Ocean Colour Scene (often abbreviated to OCS ) are an English Britpop band from Birmingham.

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History

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Early Days (1990-1991)

Ocean Colour Scene were formed after two other local bands called The Boys and Fanatics disbanded. Fanatics released an EP titled Suburban Love Songs . OCS signed to Phfftt Records in 1990 ^[1].

Their first 7" single, "Sway", was released in the early 1990s UK indie era. However, when their record label was swallowed up by larger company Phonogram their eponymous début album was mixed, against the band's wishes, to fit in with the Madchester musical trend of the time. The album was largely deemed a failure, and the band fell into dispute with their record company ^[2].

Wilderness Years (1992-1995)

Being in dispute with their record company, the band were forced back onto the dole, with no real direction and being only able to write new music, but with no outlet for it ^[2].

In 1993, the start of the turnaround occurred. Paul Weller invited the band to support him on some dates of his tour. On the back of these performances, Weller invited Cradock to play on one of his singles, and Fowler to sing on his forthcoming album, Wild Wood ^[4]. Cradock was asked to play live with Weller on his tour, and the money Cradock made kept the band afloat during this time.

The band recorded a demo tape that was sent to various industry figures. After hearing this tape, Noel Gallagher invited the band to play with Oasis on their Autumn 1995 tour. This support slot brought OCS to the attention of more record labels, and eventually in late 1995, the band signed with MCA Records ^[4].

Britpop fame (1996-2000)

With the explosion of the britpop scene, OCS's music became nationally and internationally known. Their second album Moseley Shoals was received to critical acclaim, containing four hit singles and reaching the heights of #2 in the UK Albums Chart and the follow up, Marchin' Already displacing Oasis at the top of the charts.

Their song "The Riverboat Song" was featured on Chris Evans' TFI Friday as the backing music when guests were introduced, and "Hundred Mile High City" and "July" were used in the film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and the associated television series. More recently, their first hit single "The Riverboat Song" has been featured in the Vinnie Jones film Strength and Honour .

They also played at the largest free standing gig of all time at Knebworth supporting Oasis on 10 and 11 August 1996.

In 1998 they headlined their own arena tour and played three sold out nights at Stirling Castle, Scotland. Their arena tour became the biggest selling arena tour of any UK band in 1998.

Recent years (2000-present day)

Having undergone lineup changes, the band continue to record and perform, though they have struggled to recapture the success they enjoyed with their breakthrough album Moseley Shoals .

Collaborative work

Most band members have supported/collaborated with other artists during the group's existence. Simon Fowler was one of the musicians involved in the official anthem for England's World Cup campaign, for France 98. England United as they were named also included Echo & the Bunnymen, Space and The Spice Girls. "(How Does It Feel) To Be On Top Of The World" reached number 9 in the official UK charts. Steve Cradock and former member Damon Minchella played/play regularly with Paul Weller, ^{[6] [7]} with Cradock also playing recently on Amy MacDonald's gigs. ^[8]

Lead guitarist Steve Cradock and former bass guitarist Damon Minchella have been long-time members of ex-The Jam frontman Paul Weller's backing group, performing live and contributing to his solo albums before Ocean Colour Scene broke through to a wider audience. Lead singer Simon Fowler has also contributed to Paul Weller's albums in the past. Cradock and Minchella still regularly perform with Weller, despite Minchella no longer being an active member of Ocean Colour Scene.

During their peak (around the time of the Moseley Shoals release) OCS also regularly performed on stage with Noel and Liam Gallagher of Oasis with whom they were on tour at the time. These connections came about mainly due to OCS's musical abilities, which both Gallaghers and Weller praised greatly. One particular performance of note with the Gallaghers was a storming rendition of The Beatles' "Day Tripper", which was included as a live B-Side to the single "The Circle". The song was also included on the B-side compilation album B-sides, Seasides and Freerides . Noel Gallagher previewed an advance copy of the song during an interview on Radio 1 with DJ Jo Whiley. The interview mainly focused on Oasis's then-forthcoming gig in the grounds of Knebworth House, of which Ocean Colour Scene were one of the supporting acts. Over 2.6 million people applied for tickets for the shows, making it the biggest demand for concert tickets in British history. There was a combined audience of over 250,000 people. See Concerts at Knebworth House.

