Paul Weller
Paul Weller in concert
Background information
Birth name	John William Weller
Also known as	"The Modfather"
Born	25 May 1958 (1958-05-25) (age 50)
Origin	Woking, Surrey, England
Genre(s)	Rock, Mod Revival, Soul
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter Guitarist
Instrument(s)	Guitar Vocals Piano Bass guitar Cello
Years active	1977–present
Label(s)	Polydor , V2, Yep Roc
Associated acts	The Jam The Style Council
Website	http://www.paulweller.com
Notable instrument(s)
Rickenbacker 330 Gibson SG Epiphone Casino Fender Paisley Telecaster Hofner Bass

Paul Weller (born John William Weller 25 May 1958, in Sheerwater, near Woking, Surrey) is an English singer-songwriter. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. The mod revival was a Music genre and Subculture that started in the United Kingdom in 1978 and later spread to other countries (to a lesser degree Soul music is a Music genre that combines Rhythm and blues and Gospel music, originating in the United States. Singer-songwriter is a term that refers to Performers who write, compose and sing their own material including Lyrics A guitarist is a Musician who plays the Guitar. Guitarists may perform solo pieces or play with ensembles and bands of a wide variety of genres A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with Speech. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the The violoncello (abbreviated to cello, or 'cello, plural cellos or celli —the c is tʃ In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Polydor Records is a Record label currently headquartered in the UK, and is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. The Jam were an English Mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s The Style Council were an English musical group formed in 1983 by ex- The Jam singer and guitarist Paul Weller with keyboardist Mick Talbot. For the American WWI fighter pilot see Eddie Rickenbacker. For the airport see Rickenbacker International Airport. The Gibson SG is a popular model of solid-bodied Electric guitar that was introduced in the early 1960s The Epiphone Casino is a thinline hollow body electric Guitar manufactured by Epiphone, a branch of Gibson. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Singer-songwriter is a term that refers to Performers who write, compose and sing their own material including Lyrics

Weller was the leader and creator behind the formation of two successful bands, The Jam (1976-1982) and The Style Council (1983-1989), before starting a successful solo career. A musical ensemble is a group of two or more Musicians who perform instrumental or vocal Music. The Jam were an English Mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s The Style Council were an English musical group formed in 1983 by ex- The Jam singer and guitarist Paul Weller with keyboardist Mick Talbot. ^[1] He has remained essentially a national rather than an international star, possibly because much of his songwriting is rooted in English culture. A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both The culture of England is sometimes difficult to separate clearly from the cultures of its neighbouring countries and to understand how these cultures intermingled and influenced He is also the principal figure of the 1970s Mod revival and is often called the Modfather^[2]. The mod revival was a Music genre and Subculture that started in the United Kingdom in 1978 and later spread to other countries (to a lesser degree

Early life

Weller was born into a working-class family. ^[1] His father worked in the building trade as a scaffolder and a bricklayer, and his mother worked as a cleaner. ^[1] Weller was brought up in Stanley Road, Woking in a Victorian council house, which had an outside toilet but neither hot running water nor central heating. The council house is a form of public or social housing in the United Kingdom. ^[1]

Weller was not academically minded and he disliked the discipline and routine of school; however, he keenly read the lyrics on pop music records and watched Top of the Pops on the television. Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, was a long-running British music chart Television programme, made and broadcast ^[1] From about 10 years old he was interested in playing in a band, and when he was 12 years old his family gave him a guitar, which he learned to play from a few basic music lessons and by playing along to music. ^[1] In 1973, at the age of 14 years, Weller performed his first gig, which was at Walton Road Working Man's Club, with his friend Steve Brooks, who helped to form The Jam. ^[1] They had a regular Wednesday evening slot there and they played cover music to a very small audience. ^[1] As a teenager, he began to realise that a career in pop music would be ideal when a gig the band played in the lunch hour at his school was successful and popular with girl pupils. ^[1] The band played in social clubs, working man's clubs and pubs in Surrey and London for about five years, with his father as manager always keen to promote the band and take care of the organisation. Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. ^[1] They attracted a good following, which was particularly noticeable when they played for three weeks at a pub called the "Red Cow" (now rebuilt and renamed Latymers) in Hammersmith, and increasing numbers of people attended to the extent that queues formed. Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, approximately 5 miles (8km west of Charing Cross on ^[1] The Jam were signed by Polydor Records in 1977 for £6,000, at a time when they were short of money, and later in 1977 they performed on Top of the Pops. Polydor Records is a Record label currently headquartered in the UK, and is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. ^[1]

