by MacKenzie Wilson Manchester, England's Proud Mary comes from the angst and sourness of those working class bands before them -- the Smiths, James, Oasis, and the Stones Roses -- and define a romance, like their counterparts did, with music. They formed in 1999 and took their name from the familiar Creedence Clearwater Revival song without really wanting to take over the world like some of their peers. The four-piece, which is comprised of singer Greg Griffin, guitarist Paul Newsome, slide guitar player Adam Gray, and bassist Nev Cottee, aimed to make decent rock & roll with the passion of rhythm & blues, the diversity of space rock, and with simplicity of mid-'60s pop music. Oasis' Noel Gallagher took to their strict dose of heavy rock, and made them his first signing to his Sour Mash label. "Very Best Friend" marked their debut single in April 2001, and studio full-length entitled The Same Old Blues followed in June. They caught national appeal within the U.K., playing various shows across England during summer 2001, including Stereophonics' successful festival gigs at A Day at the Races in Donington, England, and Cardiff, Wales.