Discography

Studio albums

Released	Title	#[A
1 Apr 1992	Ocean Colour Scene	54
8 Apr 1996	Moseley Shoals	2
15 Sep 1997	Marchin' Already	1
13 Sep 1999	One from the Modern	4
9 Apr 2001	Mechanical Wonder	7
7 Jul 2003	North Atlantic Drift	14
21 Mar 2005	A Hyperactive Workout for the Flying Squad	30
30 Apr 2007	On the Leyline	37

B-sides, compilations and live albums

Released	Title	#[A	Description
3 Mar 1997	B-sides, Seasides and Freerides	4	B-sides compilation of material from the 'Moseley Shoals' era
20 Nov 2001	Songs for the Front Row	16	Compilation of mainly singles up to 2001 with other tracks. Limited edition also released with bonus live CD
7 Dec 2002	Live on the Riverboat	N/A	Live recording of an acoustic concert by Simon Fowler and Oscar Harrison (limited edition 3000 copies via band website)
1 Sep 2003	Anthology	75	Complete collection of material from up to 2001, including singles and b-sides
20 Sep 2004	One for the Road	75	Live album taken from their 2004 summer festival tour
8 May, 2006	Live Acoustic at the Jam House	73	Live album from a Birmingham acoustic gig in mid-February 2006
17 Dec 2006	Live At Birmingham Academy	N/A	Live album from a Birmingham Carling Academy gig on 17 December 2006.
26 Feb 2007	BBC Sessions	N/A	Compilation of live performances taken from 1990-1997 on BBC Radio 1. Released as exclusive download from iTunes and later on CD
13 Aug 2007	The Collection	N/A	An unofficial compilation released on the Spectrum label.

UK singles

Released	Title	#[A
1 Sep 1990[B	"Sway"	N/A
1 Mar 1991[B	"Yesterday Today"	49
1 Feb 1992[B	"Sway" (reissue)	88
1 Mar 1992[B	"Giving It All Away"	83
1 May 1992[B	"Do Yourself A Favour EP"	94
5 Feb 1996	"The Riverboat Song"	15
25 Mar 1996	"You've Got It Bad"	7
3 Jun 1996	"The Day We Caught the Train"	4
16 Sep 1996	"The Circle"	6
16 Jun 1997	"Hundred Mile High City"	4
25 Aug 1997	"Travellers Tune"	5
10 Nov 1997	"Better Day"	9
16 Feb 1998	"It's a Beautiful Thing"	12
23 Aug 1999	"Profit in Peace"	13
15 Nov 1999	"So Low"	34
26 Jun 2000	"July"	31
26 Mar 2001	"Up on the Downside"	19
2 Jul 2001	"Mechanical Wonder"	49
21 Nov 2001	"Crazy Lowdown Ways"	64
30 Jun 2003	"I Just Need Myself"	13
25 Aug 2003	"Make the Deal"	35
29 Dec 2003	"Golden Gate Bridge"	40
7 Mar 2005	"Free My Name"	23
20 Jun 2005	"This Day Should Last Forever"	53
16 Apr 2007	"I Told You So"	34
9 Jul 2007	"I Just Got Over You"	112
15 Nov 2007	"Go To Sea"	N/A

DVDs and videos

• 1997 Times of Our Lives (VHS)
• 1998 Travellers Tune (VHS)
• 2003 Filmed From the Front Row (DVD)
• 2008 Live At The Town Hall (DVD)

Notes

References

1. Ocean Colour Scene Biography
2. Ocean Colour Scene Biography
3. Ocean Colour Scene Biography
4. Ocean Colour Scene Biography
5. Ocean Colour Scene Biography
6. Weller plays intimate gig
7. Damon Minchella
8. Amy Macdonald: I Heard Paul Weller Whistling My Song
9. as The Fanatics