Paul Weller was born May 25, 1958, and grew up in Woking, a working-class suburb of London.
Rooted in British culture, a certain Englishness has infused all his work, which has endeared him to Anglophiles around the globe.
And from a young age, Weller has always understood that good clothes and good music go hand in hand.
As a principal figure of the 1970s and 1980s mod revival, Weller is often referred to as The Modfather.
The great irony of all this is – although being a Mod is a uniquely British phenomenon – the Mods’ biggest influence is American R&B music.
The Jam (1976–82)
The Jam created many crucial albums which should be a part of any discerning music collection – the most notable are:
In the City
This is the Modern World
All Mod Cons
Setting Sons
Sound Affects
The Gift
The first time I ever heard of The Jam was when I saw the video Town Called Malice on MTV. This tune combined an infectious blend of the hard-hitting Motown sound with a punk edge and a Londonesque, Eastenders-type melodrama evoked in the lyrics – all of which came across in the video. Weller has said he drew the images for this song directly from his experiences in Woking. Unfortunately by the time I discovered this band around 1983 – The Jam were no more.
Around this time, I walked into Northern Lights record store in downtown Minneapolis on Hennepin Avenue – when it was just a hole in the wall – and saw The Jam’s SNAP! compilation – Weller looked so cool – I knew the music had to be good!
But The Modfather was gravitating to a new sound – more Marvin Gaye, less Pete Townshend.
This was neatly summed up in The Jam’s final single – Beat Surrender.
The Style Council (1983–89)
The Style Council comprised Weller and keyboardist Mick Talbot, previously a member of Dexys Midnight Runners, The Bureau and The Merton Parkas.
The Style Council reflected an entire movement of politics, style and music. It took the youth explosion of The Jam to the next level.
The spokesman for this new philosophy was The Cappuccino Kid, aka Paolo Hewitt, who provided voluminous liner notes – actually political Manifestos on life – with each new Style council LP or 12-inch single. A compilation of these writings can be found here:
http://www.wellerworld.co.uk/CK.htm
The music recorded by The Style Council between 1983-85 is some of the best of that, or any, era – reflecting a wide variety of musical styles. You can feel Weller’s sense of freedom as he casts off his old identity.
Notable tunes include:
Big Boss Groove
Headstart for Happiness
You’re The Best Thing
The Paris Match
Speak Like a Child
The Whole Point of No Return
Here’s One That Got Away
A Stone’s Throw Away
A Solid Bond in Your Heart
Have Your Ever Had it Blue?
The permanent line-up grew to include drummer Steve White and Weller’s then-wife, vocalist Dee C. Lee. Other artists included Tracey Thorn (Everything but the Girl) singing on The Paris Match.
Solid Bond Studios and Productions
Paul Weller bought Phonogram Studios – renaming it Solid Bond Studios – in 1983 and recorded there until 1991 when his father and manager, Jon Weller, stated that the rent had become unfeasible.
Solid Bond not only provided the creative space and expertise for many Style Council recordings, but a stable of other artists as well.
Here is an interview with Weller circa 1984 at Solid Bond Studios:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bplw86Nqnxw
A history of the studios and a list of who recorded there (including Dusty Springfield and The Walker Brothers in the pre-Weller era) can be found here:
http://philsbook.com/philips.html
Solo Work
By 1991, Paul Weller was solo.
Although Weller has said he was not feeling inspired when he started as a solo artist, he knew music was in his blood. He also knew he had to basically “fake it until he made it.” The strategy worked, as his solo worked gradually became more inspired and he found his authentic voice not only as a singer, but as a songwriter. Weller recaptured the energy and creativity of The Jam and early Style Council days (without sounding anything like that era) with his landmark album 22 Dreams, when Weller made the conscious decision to work from a more experimental space.
One of his latest albums, Saturn’s Pattern, maintains his high standards.
Live
Paul Weller is a physical, dynamic live performer – feeling the music as he leads the band center stage, singing, with or without guitar. He also often sits down at the keyboard to belt out several tunes during each show.
On July 31, 1992, I saw Paul Weller live in San Francisco at the Warfield Theater. Weller showed that, as a solo artist, he could still be a great performer – and he still had something to say. There were a lot of Japanese fans at this show, which is not surprising as the Japanese have always appreciated good music and style.
The last time I saw him live at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis in 2014, Weller was not resting on his laurels – rather performing a mix of classic tunes from his Jam and Style Council days that he was clearly proud of, along with songs from his latest album, which stand up well with the classic tunes. His band was tight and rocked and chilled as needed.
Personal life
Paul has several children and is happily married with designated “band mum,” Hannah Weller.
jedbonniwell 