Alfie Boe has released a new single paying tribute to the late Gary “Mani” Mounfield, bassist for The Stone Roses and Primal Scream.
The 52-year-old’s song, “Face Myself”, from a forthcoming album of the same name, reflects on the Manchester indie and dance scene of his teenage years, featuring the lyric “good old Mani played it right”.
The musical theatre star explained: “At the time that I was writing that song, we heard about the tragic death of Mani from Stone Roses and Primal Scream.
“I put in a little tribute, which goes ‘dreams are grown in Burnage skies, a golden past that made us cry, the prom is glorified with lights, for good old Mani played it right, those Cranwell boys, they sang along’.
“I only met Mani once and never really got to know him – I wish I had. The ‘Cranwell boys’ is a reference to Liam and Noel Gallagher, who grew up in Cranwell Drive in Burnage.”
Mani, who was an original member of The Stone Roses and later joined Scottish indie rock band Primal Scream in 1996, died aged 63 in November last year.
Boe’s upcoming album, set to be released on April 10, will be his first of predominantly original material.
The tenor added: “Face Myself is a tribute to the North and to my youth, back in the days when I was into the indie movement and hopped on the train to Manchester every weekend to see bands.
“When The Stone Roses came on the scene, then Inspiral Carpets and The Charlatans, the Hacienda and the Northern Quarter in Manchester.
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“It has the line, the Roses sing our indie song, we bang the drum, home is the place where time won’t change us’, remembering the way we celebrated that music.”
Boe had been a drummer for an indie band during his youth, and has also contributed vocals for The Clint Boon Experience, the side project of the Inspiral Carpets keyboard player, as the Opera Dude.
He is best known for his partnership with fellow singer Michael Ball, and has achieved four UK number one albums.
The singer is to tour the UK in April and May with tickets on sale now, while the album Face Myself is due to be released on April 10.
