Paul John Weller is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Weller achieved fame with the band the Jam in the late-1970s. Following the dissolution of the Jam in 1982, he changed musical style and had further success with the Style Council (1983–1989), before establishing himself as a solo artist with his eponymous 1992 album.
The Style Council were a British band formed in late 1982 by Paul Weller, the former lead vocalist, principal songwriter and guitarist with the Jam, and keyboardist Mick Talbot, previously a member of Dexys Midnight Runners, the Bureau and the Merton Parkas. Weller started the project to escape the restrictions of the Jam, and to explore a more arty, European, jazzier direction, which encompassed pop, hip hop, and soul.
Steven Douglas White is an English drummer who has worked extensively with Paul Weller and The Style Council among others.
Diane Catherine Sealy, known as Dee C. Lee or Dee C Lee, is a British singer. Born to Saint Lucian parents, she grew up in south-east London. Early in her career, she was a member of the British band Central Line under the aliases Dee Sealy in 1981 and Dee C. Lee in 1983. She was a backing singer for Wham!, then released her first solo single, "Selina Wow Wow", in 1984. She started working with The Style Council in 1984, while continuing as a solo artist.
Café Bleu is the official debut album released by the English band the Style Council. It was released on 16 March 1984, on Polydor Records, produced by Paul Weller with Peter Wilson. It followed the compilation Introducing The Style Council, which was released only in the Netherlands, Canada and Japan. The album was mainly recorded at Solid Bond Studios except for the strings which were recorded at CBS.
Our Favourite Shop is the second studio album by English band the Style Council. Recorded ten months after the band's debut, Café Bleu, it was released on 8 June 1985 on Polydor. It features guest vocalists including Lenny Henry, Tracie Young, and Dee C Lee. The album includes "Come to Milton Keynes", "The Lodgers", "Boy Who Cried Wolf", and "Walls Come Tumbling Down!", which were all released as singles. The three singles released in the UK all reached the top 40 on the UK charts. The track listing was reconfigured for the U.S. release.
Confessions of a Pop Group is the fourth full-length studio album by English sophisti-pop band the Style Council, released 20 June 1988 by Polydor. After the critical failure of The Cost of Loving (1987), tensions between Polydor and lead singer Paul Weller intensified, but Polydor paid Weller a hefty advance for the recording of Confessions. Backing vocalist Dee C. Lee became an official member during the sessions, while drummer Steve White left the group. The sessions were engineered by "Jezar" using two 24-track digital recorders, which allowed the group to experiment in ways they had not previously engaged before.
"One Nation Under a Groove" is a 1978 song by Funkadelic, the title track from their album of the same name. It has endured as a dance funk classic and is probably Funkadelic's most widely known song. "One Nation Under a Groove" was Funkadelic's first million selling single, as well as the third million selling single for the P-Funk organization overall.
"Speak Like a Child" is the debut single by English pop band the Style Council, released on 11 March 1983 and was included on the mini-LP, Introducing The Style Council (1983). Backed with "Party Chambers", it became a hit, peaking at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart. Band members Paul Weller and Mick Talbot were already well-known from their previous bands, the Jam and the Merton Parkas, respectively. It has remained one of their most enduring hits.
"Shout to the Top!" is a song by the English band the Style Council which was their seventh single to be released. It was composed by lead singer Paul Weller, and was released in 1984. It appears on the Vision Quest soundtrack in the United States.
Peter Wilson is a British record producer. Amongst several others, Wilson worked with the Style Council, Sham 69 and the Comsat Angels.
Greatest Hits is a compilation album by English band The Style Council, released in 2000 eleven years after their split. It was re-released 14 April 2003.
The Complete Adventures of The Style Council is a box set by The Style Council, released in 1998, nine years after their split. Released after the success of Direction Reaction Creation, a box set of Paul Weller's previous band The Jam released the previous year, this box set takes a similar approch, by including at least one studio version of every song the Style Council released during their time together, either as album tracks, EP tracks or single A- and B-sides, in chronological order. In cases where the single and album versions of the same song are radically different both versions are included. The box set also includes the group's previously unreleased final studio album Modernism: A New Decade, which was recorded and intended for release in 1989.
Here's Some That Got Away is the third compilation album by The Style Council, released in 1993. As the album cover states, the album contains rarities such as demos and B-sides, many of them previously unreleased. It follows 1992's Extras, featuring rarities by Paul Weller's previous band The Jam. Non-album singles and rarities which were included on the band's previous two compilation albums, The Singular Adventures of The Style Council and Headstart for Happiness, are not included here. The album cover is a photograph showing all four members taken in 1987, an outtake from the photo session producing the US album cover to The Cost of Loving. Other photographs from the session were later used for The Singular Adventures of The Style Council and Greatest Hits. Here's Some That Got Away reached 39 in the UK Album Chart with little promotion.
"You're the Best Thing" is a song by English band the Style Council which was their sixth single to be released. It was composed by lead singer Paul Weller, recorded at Weller's own studio Solid Bond Studios, and was released in 1984. It is the second single from the band's début album, Café Bleu (1984). Café Bleu was renamed My Ever Changing Moods in the United States to capitalise on the success of the first single.
"My Ever Changing Moods" is a song by the English band the Style Council. It was their fifth single to be released.
"It Didn't Matter" is a song by the English band The Style Council which was their fifteenth single to be released. It was composed by lead singer Paul Weller, keyboardist Mick Talbot, and was released in January 1987. The song was duetted by Weller and his then-wife Dee C. Lee. It is the first single from the band's third album, The Cost of Loving, also known as the Orange album. Backed with "All Year Round", it became a hit, peaking at No. 9 in the UK, and No. 48 in both Australia, and New Zealand. It has remained one of their most enduring hits.
"Walls Come Tumbling Down!" is a song by English band the Style Council which was their ninth single to be released. It was written by lead vocalist Paul Weller, and released in 1985. It is the first single from the band's second studio album, Our Favourite Shop (1985). Our Favourite Shop was renamed Internationalists for the U.S. market.
"The Lodgers" also known by the full title "The Lodgers (Or She Was Only a Shopkeeper's Daughter)" is a song by the English band the Style Council, which was their eleventh single to be released. It was composed by lead vocalist Paul Weller and keyboardist Mick Talbot, and was released in 1985. It is the third single from the band's second studio album, Our Favourite Shop (1985). Our Favourite Shop was renamed Internationalists in the United States.
"Promised Land" is a 1987 single by American producer and DJ Joe Smooth, featuring Anthony Thomas and is one of the most widely acclaimed house classics.
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