The pivotal life lesson Paul Weller learnt from The Style Council
Paul Weller’s decision to break up The Jam at their commercial peak while he was only 24 years old was deemed utter lunacy. However, Weller has always been driven by his artistic senses rather than trying to gain commercial success or appease the public.
While Weller would have undoubtedly been more affluent in the short term if he chose to continue with The Jam, capitalising on their wave of excitement, that was never a consideration for the musician. Mere months after they broke up, he was already performing alongside Mick Talbot in The Style Council and had firmly moved on to the next chapter in his musical life.
Sonically, The Style Council were a contrast from The Jam. It was the first sign Weller was an artist who constantly evolved, and the duo helped redefine British pop. Most importantly, they were enjoying the experience and not taking life too seriously, which was reflected in their optimistic catalogue of material.
Artistically, The Style Council was a reset for Weller and allowed him to break away from the shackles of The Jam. Furthermore, he wasn’t even on lead vocals for many of their tracks which allowed Weller to take a step away from the limelight.
Ahead of the release of the 2020 documentary Long Hot Summers, Weller told Esquire: “It was totally liberating. However much I enjoyed The Jam, towards the end, I just felt the constraints of being in a big band. I’d had enough of it,” he says. “I wanted to have the freedom to use different musicians. Have the core of me and Mick and then bring in different people and try to make every record sound different. It was the polar opposite of being in The Jam.”
Additionally, The Style Council’s shows were a more pleasant experience for Weller. He added: “We had a good audience. There were a lot of Jam fans who didn’t get it and didn’t like it, I understand why, but it was a lot more mixed. There were more girls, more couples. There was still that football element, but it wasn’t as violent as the gigs had been prior to that.
“There was a beautiful vibe in the crowd. The nature of the music was softer and a little bit more groovy, so you’d see a lot more people moving and dancing and not kicking the shit out of each other which was nice to see.”
However, from a personal perspective, Weller grew immensely during The Style Council years as he went from boy to man. He honestly revealed: “The Style Council taught me to stick to what you think is right at the time even if it turns out to be wrong years down the line. You can only do what you believe in at the time. And don’t be a cock. That’s what it taught me. Don’t be a cunt. When I look back now, I’d just become a prick by the end. It took me a while to learn some humility after that. Instead of alienating people, you’ve got to bring them along and be inclusive.”
While the majority of Weller’s fanbase prefers The Jam to The Style Council, arguably, the latter was a more significant experience for the musician. Admittedly, they didn’t have the same cultural impact, but Weller learnt a collection of principles that he still swears by today. Furthermore, The Style Council specialised in crafting dazzling pop music befitting of a long hot summer.
