ONE FOR THE ROAD
The Lives & Lyrics of Simon Fowler & Ocean Colour Scene
SIMON FOWLER & DANIEL RACHEL
8 December 2022 | R & R | £50
‘When I was a teenager, my dream was to become a football commentator. Wanting to become a pop star seemed a stretch too far. It seemed daft enough to want to be John Motson, let alone John Lennon.’ SIMON FOWLER
Strictly limited edition coffee table book with rare & exclusive 7” single
When you find that things are getting wild don’t you want books like these…
In this extraordinary book, Simon Fowler recounts his life and songwriting through the prism of 69 songs from all stages of his career – from the first song he wrote when he was sixteen, through his formative groups, The Great Betrayal and The Fanatics, to Ocean Colour Scene and their multi-platinum selling albums in the mid-nineties. Revealing a panoply of influences from William Yeats and Cole Porter to David Bowie, Lou Reed and Neil Young, the book reveals the stories behind the songs, the people and the places that inspired them and how Simon feels about them now. Presented with an astonishing treasure trove of ephemera including 13 unreleased songs, over 200 personal photographs, never seen before original handwritten lyrics, and more than 150 rarely seen items of memorabilia, it offers a unique and illuminating visual record of one of the great songwriters.
Collaborating with his lifelong friend, award-winning and bestselling author, Daniel Rachel, One For The Road is presented as an extended conversation and arranged alphabetically to provide a kaleidoscope rather than chronological account. The result is a revelatory self-portrait and a testimony to friendship.
One For The Road comes with an exclusive 7” single featuring two unreleased songs recorded by Simon in 1986. Played into a portable cassette recorder, ‘The American Way Of Life’ and ‘I’ capture Simon as a twenty year old on the cusp of fame.
‘Simon Fowler is a success because of being blessed with a wondrous voice. He writes stunning songs. And he tells a damn good yarn. They are three critical elements that make this book.’ DANIEL RACHEL
‘I think that half of songwriting is actually just sitting down and being bothered to do it. You can have as many genius thoughts that you can prescribe yourself but if you don’t sit down and do it then you’ve got nothing.’ SIMON FOWLER
‘We were at the right place, and at the right time, and slightly outside it.’ SIMON FOWLER