Career

The Jam

Weller first burst onto the national music scene in 1977 with his first band, The Jam, which he had formed four years earlier in Woking with his friends Steve Brookes (lead guitar), Rick Buckler (drums) and Bruce Foxton (rhythm guitar). The Jam were an English Mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s Lead guitar refers to the use of a Guitar to perform Melody lines instrumental fill passages, and Guitar solos within a song structure Rick Buckler (born Paul Richard Buckler, 6 December 1955, in Woking Surrey, England) was the Drummer of The Jam A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells Bruce Foxton (born 1 September 1955, Woking, Surrey) is an English Rock and roll Musician who is best remembered Rhythm guitar is the use of a Guitar to provide Rhythmic chordal Accompaniment for a singer or other instruments in a Musical ensemble Weller himself took lead vocal duties and bass guitar. The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the When Brookes left the band, Weller and Foxton swapped guitar roles.

Although The Jam emerged at the same time as punk rock bands such as the Sex Pistols and The Clash, The Jam better fit the mould of the so-called 'new wave' bands who came later. The Sex Pistols are an English Punk rock band that formed in London in 1975 For the debut album by The Clash see The Clash (album The Clash were New Wave is a Rock music genre that existed during the late 1970s and the 1980s Also, being from just outside of London rather than in it, they were never really part of the tightly-knit punk clique. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. A clique ( IPA:/'klɪk/ in America /'kliːk/ elsewhere is an exclusive group of people who share interests views purposes patterns of behavior or ethnicity

Nonetheless, The Clash seemed to take the most notice of the band. Joe Strummer even supposedly had a conversation with Weller and suggested he write songs about things that affected him, as well as songs that involved society and politics. John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002 better known as Joe Strummer, was the co-founder lyricist Rhythm guitarist and lead singer of the The Clash were also suitably impressed by The Jam to take them along as the support act on their White Riot tour of 1977. The Jam went on to be far more successful in the singles charts than The Clash in the UK.

The Jam's single "In the City" took them into the UK Top 40 for the first time in May 1977. The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC on behalf of the British record industry Although every subsequent single had a placing within the Top 40, it would not be until the band released "The Eton Rifles" that they broke into the Top 10, hitting the No. The Top Forty or Top 40 is a music industry shorthand for the currently most-popular songs in a particular genre. 3 spot in November 1979.

From then on their blend of pop melodies and politically conscious lyrics made them hugely popular, and in 1980 they hit number one for the first time with "Going Underground". Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure In Popular music, a chart-topper is an extremely popular recording, identified by its inclusion in a ranked list&mdasha Chart &mdashof top A popular story has it that hitting the charts at all was in fact an accident for "Going Underground": it was supposed to be a double A side with "Dreams of Children", but a mistake at a French pressing plant meant "Going Underground" was given 'A' status on the label. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. A factory (previously manufactory) or manufacturing plant is an industrial Building where workers manufacture goods Whether this is true or apocryphal is not known, but whatever the case, after "Going Underground", The Jam - and Weller in particular - were UK superstars.

