REWIND: Ocean Colour Scene - 'It's My Shadow'

More wonderful music from 1996 as RW/FF takes you aboard a musical TARDIS on a journey through musical history. If you weren't around or were too young to remember the mid 90s, consider this a lesson of enlightenment. If you (like me) were lucky enough to experience it all first time around, then these posts are a fine nostalgic blast from the blast.

Ocean Colour Scene were hard to avoid back in 1996, when their classic second album 'Moseley Shoals' took the charts by storm. Combining indie rock with mod influences, Northern soul and 60s pop, the Birmingham combo sure had some retro tendencies, but presented them in a timeless fashion. Combining a solid rhythm section with Simon Fowler's terrific vocals and Steve Cradock's thrilling guitar was a winning formula that gained them a number of hit singles, as well as many years of acclaim as a live act. The band have continued to release albums ever since, but 'Moseley Shoals' will probably always be regarded as their masterpiece. To celebrate the album turning 20 this year, the band have been out on tour playing the record in its entirety, and have been on incredible form. After becoming a five piece a few years ago, and then a trio, recent shows have proved that OCS work best as a four piece band, with Cradock's guitar work particularly grabbing the attention.

The album reached number 2 in the UK charts, and spent 92 weeks in the charts. By the end of 1996, "Moseley Shoals" had sold 1.3 million copies. From it, here is the sweetly soulful beauty of 'It's My Shadow', just one of many perfect tracks from this perfect album.