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.
Luck
The Style Council Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The day you happened to come by
You caught me feeling all was useless
And left me feeling ten feet high
Now nothing again will be quite the same
You gathered my fears and threw them away
The time when I felt most alone
All my dreams had seemed to vanish
Now my nightmares have upped and gone
I'm not scared of farewells, nothing's the same twice
I stride through the day and I float through the night
How much choice do we have in this?
Like some almighty hand smashing your life into pieces
One day you're washed and drowned
And the next minute you're put back on land
Now nothing again can be quite the same
I gather my fears and I throw them away
Luck, when you hold me closely
Ooh, feels like summertime
Luck, when you hold my hand
I want it all the time
Luck, in your country kisses
Ooh, I love your outlook
Luck, in your hills and valleys
Go on talking my babbling brook
The Style Council's song "Luck" is a euphoric tribute to the transformative power of love. The opening lines declare that luck has been on the singer's side since the day their lover appeared, lifting them up from a state of hopelessness to a sense of invincibility. The lyrics highlight the idea that we have little choice in how our lives unfold, but the arrival of true love can feel like a stroke of luck that changes everything.
The chorus emphasizes the joy and comfort their lover brings, with the repeated refrain of "Luck, when you hold me closely, ooh, feels like summertime." The song acknowledges the transience of life, with the metaphor of being "washed and drowned" one day and "put back on land" the next. Yet, the singer is emboldened by the presence of their beloved, no longer afraid of endings or the unpredictability of existence.
The final lines of the song express a deep appreciation for the unique qualities and perspective their lover brings: "Luck, in your country kisses, ooh, I love your outlook, luck, in your hills and valleys, go on talking my babbling brook." The song's upbeat melody and exuberant backing vocals contribute to an overall feeling of optimism and gratefulness for the gift of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Luck fell in the right place for me
Fortune smiled upon me and put me in the right place at the right time
The day you happened to come by
On the day that you unexpectedly showed up
You caught me feeling all was useless
You noticed me feeling hopeless and dejected
And left me feeling ten feet high
And then you made me feel full of pride and confidence
Now nothing again will be quite the same
Since that moment, everything has changed forever
You gathered my fears and threw them away
You helped me get rid of my anxieties and worries
Luck dropped in just at the right time
Good fortune arrived when I needed it most
The time when I felt most alone
When I was at my loneliest and most isolated
All my dreams had seemed to vanish
I had lost all hope of achieving my aspirations
Now my nightmares have upped and gone
But now my worst fears have disappeared as well
I'm not scared of farewells, nothing's the same twice
I'm not afraid of parting ways because nothing stays constant
I stride through the day and I float through the night
I confidently move through my days and contentedly rest in my nights
How much choice do we have in this?
What control do we really have over our lives?
Like some almighty hand smashing your life into pieces
It feels like some greater force is breaking all of your dreams and hopes apart
One day you're washed and drowned
Suddenly you feel like your life is flooded and you are overwhelmed
And the next minute you're put back on land
But just as suddenly, you feel like you have been saved and can breathe again
Luck, when you hold me closely
When you embrace me so intimately
Ooh, feels like summertime
It gives me a warm and sunny sensation inside
Luck, when you hold my hand
When you take my hand in yours
I want it all the time
I feel a constant yearning to be united with you
Luck, in your country kisses
When you kiss me with the passion of the countryside
Ooh, I love your outlook
I find myself completely aligned with your perspective
Luck, in your hills and valleys
When we are together amidst the undulating landscapes
Go on talking my babbling brook
I never tire of listening to your comforting and constant chatter
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MICK TALBOT, PAUL JOHN WELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Fabio Casa
Luck fell in the right place for me
The day you happened to come by -
You caught me feeling all was useless
And left me feeling ten feet high
Now nothing again will be quite the same
You gathered my fears and threw them away
Luck dropped in just at the right time
The time when I felt most alone -
All my dreams had seemed to vanish
Now my nightmares have upped and gone
I'm not scared of farewells, nothing's the same twice
I stride through the day and I float through the night
How much choice do we have in this?
Like some almighty hand smashing your life into pieces
One day you're washed and drowned -
And the next minute you're put back on land
Now nothing again can be quite the same
I gather my fears and I throw them away
Luck - when you hold me closely
Ooh - feels like summertime
Luck - when you hold my hand
I - want it all the time
Luck - in your country kisses
Ooh - I love your outlook
Luck - in your hills and valleys
Go on talking my babbling brook!
StevenMighty
How can a beautiful love popsong only have 6800 views in 8 years time??? This is a perfect world class song both lyrically and musically, one that everyone should know!
F Nome
Seriously this will baffle scientists for centuries
Immaculate Heart
I know, right? Because most people have banal taste in music, art, etc. I kind of like being a part of a distinguished group of people with exceptional taste.
Cerne Uffington
Absolutely! This is TSC summed-up in under 3 mins. But not included on the new Story Of album???
Immaculate Heart
Every track. Every single track makes me happy. Still vibing TSC in 2021.
Gerard Barker
Perfect style council..perfect song..such a great feal good song..simply what they were all about..love it
GIUSEPPE CELLAMARE
Che bei tempi. Splendido brano di un gruppo unico!
Fabio Casa
Luck fell in the right place for me
The day you happened to come by -
You caught me feeling all was useless
And left me feeling ten feet high
Now nothing again will be quite the same
You gathered my fears and threw them away
Luck dropped in just at the right time
The time when I felt most alone -
All my dreams had seemed to vanish
Now my nightmares have upped and gone
I'm not scared of farewells, nothing's the same twice
I stride through the day and I float through the night
How much choice do we have in this?
Like some almighty hand smashing your life into pieces
One day you're washed and drowned -
And the next minute you're put back on land
Now nothing again can be quite the same
I gather my fears and I throw them away
Luck - when you hold me closely
Ooh - feels like summertime
Luck - when you hold my hand
I - want it all the time
Luck - in your country kisses
Ooh - I love your outlook
Luck - in your hills and valleys
Go on talking my babbling brook!
dyerblue
love this one
Scott Edkins
Wot a tune loved this as a kid may of used some of these lyrics writing to my 1st proper girlfriend . The Tsc made my school life the best still love wellers music now 45gigs later 👊