Ocean Spray (Manic Street Preachers song) explained

Ocean Spray
Cover:	Ocean Spray.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Manic Street Preachers
Album:	Know Your Enemy
B-Side:	"Groundhog Days" "Just a Kid" "Little Trolls"
Length:	4:11
Label:	Epic
Producer:	Dave Eringa
Prev Title:	Found That Soul
Prev Year:	2001
Next Title:	Let Robeson Sing
Next Year:	2001

"Ocean Spray" is a song by Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers, released as the third single from their sixth studio album, Know Your Enemy (2001), on 4 June 2001. James Dean Bradfield wrote both lyrics and music for the song.^[1] It reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart.

Background

The song's title was inspired by the cranberry juice drink that James would take in to his mother Sue whilst she was in hospital undergoing treatment for cancer, eventually dying from the disease. It also featured the first recorded lyric written by James. Drummer Sean Moore played a trumpet solo on the song. The CD included "Groundhog Days", "Just A Kid", and the "Ocean Spray" video, whereas the cassette included "Little Trolls".^[2]

The "Ocean Spray" video clip also represents a high point in the visibility of the Manics photographer Mitch Ikeda, who appears and speaks the opening Japanese dialogue "Japanese: Me, tottemo utsukushīdesu ne. Totemo utsukushī-me o shitemasu" (Japanese: 目、とっても美しいですね。とても美しい目をしてます), which translates as "you have very beautiful eyes... such beautiful eyes".

Release

The song reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart on 16 June 2001 and spent eight weeks in the top 100. A performance was recorded for that week's Top of the Pops. However, it wasn't aired (possibly due to lower charting position than had been expected) but a short clip of the performance was still shown (without sound) in the show's top 20 countdown that week. The full performance was finally shown in full several years later on an episode of Top of the Pops 2.^[1]

Track listings

All music was written and composed by Nick Jones, James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore except "Ocean Spray", with music and lyrics by James Dean Bradfield.UK CD1^[3]

1. "Ocean Spray" – 4:11
2. "Groundhog Days" – 3:50
3. "Just a Kid" – 3:30
4. "Ocean Spray" (video)

UK CD2^[4]

1. "Ocean Spray" – 4:11
2. "Ocean Spray" (live from Karl Marx Theatre, Havana, Cuba) – 4:06
3. "Ocean Spray" (Medicine remix) – 6:33
4. "Ocean Spray" (Kinobe remix) – 4:16
5. "Ocean Spray" (video—live from Karl Marx Theatre, Havana, Cuba) – 4:08

UK cassette single^[5]

1. "Ocean Spray" – 4:11
2. "Little Trolls" – 3:36
3. "Ocean Spray" (Ellis Island Sound remix) – 4:12

European CD1^[6]

1. "Ocean Spray" – 4:11
2. "Ballad of the Bangkok Novotel" – 2:37

European CD2^[7]

1. "Ocean Spray" – 4:11
2. "Ballad of the Bangkok Novotel" – 2:37
3. "Locust Valley" – 4:08
4. "Ocean Spray" (Kinobe remix) – 4:16

Australian CD single^[8]

1. "Ocean Spray" – 4:11
2. "Locust Valley" – 4:08
3. "Ballad of the Bangkok Novotel" – 2:37
4. "So Why So Sad" (acoustic) – 3:47

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)
United Kingdom	4 June 2001		Epic	^[10]
Australia	9 July 2001	CD		^[11]

Notes and References

1. Book: Power, Martin . Manic Street Preachers . 17 October 2010 . Omnibus Press.
2. Web site: Ocean Spray . Manics Discog . 20 June 2013 .
3. Ocean Spray. Manic Street Preachers. 2001. UK CD1 liner notes. Epic Records. 671253 2.
4. Ocean Spray. Manic Street Preachers. 2001. UK CD2 liner notes. Epic Records. 671253 5.
5. Ocean Spray. Manic Street Preachers. 2001. UK cassette single sleeve. Epic Records. 671253 4.
6. Ocean Spray. Manic Street Preachers. 2001. European CD1 liner notes. Epic Records. EPC 671252 1.
7. Ocean Spray. Manic Street Preachers. 2001. European CD2 liner notes. Epic Records. EPC 671252 2.
8. Ocean Spray. Manic Street Preachers. 2001. Australian CD single liner notes. Epic Records. 671302.2.
9. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 19. 26. 14. 23 June 2001.
10. New Releases – For Week Starting June 4, 2001: Singles. Music Week. 23. 2 June 2001. 14 August 2021.
11. Web site: The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 9th July 2001. ARIA. 24. 9 July 2001. https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20080222222432/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20020221-0000/www.aria.com.au/issue593.pdf. 22 February 2008. 6 June 2023.