The Style Council was a British soul-jazz collective from the 1980s centred around singer-guitarist Paul Weller (former frontman of The Jam) and keyboardist Mick Talbot (ex-Dexy's Midnight Runners). While The Jam was known as a typically British band and was most popular in their home country, The Council also found success on the European mainland.
On 10 January 1983, The Style Council held their first recording session, from which the first single Speak Like a Child emerged two months later. On this track, Weller's 17-year-old protégé Tracie Young can be heard (also on Beat Surrender, The Jam's farewell single), who simultaneously released her own debut single (The House That Jack Built). From the same session also come the anti-capitalism rap Money Go Round (featuring Wham! singer Dee C. Lee) and A Solid Bond in Your Heart (originally intended as The Jam's farewell single). In between, The Council scored a summer hit with The Long Hot Summer, recorded in Paris and taken from the A Paris EP. The accompanying video caused a stir due to a homoerotic scene. The first four singles and B-sides (including The Party Chambers and Headstart For Happiness) were collected on the mini-album Introducing The Style Council, initially only available in the Netherlands and Japan. The essay-like sleeve notes are credited to the Cappuccino Kid, probably a pseudonym of the friend and music journalist Paolo Hewitt.
On 15 September 2019, The Style Council were guests at De Platenbar during our Sunday Morning Classics.
Source: Wikipedia Photo: album Gold
