RIP Gary “Mani” Mounfield, bass player with The Stone Roses and Primal Scream. He was 63.

Gary “Mani” Mounfield, the astoundingly good and innovative bass player best known for his work with The Stone Roses and later Primal Scream, has died at the age of 63. His death was announced on social media today (November 20) by his brother and nephew. The cause of death hasn’t been announced, but 63 is tragically young.

Mani was a seriously good bass player. When he and drummer Alan “Reni” Wren locked in, they gave The Stone Roses a powerful groove, one that helped invent Madchester and the dance rock of the very late 80s and early 90s. In songs like “I Wanna be Adored,” Mani’s Rickenbacker bass carried so much of the song. When I went to see the Roses at Madison Square Garden, the crowd sang the bass part before Ian Brown’s vocals kicked in.

And then there’s the transcendent, glorious four-minute instrumental jam that closes “I Am the Resurrection.” Listen to how he and Reni take things higher and higher. Perfection, especially at high volume.

When the Roses broke up in 1996, Mani moved to Primal Scream. He stayed with them until the Roses reformed in 2011, a reunion that stuck until 2017. Fans will also remember in the band Freebass, which featured Peter Hook (New Order’s bass player), Andy Rourke (bass player with The Smiths), and singer Gary Briggs. They broke up just before releasing their debut album.

Mani was easily the most fun and most amiable member of the Roses. I got a couple of calls from Mani out of the blue during my radio show in 1998 and 1999 when Ian Brown was having his air rage issues with British Airways. He was fiercely defensive of his mate, calling the whole thing a frame-up. Why he decided ring me up to give me his side of the story is still a mystery. Imagine minding your own business, spinning records, and the bass player of The Stone Roses calls up on the request line from the UK, Wild.

Whatever happened to Mani was sudden. He had started a speaking tour, regaling audiences with stories of Madchester and beyond. His wife, Imedla, died of cancer almost exactly two years ago to the day. He’s survived by twin sons, Gene and George, who are twelve.