You Do Something To Me

Mick Talbot made his contribution to the style council in a good way and made their sound unique by adding his touches to their songs. He contributed to writing some of the songs like such classics like the song on our favourite shop called Luck. He sung a whole song through live as well as did his part to for Head start for happiness.

Talbot proved he was an essential part of the style council and before long his complementary parts became legendary. I can’t say Talbot was a great keyboard player as what he did in my opinion was very basic, however he did what was needed. Often people who fall in love with a group or an individual artist they say things like he or she is the greatest guitarist or singer and in many cases the artist is a good player. I think Talbot was a very mediocre pianist and keyboard player however he did what was needed and added many wonderful touches to numerous style council songs.

He was a Good friend of Paul’s and therefore he stayed in the Style council for a long time, I truly believe you could put numerous keyboard players in his place and it would make no difference.

Steve White was the former drummer for the style council and he carried on to utilize his skills with Paul Weller in his solo career. Steve White has been responsible for some very tasteful drum rolls on many style council songs and one which I like very much is My Ever Changing Mood.

If you remember the first style council Album Cafe Bleu you may remember the drum classic solo Steve White did on Dropping Bombs on the White House,

The style council were a great band and Paul Weller showed his flexibility in music styles by adapting many of the sounds previously used by black funk artist of the 70s. Dee C Lee was the backing singer for the style council and later became the wife of Paul Weller. She did a great Job as a backing singer and I think they looked great together.

Dee C Lee was born as Diane Catherine Sealy 6 June 1961, Balham London, she later adapted the stage name Dee C Lee.

Bruce Foxton is a man I have great respect for as a bass player, the one and only Foxton, he just complemented the Jam so well in every respect, he played tasteful intricate bass lines and was full of energy on the stage. Foxton’s bass playing shines through in a really nice way.

Listen to the way Foxton plays and you will see why his bass playing can outshine many bass players, he played melodic intricate bass lines and he accomplished a great tone which was ll his own and that added to the Jam having a very distinctive sound. Foxton touch complemented all variations of jam songs whether it be a Ballard or a fast song. He did a lot of the vocals for the Jam too. He sung lead vocals on News of the world, Smithers Jones, David Watts, and several other Jam songs.

One of Foxton’s notorious bass lines as well as one favoured by many Jam fans and new listeners is the track called Down in the Tube Station at Midnight, this is another classic track taken from the 3rd Jam album called All Mod Cons, a CD which belongs in any serious music lovers collection.

Rick Buckler added his part to the Jam very well and when you think of the Jam some like to think of Paul Weller alone and those who do are bloody fools!

The Jam consist of 3 people Paul Weller, as most fans know wrote most of the songs, but some were also written by Bruce Foxton. Although Buckler never wrote any songs he added his drumming to every single track in the Jam, Buckler had a wonderful feel and and a touch which complemented the Jam in every respect.

One track which illustrates Buckler’s feel as well as makes Buckler’s drumming shine is the track called the Funeral Pyre which he did whilst he was with the jam although its not difficult to play it sounds awesome with the song, Check it out
Without a tasteful drummer like Buckler playing drums for the Jam their sound could have been very different, when you listen to a band and know them well and a member leaves and is replaced, there is nothing worst than that band member being replaced with an inferior musician.

Its like a 3 piece band who are insistent on overdubs in the studio
but never wish to hire the additional musicians to play live who played in the studio or event just to hire the second guitarist to take care of all the overdubs which they did in the studio recording, when you know the song from the record, then hear it live there is a big hole in the song as something sounds very different.

I am pleased Buckler is still alive and I wish him a long happy successful life and hope Buckler continues to play with the Jam.

Long Live the talented drummer!

I have been a Paul Weller fan for many years and this track is yet another example of many of just what a great song writer “Weller” is, The album Stanley Road illustrates that point perfectly well as do 98% of all his other albums.

Hats off to one of the greatest song writers ever the one and only Weller for writing another classic song and Album.

