Biography

Million selling singer songwriter, accomplished musician, sharp dresser and all-round top bloke, Steve Cradock is familiar to most as the long-serving guitarist in Paul Weller’s band. What’s less well known is his capacity for writing the sort of heart-melting pop songs most bands would give their eye-teeth for.

Born in Birmingham and raised on a teenage diet of The Who, the Small Faces and lashings of The Jam, Steve’s first band The Boys were a ferocious power-pop outfit when the Mod scene was very underground. Inspired by The Stone Roses, his next band, Ocean Colour Scene (formed with ex-Fanatics singer Simon Fowler) reflected the new technicolour gestalt. Within a year – with Steve still just twenty – OCS were at the vanguard of a second wave of bands, only for label wrangles to delay the release of their debut album.

Recruited by Paul Weller for his band in 1993 (Weller recalling Cradock from his days in The Boys), the guitarist’s infectious enthusiasm soon kick-started OCS back into life, with second album Moseley Shoals spawning four top twenty hits including karaoke perennial “The Riverboat Song“, and “The Day We Caught the Train”. Follow up Marchin’ Already with stomping guitar riffs like 100-Mile-high city”, knocked Oasis’ ‘Be Here Now’ off the number one spot. The band’s place at Britpop’s top table confirmed with an appearance at Oasis’ Knebworth mega-gig.

Alternating between OCS and a role as The Modfather’s musical consiglieri, Steve was also presented with the opportunity to play with another of his youths idles The Specials. In 2015 he joined the band as there guitar player until 2023 when Terry Hall passed away. Steve is Continually on tour either with Paul or OCS.

He has penned 4 solo albums since 2010, Kundalini Target, Peace City West, Travel wild Travel free and during the 2019 lock down his latest instrumental album was written in the compounds of his home studio. Collaborating remotely with some really fine classical musicians and members of his own family. “A Soundtrack to an Imaginary Movie”.

Out of Kundalini Studio in Devon, he has produced an array of artists, including Paul Weller’s latest covers album “Find El Dorado”. The legendry PP Arnold, Leah Weller, Liam Bailey, member of The Specials, Burr Island and the list goes on. Steve has certainly set in stone his position in the music industry over the last 40 years and will no doubt continue for a long time to come.

– JULY 2025.