Weller was strongly influenced by 1960s bands such as The Kinks, The Small Faces and The Who. The Kinks were an English pop and rock group formed in 1963 and categorised in the US as a British Invasion band Small Faces were an English rock group from East London, heavily influenced by American Rhythm and blues. The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend However, that did not mean that he was averse to finding inspiration in the works of many other artists. For example, The Jam's second number one single, "Start!" lifts the bass line from The Beatles' "Taxman", while the chord progression of "It's Too Bad" from All Mod Cons is heavily based on "She Loves You". The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 All Mod Cons is a 1978 Album by the British Punk rock / Mod revival band The Jam. The group's third chart topper, "Town Called Malice", which found renewed fame on the Billy Elliot soundtrack (2001), has a bass line taken straight from one of Martha Reeves & the Vandellas' less-remembered hits, "I'm Ready for Love. Billy Elliot is a 2000 Film written by Lee Hall and directed by Stephen Daldry. Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1972 as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas) were among the most successful groups in the Motown "

By the early 1980s, The Jam had become one of the biggest bands in Britain. They became the only band other than The Beatles to perform two songs ("Town Called Malice" and "Precious") on one edition of Top of the Pops (the feat would later also be equalled by Oasis and Manic Street Preachers). Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, was a long-running British music chart Television programme, made and broadcast Oasis are an English rock band that formed in Manchester in 1991 Manic Street Preachers (often known colloquially as the " Manics " or " MSP " are a Welsh rock band consisting of James The Jam even had one single, "That's Entertainment", reach No. 21 in the UK singles chart despite not even being released in that country - it got there purely on the strength of the huge number of people buying import sales of the German single release. The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC on behalf of the British record industry Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Weller, however, was eager to explore other musical avenues he felt he could not follow with The Jam. Later Jam songs such as "The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow)" - often described by critics as "a Style Council song pretending to be a Jam song" - were written in a more melodic, soulful style. " The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow " was a single released by The Jam after the success of the album The Gift. The Style Council were an English musical group formed in 1983 by ex- The Jam singer and guitarist Paul Weller with keyboardist Mick Talbot.

In 1982, Weller announced that The Jam would disband at the end of the year. Their final single, "Beat Surrender", became their fourth UK chart topper, going straight to No. 1 in its first week, which was still a rare achievement at the time. Their farewell concerts at Wembley Arena were multiple sell-outs. Wembley Arena is a famous Entertainment venue located in Wembley, London, UK. Their final concert took place at the Brighton Centre on the December 11, 1982. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar)

The Style Council

At the beginning of 1983, Weller collaborated with keyboard player Mick Talbot to form a new group called The Style Council. Michael 'Mick' Talbot (born 11 September 1958, Wimbledon, South West, London) is a Keyboardist. The Style Council were an English musical group formed in 1983 by ex- The Jam singer and guitarist Paul Weller with keyboardist Mick Talbot. Weller brought in Steve White, who was 17 at the time, to play drums. Steve White (born on 31 May, 1965 in Bermondsey, London) is an English Drummer who has worked extensively with A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells White has been playing with Weller ever since (apart from a two-year break in 1989-1990).

The Style Council played in a wide range of musical styles, from pop and jazz to soul/R&B and the occasional folk-styled ballad. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States The soul, according to many religious and philosophical beliefs is the self-awareness, or Consciousness, unique to a particular living A ballad is a Poem usually set to Music; thus it often is a story told in a Song. The band was at the vanguard of a jazz/pop revival that would continue with the emergence of bands like Matt Bianco, Sade, and Everything But The Girl, whose members Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt contributed vocals and guitar to a Style Council song, "Paris Match". Matt Bianco is a UK band that was formed in 1983 and continues to exist to date Everything but the Girl ( EBTG) are a two-person English band formed in Hull in 1982, consisting of lead singer and sometime- Guitarist Tracey Thorn (born Tracey Anne Thorn on September 26, 1962, in Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire) is an English pop Singer Ben Watt (born 6 December 1962, Barnes, London) is a UK Musician, DJ, and Record producer, best known

However, the Style Council were not completely untouched by the spirit of The Jam - indeed, one of their early singles "A Solid Bond In Your Heart" was originally written and recorded during The Jam era, this earlier version later turning up on that band's Extras compilation. "Walls Come Tumbling Down!" did well in North America, appearing with "The Internationalists" on the Live Aid album and getting airplay on some college radio stations. Live Aid was a multi-venue rock music concert held on. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia College ( Latin collegium) is a term most often used today to denote an Educational Institution. This article is about radio broadcasting for other uses see Radio (disambiguation.

