88-505: Paul John Weller (born John William Weller ; 25 May 1958) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Weller achieved fame with the rock band the Jam in the late 1970s. Following the dissolution of the Jam in 1982, he pursued different musical styles in the Style Council (1983–1989), then became a solo artist with his eponymous 1992 studio album . Despite widespread critical recognition as
176-451: A funk -like sound that the band had not previously explored. Uncut described the track as "hypnotically itchy punk-funk ". Some fans and critics have noticed the song contains a number of similarities to " Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag ", which was a relatively new release itself at the time. Weller himself was to admit in 1998 he had used that song as part of the inspiration for "Precious". This 1980s rock song –related article
264-451: A 2006 interview with BBC Radio 6 Music, Weller stated a reunion of the Jam would "never, ever happen", and that reformations are "sad". He said: "Me and my children would have to be destitute and starving in the gutter before I'd even consider that, and I don't think that'll happen anyway ... The Jam's music still means something to people and a lot of that's because we stopped at the right time, it didn't go on and become embarrassing." After
352-454: A Mod it would give me a base and an angle to write from, and this we eventually did. We went out and bought suits and started playing Motown , Stax and Atlantic covers. I bought a Rickenbacker guitar, a Lambretta GP 150 and tried to style my hair like Steve Marriott 's circa '66." Eventually Brookes left the band, but although they advertised for a new guitarist (Gary Webb later known as Gary Numan claims to have failed an audition ) he
440-530: A Motown-style beat, and has been described by the Irish Independent as "a class-war tirade set to a post-punk Northern Soul groove". "Town Called Malice", a reality-based tale about dealing with hardship in a small, downtrodden English town, is one of a handful of Jam songs Weller still performs (along with " That's Entertainment ", "Man in the Corner Shop", "Strange Town", "Art School", "Start!" and "In
528-739: A West Coast tour of the US to promote his Saturns Pattern studio album. The tour ran from 9 June to 9 October. In January 2017 he made a cameo appearance in " The Final Problem ", the final episode of series four of the BBC TV series Sherlock . On 8 March 2019, audio and video versions of Other Aspects, Live at the Royal Festival Hall was released. It is the second of two shows and was recorded in October 2018 at London's Royal Festival Hall with an orchestra. Weller's fifteenth solo studio album, On Sunset ,
616-523: A cover of Gene Clark 's "So You Say You Lost Your Baby", which featured on their third studio album Scorpio Rising . Weller's album of covers entitled Studio 150 , debuted at No. 2 in the UK charts in 2004, and included Bob Dylan 's " All Along the Watchtower " as well as covers of songs by Gil Scott-Heron and Rose Royce , amongst others. Weller's eighth solo studio album As Is Now (2005) featured
704-585: A few months later, she also guested on the Style Council 's debut single " Speak Like a Child ". On 30 October 1982, after a world tour, Weller announced his intention to disband the Jam. They also made their final appearances on Top of the Pops and The Tube to promote "Beat Surrender". The tour included five consecutive nights at the Wembley Arena . The last date on the original itinerary had been scheduled for 9 December 1982 at Guildford Civic Hall , close to
792-468: A live radio interview with singer-songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan to praise his songs " Alone Again (Naturally) " and " Nothing Rhymed " as "two of my favourite songs, great lyrics, great tunes". Weller's favourite film is Stanley Kubrick 's A Clockwork Orange (1971). The Jam The Jam were an English rock band formed in 1972 in Woking , Surrey . They released 18 consecutive top 40 singles in
880-505: A local club. The line-up began to solidify in the mid-1970s with Weller, guitarist/vocalist Steve Brookes and drummer Rick Buckler . In their early years, their sets consisted of covers of early American rock and roll songs by the likes of Chuck Berry and Little Richard . They continued in this vein until Weller discovered the Who's debut album My Generation and became fascinated with Mod music. As he said later, "I saw that through becoming
968-762: A reformed Stiff Little Fingers in 1990, remaining with the band until January 2006, when he quit to pursue other projects. Later that year he joined Simon Townshend (Pete Townshend's brother), and Mark Brzezicki and Bruce Watson (both of Big Country ) in the band Casbah Club , which released an album called Venustraphobia . After the Jam split, Buckler formed Time UK with Jimmy Edwards and Ray Simone, formerly of Masterswitch , ex- Tom Robinson Band guitarist Danny Kustow and (briefly) former Radio Stars / Sparks bassist Martin Gordon . The band released three singles "The Cabaret", "Playground of Privilege" and "You Won't Stop" before folding. In 1986, Buckler and Foxton released
