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 (1995โ2000)
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 (2001โ2008)
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 (2009โpresent)
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 1992โ2018, 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 1992โ1997. 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)
Hundred Mile High City
Ocean Colour Scene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I know that I'm getting alive
And I say I got faith and a season
And I say that's where I'm going to
I get a need and I'm wanting to please it
I gotta face and I'm wanting to feel it
The more I feel is the more that I need it
Well I want a good love by my side
Keep on getting out of love and my pride
And I know I keep hurting my love yeah
But I know it ain't killing
I get a need and I'm wanting to please it
I gotta face and I'm wanting to feel it
The more I feel is the more that I need it
The more I need is the less I believe it
So I said I'm on the roam so I need a car
And I know that I'm staying alive
And I know that my faith is in season
And I say that's where I'm going to
I get a need and I'm wanting to please it
I gotta face and I'm wanting to feel it
The more I feel is the more that I need it
The more I need is the less I believe it
I get a need and I'm wanting to please it
I gotta face and I'm wanting to feel it
The more I feel is the more that I need it
The more I need is the less I believe it
The lyrics to Ocean Colour Scene's "Hundred Mile High City" express the singer's restlessness and desire for something more in life. The opening lines, "So I said I'm on the roam so I need a car / And I know that I'm getting alive," suggest that the singer is searching for a sense of freedom and vitality. He has faith in himself and the future, and declares that he knows where he's going.
The repeated refrain, "I get a need and I'm wanting to please it / I gotta face and I'm wanting to feel it / The more I feel is the more that I need it / The more I need is the less I believe it," seems to reflect the singer's struggle with addiction or other compulsive behaviors. He feels a constant need for something that he can't fully satisfy, and his pursuit of it undermines his belief in himself and the world around him.
The lines, "Well I want a good love by my side / Keep on getting out of love and my pride / And I know I keep hurting my love yeah / But I know it ain't killing," suggest that the singer recognizes the damage his addictive behavior is causing to his relationships, but is unable to break away from it. Overall, the song is a powerful expression of the tension between freedom and addiction, and the struggle to find a sense of purpose and meaning in life.
Line by Line Meaning
So I said I'm on the roam so I need a car
I declare that I am currently traveling without any particular destination, which is why I require a vehicle.
And I know that I'm getting alive
I am confident that this experience is allowing me to truly live and embrace life.
And I say I got faith and a season
I express my belief and hope that the current phase of my life will lead me to something positive.
And I say that's where I'm going to
I affirm that the direction of my journey is towards that hopeful goal.
I get a need and I'm wanting to please it
I have a strong urge or desire that I feel compelled to fulfill.
I gotta face and I'm wanting to feel it
I need to confront or deal with something, and I desire to experience it fully.
The more I feel is the more that I need it
As I experience and indulge in this desire, the more intense it becomes, increasing the need for it.
The more I need is the less I believe it
However, as the desire grows stronger, my belief in its ability to satisfy me diminishes.
Well I want a good love by my side
I desire to have a genuine, positive romantic relationship with someone by my side.
Keep on getting out of love and my pride
However, I often end up falling out of love and letting my pride get in the way of maintaining a healthy relationship.
And I know I keep hurting my love yeah
I recognize that my actions and behavior are causing pain and damage to my romantic relationships.
But I know it ain't killing
Despite the difficulties and pain, I still feel alive and able to continue moving forward.
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAMON MINCHELLA, OSCAR LLOYD HARRISON, SIMON FOWLER, STEPHEN CRADOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nkdoe6501
The most undervalued band from UK back in the day. Iโll never know why. I saw them twice in my hometown and it was unforgettable. They deserved F***ING WAY MORE than what they got. Maximum respect and thanks for being there in the late 90s!!
@societysista6187
Saw them at Hammersmith Apollo a couple Saturdays ago๐ fantastic
@marcomolinero5877
100%
@Shugg-Goff-HHoffical
Couldn't say better myself. Them and jamming ( no pun intended) with The Modfather himself truly something to bear witness in real time. You just had to be there I suppose to really get it. Still very much the soundtrack to my life even now. The years just fall away. โค
@adonisstorr
25 years ago today since this was released.. And it's still an absolute banger
@flipjupiter5077
What does that mean?
@GT380man
@@flipjupiter5077The same as โchooon!โ
It signals high praise.
@Foo-oo-oo-oolsGold89
The Story of this band from The fanatics to the classic line up of Ocean colour scene is fascinating. The luck these guys had in meeting guys like Paul Weller,Noel Gallagher and believe it or not Chris Evan's even helped put this band on the map. This song is absolute Rock N Roll perfection.
@Deggy3
You absolutely cannot beat this tune.
@dialmformowgli
One of a kind.