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.
Cost of Loving
The Style Council Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Honey, that just won't do
As we turn another blind eye
Oh, they steal it from you
But the feelings coming back
Guess it always will
No matter how hurt you've been
Honey that just won't do
Might take a little bit of time
Oh, but I've faith in me and you
The black market on the side
Oh, we take more than we need
And take it in our stride
Starving those who we feed
When the feeling starts again
Then we'll do more right than wrong
Waiting for a brighter day
Has always been too long
The cost of lovings on the line
Honey that just won't do
In The Style Council's song "Cost of Loving," the lyrics explore the theme of the price we pay for love. The singer suggests that love is on the line, and the cost is high. The lyrics suggest that the world we live in is unfair and that love can come with a high price. However, despite the challenges, the feeling of love never truly goes away. The singer has faith in himself and his partner, and is determined to work through the challenges of love.
The lyrics also suggest a parallel between the cost of love and the concept of the black market. The singer notes that we take more than we need and the act of giving comes at the expense of others. The lyrics suggest that the world is out of balance, and that we must strive to do more right than wrong - waiting for a brighter day has always been too long. In essence, the lyrics to "Cost of Loving" highlight the social issues that challenge our ability to love and appreciate one another.
Overall, the lyrics to "Cost of Loving" highlight the themes of love, injustice, and social inequality. The song suggests that love can be challenging, but with faith, we can overcome these challenges. Additionally, the song suggests that a world without love will always be incomplete as love is a fundamental human emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
The cost of lovings on the line again
The expense of loving someone is at risk again
Honey, that just won't do
Darling, we cannot afford to pay for love again
As we turn another blind eye
We keep ignoring reality
Oh, they steal it from you
Others take advantage of you and your feelings
But the feelings coming back
Despite this, emotions are returning
Guess it always will
This will probably never change
No matter how hurt you've been
Regardless of past pain
Might take a little bit of time
It could take a while
Oh, but I've faith in me and you
However, I trust in us
The black market on the side
Illicit exchange on the periphery
Oh, we take more than we need
We consume more than necessary
And take it in our stride
We tolerate this reality without any issue
Starving those who we feed
Undeserving people benefit while others go hungry
When the feeling starts again
As the sensation surfaces again
Then we'll do more right than wrong
We'll endeavor to make more positive choices
Waiting for a brighter day
Anticipating a better tomorrow
Has always been too long
The wait has always felt unbearable
The cost of lovings on the line
The expense of love is once again at risk
Honey that just won't do
It's not feasible to invest in love again
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL JOHN WELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Zebedee Boing
Wow! Never heard this version before. Amazing soulful Jazz undertones with the ModFather himself ! Does it get any better than this?!! Thanx for posting! Brilliant !!
TCB1965
This is beautiful... People forget there were some very precious gems after The Jam. And I'm a 100% diehard Jam freak!!
Cherokee Lair
@Jay Kay Brilliant!
Jay Kay
TCB1965 kind of become a bigger Council friend as I grow older. Talbot was just so brilliant and Weller was pursuing a style I’ve grown to love so much more than rock. That first Jam album is perfect r&b punk. Albums like Sound Affects are achievements and brilliant but this is seeing someone develop from being an enthusiast who makes music to a musician more fully in control of his intent and his craft.
chubattack
Love the infusion between the marginal rock flavours with the solid bossa accompaniment. super track.
taffytop
Good tune from a seriously underrated band
Moses Berkowitz
The Style had some real clinkers, but they were equaled in number by absolute beauties; this is one of them.
Lorenzo
Your gran’s a clinker
Gabriella Galli
So much love for this track and for Mr. God Weller!
Simon Ceccarelli
Grande Gabriella!