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#17329444089681056-474: A return to the more guitar-based style of his earlier days. The album's major single, " The Changingman ", was also a big hit, taking Weller to No. 7 in the UK Singles Chart. Another single, the ballad "You Do Something to Me", was his second consecutive Top 10 single and reached No. 9 in the UK. Weller found himself heavily associated with the emerging Britpop movement. Noel Gallagher of Oasis
1144-772: A short story written by Weller's friend Dave Waller, providing inspiration for the Jam's fourth studio album Setting Sons (1979). Weller has also cited Geoffrey Ashe 's Camelot and the Vision of Albion (1971), Orwell and Percy Bysshe Shelley as sources of inspiration for the Jam's fifth studio album Sound Affects (1980). Jazz influenced Weller's work during the early Style Council years, and he has cited John Coltrane as one of his favourites, saying "I love all of his stuff from A Love Supreme onwards." His tastes became increasingly eclectic during his Style Council period, with releases influenced by music as diverse as Claude Debussy , Philadelphia soul and Erik Satie , culminating in
1232-566: A singer, lyricist, and guitarist, Weller has remained a national—rather than international—star, and much of his songwriting is rooted in English society . Many of his songs with the Jam had lyrics about working class life. He was the principal figure of the 1970s and 1980s mod revival , often referred to as the Modfather , and an influence on Britpop bands such as Oasis . He has received four Brit Awards , including Best British Male three times, and
1320-550: A slow start playing small clubs with a mixture of Jam and Style Council classics, as well as showcasing new material, he released his debut solo single, "Into Tomorrow", which peaked at No. 36 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1991. His next single, "Uh Huh Oh Yeh", reached No. 18 in the UK Chart in August 1992, followed by his debut solo studio album, Paul Weller , peaking at No. 8 on
1408-640: A solo artist at No. 21. In early 1983, Weller announced the formation of a new band, the Style Council , a duo with keyboard player Mick Talbot , formerly of the minor mod revival band the Merton Parkas . They would eventually split in 1989. He subsequently embarked on a successful career as a solo artist . Following a short stint recording demos with Jake Burns and Dolphin Taylor , previously of Irish punk outfit Stiff Little Fingers , Foxton released his debut single " Freak " on Arista Records . Entering
1496-653: A solo career. Weller wrote and sang most of the Jam's original compositions and played lead guitar, using a Rickenbacker 330 . Bruce Foxton provided backing vocals and prominent basslines, which were the foundation of many of the band's songs, including the hits " Down in the Tube Station at Midnight ", " The Eton Rifles ", " Going Underground " and " Town Called Malice ." The Jam formed at Sheerwater Secondary School in Woking , Surrey, England, in 1972. The line-up consisted of Paul Weller on bass and lead vocals with various friends. They played their first gigs at Michael's,
1584-554: A wide range of memorabilia including personal items provided by the band members. A free app allowed visitors to engage with the exhibits by scanning VCodes. This Is the Modern World was an exhibition held at Valley Gardens, Brighton , running from 1 August to 29 August 2022. Curated by Nicky Weller, it included a collection of previously unseen Jam and Style Council memorabilia. Other members Additional personnel Studio albums Precious (The Jam song) " Precious "
1672-510: Is a song composed by Paul Weller and performed by the British band The Jam . It appeared on The Jam's 1982 album, The Gift , and also as a double A-side single along with " Town Called Malice ". It reached number one in the UK Singles Chart , although the song received much less airplay than "Town Called Malice". It was a departure for the band from their punk and mod roots, involving
1760-661: Is credited as guest guitarist on the Stanley Road album track " I Walk on Gilded Splinters ". Weller also returned the favour, appearing as a guest guitarist on Oasis' hit song " Champagne Supernova " from their second studio album (What's the Story) Morning Glory? . Heavy Soul , the follow-up to the million-selling Stanley Road , was a 'rootsy', 'stripped-down' change in Weller's musical style, compared to its predecessor. The first single " Peacock Suit " reached No. 5 in
1848-522: The Brighton Centre on 11 December 1982. In 1983, Weller teamed up with keyboardist Mick Talbot to form a new group called the Style Council . Weller brought in Steve White to play drums, as well as singer Dee C. Lee , who later became Weller's girlfriend and then wife. She also had previously been a backing vocalist with Wham! Free of the limited musical styles he felt imposed by the Jam, under
