(The Style Council - sly political sendup)

Since we at Newstalgia take requests, I've had several over the past few weeks for some 80's bands. Needless to say, I ran across this concert from the BBC featuring 80's icons The Style Council and I didn't think twice.

A great band that didn't have the same appeal over here as they did in the UK, probably having more to do with the Thatcher Years and political statements germane to the UK than the U.S. - the whole concept behind The Style Council was taking the Punk/Mod ethos that was The Jam (Paul Weller's previous group) and weaving it into a highly conservative appearing setting, adapting that wonderful concept known as "taking the piss".

The result was wildly successful, but mostly misunderstood over here. Like I said, we didn't have Thatcher and our idea of class consciousness isn't the same. So it fell largely on perplexed ears.

But in 1984, Style Council were riding the crest of a wave and this concert captures them right there.

Enjoy.

Heading into the 80's tonight with a track by The Style Council. When The Jam called it quits, front man Paul Weller promptly switched gears from Punk icon to Blue-eyed Soul and Funk aficionado and baffled quit a few fans in the process. But for all the scorn he reaped from his old fans, his new ones came running and The Style Council created a lasting impression and a newly-found admiration base for Paul Weller.

Tonight it's a track off Introducing The Style Council, released in 1983. Long Hot Summer starts the album off and quickly eases into the groove that would be their trademark over the next several years.

And since we are heading on a crash course for Summer anyway . . . .

It's the 70's tonight with a nod to the Punk/Mod genre in the UK with The Jam in session for the BBC, recorded on April 26, 1977.

Strangely, not as wildly popular in the U.S. as they were in the UK and the rest of Europe, they nonetheless had an avid following among underground and non-mainstream fans, and they turned in some memorable material over the brief time they were together.

Here are three tracks from that session:

1. In The City
2. Art School
3. This Is The Modern World

Classic Jam from their formative years. Enjoy.

One of the things that made the 80's an interesting decade for music was the amount of social consciousness being displayed in song. Evolving from the 70's Punk ethos, early 80's was involved in specific issues in society. Race, poverty, the vanishing working and middle class, the Thatcher/Reagan years - they were all subjects of what became very powerful statements.

One of those bands most active in the social consciousness movement were without question The Jam. Evolving out of retro Mod, The Jam were, sadly not around that long. Getting started in the late 1970's and calling it quits by 1982. In their short time though, they managed to make a lasting impression and tracks like the one tonight, Just Who Is The 5 O'clock Hero? spoke directly to a working class struggling to exist.

Timely stuff - Could be yesterday - could be five minutes ago.

Considering the news this week and all the drama, intrigue, speculation and finger-pointing, it's only apropos to end it up by playing The Jam and their nod to Tabloid Journalism, News Of The Week.

And who says Life doesn't imitate Art?

We survived and have a whole weekend to look forward to. Next week? Who knows.

The Jam tonight - from their 1982 album The Gift and tonight's track A Town Called Malice. I always liked The Jam because of songs like this. Social bite with teeth marks at a time when it was needed most.

Still is.

(The Style Council - Paul Weller going from The Jam to The Cappuccino Kid)

I figured as long as we were in an 80's frame of mind tonight (for those of you who happened by the Nick Lowe live set from 1984 on our Backstage Weekend feature) we might as well keep it going with a track from Introducing The Style Council. Paul Weller, fresh from the remnants of The Jam got together with Mick Talbot and formed The Style Council. It was a fresh departure from The Jam. Minus the rough edges and offering a more melodic approach, giving Weller a chance to explore some different musical areas and refine his Soul/R&B leanings he started with The Jam towards the end. Although criticized by the press at first for what was thought to be over-production and a certain amount of pretense, the audience was won over almost immediately and The Style Council enjoyed considerable success during their five year run.

Tonights track, The Paris Match, has been offered in several different versions, including a lush and sultry arrangement featuring Tracey Thorn on vocals. This one is off the first album and was a nice introduction to a well regarded band.

A little late night 80's mellow for a Saturday Night wind-down. You'll thank me in the morning.

(The Jam - with mended fences, talk about a reunion of sorts)

Starting off the week with one of my favorite bands of the late 70s, The Jam. Huge in the UK and Europe but barely a ripple here (radio was in the process of melting down around this time), they turned out some amazing music in the short period of time they were together. This track Carnation is off their final album "The Gift" - sounding a lot like The Style Council which Paul Weller formed at The Jam's demise.

It was probably a preview of things to come.