The Style Council
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genre(s)	Alternative Pop New Wave Synthpop
Years active	1983 – 1989
Label(s)	Polydor - UK, Australia, Canada Geffen - US
Associated acts	The Jam
Former members
Paul Weller Mick Talbot Dee C. Lee Steve White

The Style Council were an English musical group formed in 1983 by ex-The Jam singer and guitarist Paul Weller with keyboardist Mick Talbot. Both Weller and Talbot had played a significant part in the Mod Revival. The first couple of singles featured drummer Zeke Manyeka. The Style Council also featured a singer called Tracie Young who had solo hits with "The House That Jack Built" and "Give It Some Emotion" on Weller's Respond label. Young can be heard providing emotive and solid backing vocals on "Boy Who Cried Wolf" (1984). The permanent lineup grew to include drummer Steve White and Weller's then-wife, vocalist Dee C. Lee. Other musicians, including a horn section, were brought in as required. Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The term alternative rock or alternative music1 was coined in the early 1980s to describe bands which didnt fit into the mainstream genres of the time. ... Bold text New Wave in the late 1970s and early 1980s was inspired by the punk rock. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... 1920s vintage Polydor export label with its double-horn gramophone logo In 1954 Polydor Records introduced their distinctive orange label. ... Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as one third of UMGs Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Paul Weller The Modfather (born John William Weller May 25, 1958, in Sheerwater, near Woking, Surrey) is an English singer-songwriter. ... Mick Talbot is a keyboardist from England. ... Shrine album cover, 1986 Dee C. Lee (born Diane Sealey, June 6, 1961 in South London) is a British singer. ... Steve White (born on 31 May 1965 in Bermondsey, London) is an English drummer, who has worked extensively with Paul Weller, The Style Council and other British musicians. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Paul Weller The Modfather (born John William Weller May 25, 1958, in Sheerwater, near Woking, Surrey) is an English singer-songwriter. ... Mick Talbot is a keyboardist from England. ... The mod revival was a music genre and subculture that started in the United Kingdom in 1978 and later spread to other countries (to a lesser degree). ... Tracie Young at her former station Essex FM. Tracie Young (born 1965, Derby, United Kingdom) was a pop singer in the 1980s. ... Steve White (born on 31 May 1965 in Bermondsey, London) is an English drummer, who has worked extensively with Paul Weller, The Style Council and other British musicians. ... Shrine album cover, 1986 Dee C. Lee (born Diane Sealey, June 6, 1961 in South London) is a British singer. ...

History

The band's early singles showed another level of Weller's songwriting ability and diversity of musical styles. Speak Like A Child (with its loud soul-influenced style), the extended funk of Money-Go-Round and the haunting synth-ballad Long Hot Summer. All of these also showcased Talbot's abilities on keyboards and organ. These singles were compiled on "Introducing The Style Council" towards the end of 1983. This was a mini-album released in Holland and Japan. The Dutch version was heavily imported to the UK. This article is about the novel Soul Music. ... Introducing The Style Council is an album from the band The Style Council. ...

In 1984, the single "My Ever-Changing Moods" B/W the joyous Hammond Organ instrumental "Mick's Company" reached #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, remaining to this day Weller's greatest success on the American charts, while the group reached the peak of their success in the UK with the 1985 album Our Favourite Shop. Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the main singles chart used by Billboard magazine. ...

