The band showed a diversity of musical styles. Singles "Speak Like a Child" (with its loud soul-influenced style), the extended funk of "Money-Go-Round", and the haunting synth-ballad "Long Hot Summer" all featured Talbot on keyboards and organ. Near the end of 1983, these songs were compiled on Introducing The Style Council, a mini-album initially released in Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States only. The Dutch version was heavily imported to the United Kingdom.
In 1984, the single "My Ever-Changing Moods", backed with the Hammond organ instrumental "Mick's Company", reached #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The song remains Weller's greatest success on the American charts (including his efforts in The Jam and as a solo artist), while the group reached the peak of its success in the United Kingdom with the 1985 album Our Favourite Shop.
To Weller's fans, the decision to split up The Jam at the height of their commercial success was met with considerable controversy[citation needed]. Weller deliberately distanced himself from The Jam's sound and style, with his use of new musical arrangements and instruments in a much slicker, more heavily produced style. In the place of the Bruce Foxton-Rick Buckler rhythm section were drum and bass parts done entirely on synthesisers.
Structurally, many of the band's early singles were not far removed from The Jam's latter-day soul-pop efforts such as "Town Called Malice" and "Beat Surrender", but they were often criticised as overproduced, despite Weller's impressive songwriting[citation needed]. Also, many observers saw even the early albums as indulgent and overly experimental; Trouser Press called Café Bleu "too schizophrenic to be a good album".
The Style Council took a more overtly political approach than The Jam in their lyrics, with tracks such as "Walls Come Tumbling Down", "The Lodgers", and "Come To Milton Keynes" being deliberate attacks on 'middle England' and Thatcherite principles prevalent in the Eighties. Weller was also instrumental in the formation of Red Wedge with Billy Bragg. However, he later said that this began to detract from the music: "We were involved with a lot of political things going on at that time. I think after a while that overshadowed the music a bit"
In 1986, the band released a live album, Home and Abroad, and, in 1987, the album The Cost of Loving was launched, followed later in the year by the upbeat non-album single "Wanted", which reached #20 in the United Kingdom. However, Confessions of a Pop Group, released a year later, sold poorly. This led to their record label Polydor rejecting their final album (Modernism: A New Decade), which was heavily influenced by the contemporary house scene. A greatest hits album, appropriately called The Singular Adventures of The Style Council, was released internationally in 1989; it included the non-album single "Promised Land", which had reached #27 in the United Kingdom earlier that year.
In 1989 members of The Style Council went under the name of King Truman to release a single on Acid Jazz titled "Like A Gun". This was unbeknown to Polydor and the single was pulled from the shops only 3 days prior to release. Acid Jazz founder Eddie Piller said "The pair offered to make a single for my new label, which I'd just started with Radio 1 DJ Gilles Peterson as a side project. Mick and Paul took pseudonyms Truman King and Elliott Arnold." [1]
The Style Council broke up in 1989. The cover of "Promised Land" (originally by Joe Smooth) was the only release which surfaced from the Modernism sessions at the time; however, the entire album was released in 1998, both independently and in a 5-CD box set, The Complete Adventures Of The Style Council. After the split, Weller embarked on a successful solo career (still featuring Steve White on drums, who had left The Style Council by the time Confessions of a Pop Group was released, having only played on a few of its tracks). Talbot and White released two albums as Talbot/White — United States of Mind (1995) and Off The Beaten Track (1996). More recently, Mick Talbot and Steve White have formed The Players with Damon Minchella and Aziz Ibrahim.
All of The Style Council's UK releases (including singles, 12" maxis, albums, compact discs and re-issues thereof) featured the work of graphic designer Simon Halfon, who often collaborated with Weller to hone his ideas into a graphic form. Weller and Halfon began working together at the end of The Jam's career, and continue to work together to this day on Weller's solo material.
Since 2007, the song "Walls Come Tumbling Down" has been used as the theme song for the German TV series Dr. Psycho – Die Bösen, die Bullen, meine Frau und ich.
Call Me
The Style Council Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But believe me it will fly by
And if it don't treat you right
I want you to know that you can call me.
Into each life, some rain must fall
But if the storm becomes too much for you all
Don't be afraid to enter my life
I will be there when you call me.
Don't let your pride get in the way of your view
Of how we used to be
Oh, to you it's long ago, but to me, yesterday,
The passing of time is like the crashing of waves
It wears down on your memory and you can forget
That if it all gets too much I will always be there
For you to call me, if you need to call me.
Into each life, some rain must fall
But when the storm becomes too much for you all
Don't be ashamed to enter my life
I will be there when you call me.
The Style Council's "Call Me" is a heartfelt ballad about being there for someone who is going through a difficult time. The lyrics of the song convey the message that time flies by quickly and that if someone is unhappy, they should not hesitate to call the singer. He tells the listener that he will be there to offer support and comfort, regardless of whether the relationship between them is currently in a good place.
The first verse highlights the fact that time is fleeting and that if someone is not happy, they should not just accept it and plod on. The second line further emphasises this by stating that it "will fly by". The reassuring message comes in the second part of the verse where the singer says "And if it don't treat you right, I want you to know that you can call me". This creates a sense that the singer is always there to provide support to the listener, should they need it. The chorus then reinforces this message by stating that "Into each life, some rain must fall, but when the storm becomes too much for you all, Don't be afraid to enter my life, I will be there when you call me."
The second verse is directed towards the listener to overcome their stubbornness and not let pride get in the way of seeking help. The singer emphasises that to the listener it might seem like a long time ago, but to him it's as fresh as yesterday. It shows that true emotions don't fade away with time, and promises that the singer will always be there to take care of whoever needs it. The song's last few lines remind the listener that he or she is not alone and the singer will be there to provide support and comfort, no matter how dire the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
I know you have time
I understand that you may currently have some free time on your hands.
But believe me it will fly by
Time can pass very quickly, so make the most of what you have.
And if it don't treat you right
If life is not treating you fairly or kindly.
I want you to know that you can call me.
I am always here and willing to help you, so don't hesitate to reach out to me.
Into each life, some rain must fall
Difficult times and challenges are inevitable in life.
But if the storm becomes too much for you all
If the struggles and hardships become overwhelming and unbearable.
Don't be afraid to enter my life
Do not hesitate to ask for my help and support.
I will be there when you call me.
I will be available to help you whenever you need me.
Don't let your pride get in the way of your view
Do not let your ego or stubbornness prevent you from seeing things clearly.
Of how we used to be
Of our past relationship or interactions that we shared.
Oh, to you it's long ago, but to me, yesterday,
Even though it may have been a long time ago for you, it still feels recent and fresh in my memory.
The passing of time is like the crashing of waves
Time can feel relentless, like waves crashing against a shore, as it wears down on your thoughts and emotions.
It wears down on your memory and you can forget
The passage of time can make you forget important details or emotions associated with past events.
That if it all gets too much I will always be there
To reassure you that I will be available to help you whenever things become too much to handle.
For you to call me, if you need to call me.
To emphasize that I am always available and ready to be a support system for you.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALLEN HENRY MC GRIER, MARY C BROCKERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind