Editing Ocean Colour Scene (section)

===Early days (1990–1995)===
Ocean Colour Scene was formed from two other bands disbanding; the Boys (Steve Cradock) and Fanatics (Simon Fowler, Damon Minchella, Oscar Harrison). Fanatics had released an [[Extended play|EP]] titled ''Suburban Love Songs''.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography">{{cite book
| first= Martin C.
| last= Strong
| year= 2000
| title= The Great Rock Discography
| edition= 5th
| publisher= Mojo Books
| location= Edinburgh
| pages= 709–710
| isbn= 1-84195-017-3}}</ref>{{When|date=March 2024}} The name was decided upon when the band went through books in a library looking for words they liked.<ref name=":0" /> OCS signed to !Phffftt Records in 1990.<ref name="Ocean Colour Scene Biography">{{cite web|url=http://www.oceancolourscene.com/band_biography/biog|title=Ocean Colour Scene Biography|access-date=6 August 2009}}</ref>

Their first single, "Sway", was released in September 1990. When their [[record label]] was swallowed up by larger company [[Phonogram Records|Phonogram]] their eponymous début album was [[remix]]ed, against the band's wishes, to fit in with the [[baggy]]/indie-dance musical trend of the time. The album was largely deemed a failure.<ref name="Ocean Colour Scene Biography"/> Being in dispute with their label, the band was forced back onto [[unemployment benefits]], with no real direction and only able to write new music with no outlet for it.

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]]''.<ref name="Ocean Colour Scene Biography"/> Cradock was asked to play live with Weller on his tour, and the money Cradock made allowed the band to keep paying rent for a studio.<ref name=":0">{{Citation |title=OCEAN COLOUR SCENE: From Broke To The Big Time |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z32y54grp3k |access-date=2024-03-11 |language=en}}</ref>