The Riverboat Song

"The Riverboat Song"
Single by Ocean Colour Scene
from the album Moseley Shoals
B-side	"So Sad" "Charlie Brown Says"
Released	5 February 1996 (1996-02-05)
Studio	Moseley Shoals (Birmingham, England)
Length	4:58
Label	MCA
Songwriter(s)	Ocean Colour Scene
Producer(s)	Brendan Lynch Ocean Colour Scene
Ocean Colour Scene singles chronology
"Do Yourself a Favour" (1992) "The Riverboat Song" (1996) "You've Got It Bad" (1996)

"The Riverboat Song" is a song by British band Ocean Colour Scene. It is heavily influenced by Led Zeppelin's "Four Sticks", from which it takes its main riff and a number of lyrics.^[citation needed] The song is written in ^6
₄ time.[1]

The single was popularised by Radio 1 DJ Chris Evans, who played it frequently on his radio shows and to introduce guests on his television programme TFI Friday. As a result, having been released in February 1996, it reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart, paving the way for the success of the next two singles, "You've Got It Bad" and "The Day We Caught the Train", as well as their album Moseley Shoals. It also became a moderate hit in New Zealand, where it peaked at number 37.

Track listings

UK and Japanese CD single[2][3]

1. "The Riverboat Song"
2. "So Sad"
3. "Charlie Brown Says"

UK 7-inch and cassette single[4][5]

1. "The Riverboat Song"
2. "So Sad"

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the Moseley Shoals album booklet.[6]

Studios

• Recorded and mixed at Moseley Shoals (Birmingham, England)
• Mastered at the Powerplant (London, England)

Personnel

• Ocean Colour Scene – writing, production
  • Simon Fowler – vocals, acoustic guitar
  • Steve Cradock – guitar, piano, vocals
  • Oscar Harrison – drums, piano, vocals
  • Damon Minchella – bass guitar
• Paul Weller – organ
• Brendan Lynch – production
• Martin Heyes – engineering
• Tony Keach – assistant engineering
• Tim Young – mastering

Charts

Chart (1996)	Peak position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[7]	40
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8]	37
Scotland (OCC)[9]	13
UK Singles (OCC)[10]	15

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[11]	Gold	400,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United Kingdom	5 February 1996	7-inch vinyl CD cassette	MCA	[12]
Japan	22 May 1996	CD		[13]

References

1. Jack Young (2019-01-20). RiverBoat Song Trinity Rock & Pop Drums Grade 5. Retrieved 2024-08-30 – via YouTube.
2. The Riverboat Song (UK CD single liner notes). Ocean Colour Scene. MCA Records. 1996. MCSTD 40021.
3. The Riverboat Song (Japanese CD single liner notes). Ocean Colour Scene. MCA Records. 1996. MCD-40021.
4. The Riverboat Song (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Ocean Colour Scene. MCA Records. 1996. MCS 40021.
5. The Riverboat Song (UK cassette single sleeve). Ocean Colour Scene. MCA Records. 1996. MCSC 40021.
6. Moseley Shoals (UK CD album booklet). Ocean Colour Scene. MCA Records. 1996. MCD 60008.
7. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 9. 2 March 1996. p. 16. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
8. "Ocean Colour Scene – The Riverboat Song". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
9. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
10. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
11. "British single certifications – Ocean Colour Scene – The Riverboat Song". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
12. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 3 February 1996. p. 31. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
13. "リバーボート・ソング | オーシャン・カラー・シーン" [Riverboat Song | Ocean Colour Scene] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 11 March 2024.

External links

• OCS Single Details
• The Riverboat Song at MusicBrainz