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.
Fairy Tales
The Style Council Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But from close distance, he don't seem that big at all
In fact he's no more than you or I
Though we give him far more power than his size
Could such a land ever exist
Where those so many could be rendered oh so weak
And still be listening by the phone
To buy shares in things that we already own
The giant towers over all
But from close distance she don't seem that big at all
In fact she's no more than you or I
Though we give her far more power than her size
Now as we lay me down to sleep
Hold firm the idea that the truth shall always keep
For history will prove in time
That their laws today will be tomorrows crime
The Style Council's song Fairy Tales is a commentary on the power dynamics in society and how individuals sometimes blindly follow the lead of those in power, believing them to be larger-than-life figures. The metaphor of a giant is used to illustrate this point. From a distance, the giant seems to be an overwhelming presence, towering over everything else. However, when viewed up close, the giant appears to be no larger than an average person. This contrast highlights the fact that those in power derive their power from the perceptions of others, rather than from any inherent qualities that make them superior.
The lyrics convey a sense of skepticism about the way power is wielded in society, as demonstrated by the line "Could such a land ever exist, where those so many could be rendered oh so weak". The song suggests that people give too much deference to those in power, often blindly following their lead and investing in things that they already own, simply because those in power tell them to. The song does not offer a solution to this problem, but rather urges listeners to reflect on the ways in which they themselves may be contributing to this system of power dynamics.
In the final verse, the song takes a more somber tone, urging listeners to remember that the laws of today may become the crimes of tomorrow. This is a warning about the danger of blindly following the lead of those in power, who may use their power to commit nefarious acts. The song suggests that we should hold fast to the idea of truth, recognizing that history has a way of revealing the truth in the end.
Line by Line Meaning
The giant towers over all
The powerful are seen as towering and dominant.
But from close distance, he don't seem that big at all
On closer inspection, the powerful are just as human as the rest of us.
In fact he's no more than you or I
Despite their perceived power, the powerful are no more important or valuable than ordinary people.
Though we give him far more power than his size
The power we assign to the powerful is often exaggerated and disproportionate to their actual abilities.
Could such a land ever exist
The song questions whether a society could be so controlled by the powerful.
Where those so many could be rendered oh so weak
In this imagined society, the average person is powerless and easily controlled by the powerful.
And still be listening by the phone
Despite their lack of power, the marginalized are still willing to invest in things they don't fully understand.
To buy shares in things that we already own
The powerful exploit the marginalized by selling them things that they already own or will never benefit from.
Now as we lay me down to sleep
The song transitions to a call for hope and change.
Hold firm the idea that the truth shall always keep
We need to cling to the belief that truth and justice will ultimately prevail.
For history will prove in time
As time passes, it will become clear how unjust and oppressive the powerful have been.
That their laws today will be tomorrows crime
The laws and actions of the powerful that are accepted today will be seen as criminal and immoral in the future.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL JOHN WELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Daniel Palmer’s Official
Such an underrated song, I love this band lots. ✌️😙
Weller
GREAT GREAT GREAT SONG!!!
Applemask
Should have got Curtis Mayfield to produce the whole album, really.
STUDIO BENCIVENGA Marcus Bencivenga
I have full blown council revival where is my band this is a smash 🤗
wedgehead
Could such a land ever exist, where those so many could be rendered oh so weak, and still be listening by the phone, to buy shares in things that we already own. Written in 87, relevant for today, sums up the UK perfectly.
Charles Bull
Ah the orange album so underrated
Mark Beall
nice!
DonLusher
Beauty!
Graham Cole
Song about Thatcher and the rest of the Sociopath Tories!
Norman David Tidiman
😂😂😂😂😂