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#17329444089681936-473: The Brit Award 2006 for Outstanding Contribution to Music. Weller was born on 25 May 1958 in Woking , Surrey , England, to John and Ann Weller (née Craddock). Although born John William Weller, he became known as Paul by his parents. Weller's father worked as a taxi driver and a builder and his mother was a part-time cleaner. He started his education at Maybury County First School. His love of music began with
2024-704: The Crisis charity gig at the Hammersmith Apollo , where he performed with Emeli Sandé , Miles Kane and Bradley Wiggins . On 23 March 2013, Weller played drums on stage with Damon Albarn , Noel Gallagher and Graham Coxon , playing the Blur track "Tender". This was played as part of the Teenage Cancer Trust concerts curated by Noel Gallagher. In 2014, Weller wrote "Let Me In" with Olly Murs for Murs's fourth studio album Never Been Better . In 2015, Weller made
2112-591: The UK Singles Chart at No. 34 on 30 July 1983, it eventually peaked at No. 23 and secured an appearance on Top of the Pops . Foxton's solo album Touch Sensitive followed in 1984, but subsequent singles "This Is the Way", "It Makes Me Wonder" and "My Imagination (S.O.S.)" failed to enter the Top 40. A final single "Play This Game to Win" was released on Harvest Records in November 1986. Foxton went on to replace Ali McMordie in
2200-534: The UK Singles Chart , in 1996 and the album reached No. 2 in 1997. Success in the UK charts also came from compilations: "Best Of" albums by the Jam and the Style Council charted, and in 1998 his own solo collection, Modern Classics , peaked at No. 7. In 2000 he released his fifth solo studio album, Heliocentric , which debuted and peaked at No. 2 in the UK Albums Chart. On his worldwide Days of Speed acoustic tour, Weller performed songs from
2288-596: The Union Flag began to earn the group the tag of " Conservative ". After the non-LP single " All Around the World " nearly reached the UK Top 10, the Jam, having achieved a notable and loyal following in such a short time, were pressed to produce more material quickly. Their second album, This Is the Modern World , was released later in 1977. Bruce Foxton, generally considered a lesser songwriter than Weller, contributed two songs to
2376-760: The Beatles ) and the theme song of the 1960s TV series Batman , On 1 May 1977, the Jam joined the Clash's White Riot Tour as an opening act, alongside the Buzzcocks , the Slits , Subway Sect , and the Prefects at Guildford Civic Hall and concluded the tour on 30 May 1977 at the California Ballroom in Dunstable . The Jam had political lyrics, condemning police brutality ("In
2464-560: The Beatles , then the Who and the Small Faces . When Weller was eleven he moved up to Sheerwater County Secondary school and had started playing the guitar. Weller's musical vocation was confirmed after seeing Status Quo in concert in 1972. He formed the first incarnation of the Jam, playing bass guitar with his school friends Steve Brookes (lead guitar), Dave Waller (rhythm guitar) and Neil Harris (drums), playing sets at school and their local youth club . When Harris and then Waller left
2552-661: The City ", took them into the UK Top 40 in May 1977. In 1979, the group released " The Eton Rifles " and first broke into the Top 10 , hitting the No. 3 spot in November. The increasing popularity of their blend of Weller's barbed lyrics with pop melodies eventually led to their first number one single, " Going Underground ", in March 1980. The Jam became the first band since the Beatles to perform both sides of
2640-581: The City") and expansionist development ("Bricks And Mortar"). However, one of their most openly political songs, "Time For Truth", bemoaned the decline of the British Empire and expressed disparaging sentiments about "Uncle Jimmy" (the Prime Minister, James Callaghan ) in no uncertain terms ("Whatever happened to the great Empire?" / "I think it's time for truth, and the truth is you lost, Uncle Jimmy"). These pro-Empire sentiments and ostentatious displays of
2728-469: The Council Collective to make a record, "Soul Deep", to raise money for striking miners , and the family of David Wilkie , a Welsh taxi driver who was killed during said strike. The record featured the Style Council plus a number of other performers, notably Jimmy Ruffin and Junior Giscombe , and peaked at No. 24 on the UK singles chart. As the 1980s wore on, the Style Council's popularity in
Paul Weller - Misplaced Pages Continue
2816-457: The Crowd"). When "Town Called Malice" reached number one in the UK the group had the honour of performing both it and its double A-side, "Precious" on Top of the Pops . After the string-laden soul ballad " The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow) " peaked at No. 2, the band followed with their finale and another No. 1, " Beat Surrender ". The latter featured Tracie Young on vocals;
