The guitarist for Ocean Colour Scene and Paul Weller is the anti-frontman, a serious musician who avoids self-aggrandisement like politicians avoid the truth.
Yes, he’s led a remarkable life and career. He’s worked with the very best and during the past 30 years has been at the centre of some of the most important moments in British rock.
He’s made a lasting impression, written and arranged some remarkable tunes, played world-class gigs and been at the centre of the zeitgeist. But he leaves it for others to make those assessments and tell those tales. For Steve, it’s all about the music. Pure and simple.
He’ll head out on tour in March with a new show called Travellers Tunes. It’s a kind of musical memoir, during which he’ll chronicle moments from the extraordinary arc of his career. His promoter wanted him to tell those tales, break into story, as well as song, and he may well do. But only if there’s time, only if that doesn’t get in the way of the music, only if his love of a great song and an exceptional chord isn’t compromised by it.
“I’m looking forward to the tour,” he said. “It’s something very different. Ocean Colour Scene has just done a tour of arenas, and huge theatres, so going into smaller clubs and smaller, regional theatres will be interesting. It’s a long time since I toured like that and I’m really looking forward to the intimacy and connection. There’s nowhere to hide when you play the smaller rooms.”
The tour is called Travellers Tunes and is accompanied by a book of the same name, which has a foreword from Paul Weller. The book is built around one thing: Steve’s love of music. He’s achieved many of the things he dreamed about as a kid, from playing in a great band to working with his heroes. He’s made some great music and had good times, along the way.
It’s a musical memoir, where behind-the-scenes, captured-the-moment photography beautifully illustrates the many highs of an extraordinary musical life. Each copy includes a signed book plate and features either a vinyl or CD of Steve’s exceptional fourth album, A Soundtrack To An Imaginary Movie.
The Steve Cradock story started somewhere near Birmingham, long before he’d travelled the world, and met and played with some of the greatest musicians of our time.
At Christmas in 1979 he got his first instrument, a Kay bass guitar from the catalogue, and he played it until he had blisters on his fingers. He got into music at that time when a mate let him listen to a seven-inch single of The Specials, called Gangsters, which he played on his mom’s Dansette record player. As a 10-year-old, he loved that record, little realising he’d later be asked to join the band.
UB40 were a seminal influence on Cradock and in 1980 he was given a copy of Signing Off. He fell in love with Brian Travers’ saxophone melodies, Robin’s lead guitar, and Ali’s incredible singing. “They were from Birmingham! My mate’s nan lived next door to Astro in Small Heath, and I remember meeting the big man. Inside the album was all the info on Gary Tyler, who, at 17, was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1975.” The record changed his life. He also listened to Get Happy! by Elvis Costello, while beginning a lifelong love affair with The Jam.
“At school, loads of people were massive Jam fans. I remember their collections of singles, the talk of seeing them live, the parkas, the Jam shoes, the penny badges, the Two-Tone skinny ties, and the Stay Press trousers or ‘punns’ — if you couldn’t afford the real thing.
“I first saw The Jam miming Beat Surrender on Top of the Pops — that song really changed my life. I bought the seven-inch single that weekend, and they became my favourite group… just as they were disbanding. I loved the picture of them on the back of the sleeve, on that spiral staircase — which I now know was taken at the old Solid Bond Studios in Marble Arch. I still visit the spot and pay my respects when I’m in the area.
“My sister Julie gave me all the centre pull-outs from Smash Hits magazine about The Jam, which I stuck on my wall — loads of great photos of them throughout their time together. All Burton suits and Rickenbacker guitars. Then I heard The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow), which I loved — but even better was the B-side, Pity Poor Alfie. I adored it so much I played it every day — literally thousands of times.”
From there, he bought Snap!, their greatest hits LP, which gave him more of a picture of what The Jam were all about. The liner notes by Paolo Hewitt were great. Then he got The Gift — with the pink and white wrapping. “It looked cool as fuck, with the red, gold and green front cover photos, a great live shot on the back by Twink, and inside, the Northern Soul boy dancing.