Although the Style Council were never as commercially successful as The Jam - they never had a No. 1 single - that did not stop Weller from greatly increasing his public profile in the UK. He appeared on 1984's famous Band Aid record "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (although his major contribution was probably to mime the unavailable Bono's part on the Top of the Pops performance of the song) and the Style Council were the second act to appear in the British half of Live Aid at Wembley Stadium in 1985. Band Aid was a British and Irish charity supergroup, founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in order to raise money original Wembley Stadium was a football Stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the

In December 1984, Weller put together his own charity ensemble, the Council Collective, to make a record ("Soul Deep") to raise money for striking miners. The miners' strike of 1984 – 1985 was a major Industrial action affecting the British coal industry. The record featured the Style Council plus a number of other performers, notably Jimmy Ruffin and Junior Giscombe. Jimmy Ruffin (born May 7, 1939 in Collinsville Mississippi) is an American soul Singer and older brother of Junior Giscombe (born Norman Giscombe 6 June 1960, London, of Jamaican parents is a Singer-songwriter who was one of the first In spite of the song's political content, it still picked up BBC Radio 1 airplay and was performed on Top of the Pops, which led to the incongruous sight of lyrics such as "We can't afford to let the government win/It means death to the trade unions" being mimed amid the show's flashing lights and party atmosphere. Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, was a long-running British music chart Television programme, made and broadcast Weller also rapped for the first (and, so far, only) time during the song. Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and

The Style Council were marginally more successful in the US than The Jam had been, with "My Ever Changing Moods" providing them with their first of only two singles to ever make the Billboard Hot 100, the other being "You're The Best Thing". In Australia however, they were far more successful than The Jam having a number one in 1984 with "Shout To The Top" and many other top 40 singles.

As the 1980s wore on, the Style Council's popularity in the UK itself began to slide, with none of their singles even reaching the Top 20. The Style Council's death knell was sounded in 1989 when their record company refused to release their fifth and final studio album, Modernism: A New Decade, although this did eventually have a limited vinyl run and appeared on The Complete Adventures of the Style Council, retrospective CD box set. An album or record album is a collection of related audio or Music tracks distributed to the public Modernism A New Decade is an album by the band The Style Council. A Compact Disc (also known as a CD) is an Optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio

Solo career

Weller performing at V-Fest.

In 1989, Weller disbanded The Style Council and disappeared from the public eye for a couple of years, before returning to prominence as one of the major influences of the mid 1990s (beginning in 1991 as The Paul Weller Movement and later simply as Paul Weller). With his long-term drummer and friend Steve White in tow, Weller successfully joined the 'Britpop' movement that gave rise to such bands as Oasis and Blur. Steve White (born on 31 May, 1965 in Bermondsey, London) is an English Drummer who has worked extensively with Britpop is a subgenre of Alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Oasis are an English rock band that formed in Manchester in 1991 Blur are an English Alternative rock band that formed in London in 1989 Oasis in particular cited The Jam as a major influence. Weller even appeared as a guest guitarist and backing vocalist on Oasis' hit song "Champagne Supernova". " Champagne Supernova " is a song by the band Oasis. It was written by Noel Gallagher and sung by his brother Liam. During this time Weller's music was also marketed among the emerging Acid Jazz scene. Acid jazz (also known as groove jazz in USA is a Musical genre that combines elements of Jazz, Funk and Hip-hop Most Such tracks include "Here's a New Thing", and "That Spiritual Feeling" (which was recycled from the then-unreleased Modernism sessions).

Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher also appeared on Weller's album Stanley Road, providing guitar and backing vocals on the cover of Dr. John's song "I Walk On Gilded Splinters". Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born 29 May 1967 in Manchester, England is the lead guitarist backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of British rock band Oasis Stanley Road is the third Album by Paul Weller, released by Go! Discs in 1995 In Popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition ( Performance or Recording) of a previously recorded commercially released Dr John (also Dr John Creaux) is the Stage name of Malcolm John Rebennack Jr Weller was an important influence in the development of Ocean Colour Scene, and members of that band, particularly guitarist Steve Cradock, who has been a regular fixture in Weller's band since the early 1990s, except for 99-2000 when Ocean Colour Scene had reached their peak and guitar duties went to Matt Deighton of Mother Earth. Ocean Colour Scene (often abbreviated to OCS) are an English Britpop band from Birmingham. Steve Cradock (born Stephen Cradock 22 August 1969 in Solihull, England) is a British Guitarist, most notable for Weller went back on the road, performing Jam and Style Council covers, under the guise of The Paul Weller Movement, eventually releasing the single "Into Tomorrow" on his own Freedom High record label. In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music His first solo album, the self-titled Paul Weller, featured photography from Nick Knight. Paul Weller is Paul Weller 's first solo album released in 1992 The album was financed partly from the sale of his West End-based recording studio, Solid Bond. The West End of London is an area of Central London, England, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions businesses headquarters and the commercial The difference between his last work, the house music workout Modernism - A New Decade and this solo album four years on were astounding; the self-titled album saw a return to a raw guitar sound, featuring samples and a funk influence, with shades of The Style Council sound. House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul The album also featured a new producer, Brendan Lynch.

Fans and critics hail Wild Wood as one of Weller's finest albums. Wild Wood was Paul Weller 's second solo record released in 1993 Recorded deep in the English countryside, it had the sound and style of the new "get out of the city" Weller, a man matured and married with children.

However, his role was not that of a mere influence: his own 1995 album Stanley Road took him back to the top of the British charts, and went on to become the best-selling album of his career. Stanley Road is the third Album by Paul Weller, released by Go! Discs in 1995 The album was named after the street in Woking where he had grown up. It marked a return to the more guitar-based style of his earlier days. The album's major single, "The Changingman", was also a big hit,sampling the Electric Light Orchestra single "10538 Overture" and taking Weller to #7 in the UK singles charts. The album also featured a second popular single, the ballad "You Do Something To Me", which was his second consecutive Top 10 single, peaking at #9 in the UK. It also featured the #20 hit "Broken Stones" and a new version of 1994 single "Out Of The Sinking", which made #16. The album also featured "Wings of Speed", inspired by the famous painting The Lady of Shalott. "The Lady of Shalott" is a Victorian Poem or ballad by the English poet Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809&ndash1892

Heavy Soul, the follow up to the million-selling Stanley Road saw Weller twist his sound again. Heavy Soul is the fourth album by English Singer-songwriter Paul Weller, originally released on the 23 June 1997 ( 5th August The album was more raw than its predecessor; Weller was now frequently playing live in the studio in as few takes as possible. The album reached number 2 in the official UK charts, mainly because a limited edition was deemed to have too many 'freebies' included to be chart-eligible. The issue was that the images featured in the booklet of the main release were separate in the limited version. This would also include a small but often unrecognised use of Gil Scott Heron's "Lady Day & John Coltrane" on the track "science". The first single, "Peacock Suit", which continued in his hard-rock vein, was the most successful released from the album, reaching #5 in the UK Singles Chart. The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC on behalf of the British record industry

New Jam and Style Council 'best of' albums took his earlier career back into the charts, including a reissue of "The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had To Swallow") and his own solo 'best of' collection Modern Classics was a substantial success in 1998.