2904-746: The Godlike Genius Award at the NME Awards . His tenth studio album, Wake Up the Nation , was released in April to critical acclaim, and was subsequently nominated for the Mercury Music Prize . The album also marked his first collaboration with Jam bassist Bruce Foxton in 28 years. In May 2010, Weller was presented with the Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement award, saying "I've enjoyed
2992-404: The Jam slimmed their team of two producers to one, Vic Coppersmith-Heaven , who helped develop the group's sound. In 1978, the Jam released their third LP, All Mod Cons , which included three previously released tracks among the 12 in total: "David Watts", "'A' Bomb In Wardour Street", and "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight". It also contained two songs previously rejected for single release,
3080-471: The Jam split, Weller and Foxton reportedly did not speak to one another for 20 years. In June 2006, it was reported that Weller and Foxton met backstage at The Who's Hyde Park concert, and a ten-minute conversation ended with an embrace. Foxton claimed that the two became friends again in 2009 and this led to them collaborating for two tracks on Weller's solo album Wake Up the Nation in early 2010. In May 2010, Weller and Foxton appeared together on stage for
3168-449: The Jam would disband at the end of that year. Although Weller was determined to end the band and move on, the action came as a surprise to Foxton and Buckler who both felt that the band had scope to develop further professionally. Their final single, " Beat Surrender ", became their fourth UK chart topper, going to No. 1 in its first week. Their farewell concerts at Wembley Arena were multiple sell-outs; their final concert took place at
3256-409: The Jam's debut single, " In the City ", which charted in the Top 40 in the UK. On 20 May, the band released their debut album of the same name . The album, like those of the Clash and Sex Pistols , featured fast, loud and pointed songs. What set it apart from the records of those two bands was its more prevalent 1960s rock influences. The Jam covered Larry Williams 's " Slow Down " (also covered by
3344-518: The Jam's studio material (plus a disc of rarities) peaked at No. 8 on the UK Albums Chart upon its release in 1997; an unprecedented achievement for a box set. In 2002, Virgin Radio counted down the top 100 British music artists of all-time as polled by listeners and the Jam were No. 5 on the list. Weller made two other appearances in the poll; as part of The Style Council at No. 93 and as
3432-628: The Jetty (1975), and My Generation (1965). Other songs he has nominated as favourites include the Beatles' " Tomorrow Never Knows " and " Strawberry Fields Forever ", the Small Faces' " Tin Soldier ", James Brown 's " Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine ", Declan O'Rourke 's " Galileo (Someone Like You) ", the Kinks' " Waterloo Sunset " and " Days ", and Pharrell Williams ' " Happy ". In 2012, Weller invaded
3520-456: The LP ("Don't Tell Them You're Sane" and "London Traffic"), both of which attracted criticism. His composing output gradually decreased, leaving Weller firmly established as the band's chief songwriter. In March 1978, the Jam released "News of the World", a non-album single that was both written and sung by Foxton. It charted at No. 27 in the UK, and was the band's second biggest hit to date. This
3608-623: The Lake". Among the many albums that Weller has cited as all-time favourites are Odessey and Oracle (1968), Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), What's Going On (1971) , Innervisions (1973), Low (1977), Journey in Satchidananda (1971), The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968), the Small Faces eponymous 1967 album, Traffic 's eponymous 1968 album, McCartney (1970), Down by
Paul Weller - Misplaced Pages Continue
3696-709: The People . He collaborated on the songs with Richard Fearless , Young Fathers , Straightface and Stone Foundation. In early 2024, Weller announced that his next studio album, 66 , would be released in May, the day before his 66th birthday. Recording took three years in Weller's Surrey studio, Black Barn. The album includes collaborations with Dr. Robert of the Blow Monkeys , Richard Hawley , Erland Cooper , Max Beesley , Suggs of Madness , Noel Gallagher and Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream , with string arrangements by Hannah Peel . The album's first single, "Soul Wandering",
3784-481: The Style Council that the album would be widely available. In 1989, Weller found himself without a band and without a recording contract for the first time since he was 17. After taking time off for most of 1990, he returned to the road late in the year, touring as "The Paul Weller Movement" with long-term drummer and friend Steve White and Paul Francis (session bassist from the James Taylor Quartet ). After
3872-492: The UK Chart in September that year. Buoyed by the positive commercial and critical success of his debut solo studio album, Weller returned to the studio in 1993 with a renewed confidence, recording most of the tracks on his next album in one take. Accompanied by Steve White, guitarist Steve Cradock and bassist Marco Nelson, the result of these sessions was the triumphant Mercury Music Prize -nominated Wild Wood , which included