Some people think they’re jammy
But I know they must be crazy
Can’t see their misfortune
Even if they’re lazy
Walk throughout the fire
Drive throughout the smoke
See my enemy at the end of the rope

Walk on piles of needles
See what they can do
Walk on gilded splinters
With the king of the zulus

Kon kon, the kiddy kon kon
Walk on gilded splinters
Kon kon, the kiddy kon kon
Walk on gilded splinters

Here I go, now
Til I murder, til I’m dead
I rode out my coffee
By drinking poison from my chalice
Propped against my faith
I drink oil for my malice

Meet me on your doorstep
Soon we’ll be in the gutter
Melt you just like butter
I’ll make you stutter

Walk throughout the fire
Drive throughout the smoke
See my enemy at the end of the rope

Walk on piles of needles
See what they can do
Walk on gilded splinters
With the king of the zulus

Kon kon, the kiddy kon kon
Walk on gilded splinters
Kon kon, the kiddy kon kon
Walk on gilded splinters

Til I murder, til I’m dead

Paul Weller is a classic song writer, whilst with Style Council Paul wrote this classic song called Luck, the song is also available on the album called Our Favorite Shop, Its a great album which has many good songs Its well worth buying.

Luck fell in the right place for me
The day you happen to come by -
You caught me feeling all was useless
And left me feeling ten feet high
Now nothing again will be quite the same
You gathered my fears and threw them awa

Luck dropped in just at the right time
The time when I felt most alone -
All my dreams had seemed to vanish
Now my nightmares have upped and gone

I’m not scared of farewells, nothing’s the same twice
I stride through the day and I float through the night

How much choice do we have in this?
Like some almighty hand smashing your life into pieces
One day you’re washed and drowned -
And the next minute you’re put back on land

Now nothing again can be quite the same
I gather my fears and I throw them away

Luck – when you hold me closely
Ooh – feels like summertime
Luck – when you hold my hand
I – want it all the time

Luck – in your country kisses
Ooh – I love your outlook
Luck – in your hills and valleys
Go on talking my babbling brook!

The Great Depression is another wonderful Paul Weller song written whilst he was in the Jam, with Bass Player Bruce Foxton, & Drummer Rick Butler. This song is on the super album called Extras which has loads of demos of many songs written by Paul before they were recorded in the studio. This CD is well worth its weight in gold.

Lyrics to The Great Depression :

I think we must have all gone mad
Maybe right turned over
They promise us the earth
Instead we’ve got the great depression
Now you’re free and easy with the base
You blame your brothers and sisters
And neurotics say “sod the rest”
It’s the new dissention

Into the abyss
By pushing forwards
It’s always down
It’s a desperate war
You’re trying to blow yourselves up
You don’t care who you stand… with the help about
Hey hey

well that’s not the way
No sense or reason in your fussing and fighting
And your violent obsession
Who’s ever really left feeling fine
After the great depression?
No sense of purpose in the competion
Keeping up with the Jones’s
You buy a house,
You buy a car
You buy a marriage and a bed of roses

Into the abyss
By pushing forwards
It’s always down
It’s a desperate war
You’re trying to blow yourselves up
You don’t care who you stand … with the help about

Hey hey

well that’s not the way

I think we must have all gone mad
Maybe right turned over
They promise us the earth
Instead we’ve got the great depression
Now you’re free and easy with the base
You blame your brothers and sisters
And neurotics say “sod the rest”
It’s the new dissention

Into the abyss
By pushing forwards
It’s always down
It’s a desperate war
You’re trying to blow yourselves up
You don’t care who you stand… with the help about
Hey hey

well that’s not the way
No sense or reason in your fussing and fighting
And your violent obsession
Who’s ever really left feeling fine
After the great depression?
No sense of purpose in the competion
Keeping up with the Jones’s
You buy a house,
You buy a car
You buy a marriage and a bed of roses

Into the abyss
By pushing forwards
It’s always down
It’s a desperate war
You’re trying to blow yourselves up
You don’t care who you stand … with the help about

Hey hey

well that’s not the way

Time Passes is a track which shows how one can feel when they are still hanging on to some feelings for a person they once were close to but it never worked out, and then you do see that person by chance but when you do and despite the fact you both will end up going separate ways you still wonder how it would have been had you tried harder.

Paul sings this song with lots of feelings and he also gets some high notes when he really wants to bring a point out in the song

This has to be one of my favorite tracks on Stanley Road I love the guitaring, I like the riff and the sound paul gets from the guitar, he played this from some old marshall valve combos, those old times love the sound of a valve amplifier as they feel you get a a much warmer tone from the guitar. This song projects that point wonderfully. The changing man is a great song which reflects things which happen to Paul as life is going by. Its also a song which could reflect many parts of our own life.