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 guitarist Steve Cradock to play on one of his singles, and vocalist Simon Fowler to sing on his album, Wild Wood. Cradock was asked to play live with Weller on his tour, and the money Cradock made kept the band afloat during this time.
Britpop fame (1995–2000)
The band recorded a demo that was sent to various industry figures. After hearing this tape, Noel Gallagher invited the band to play with Oasis on their 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. With the explosion of the Britpop scene, OCS's music became nationally and internationally known. Their second album Moseley Shoals was released to mixed-to-positive reviews, containing four hit singles and reached No. 2 in the UK Albums Chart. They also played at one of the concerts at Knebworth House supporting Oasis in August 1996.
Marchin' Already, the follow-up to Moseley Shoals, went to No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart, displacing Oasis' Be Here Now at the top of the charts in 1997. In 1998 they headlined their own arena tour in support of Marchin' Already and played three sold out nights at Stirling Castle, Scotland.
One from the Modern was released in 1999, and peaked in the UK Albums Chart at No. 4. The record spawned three top 40 singles, "Profit in Peace", "So Low" and "July". A Greatest Hits album, Songs for the Front Row, was released in 2001.
Post-Britpop (2001–2008)
After splitting with bassist Damon Minchella, the band continued to record and perform. Releases in 2001 (Mechanical Wonder), 2003 (North Atlantic Drift), 2005 (A Hyperactive Workout for the Flying Squad) and 2007 (On the Leyline) continued the trend of releasing new material every two years.
2004 saw the band release their first live album, Live: One for the Road. The album was a compilation of nineteen live tracks taken from various concerts. In 2006 the band released a live acoustic album, Live at the Jam House, which consisted of fifteen live tracks and also contained four new songs in "Great Man in Waiting", "The Word", "Still Trying" and "Matilda's England".
The band also released a live album in December 2006, which was recorded at Birmingham Academy and spread over two discs. People attending the gig were able to purchase the recording straight afterwards.
Recent years (2009–present)
In 2009, the band went into the studio with producer Gavin Monaghan, known for his work with Editors, Scott Matthews and The Twang, to work on a new album, Saturday, with a release date of 1 February 2010 to mark the 21st anniversary of the band. The album had a working title of 'Rockfield', named after the studios where it was recorded, but it was released as Saturday - both "Rockfield" and "Saturday" being tracks thereon.
On 2 November 2009, the band released a free downloadable version of a new song, "Mrs Maylie". "Magic Carpet Days", the first single from Saturday, was released on 25 January, followed by the album a few days later. The album charted at No. 35 on the UK Albums Chart. A second single, "Saturday", was released in May 2010 but it failed to chart. On 24 July 2010 they performed at the Wickerman Festival.
On 11 October 2010, the band released a 4-CD box set, 21, to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the band. It included many previously unreleased tracks and a brand new song entitled "Twenty One".
In March 2011, the band released a 15th anniversary special edition of their 1996 hit album Moseley Shoals. It consisted of the full album, b-sides and live tracks. The band played a full UK tour in support of the re-release. December saw the limited edition release of a double CD/DVD release of the band's Moseley Shoals gig at O2 Academy Birmingham, which was filmed on 26 February 2011. They performed an acoustic set at Lanford Live in 2011 for the Teenage Cancer Trust. In December 2012, the band announced the forthcoming release of their tenth studio album, Painting, which was released on 11 February 2013. They also played at V-festival where Inbetweeners actor James Buckley performed "The Circle" with them in Chelmsford and at The Electric Picnic Festival in Stradbally, Ireland.
In 2014 a special edition of Marchin' Already was released on a 2 CD edition and a special deluxe 4 disc box set which included a DVD of their live performance at Stirling Castle in 1998. Early 2015 saw the band celebrate their 25th anniversary with some acoustic concerts around the UK. They released a double CD live album which was recorded at the Manchester concert on the tour.
The following year, in 2016, the band announced several special concerts around the UK to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their 1996 hit album Moseley Shoals. They also played several dates in Australia for the first time in their career.
On 22 June 2016, the band officially announced that Scottish musician Raymond Meade would be joining the band permanently on bass, following the departures of both Dan Sealey and Andy Bennett. Meade had already played live with the band since the start of the year.
In November 2018 the band unveiled their first new material in five years since the release of Painting. The four track EP was released on 10" vinyl and available only at the band's Christmas shows. The EP received a 5 stars rating from Flick of the Finger, with the publication stating that 'Lushly textured, these four compelling and diverse new offerings are nothing short of brilliant.' In 2023 the band released a career-spanning box set entitled Yesterday, Today 1992–2018, which contained all their studio albums and 5 bonus CDs, totalling 230 tracks. The set also came with a 72-page book. A companion vinyl box set was also released, covering their first three studio albums from 1992–1997. In May, a follow-up vinyl set was released, covering the three studio albums released between 1999-2003. August saw the release of the final box set, covering the remaining four albums, 2005-2013.
