes. When you’re brought up in concrete, you aim for the green leaves. And when you get to the green leaves, you yearn again for concrete. Ian Brown Read Quote
One person might perceive me as godlike, and the next might think I’m a northern thug. I don’t think I’ve done myself any favours… but I swear I’ve not had a proper fight since I was 14. Ian Brown Read Quote
I don’t like to play anywhere with a banner for Carlsberg or vodka or whatever. I’m not a drinker myself, and I don’t like feeling like I’m working for the liquor companies. Ian Brown Read Quote
I wrote a lot of lyrics in prison, but they’d all be like, ‘Crawls upon the shoulders, hatred in the eyes.’ I wrote about 50 songs in there that were all about jail. I’ve come out and thought, ‘I’ve only served eight weeks; I can’t really write a concept album about jail.’ Ian Brown Read Quote
Maybe if you see me begging on the streets, you might find me doing The Stone Roses the next day. Ian Brown Read Quote
I went to a friend’s 40th in Manchester, and there was a karaoke machine, and no one was having a go. My mate said, ‘No one’s singing because you’re in the room.’ I said, ‘Who am I, Frank Sinatra?’ They made me sing flipping ‘My Star’ to a backing track that sounded like ’80s Roxy Music. It was pretty embarrassing, but I did it. Ian Brown Read Quote
Some of the kids who discovered me from my ‘F.E.A.R.’ record or one of the U.N.K.L.E. tunes have said, ‘I don’t even like the Roses; I love your solo stuff.’ I buzz off that. Ian Brown Read Quote