3960-427: The UK began to slide, with the band achieving only one top ten single after 1985. The Style Council's death knell was sounded in 1989 when its record company refused to release its fifth and final studio album, the house-influenced Modernism: A New Decade . With the rejection of this effort, Weller announced that the Style Council had split. It was not until the 1998 retrospective CD box set The Complete Adventures of
4048-598: The UK charts, and Weller would also experience his first success in North America, when " My Ever Changing Moods " and " You're the Best Thing " entered the US Billboard Hot 100 . Weller appeared on 1984's Band Aid record " Do They Know It's Christmas? ", and the Style Council appeared in the British half of Live Aid at Wembley Stadium in 1985. In December 1984, Weller put together his own charity ensemble called
4136-699: The UK charts. Despite the group's lack of commercial success in America, it even made American magazine Rolling Stone ' s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time . " Start! ", released before the album, became another No. 1 single. Commenting on its similar bassline to The Beatles' Revolver cut " Taxman ", Foxton said "Basslines like "Start!" just come to you. It’s not an intentional thing...it’s not quite like "Taxman", note-wise – you couldn’t sue me for it." Two non-LP singles, " Funeral Pyre " and " Absolute Beginners " (named after Colin Macinnes ' novel of
4224-501: The US, albeit at 137 on the Billboard 200 . The album began life as a concept album about three childhood friends, though in the end many of the songs did not relate to this theme. The band's first single of 1980 was intended to be " Dreams of Children ". Due to a labelling error, however, the A- and B-sides of the single were reversed, resulting in the more conventional " Going Underground ",
4312-586: The United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in December 1982, including four number one hits. As of 2007, " That's Entertainment " and " Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero? " remain the best-selling import singles of all time in the UK. They released one live album and six studio albums, the last of which, The Gift , reached number one on the UK Albums Chart . When the group disbanded in 1982, their first 15 singles were re-released and all placed within
4400-524: The Who and the Beatles in the mid-1960s). He has been a committed mod ever since, declaring in a 1991 interview that, "I'll always be a mod. You can bury me a mod". The Jam emerged at the same time as punk rock bands such as the Clash , the Damned , and the Sex Pistols . The Clash were early advocates of the band, and added them as the support on their White Riot tour in May 1977. The Jam's first single, " In
4488-610: The Young Idea , the documentary film, directed by Bob Smeaton, was broadcast on Sky Arts . The documentary was released on DVD , packaged with a recording of their 1980 live performance on German TV show Rockpalast . About the Young Idea was an exhibition held at the Cunard Building in Liverpool , which was opened by Buckler and ran from 1 July to 6 October 2016. Curators Nicky Weller, Den Davies and Russell Reader drew together
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#17329444089684576-452: The award in person, and performed four songs at the ceremony, including the Jam's classic "Town Called Malice". Double live album Catch-Flame! was released in June that year, featuring songs from his solo work and his career with the Jam and the Style Council. Compilation album Hit Parade , released in late 2006, collected singles from the Jam, the Style Council and Weller's solo career. Weller
4664-438: The award, for which James Morrison was T4 's favourite. It was reported that the bookmakers had lost £100,000 in the event, and that as a result would not be taking bets for the awards in the future. In 2009, Weller guested on Dot Allison 's fourth studio album, Room 7½ (2009), co-writing "Love's Got Me Crazy". November and December also saw him on tour, playing shows across the country. On 24 February 2010, Weller received
4752-471: The back catalogue of his solo career and from his Jam and Style Council days, giving rise to a second successful live album of the same name; containing live solo acoustic recordings from the European leg of the tour, the album reached No. 3 in the UK Albums Chart in October 2001. Weller released the No. 1 hit album Illumination in September 2002. Co-produced by Noonday Underground 's Simon Dine, it
4840-469: The band as bassist, with Moore moving to second guitar and keyboards. At this point the group changed its name to From the Jam . In a 2007 press release , Foxton and Buckler announced they were working on a new album and UK tour, which led to press speculation about a full or partial reunion of the Jam, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of In the City . Weller did not take part, and has publicly expressed his lack of interest in any type of reformation. In