In 2000, he released his fifth solo studio album, and seventh solo effort overall, called Heliocentric (as well as the Modern Classics compilation, there had also been the 1994 live album called Live Wood). Heliocentric is the fifth studio album by Paul Weller, released 10 April 2000 in the UK Live Wood, released in 1994 was Paul Weller 's first solo live album comprising a collection of high energy and melodic numbers selected from his successful 1993/1994 There were rumours at the time that this would be his final studio effort, but these proved unfounded when he released the No. 1 hit album Illumination in September 2002, preceded by yet another top 10 hit single "It's Written In The Stars". Illumination is the sixth album by English Singer-songwriter Paul Weller, released on 16 September 2002. Between these two albums he had also released a second successful live album, 2001's Days Of Speed, which contained live acoustic versions from his world tour of the same name. Days of Speed is Paul Weller 's second live album released on 8 October 2001 in the UK and 2 July 2002 in the The LP included some of his best-known songs from his solo career and the back catalogues of his Jam and Style Council days. Weller had again found himself without a record contract and the tour provided him with the opportunity to view his works as one back catalogue.

In 2003, Weller teamed up with electronic rock duo Death in Vegas on a cover of Gene Clark's "So You Say You Lost Your Baby" which featured on the album Scorpio Rising. Electronic music is music that employs Electronic musical instruments and Electronic Music technology in its production Death in Vegas are a Psychedelic rock and Electronic rock band from the United Kingdom, comprised of two permanent members Richard Fearless and Tim Holmes Gene Clark, born Harold Eugene Clark (born Tipton Missouri, November 17, 1944 - May 24, 1991) was an American

In 2004 Weller released an album of covers entitled Studio 150. Studio 150 is the seventh album by British artist Paul Weller. It debuted at No. 2 in the UK charts and included Bob Dylan's, "All Along the Watchtower". Bob Dylan (born Robert Zimmerman, May 24 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota) is an American singer-songwriter author poet and painter who has been a major " All Along the Watchtower " is a folk song written and recorded by Singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. The album also contained the singles "The Bottle" originally performed by Gil Scott Heron, "Wishing On A Star" by Rose Royce, "Thinking Of You" by Sister Sledge and "Early Morning Rain" by Gordon Lightfoot. Gil Scott-Heron (born April 1 1949) is an American Poet, Musician, and Author known primarily for his late 1960s and Rose Royce is a Grammy Award -winning soul, Funk, and Disco band based in Los Angeles. Sister Sledge is an American Musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four Singers who are Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr, (born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer and songwriter who achieved international success in folk country and This was a limited edition, coloured vinyl only, double A-sided 7", along with a cover of The Beatles' "Come Together". A vinyl compound is any Organic compound that contains a vinyl group (also called ethenyl) &minus C[[Hydrogen H]] =CH sub>2 There was live concert film featuring the material, and accusations followed that perhaps Weller's handlers where trying to "pull a Rod Stewart" on his image. Roderick "Rod" David Stewart, CBE (born 10 January 1945 is a Singer and Songwriter born and raised in London England and currently

His 2005 album As Is Now featured the singles "From The Floorboards Up", "Come On/Let's Go" and "Here's The Good News". As Is Now is Paul Weller 's eighth Studio album. Released in October 2005 it reached number 4 in the UK charts Weller released a double live album titled Catch-Flame! on June 12, 2006, with songs from both his solo work and his career with The Jam and The Style Council. Catch-Flame! was recorded at London’s Alexandra Palace and is Paul Weller ’s third solo live album Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

In late 2006, the album Hit Parade was released. Hit Parade is a 2006 Greatest hits Box set of Paul Weller 's musical career This collected together all the singles released by the Jam, Style Council and Weller during his solo career. Two versions of this album were released: a single disc with a selection from each stage of his career, and a four disc limited edition, which included every single released and came with a 64- page booklet. The term special edition ( deluxe edition and collector's edition are also used is a term generally used as a Marketing incentive for various kinds of products However, the album did not include the new "Wild Blue Yonder" single, which was released on the same day. A new album is due to be released in early 2008. Paul Weller's song catalogue is published by BMG Music Publishing.

Paul Weller will be touring the UK in 2008 with his new band featuring Steve Craddock on guitar, Andy Lewis on bass, Andy Crofts of The Moons/The On Offs on keys and Steve Pilgrim of The Stands on drums. A new double album, 22 Dreams, will be released in June 2008.

