aaamusic | On 08, Oct 2010

The Ocean Colour Scene story should already be the stuff of legend; a rip-roaring  rock’n’folk odyssey set to a backdrop of 21 years of  U.K pop culture at its very best.

In this 21 year existence Ocean Colour Scene have notched up nine albums, three of which went Top 5 – 1996’s Moseley Shoals, 1997’s Marchin’ Already and 1999’s One From The Modern – and a run of nine successive Top 20 hit singles commencing with 1996’s The Riverboat Song. They supported Oasis at their massive Knebworth shows that same year, and two years later helmed the biggest arena tour of any UK band to date. Today they headline venues as prestigious as London’s Royal Albert Hall (see current tour dates below). Their achievements have truly been phenomenal.

From their days as Breton-shirt wearing disciples of The Stone Roses (debut single ‘Sway’) to million selling Britpop superstars (‘Marchin’ Already’ bumped Oasis’ ‘What the Story’ from the top spot in 1997) to long-term touring allies with Paul Weller, their story is inseparable from the greats of modern British rock.

To mark this 21 year anniversary Universal Records release “21” a beautifully packaged boxed set of 4 CDs featuring previously unreleased tracks and a brand new song entitled “21”.  The box set will be released on 11^th October.  There will also be a 1CD cut down of the box set which will be a new ‘Best Of’.

LIVE DATES!!!!

October tour dates are:

7 – Glasgow O2 Academy

9 – Manchester Apollo

10 – London Royal Albert Hall

Get in touch for guest list!

“21” track-listing goes like this:

CD1 – 1992-96

1     One of Those Days

2     Sway (Version 2) – Previously Unreleased

3     Yesterday Today (Out-Take) – Previously Unreleased

4     Another Girl’s Name

5     Fly Me – Previously Unreleased

6     Giving It All Away

7     Do Yourself A Favour

8     Flowers

9     Vanishing Trick (Live) – Previously Unreleased – Unreleased Song

10   Dreams (Demo) – Previously Unreleased – Unreleased Song

11   The Riverboat Song

12   The Day We Caught The Train

13   I Need A Love Song

14   The Circle

15   Huckleberry Grove

16   You’ve Got It Bad (Demo)

17   Policeman & Pirates

18   40 Past Midnight (w/Paul Weller, Rico & Jools Holland) – Previously Unreleased

19   One For the Road (Single Mix) – Previously Unreleased

20   Get Away (Live In Southampton 15/10/96) – Previously Unreleased

CD2 – 1997-99

1     Hundred Mile High City

2     Expensive Chair

3     Spark and Cindy (BBC Session 19/6/97) – Previously Unreleased

4     Traveller’s Tune (with PP Arnold) (BBC Session 19/6/97) – Previously Unreleased

5     Half A Dream Away

6     On The Way Home

7     Better Day

8     Big Star

9     Get Blown Away (Later With Jools Holland) – Previously Unreleased

10   It’s A Beautiful Thing (with PP Arnold) (Manchester Apollo 22/2/98) – Previously Unreleased

11   Song of A Baker

12   July (Single Version)

13   I Am The News (New Version)

14   So Low

15   Hoping You’re Making It Too

16   Step By Step

17   Profit in Peace (Single Edit)

18   This Understanding (Live at Stirling Castle)

19   The Waves

20   Soul Driver (Live at Birmingham NIA 28/10/99) – Previously Unreleased

21   All Or Nothing (Live at Birmingham NIA 28/10/99) – Previously Unreleased

CD3 – 2001-03

1     Mechanical Wonder

2     In My Field (Demo) – Previously Unreleased

3     Hanging Around (Demo) – Previously Unreleased – Unreleased Song

4     Can’t Get Back To The Bassline

5     Free On The Wind

6     Give Me A Letter

7     These Are The Ones

8     Up On The Downside

9     You Are Amazing

10   We Made It More

11   Easy Love (Demo) – Previously Unreleased – Unreleased Song

12   Crazy Lowdown Ways

13   North Atlantic Drift (Live On The Riverboat)

14   Will You Take Her Love

15   I Wanna See The Bright Lights Tonight

16   Second Hand Car (Live Manchester Apollo 10/10/03)

17   For Every Corner

18   Make The Deal (Single Edit)

19   On My Way

20   I Just Need Myself

21   Oh Collector (Live)

22   Golden Gate Bridge (Live)

CD4 – 2005-10

1     Free My Name

2     Make It Better

3     God’s World

4     Have You Got The Right

5     This Day Should Last Forever

6     Another Time To Stay

7     The Word (BBC Session) – Previously Unreleased

8     Still Trying (BBC Session) – Previously Unreleased

9     I Won’t Get Grazed (Jam House)

10   My Time (Jam House)

11   I Told You So

12   For Dancers Only

13   Jimmy Wonder

14   I Just Got Over You (Radio Edit)

15   Loneliest Girl In The Whole Wide World

16   These Days I’m Tired

17   Go To Sea (Acoustic) (Xfm Session) – Previously Unreleased

18   Magic Carpet Days

19   Sing Children Sing

20   Old Pair of Jeans

21   Saturday (Xfm Session) – Previously Unreleased

22   Dawn Cried The Day

23   Twenty One – Brand New Song

With the release of their ninth and most recent album Saturday in February 2010 and with a new release in the offing next year, this four CD box set isn’t a full stop but a celebration of their career up to this point. Spanning alternate takes on early singles to present day album cuts taking in live tracks, sessions and rarities plus a new song 21, the collection is a great way to raise a glass to the Birmingham boys’ coming of age.