4928-742: The band's American house music -inspired album Modernism: A New Decade . During the 1990s, Weller's work began being influenced by late 1960s and early 1970s artists such as Neil Young , Nick Drake , and Traffic . He has also embraced the influence of David Bowie , despite having once said that all but three of his records were "pish". Despite telling Mojo magazine in 2000 that he did not "make music with fuzzy radios or electric spoons", since then, he has incorporated experimental influences into his music, citing Pierre Schaeffer and Karlheinz Stockhausen as major influences for On Sunset ' s experimental tracks. Additionally, Mojo has noted Neu! 's influence on Sonik Kicks ' "Green" and "Around
5016-478: The band's hometown of Woking. Due to ticket demand, an additional date was added at the Brighton Conference Centre on 11 December 1982 for their last performance. The decision to split was solely Weller's. Explaining at the time that he disliked the idea of continuing for as long as possible simply because they were successful, he later told The Daily Mirror in advance of a 2015 Sky documentary on
5104-546: The band's manager, at an extraordinary band meeting in the summer of 1982, "came as a shock" to Buckler and Foxton, who wanted to keep the band together. Buckler told the Woking News and Mail in 2012: "It was like we were going to be driving over a cliff at the end of the year, and you keep thinking 'Well, maybe he'll change his mind'." Both Buckler and Foxton described the experience as bitter, but in later years both expressed understanding, if not complete acceptance. Following
5192-400: The band, "I wanted to end it to see what else I was capable of, and I'm still sure we stopped at the right time. I'm proud of what we did but I didn't want to dilute it, or for us to get embarrassing by trying to go on forever. We finished at our peak. I think we had achieved all we wanted or needed to, both commercially and artistically." Weller's decision to move on, announced by his father,
5280-436: The band, two more school friends replaced them: Rick Buckler on drums and Bruce Foxton on rhythm guitar. Weller's father, acting as their manager , began booking the four-piece into local working men's clubs , and the band began to forge a local reputation, playing a mixture of covers and songs written by Weller and Brookes. After Brookes left the band in 1976, Weller and Foxton decided to swap guitar roles, with Weller now
5368-431: The collective of the Style Council, Weller was able to experiment with a wide range of music, including jazz , blue-eyed soul , and house ; he also brought in musicians and vocalists to produce a different sound on each track. The Style Council also used synthesizers and drum machines to create their musical style, which would later be labelled as sophisti-pop . Many of the Style Council's early singles performed well in
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#17329444089685456-441: The double A-side " David Watts "/"'A' Bomb in Wardour Street". "David Watts" was a cover of a Kinks song, throughout which Weller and Foxton traded lead vocals. "'A' Bomb in Wardour Street" was a Weller original. It became their most successful 7" since " All Around the World ". It was not until their next single, " Down in the Tube Station at Midnight ", that the Jam really regained their former critical acclaim. Around this time,
5544-468: The final concert in Brighton, Polydor re-released all sixteen of the band's singles, nine of which re-entered the UK charts on 22 January 1983. Snap! was the first Jam compilation album released after the band split, reaching No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart in 1983. This was followed by Greatest Hits , released in 1991, which also peaked at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart. A five-CD box set Direction Reaction Creation , featuring all of
5632-434: The first time in 28 years at The Albert Hall in London, performing three songs together. Foxton ruled out a Jam reunion. From 26 June to 27 September 2015, an exhibition entitled The Jam: About the Young Idea ran at Somerset House in London. For the first time, all three members of the band, the Weller family and music archivist Den Davis opened up their archives for the exhibition. Despite Foxton's reported hopes that
5720-424: The guitarist. Weller became interested in 1960s mod subculture in late 1974, particularly after hearing " My Generation " by the Who. As a result, he began riding a Lambretta scooter, styling his hair like Steve Marriott and immersing himself in 1960s soul and R&B music. At his instigation, the Jam began wearing mohair suits onstage and he and Foxton began playing Rickenbacker guitars (as favoured by
5808-434: The last 33 years I've been writing songs and hopefully, with God's good grace, I'll do some more." On 19 March 2012 Weller released his eleventh studio album Sonik Kicks . The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number 1. On 17 December 2012 Weller released the Dragonfly EP, a limited edition vinyl run of 3000 copies. Weller provided vocals on the Moons ' 2012 single "Something Soon". In December 2012, Weller headlined