Personal life

Soon after the formation of The Style Council, Weller and Dee C. Lee, Style Council's backing singer, formed a romantic relationship. The Style Council were an English musical group formed in 1983 by ex- The Jam singer and guitarist Paul Weller with keyboardist Mick Talbot. Dee C Lee (born Diane Catherine Sealey, 6 June 1961, Balham, South London) is an English Singer. A backing vocalist or backing singer (or especially in the US The couple married, and have two children. The couple are now divorced. Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the termination of a Marriage. Weller has five children in total: two with Lee, one from a short relationship, and two with his current girlfriend.

Weller has a good relationship with his father and appreciates his practical approach and honest opinions. ^[1] When Weller's father's health began to fail in 2003–4 he retired from being Weller's manager; nevertheless, Weller still welcomes his opinions. ^[1]

Paul Weller declined to receive a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list of 2006. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Queen's Birthday Honours (or King's Birthday Honours when the monarch is male is a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[3]

Legacy

• Three of Weller's songs - two Style Council numbers and one song from The Jam - appeared on the soundtrack to the film Billy Elliot. Billy Elliot is a 2000 Film written by Lee Hall and directed by Stephen Daldry.
• His influence upon the 1990s generation of British guitar bands, coupled with his love of 1960's Mod-era music, had earned him the affectionate nickname "The Modfather". ^[4][5] In 1995 he collaborated with Noel Gallagher and Paul McCartney to form a one-off 'super group' called The Smokin' Mojo Filters, releasing a charity version of The Beatles' hit "Come Together" in aid of Bosnian children. Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942 is an English rock Singer, Bass guitarist songwriter Composer, The Help Album is a 1995 charity album devoted to the War Child charity's aid efforts in war-stricken areas such as Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Latin script: Bosna i Hercegovina, Cyrillic script: Босна и Херцеговина is a country on the Balkan
• The Style Council came in at No. 97, Weller as a solo artist at No. 21 and The Jam at No. 5 in British national radio station Virgin Radio's poll in December 2002 to find the top 100 British artists of all time. Virgin Radio is a brand owned by the Virgin Group used by a number of different radio stations worldwide under licence from Virgin
• In February 2006, Paul Weller received the Lifetime Achievement award at the BRIT Awards. Stories without links will be removed. News stories must be in English The BRIT Awards, often simply called The BRITs, are the British Phonographic Industry 's annual pop music awards At the presentation, he played his solo tracks "From The Floorboards Up", "Come On/Let's Go", "The Changingman" and also The Jam's "Town Called Malice".
• With Steve White, Weller also set up a website called checkemlads.com following a chat with a fan Philly Morris who was going through cancer treatment in 2003. Philly Morris (born 13 July 1972 in Heswall, Merseyside) is one of the UK's leading campaigners for more Testicular cancer awareness Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled
• In 1983, The Jam broke The Beatles' record of seven singles in the Top 100 simultaneously. The Jam placed 14 singles in the same week. This happened when Polydor rushed to re-release their entire back catalogue following the band split.
• Paul Weller's career features strongly in the arts. The arts is a broad subdivision of Culture, composed of many expressive disciplines. In film, The Style Council song Have You Ever Had It Blue featured in the film Absolute Beginners starring Patsy Kensit, Eddie O'Connell and David Bowie; The Jam song Town Called Malice is used in the film Billy Elliot starring Jamie Bell; The Weller solo song You Do Something to Me appears in The Truth About Cats & Dogs starring Uma Thurman and the Paul Weller song Everything Has a Price to Pay is heard in the film Face starring Robert Carlyle, Ray Winstone and Phil Davies. The Style Council were an English musical group formed in 1983 by ex- The Jam singer and guitarist Paul Weller with keyboardist Mick Talbot. This article is about the book Absolute Beginners For the film see Absolute Beginners (film. Patricia Jude Francis Kensit (born March 4, 1968) is an English actress and former Singer, well-known for her three celebrity David Bowie (ˈboʊiː born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 is an English Musician, actor producer, and arranger. " Town Called Malice " is a song recorded by The Jam from the album The Gift. Billy Elliot is a 2000 Film written by Lee Hall and directed by Stephen Daldry. Jamie Bell' (born 14 March 1986 in Billingham, County Durham, England) is a BAFTA -winning English Actor. "You Do Something to Me" is a song written by Cole Porter. The Truth About Cats & Dogs is a 1996 American film a Romantic comedy starring Uma Thurman, Janeane Garofalo, Ben Chaplin Uma Karuna Thurman ( IPA: /ˈumə ˈθɝmən/ born April 29 1970 is an Academy Award -nominated American actress. The term face refers to the central sense organ complex for those animals that have one normally on the ventral surface of the head and can depending on the definition Robert Carlyle OBE (born April 14, 1961) is an acclaimed BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award -winning Scottish Film Raymond Andrew "Ray" Winstone Jr (born 19 February 1957) is an Emmy Award -winning English film and television actor For the Welsh rugby player of the 2000s see Phil Davies (rugby player born 1981 Phil Davies (born 19 October 1963 in On television The Jam song News of the World is the theme tune to Mock The Week whilst the Jack Dee comedy Lead Balloon includes One Way Road (written by Noel Gallagher, performed by Paul Weller). The News of the World is a British Tabloid Newspaper published every Sunday Mock the Week is a British topical Panel game, hosted by Dara Ó Briain. Jack Dee (born James Andrew Innes Dee, 24 September 1962 is an English Stand-up comedian, Actor and Writer, best known for his Lead Balloon is a British television series produced by Open Mike Productions for BBC Four. Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born 29 May 1967 in Manchester, England is the lead guitarist backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of British rock band Oasis There are numerous books written about Paul Weller's career and even in the world of fiction the 2004 Lad lit novel You Are Here includes a character, Dave Holliman, who is a big Weller fan and there are numerous references to The Jam and Style Council. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