However, to Weller's fans, the decision to split up The Jam at the height of their commercial success was met with considerable controversy. Weller deliberately distanced himself from The Jam's sound and style, with his use of new musical arrangements and instruments in a much slicker, more heavily produced style. In the place of the beloved Bruce Foxton-Rick Buckler rhythm section were drum and bass parts done entirely on synthesisers. Along with this, the band's early persona - the donning of make-up and New Romantic-style clothing, coupled with mysterious album sleeve notes by "The Cappuccino Kid" (a pseudonym for Paolo Hewitt, biographer of The Jam and friend of Weller), the use of French lyrics and themes (reflected in the titles of their third single, the 1983 À Paris EP, which saw the duo posing in front of the Eiffel Tower, and their debut full-length LP, 1983's Café Bleu), dabblings in rap and, later, dance music, and the homoerotic imagery in the video for the single "Long Hot Summer", only served to further confuse and alienate loyal Jam fans. Structurally, many of the band's early singles were not far removed from The Jam's latter-day soul-pop efforts such as "Town Called Malice" and "Beat Surrender", but they were often criticised as overproduced, despite Weller's impressive songwriting. Moreover, many observers saw even the early albums as indulgent and overly experimental; Trouser Press called Café Bleu "too schizophrenic to be a good album" [1]. The criticism only grew as the band's career wore on, and Weller's star status in the UK plunged. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Bruce Foxton is an English rock and roll musician born on September 1st 1955 in Woking, Surrey who is best remembered as the bass player in punk/new wave band The Jam. ... Rick Buckler (born 6 December 1955—), was the drummer and an original member of The Jam, a British rock-band that enjoyed considerable success in the United Kingdom between 1977 and 1982. ... Rhythm section refers to the musicians whose primary jobs in a jazz or popular music band or ensemble is to establish the rhythm of a song or musical piece, often via repeated riffs or ostinati. ... The term synthesiser is also used to mean frequency synthesiser, an electronic system found in communications. ... New Romantic was a New Wave music subgenre and fashion movement that occurred primarily in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s. ... Liner notes are the booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or any sound recording container. ... A pseudonym (Greek: , pseudo + -onym: false name) is an artificial, fictitious name, also known as an alias, used by an individual as an alternative to a persons legal name. ... The Eiffel Tower (French: , ) is an iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside the River Seine in Paris. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... Homosexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by esthetic attraction, romantic love, or sexual desire exclusively for another of the same sex. ... Cover of the April 1983 issue of Trouser Press magazine (#84) Trouser Press was a rock and roll magazine started in 1974 by editor/publisher Ira Robbins. ...

The Style Council took a more overtly political approach than The Jam in their lyrics, with tracks such as "The Lodgers", and "Come To Milton Keynes" being deliberate attacks on "Middle England" and the Thatcherite principles which were prevalent in the 1980s. Paul was also instrumental in the formation of Red Wedge with Billy Bragg. However, Paul has more recently expressed that this began to detract from the music - "We were involved with a lot of political things going on at that time. I think after a while that overshadowed the music a bit" [2]. , Milton Keynes is a large town in northern Buckinghamshire, in South East England, about 45 miles (75 km) north-west of London, and roughly halfway between London and Birmingham. ... Middle England originally indicated the central region of England, now almost always referred to as the Midlands. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (née Roberts; born 13 October 1925) served as British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 until 1990, being the first and to date only woman to hold either post. ... Red Wedge was a collective of UK musical artists who attempted to inform younger voters of the Labour Partys policies during the period leading up to the 1987 General Election. ... Stephen William Bragg (born December 20, 1957), known as Billy Bragg, is an English musician renowned for his blend of folk, punk-rock, and protest music, and his poetic lyrics dealing with political as well as romantic themes. ...

In 1986 the band released a powerful live album, "Home and Abroad", and in 1987 the album "The Cost of Loving" was launched, followed later in the year by the upbeat single "Wanted (Or Waiter There's Some Soup In My Flies)". However, by the time "Confessions of a Pop Group" was released a year later, the group's popularity had largely evaporated.

The Style Council broke up after recording a house album, Modernism: A New Decade that was rejected by their record label. Paul moved on to a more commercially successful solo career (still featuring Steve White on drums) while Mick and Steve released two albums as Talbot/White -- United States of Mind (1995) and Off the Beaten Track (1996). More recently Mick and Steve have formed "The Players" with Damon Minchella (Ocean Colour Scene/Paul Weller) and Aziz Ibrahim (Ian Brown). Although Weller and Dee C. Lee had two children together, they are no longer married. House music is a style of electronic dance music that was developed by dance club DJs in Chicago in the early to mid-1980s. ... The Players are a supergroup consisting of the core members of Damon Minchella (bass), Mick Talbot (keyboards) and Steve White (drums). ... Damon Minchella (born 1 June 1969, in Liverpool) is a British bass guitarist, formerly with Ocean Colour Scene, which he left in 2003. ... Ocean Colour Scene (often abbreviated to OCS) are an English rock band from Birmingham. ... Paul Weller The Modfather (born John William Weller May 25, 1958, in Sheerwater, near Woking, Surrey) is an English singer-songwriter. ... Guitarist Aziz Ibrahim was born in Longsight, Manchester to Pakistani parents. ... Ian George Brown (born February 20, 1963) is an English musician and former lead singer of the indie rock/Madchester band The Stone Roses. ...

All of the Style Council's United Kingdom releases (this includes singles, 12" maxis, albums, compact discs and re-issues thereof) would feature the work of graphic designer Simon Halfon (often working with Mr. Weller and honing Weller's ideas into a conventional graphic usage). Through his work with the group and Weller solo, Mr. Halfon has distinguished himself for his encyclopaedic knowledge of 1960s design technique and his abilitiy to use it in more recent applications. Weller and Halfon began working together at the end of the Jam's career, and continue to work together to this day on Weller's solo material. Graphic designer. ...