“The songs — Happy Together, Ghosts, Five O’Clock Hero, Running on the Spot, A Planner’s Dream Goes Wrong, Carnation and Town Called Malice — completely occupied my world. “Now for those of you watching in black and white, this one is in technicolour. Yes, please. I was 13 and inspired.”
Steve formed his own band, The Boys. He’d moved from bass to lead guitar at 16 and his band did covers with a few originals, having a great time playing scooter runs at Gorleston-on-Sea, Bournemouth, and Blackpool. “We’d turn up and there’d be hundreds of scooters and everyone dressed like it was 1965–66.”
The Boys were one of two Birmingham bands who stood out – the other being The Fanatics, featuring lead singer and songwriter Simon Fowler, and drummer Oscar Harrison.
Steve says: “I used to go and see Simon’s earlier band, before The Fanatics, called The Great Betrayal. They had a four-song cassette which I loved — a great track called “Standing Still,” and another, “Ten Seconds from the Wheels of a Train.” They had a brilliant, slightly mad guitarist called Adrian Fisher, and Tim Minchella on bass too.
“Then they became The Fanatics. “Back on the Road” and “My Brother Sarah” were two songs I really loved. Simon was very cool in The Fanatics — I loved him. They were Birmingham’s answer to The Velvet Underground. He wore make-up, combat jackets, and sharp shades, and played a Rickenbacker guitar.
“I remember seeing them support The Pixies at the Aston Villa Leisure Centre, and what I think was their final gig at The Irish Centre. They had a deal with Chapter 22 and released the Suburban Love Songs EP.
“I used to meet Simon at The Saddlers Arms pub in Solihull — I assume we must’ve been chatting about starting a group together, because by October 1989, OCS was a thing.”
The rest, as they say…
The band’s first EP, One of Those Days, was recorded live with Dave Morris at Redditch Workshop Studios and after a false start with MCA Records, which mismanaged the release of their debut album, they returned with Moseley Shoals. Steve was already playing in Paul Weller’s band, as well, following a pilgrimage to Solid Bond Studios in 1987, which eventually led to Paul asking him to play in his band.
“Ocean Colour Scene moved into what we ended up calling Moseley Shoals Studio at Five Ways — our new HQ. It was already set up as a studio, so we didn’t have to do much, just move in. The vibe in there was amazing. All four of us worked hard, putting in long hours — in early to clean, tidy up, play all day, learn, listen to our favourite music, and refine our sound. Simon was writing incredible songs. We were still young, free, and wild.
“At the same time, I was often away touring with Paul. His band was so good — tight, musical — and Paul was on fire. My stamina for drinking was finding its feet, and my playing was improving fast. Those early gigs with Paul were the stuff of dreams. He hadn’t played Jam or Style Council songs for years, and alongside his first solo album and new material, the crowds loved every minute.
“That period also allowed me to pay the rent for the studio and save a bit — financially, yes, but more importantly, musically.”
In many ways, that’s just the prelude, because the subsequent years have been the stuff of dreams – and, occasionally, nightmares.
The era around Moseley Shoals, Britpop, TFI Friday, and Knebworth, of course, is filled with remarkable memories. As are later periods – not forgetting his remarkable elevation to playing guitar with a band he grew up listening to: The Specials. He played with them for eight years, joining when Roddy Radiation left and ending when Terry Hall died.
“When I look back, it’s been magical. That era around Moseley Shoals was the stuff of dreams. We had a deal, we had two years’ worth of songs, and there were some moments of real magic. It was mental. We were mental. It was a fantastic time. From ’95 to ’97, every day we were either on the road, in the studio, or doing TV and radio — no rest for the wicked.”
No rest indeed. And nor will there be when Steve hits the road for his tour. The kid who grew up dreaming of being a professional musician has lived through the most remarkable times. And in Travellers Tunes, he’ll play the soundtrack to those years and, if we’re lucky, maybe tell us all a few more stories.
Make sure to check out Steve at the Queen’s Theatre on Wednesday 13th May.
Pre-order your copy of Steve’s book Travellers Tunes, published by A Way With Media, at https://www.awaywithmedia.com/buy-books/entertainment