I was all set to feature The Singular Adventures of the Style Council today when I noticed that I have never featured their1984 debut album Cafe Bleu on Polydor before which is the only other one of theirs that I have. In such circumstances I usually plump for the stand alone album as opposed to the compilation.
References to solid soul-tinged pop and a mix of blue-eyed soul, jazz and modern influences were unlikely to go down well with die hard Jam fans following Paul Weller's fairly radical shift of mood.
While I liked the Jam I would not say that I was that huge a fan. I was not that adverse, but not completely sold,on the change given that a couple of the instrumental numbers would not be out of place on the Fast Show's Jazz Club
Nice!
I suspect that it may have been a deliberate ploy by Weller to frontload the album with instrumentals to reinforce his change of direction. The band consisted of Paul Weller on vocals, guitar and bass, Mick Talbot on piano and Steve White on drums. Tracey Thorn provides the wonderful vocals on The Paris Match. There is even a pretty poor attempt at rap by Dizzy Heights on the track A Gospel which I will not subject you to.
It was not an album that I got at the time. My CD copy is a subsequent charity shop purchase. An alternative version of You're The Best Thing and a 12 inch version of My Ever Changing Moods are the only songs from the album to appear on Singular Adventures.
That piano version of My Ever Changing Moods is amongst the best songs that Weller has ever produced, in my opinion, and that's saying something given his back-catalogue.
ReplyDeleteCafe Bleu is a great album, a key record in Weller's back catalogue.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a very long time since I listened to Café Bleu, but really enjoyed hearing these tunes again. 1984...bloody hell.
ReplyDeleteYou're The Best thing is just an immensely important song to me. I was all in as The Jam stretched its arms and legs away from their origins and when Weller + his new compatriots set sail on a very different sea I was along for the ride until they finally ran aground at the end of the 80s.
ReplyDeleteI got the album for my birthday in 1984 and a shiver ran up my spine when I saw the picture of it. I am no longer in touch with the person who gave it to me or the people I listened to it with at the time - funny how music has that effect on you, more than any other medium. Happy nostalgia.
ReplyDeleteCafé Bleu was the album that made my summer a very long time ago and I have to admit that I didn't listen to this masterpiece for a long time. And as Echorich said it was Weller's start to a journey I didn't expected at this time. Glad you brought memories from a long time ago to me Stevie.
ReplyDeleteA truly wonderful record...as indeed were many of the releases by TSC. I was a huge fan of The Jam and the shift by Weller to these new sounds didn't disappoint. I was probably the right age for it all, just hitting my 20s.
ReplyDeleteOh, and like Alyson... I'm no longer in touch with the person who bought me the album as a birthday present, complete with loving message within the booklet which accompanied the vinyl. I do, but only very occasionally, wonder what became of her....