Love Spreads

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title: "Love Spreads" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["the-stone-roses-songs", "1994-singles", "1994-songs", "blues-rock-songs", "geffen-records-singles", "number-one-singles-in-scotland", "songs-written-by-john-squire"] description: "1994 single by the Stone Roses" topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Spreads" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1994 single by the Stone Roses ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

Field	Value
name	Love Spreads
cover	Lovesprods.jpg
type	single
artist	the Stone Roses
album	Second Coming
released
* Alternative rock{{cite web	date
* blues rock{{cite news	last
length	5:46
label	Geffen
writer	John Squire
producer	Simon Dawson
prev_title	I Am the Resurrection
prev_year	1992
next_title	Ten Storey Love Song
next_year	1995
::

::callout[type=note]

::

| name = Love Spreads | cover = Lovesprods.jpg | type = single | artist = the Stone Roses | album = Second Coming | B-side =

• "Your Star Will Shine"
• "Breakout"
• "Groove Harder" | released = | recorded = | studio = | venue = | genre =
• Alternative rock
• blues rock | length = 5:46 | label = Geffen | writer = John Squire | producer = Simon Dawson | prev_title = I Am the Resurrection | prev_year = 1992 | next_title = Ten Storey Love Song | next_year = 1995

"Love Spreads" is a song by British alternative rock group The Stone Roses, released on 21 November 1994 by Geffen Records as the first single from their second album, Second Coming (1994). The record reached number two on the UK Singles Chart, the highest peak for any song by the band, as well as number 55 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart and number 67 on the Canadian RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart. The single also reached the top 10 in Ireland and the top 20 in Sweden.

Cover art

John Squire designed the "Love Spreads" cover, using a photograph of one of the four stone cherubs on the Newport Bridge in Newport, South Wales. The cherubs on the bridge are modelled after Newport's coat of arms, which contains a cherub with winged sea lions. The cherub design was subsequently used on many pieces of Second Coming merchandise.

Lyrics and composition

"Love Spreads" is a blues rock song in D minor. Its lyrics are a telling of the Passion of Christ, reinterpreting Jesus as a black woman.

In 1995, guitarist John Squire said the lyrics were inspired by British author Rosalind Miles' 1988 book The Women's History of the World. The book examines the roles of women, their representation, and their power through history.

Critical reception

Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream hailed the song as "the greatest comeback single ever." In May 2007, NME magazine placed "Love Spreads" at number 44 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever and said it was the band at their "take no prisoners best". AllMusic called the song a "true classic".

Music video

There are two music videos for "Love Spreads". The original UK version, directed by Mike Clark and the Stone Roses, 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.

Geffen and MTV were unsatisfied with the quality of the first video, so Steven Hanft at Propaganda Films directed a second video for American audiences.

In popular culture

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 the season 4 episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, "Invisible Evidence" and in a season 5 episode of Entourage, "Return to Queens Boulevard." It also appeared in the season 2 episode of Severance, "Who Is Alive?"

The song is featured in the music video game Guitar Hero World Tour, appearing in the final bonus set in career mode. It is also available as a downloadable track for the music video game series Rock Band and is playable in Rock Band Track Pack: Classic Rock.

Track listings

• 7-inch and cassette single

1. "Love Spreads" (LP version) – 5:46
2. "Your Star Will Shine" (LP version) – 2:56

• 12-inch single :A1. "Love Spreads" (LP version) – 5:46 :A2. "Your Star Will Shine" (LP version) – 2:56 :B1. "Breakout" – 6:04 :B2. "Groove Harder" – 4:26

• CD single

1. "Love Spreads" (LP version) – 5:46
2. "Your Star Will Shine" (LP version) – 2:56
3. "Breakout" – 6:03

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (1994–1995) | Peak position | Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) | Europe (European Hit Radio) | UK Airplay (Music Week) | |---|---|---|---|---| | 8 | | | | | | 33 | | | | | | 29 | | | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (1994)	Position	UK Singles (OCC)
96
::

::data[format=table]

Chart (1995)	Position	US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)	US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)
26
30
::

Certifications

Release history

::data[format=table]

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.	Australia	United Kingdom	Japan
21 November 1994		Geffen
28 November 1994	12-inch vinyl
7 December 1994	CD
::

References

References

1. (18 August 2014). "The 100 Best Alternative Rock Songs of 1994".
2. Pollock, David. (15 June 2016). "Stone Roses – 10 of the best". [[The Guardian]].
3. "tjs-newport.demon.co.uk".
4. Reynolds, Simon. (May 1995). "The Morning After".
5. Brown, Ian. (2006). "Already in Me - With and Without the Roses". Chrome Dreams.
6. (31 March 2011). "Album A&E - The Stone Roses, 'Second Coming'".
7. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Second Coming - The Stone Roses {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits".
8. A.J. Jacobs. (28 April 1995). "Broadcast No's: Music Videos You'll Never See". [[Entertainment Weekly]].
9. (8 April 1995). "Production Notes". [[Billboard (magazine).
10. "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 'Invisible Evidence' Soundtracks".
11. "Entourage 'Return to Queens Blvd' Soundtracks".
12. cinerina. (2022-05-07). "Music in Severance".
13. ((Guitar World Editors)). (2008-09-12). "Guitar Hero World Tour Track List Revealed".
14. (1994). "Love Spreads". [[Geffen Records]].
15. (1994). "Love Spreads". Geffen Records.
16. (1994). "Love Spreads". Geffen Records.
17. (1994). "Love Spreads". Geffen Records.
18. (1994). "Love Spreads". Geffen Records.
19. (1994). "Love Spreads". Geffen Records.
20. (1994). "Love Spreads". Geffen Records.
21. (10 December 1994). "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles".
22. (7 January 1995). "EHR Top 40".
23. (December 24, 1994). "The Airplay Chart".
24. (14 January 1995). "Top 100 Singles 1994".
25. (23 December 1995). "The Year in Music: Hot Album Rock Tracks".
26. (23 December 1995). "The Year in Music: Hot Modern Rock Tracks".
27. (20 November 1994). "New Releases – Product Available from : 21/11/94: Singles".
28. (19 November 1994). "New Releases: Singles".
29. (26 November 1994). "New Releases: Singles".
30. "ストーン・ローゼズ {{!}} ラヴ・スプレッズ". [[Oricon]].

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::