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The Style Council

From Alfawiki
The Style Council
Company typeMusical group
IndustryMusic
Founded1982 in Woking, Surrey, England
FounderPaul Weller, Mick Talbot
Defunct1989
Headquarters
Woking
,
England
ProductsMusic albums and singles

The Style Council emerged as a British pop ensemble formed in Woking in 1982 by Paul Weller, previously the lead singer and songwriter for the rock group the Jam, alongside keyboardist Mick Talbot. Weller initiated this venture to transcend the creative boundaries of the Jam, aiming to pursue a more artistic direction influenced by European jazz, while integrating elements of pop, hip hop, and soul.

The principal lineup grew to include drummer Steve White and vocalist Dee C. Lee, who was Weller's partner at the time. The group also collaborated with artists such as Tracie Young, Tracey Thorn from Everything but the Girl, and percussionist Steve Sidelnyk. Mirroring Weller’s earlier success, The Style Council secured considerable commercial acclaim primarily in the UK with seven top 10 singles, additionally achieving chart presence in Australia and New Zealand throughout the 1980s.

Formation and initial releases

Formed in late 1982 in Woking, Surrey, the band was established by singer, guitarist, and songwriter Paul Weller following the dissolution of his former band, the Jam. Opting for a flexible lineup, the group initially consisted of Weller and keyboardist Mick Talbot, selected for their mutual aversion to conventional rock culture, supported by an array of guest musicians and vocalists.

The band's repertoire spanned multiple genres. Their singles included the soul-tinged "Speak Like a Child", the extended funk groove of "Money-Go-Round", and the synth-driven ballad "Long Hot Summer". Talbot contributed keyboards and organ across these tracks, which achieved positions 4, 11, and 3 respectively on the UK Singles Chart. Toward the end of 1983, these songs were compiled into Introducing The Style Council, a mini-album released selectively overseas. The Dutch edition was notably imported back into the UK market. In November 1983, their single "A Solid Bond in Your Heart" climbed to number 11 on the UK singles chart.

Café Bleu (1984)

In February 1984, "My Ever Changing Moods" became their third Top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at number 5. Their first full-length album, Café Bleu, followed a month later and debuted at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart. This record featured guest vocalists and instrumentalists alongside Weller’s lead vocals, blending jazz, soul, pop, and funk influences. While critical reception was mixed, it maintained strong commercial performance with a 36-week chart run. Two additional Top 10 singles were released: "You're the Best Thing" in May and "Shout to the Top!" in October.

To promote Café Bleu, a UK tour commenced in March 1984 featuring support from acts like Billy Bragg and the Questions. These concerts, known as "Council Meetings," were succeeded by a brief European tour plus four shows in Japan where they gained substantial popularity; these performances were documented in the video Far East and Far Out. A second UK "Council Meetings" tour took place that autumn with DJ Vaughn Toulouse. Planned theatrical components were abandoned after an injury occurred. High demand for their performances in Italy led to upgrades of venue sizes.

In 1984, a short US tour helped increase their international visibility. The single "My Ever Changing Moods" reached number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart—their highest position stateside to date. By year-end, Billboard magazine named The Style Council "best new band."

December 1984 saw the release of "Soul Deep," a miners' strike charity single credited to "the Council Collective," featuring various artists including Vaughn Toulouse, Dee C. Lee, and Motown legend Jimmy Ruffin. It reached the top 30 on the UK charts. The year concluded with two performances at London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall.

Our Favourite Shop (1985)

In the United Kingdom, the band reached the height of their acclaim with Our Favourite Shop, which entered the UK album charts at number one in June 1985, only to be surpassed a week later by Bryan Ferry's Boys and Girls. This album blended elements of Latin, jazz, and funk with politically charged lyrics and was widely praised by critics as the group's finest achievement. It remained in the UK top 40 for 13 weeks, including a return in October, spending three weeks within the top 10. Notable singles from the album were "Walls Come Tumbling Down!" (reaching number 6), "Come to Milton Keynes" (peaking at 23), and "The Lodgers" (at 13). The US single "Boy Who Cried Wolf" found chart success in New Zealand. Globally, the album sold over one million copies. In 2015, Our Favourite Shop was recognized by NME as one of 50 albums from 1985 that continue to resonate strongly today.

