What had been an enthusiasm now became a passion: Cole began to play in bands in his free time and to become actively involved in the music scene, landing his first ‘proper’ session in 1968; this was for Albert Lee, work which was included on the album Black Claw & Country Fever, released much later, in 1991.

In 1969, Brown invited Cole to become a member of the new heavy rock/country band Cochise,[1] with Mick Grabham on guitar, Rick Wills on bass, and Willie Wilson on drums.

He went on to carry out recording sessions with all of them, but his breakthrough moment came in 1971, when he played steel guitar on Elton John's "Tiny Dancer", included on the album Madman Across the Water.

Throughout the 1970s, Cole was greatly in demand as a session musician, appearing with artists including: Humble Pie (Cole played on three of their albums, including Eat It of 1973), Roger Daltrey (Daltrey, 1973), Man (Christmas at the Patti, 1973), Kiki Dee (Loving & Free, 1973, and I’ve Got the Music In Me, 1974), Procol Harum (Exotic Birds and Fruit, 1974), T. Rex (Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow, 1974), the Walker Brothers (No Regrets, 1975), Uriah Heep (Magician's Birthday, 1972, Return to Fantasy, 1975), Andy Fairweather Low (La Booga Rooga, 1975, including "Wide Eyed and Legless"), Joan Armatrading ("Down to Zero", 1976), Roy Harper ("One of Those Days in England", 1977), Gerry Rafferty (City to City, 1978), and Cat Stevens (Back to Earth, 1978).

Credits from the 1980s include performances with: Shakin' Stevens ("Give Me Your Heart Tonight" and "Hot Dog", 1982), Paul Young ("Everything Must Change", 1985), David Sylvian (Gone to Earth, 1986), The Stranglers (Dreamtime, 1986), Deacon Blue ("Chocolate Girl", 1987), Dumptruck (For the Country, 1987), and k.d.

Other session work of this period included contributions to: Peter Blegvad (King Strut and Other Stories, 1990), Gerry Rafferty (On a Wing and a Prayer, 1992), Billie Ray Martin (Four Ambient Tales, 1993), The Orb (Orbus Terrarum, 1995), Echobelly (On, 1995), Björk (Post, 1995), Depeche Mode (Ultra, 1997), Spiritualized (Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, 1997), and the Pet Shop Boys (Nightlife, 1999).

In more recent years, Cole has remained in demand, his credits including: Eliza Carthy (Angels & Cigarettes, 2000), Chumbawamba (WYSIWYG, 2000), Robbie Williams ("Eternity", 2001), Graham Coxon (The Kiss of Morning, 2002), Robert Plant (Dreamland, 2002, and Sixty Six to Timbuktu, 2003), Groove Armada (Lovebox, 2003), David Gilmour (On an Island, 2006), Martin Simpson (True Stories, 2009, and Purpose + Grace, 2011), Katie Melua (The House, 2010), and Tom Jones (Praise & Blame, 2010).

He has also played live with First Aid Kit, Ethan Johns, Michael Messer,[3] the folk singer Bonnie Dobson, and Terry Reid, and has returned to perform with Hank Wangford, appearing at gigs and on albums such as Whistling in the Dark (2008).

In the late 1990s, a desire to work with a DJ drew Cole to Luke Vibert, the result of their collaboration being Stop the Panic (Cooking Vinyl/Astralwerks, 2000), an electronica album inspired by their shared passion for exotica and drum ‘n’ bass.

He continued to use this until 1971, when he switched to a black single-neck ten-string Emmons pedal steel; this was the instrument that he played on the final Cochise album and on sessions including ‘Tiny Dancer’.