Music Videos

• Speak Like a Child
• Money Go Round
• Long Hot Summer
• Boy Who Cried Wolf
• Solid Bond In Your Heart
• My Ever Changing Moods
• You're the Best Thing
• Big Boss Groove
• Shout to the Top
• Walls Come Tumbling Down
• Come to Milton Keynes
• The Lodgers
• Have You Ever Had It Blue?
• It Didn't Matter
• Waiting
• Wanted
• Life At A Top Peoples Health Farm
• How She Threw it All Away
• Promised Land

Albums

• Introducing The Style Council (1983) - A mini-LP initially released only in the US, Holland, and Japan.
• Café Bleu (1984) UK #2
• My Ever Changing Moods (1984) - was a variation on the "Cafe Bleu" album released in North America by Geffen Records US #56
• Our Favourite Shop (1985) UK #1
• Internationalists (1985) - the North American version of "Our Favourite Shop", again released by Geffen US # 123
• Home and Abroad (1986) UK #8
• The Cost of Loving (1987) UK #2, US #122
• Confessions of a Pop Group (1988) UK #15, US #174
• Modernism: A New Decade (1989) (unreleased until 1998)

Introducing The Style Council is an album from the band The Style Council. ... Café Bleu is an album from the band The Style Council. ... Café Bleu is an album from the band The Style Council. ... Our Favourite Shop is the third album from the band The Style Council. ... Our Favourite Shop is the third album from the band The Style Council. ... Home and Abroad is an album from the band The Style Council. ... The Cost Of Loving is an album from the band The Style Council, released in 1987. ... Confessions of a Pop Group is an album from the band The Style Council. ...

Singles

• 1983 "Speak Like A Child / Party Chambers" - #4 UK
• 1983 "Money Go Round (Part 1) / Money Go Round (Part 2)" - #11 UK
• 1983 "A Paris EP (Long Hot Summer / Party Chambers / Paris Match / Le Depart)" - #3 UK
• 1983 "Money Go Round (Part 1) / Headstart For Happiness"(re-entry) - #74 UK
• 1983 "Solid Bond In Your Heart / It Just Came To Pieces In My Hands" - #11 UK
• 1984 "My Ever Changing Moods / Spring, Summer, Autumn / Mick's Company" - #5 UK
• 1984 "Groovin' EP (You're The Best Thing / Big Boss Groove)" - #5 UK
• 1984 "Shout to The Top! / Shout To The Top (instrumental) / The Piccadilly Trail / Ghosts Of Dachau" - #7 UK
• 1985 "Walls Come Tumbling Down / Spin Driftin' / The Whole Point II / Bloodsports" - #6 UK
• 1985 "Come to Milton Keynes / Our Favorite Shop (club mix) / (When You) Call Me / The Lodgers (club mix)" - #23 UK
• 1985 "The Lodgers / Big Boss Groove (live) / Move On Up (live) / You're The Best Thing (live) / Money Go Round (live)Soul Deep (live) / Strength Of Your Nature (live)" - #13 UK
• 1986 "Have You Ever Had It Blue / Mr. Cool's Dream" - #14 UK
• 1987 "It Didn't Matter / All Year Round" - #9 UK
• 1987 "Waiting / Francoise / Francoise (Theme From Jerusalem) / Waiting (instrumental)" - #52 UK
• 1987 "Wanted / The Cost / The Cost of Loving" - #20 UK
• 1988 "Life At A Top People's Health Farm / Sweet Loving" - #28 UK
• 1988 "How She Threw It All Away / Love For The First Time / Long Hot Summer (89 mix) / I Do Like To Be B-Side The A-Side" - #41 UK
• 1989 "Promised Land / Can You Still Love Me?" - #27 UK
• 1989 "Long Hot Summer 89 (re-mix) / Everybody's On The Run?" - #48 UK

Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the year. ... This article is about the year. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ...

External links

• The Complete History of The Style Council
• http://www.thestylecouncil.co.uk/

• Biography at The All Music Guide
• The Complete Discography Of The Style Council at The Quasimodobell
• The Jam, The Style Council, Paul Weller: Italian web site

References

Munn, Iain (2006). Mr Cool's Dream. The Complete History of the Style Council. Wholepoint Publications. ISBN 0-9551443-0-2.