5896-447: The manic "Billy Hunt" and the acoustic ballad "English Rose". Following two successful and critically acclaimed non-LP singles, " Strange Town " and " When You're Young ", the band released " The Eton Rifles " in advance of their new album. It became their first top 10, rising to No. 3 on the UK charts. November 1979 saw the release of the Setting Sons album, another UK hit, peaking at No. 4, and their first chart entry in
5984-437: The opening would bring all three together on stage for the first time since their 1982 split, Buckler did not attend. NME reported at the time that, while Foxton and Weller apparently reconciled no later than 2010, "Weller and Buckler are said to have not been in the same room since their band’s demise." The exhibition was curated by Tory Turk, Nicky Weller (Paul's sister) and Russell Reader. In September 2015, The Jam: About
6072-441: The pop-soul more associated with his Style Council days. Weller also featured on two songs from the Moons' debut studio album Life on Earth (2010), playing piano on "Wondering" and lead guitar on "Last Night on Earth". Weller was the surprise recipient of the 2009 Brit Award for British Male Solo Artist , which resulted in controversy when it was discovered that a suspiciously high number of bets had been placed for Weller to win
6160-423: The same single (" Town Called Malice " and " Precious ") on one edition of Top of the Pops . They also had two singles, " That's Entertainment " (1981) and " Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero? " (1982), reach No. 21 and No. 8 respectively in the UK singles chart despite not being released as singles in the UK—on the strength of import sales of the German single releases. At that time, "That's Entertainment"
6248-407: The same title ) were released in 1981, both reaching No. 4 on the UK charts. The 1982 release The Gift – the band's final studio LP – was a commercial success, peaking at No. 1 on the UK charts while spending an unprecedented 16 weeks on the US Billboard charts. It featured several soul, funk, and R&B-stylised songs; most notably the No. 1 hit " Town Called Malice " has
6336-573: The single "Entertain Me" under the name Sharp . In 2006, Buckler, who had not been playing for several years after Sharp quit, formed a band named the Gift , playing material from the Jam with musicians Russell Hastings and David Moore. Hastings, who spent many years as a local musician including a couple of years in a Jam tribute band, took on guitar and lead vocal duties. In 2006, Foxton performed on stage with The Gift at some of their concerts, and went on to join
6424-461: The single's planned flipside, getting much more airplay and attention. The single was eventually officially recognised (and listed) as a double A-side by the time the release reached No. 1 in the UK. Sound Affects , released in November 1980, was a No. 2 hit in the UK and peaked at No. 72 on the US Billboard charts, the band's most successful album in the US. Weller said that he
6512-482: The singles " Sunflower " and " Wild Wood ". Weller's first solo live album, Live Wood , was released in 1994, peaking at No. 13 in the UK Albums Chart. Weller's third solo studio album Stanley Road (1995) took him back to the top of the British charts for the first time in a decade, and went on to become the best-selling album of his career. The album, named after the street in Woking where he had grown up, marked
6600-715: The singles "From the Floorboards Up", "Come On/Let's Go" and "Here's the Good News". The album was well-received, reaching No. 4 in the UK charts, though critics noted that he was not moving his music forward stylistically. At the Brit Awards on 14 February 2006 at Earl's Court in London, he was the latest recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award. Despite a tendency to shun such occasions, Weller accepted
6688-556: The split, Foxton did not speak to Weller for over 20 years, and Buckler said in 2015 that he still had not spoken to Weller since, despite repeated attempts by Buckler and Foxton in 1983 and 1984 to meet up with and talk to Weller. As the farewell tour neared its end, Polydor released a live album titled Dig the New Breed , a collection of songs from various concert performances over the band's five-year career which, while commercially successful, met with mixed reviews. The month after
6776-404: The top 100. The band drew upon a variety of stylistic influences over the course of their career, including 1970s punk and new wave and 1960s beat music , soul and rhythm and blues . The trio were known for their melodic pop songs, their distinctly English flavour and their mod image. The band launched the career of Paul Weller , who went on to form the Style Council and later started