Alongside earlier successes like "You're the Best Thing," two songs—"Internationalists" and "Walls Come Tumbling Down!"—were performed at the UK Live Aid event held at Wembley Stadium, where they were featured second in the lineup between Status Quo and the Boomtown Rats. Despite this international platform, further commercial achievements largely remained within their domestic market.

Further albums

Following the 1986 live release Home and Abroad, the band unveiled their third studio project, The Cost of Loving, in 1987, which received mixed critical reactions. The album climbed to number 2 on the UK Albums Chart, with its lead single "It Didn't Matter" reaching number 9.

The Cost of Loving represented a stylistic transition toward the R&B sounds gaining popularity in 1980s America, departing from their previous fusion of soul, jazz, and European folk influences. This shift toward an urban contemporary vibe led to their US label, Geffen Records, dropping them. Notably, socially conscious soul legend Curtis Mayfield contributed to mixing several tracks that also incorporated elements of house music and production techniques associated with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Some tracks from this period were included in the 37-minute film Jerusalem, which chronicled the band's journey.

Commercial and critical decline

From this stage onward, the band experienced a downturn both commercially and critically. Their 1987 single "Waiting" was their first release to fail to enter the UK top 40. In 1988, Confessions of a Pop Group became their first album not to reach the top 10, debuting at number 15 before rapidly dropping off the charts. Singles such as "Life at a Top People's Health Farm" and "How She Threw It All Away" peaked at positions 28 and 41 respectively.

In 1989, some members issued a single under the alias King Truman on Acid Jazz Records, titled "Like a Gun". Without Polydor's knowledge, this release was pulled three days prior to its official launch. Acid Jazz founder Eddie Piller revealed that Talbot and Weller adopted pseudonyms for this side project.

The Style Council dissolved in 1989. Reflecting in 1990, Paul Weller stated:


Only one track from the Modernism: A New Decade sessions surfaced at that time—a cover of Joe Smooth’s "Promised Land"—which reached number 27 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1989. The complete album was eventually issued in 1998 as part of the five-CD collection The Complete Adventures of The Style Council and later released independently in October 2001. Their final single, "Long Hot Summer '89", a revamped version of their 1983 hit, briefly appeared at number 48 on the charts in May 1989.

In 1990, the group reunited for a one-off appearance on Japanese television without Lee.

2019 reunion

In August 2019, Weller, Talbot, Lee, and White came together once again to record "It's a Very Deep Sea." This session was showcased in the 2020 Sky Arts documentary Long Hot Summers: The Story of the Style Council, which also featured an audio anthology covering their entire career under the same title.

Politics

December 1984 saw Weller establish the Council Collective to create the charity single "Soul Deep." Initially intended to support miners on strike during the UK miners' strike, the proceeds later assisted the family of taxi driver David Wilkie. The recording included contributions from the Style Council alongside artists such as Jimmy Ruffin and Junior Giscombe. It gained airplay on BBC Radio 1 and was performed live on television programs like Top of the Pops and Channel 4's The Tube.

Compared to Weller’s earlier band, the Style Council’s lyrics adopted a more explicitly political tone, with tracks such as "Walls Come Tumbling Down!", "The Lodgers", and "Come to Milton Keynes" offering critiques of Thatcher-era policies and middle-class English society. In 1985, encouraged by Billy Bragg, Weller spearheaded the Style Council’s participation in Red Wedge, a politically charged youth initiative associated with the British Labour Party. During this period, Weller described himself as a "traditional British socialist."

By 1993, however, Weller voiced feelings of being "exploited" by Labour, explaining that this disillusionment led to the cessation of their independent fundraising activities. Reflecting on those years, he acknowledged that political activism sometimes eclipsed their musical output, stressing that his primary identity was as a musician who valued candid expression but sought a balanced approach.

Discography

Studio albums

References

General

External links

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