Solo Discography

Albums

Studio

• Paul Weller - (1992) #8 UK
• Wild Wood - (1993) #2 UK
• Stanley Road - (1995) #1 UK
• Heavy Soul - (1997) #2 UK
• Heliocentric - (2000) #2 UK
• Illumination - (2002) #1 UK
• Studio 150 - (2004) #2 UK
• As Is Now - (2005) #4 UK
• 22 Dreams - (2008) #1 UK

Live

• Live Wood - (1994) #13 UK
• Days Of Speed - (2001) #3 UK
• Catch-Flame! - (2006) #17 UK
• Live At the Royal Albert Hall - (2008) #140 UK^[6]

Compilations

• Modern Classics - The Greatest Hits - (1998) #7 UK
• Fly On The Wall - (2003) #22 UK
• Hit Parade - (2006) #7 UK

Re-issues

• Stanley Road (10th Anniversary Edition) - (2005) - #51 UK
• Wild Wood (Deluxe Edition) - (2007) - #88 UK

Singles

• [1] Released as The Paul Weller Movement
• [2] Released as Terry Callier & Paul Weller
• [3] Released as Graham Coxon & Paul Weller
• [4] Released as Andy Lewis & Paul Weller
• [5] Released as Gabrielle featuring Paul Weller

External links

• Official Site
• Unofficial Site
• Mr Cools dream. The complete history of The Style Council.
• The "Ooh Aah Paul Weller" fanzine site.
• Paul Weller's young mens cancer awareness site
• Profile at BBC.co.uk
• Steve White, Weller's long serving drummer
• The Paul Weller Live Concert Archive
• Various Paul Weller Album Reviews
• map Google Map view of Stanley Road, Woking
• Paul Weller Interview from PEOM
• Paul Weller interview/analysis from New York Magazine
• Porcelain God. The definitive Paul Weller documentary.
• The Independent Article: Paul Weller: Style councillor
• The Times Article: Paul Weller flags up his new album 22 - Dreams with marathon tour
• Drowned By Sound Article: Paul Weller in conversation: an influence and his own

References

• Munn, Iain (2006). Mr Cool's Dream. The Complete History Of The Style Council. Wholepoint Publications. ISBN 0-9551443-0-2.