6864-460: Was influenced by the Beatles ' Revolver and Michael Jackson 's Off the Wall . It included the acoustic " That's Entertainment ". According to Weller he wrote "That's Entertainment", a bitter slice-of-life commentary on the drudgery of modern working-class life, in around 15 minutes upon returning inebriated from the pub. Despite being only available as an import single, it peaked at No. 21 on
6952-656: Was influenced by early punk bands, including the Sex Pistols and the Clash , and later post-punk acts such as Gang of Four and Joy Division . During the final part of the Jam's career, he introduced more contemporary soul and funk into the band's music, with Spandau Ballet 's " Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On) " and Pigbag 's "Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag" inspiring Jam tracks, including " Absolute Beginners " and " Precious ". Weller's inspiration also came from 1970s soul and funk artists—most notably Curtis Mayfield . Weller has worked various literary influences into his work, such as George Orwell 's work together with
7040-569: Was not replaced. Up to this point Weller had been playing bass and Foxton had been the band's second guitar player; he persuaded Foxton to take over bass duties. The line-up of Weller, Foxton, and Buckler would persist until the end of the Jam's career. Throughout their career, the Jam were managed by Weller's father, John Weller, who then managed Paul's subsequent career until his death in 2009. The Jam were signed to Polydor Records by Chris Parry in February 1977. On 29 April 1977, Polydor released
7128-591: Was offered appointment as a Commander of the [[Order of the British Empire] in the 2006 birthday honours, but rejected the offer. In 2007, Weller was a guest vocalist on the song " John Barleycorn " by the folk music project the Imagined Village , with Martin Carthy and Eliza Carthy also being credited as main artists. It was released on the band's eponymous debut studio album. The double studio album 22 Dreams
7216-528: Was preceded by top 10 hit single "It's Written in the Stars". Weller also appears on Noonday Underground's second studio album called Surface Noise (2002), singing on the track "I'll Walk Right On". In 2002, Weller collaborated with Terry Callier on the single "Brother to Brother", which featured on Callier's ninth studio album Speak Your Peace . That same year, he teamed up with electronic rock duo Death in Vegas on
7304-538: Was released 3 July 2020 and debuted atop the UK Albums Chart, giving Weller UK number-one albums spanning five consecutive decades. He joins the Beatles' John Lennon and Paul McCartney in having the distinction. His number-one albums: The Gift , as part of the Jam (1982). Our Favourite Shop , as part of the Style Council (1985), and solo studio albums Stanley Road (1995), Illumination (2002), 22 Dreams (2008), Sonik Kicks (2012), and On Sunset (2020). Weller's sixteenth solo studio album, Fat Pop (Volume 1) ,
7392-604: Was released on 2 June 2008, with "Echoes Round the Sun" as the lead single. Weller had parted company with his existing band before the recording this album, replacing everyone except guitarist Steve Cradock with Andy Lewis on bass, Andy Crofts of the Moons on keyboards and Steve Pilgrim of the Stands on drums. This album saw Weller move in a more experimental direction, taking in a wide variety of influences including jazz, folk and tango as well as
7480-457: Was released on 23 February 2024. He made his feature film debut in Steve McQueen 's historical war drama Blitz , released in 2024. Weller's formative influences that have remained relatively constant include the Beatles , the Who , the Small Faces and the Kinks , as well as the mid-late 1960s soul and R&B records released by Tamla Motown and Stax . During the Jam years, Weller
7568-557: Was released to critical acclaim on 14 May 2021, and entered the charts at number 1. On 15 May 2021, Weller recorded live symphonic renditions of songs from his catalogue at the Barbican Centre in London with Jules Buckley and the BBC Symphony Orchestra . A live album of the recording session, An Orchestrated Songbook , was released in December 2021. On 28 October 2022, Weller released a B-sides and rarities album Will of
7656-399: Was the best-selling import-only single to date in the UK charts. "Before the Jam split up, I just felt it was time for me to move on, just artistically and creatively. I needed to find something different and different kind of avenues to make music, and a different way of making music." Having already told Buckler and Foxton that he was leaving the band, in October 1982 Weller announced that
7744-562: Was the only Foxton solo composition to be released as a Jam A-side. When the band went back into the studio to record a third album of primarily Foxton contributions, their songs were dismissed by producers as poor, and they held off recording an album in hopes that Weller would once again find inspiration. "News of the World" was used in the opening theme of the BBC television show Mock the Week during its extended run. The Jam released their next single,
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