Ocean Colour Scene – Hundred Mile High City.

The Britpop scene never had a defined sound. But there was one thing that connected them all – crap names. Shed Seven, Echobelly, Kula Shaker, Menswear. However, one band stood ahead of the crowd.

Ocean Colour Scene were formed in Birmingham in the late 80’s and had their first crack at stardom when they were signed to the equally ill-named Phfftt Records. After lengthy recording sessions with a string of producers, their album was released to vast public indifference. They were unceremoniously dumped by the record company (usually when a band gets ditched there’s a ceremony involving cake, balloons and a pregnant hippopotamus) and went on the dole.

Luckily, their Modish Dad-Rock caught the eye of Paul Weller, who offered them a support slot and recruited guitarist Steve Craddock for his own backing band, and Noel Gallagher, who also offered them a support slot. The resulting bidding war was won by MCA who were the only record company daft enough to allow them to keep the name Ocean Colour Scene. Their second debut Moseley Shoals was released in 1996 and, with the celebrity backing of Chris Evans, Johnny Depp and pixie-faced coke fiend Kate Moss, hovered around the top of the album charts for the next six months.

Their 1997 follow-up, Marchin’ Already, was excitedly received on its release and knocked Oasis of number one; prompting Noel to proclaim them the ‘second best band in the world’. But sales dropped and it failed to perform as well as Moseley Shoals. The band themselves blamed this on the outing of singer Simon Fowler. Ignoring the fact it just wasn’t much good.

The album does have one redeeming feature; the rifftastic Hundred Mile High City.



Ocean Colour Scene – Hundred Mile High City

Buy Marchin’ Already