Studio albums
Ocean Colour Scene (1992)
Moseley Shoals (1996)
Marchin' Already (1997)
B-Sides: Seasides & Freerides (1997)
One from the Modern (1999)
Mechanical Wonder (2001)
North Atlantic Drift (2003)
A Hyperactive Workout for the Flying Squad (2005)
On the Leyline (2007)
Saturday (2010)
Painting (2013)
Huckleberry Grove
Ocean Colour Scene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She danced before the music and everything it told
Huckleberry Grove
Where the music plays into tomorrow night
Huckleberry Grove
Only fools would need to argue or to fight
You got joy for singing burning in your soul
Huckleberry Grove
Where the idiots can't ease you of your mind
Huckleberry Grove
Take a free train, leave your luggage far behind
Oh she sings shangri-la
Oh she sings shangri-la
Shirley was a lady who mostly stayed at home
But she went out dancing down Huckleberry Grove
Huckleberry Grove
Where the music plays into tomorrow night
Huckleberry Grove
You'll be groovin' on the best days of your life
Huckleberry Grove
Where the music's guaranteed to blow your mind
Huckleberry Grove
Leave your luggage, get a free train, get behind
Oh she sings shangri-la
Oh she sings shangri-la
The song "Huckleberry Grove" by Ocean Colour Scene has a calming and uplifting tone with lyrics that tell the story of Shirley, a lady with golden teeth who loves to dance to the music of Huckleberry Grove. The song portrays the area as a place of freedom and peace, where joy is found through singing and the music plays on into tomorrow night. Shirley has eight children who have inherited the love of music from their mother, and she takes them to Huckleberry Grove to experience a similar kind of joy she has always known.
The song seems to emphasize the theme of unity, as the lyrics suggest that only fools need to argue or fight. The music of Huckleberry Grove has the power to ease one's mind, and it is the place where one can groove on the best days of their life. The chorus of the song describes how Shirley sings about Shangri-La, a utopian paradise, in a way that adds to the feeling of the place being free from troubles and full of good vibes.
In conclusion, the song "Huckleberry Grove" by Ocean Colour Scene is one that conveys the message of unity through the power of music. Shirley is a character who embodies the joy that can be found in Huckleberry Grove, and the song encourages listeners to leave their troubles behind and come join the groove.
Line by Line Meaning
Shirley was a lady whose teeth were made of gold
Shirley was a woman with a flashy appearance, indicated by her golden teeth.
She danced before the music and everything it told
Shirley was an expressive dancer who danced in sync with her emotions and the rhythm of the music.
Huckleberry Grove
Huckleberry Grove is a place where people can escape their worries and enjoy music, freedom and peace.
Where the music plays into tomorrow night
The music at Huckleberry Grove will keep playing all night, and will continue into the next day.
Only fools would need to argue or to fight
Huckleberry Grove is a place where arguments and fights have no place, because it’s all about peace and harmony.
Shirley had eight children and each of them were told
Shirley was a nurturing mother who instilled a love for singing and happiness in each of her children.
You got joy for singing burning in your soul
Shirley taught her children that singing can bring them great happiness and fulfillment.
Where the idiots can't ease you of your mind
Huckleberry Grove is a place where no one, especially cruel or rude people, can get inside your head and disrupt your peace of mind.
Take a free train, leave your luggage far behind
To reach Huckleberry Grove, all you have to do is take a free ride and forget about your daily burdens and obligations.
Oh she sings shangri-la
Shirley sings about an ideal, peaceful place, reminding us of the tranquility of Huckleberry Grove.
Shirley was a lady who mostly stayed at home
Although Shirley lived a quiet life, she was not afraid to get away from home for a night of fun at Huckleberry Grove.
You'll be groovin' on the best days of your life
At Huckleberry Grove, you will experience the fun and excitement of your life, making every day your best day.
Where the music's guaranteed to blow your mind
Huckleberry Grove's music is so powerful and captivating that it will leave an unwavering impact on your mind.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAMON MINCHELLA, OSCAR LLOYD HARRISON, SIMON FOWLER, STEPHEN CRADOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@beckybarnes4651
Ocean Colour Scene deserved to be alot bigger than they were, one of the best bands of the 90's!
@stevewatts7031
I totally agree with you! So underrated. I've seen them a few times live, amazing band! There music never gets old, only gold!!
@toeragtoolbox
Ocean Colour Scene and James are two woefully underrated bands.
@jackel808
One of my favourite bands of all time
@RLAyousay
Love this song!
@brockit79
One of my fave songs of all time.
@dialoguesenenfer7357
came here through the pete doherty cover, loving both versions
@TheFakeyCakeMaker
Going to check that out now! :-)
@chriskucholtz6967
Me too
@TheFakeyCakeMaker
Steve and Simon looking so young here and reminding me that I've got older too haha!