- Paul Weller: I very much - I loved my time with The Jam. You know, it was just work, work, work. You know, there was a tour and then there's a record and then there was a tour and then there was a record. It just seemed like a kind of a treadmill. You know, which you have to be on if you want to make it and do what you do.
- Boy George: The Jam was angry. I've got something to say, you know. And then Style Council was like whimsical, you know. It was probably quite surprising for any mod fans
- Billy Bragg: There was something about The Jam that was so essentially suburban working class, you know. That entertainment was about me - I was - all those images were images in my life and I really, really related to that. So, when he broke 'em up, I was like, well, what are you gonna do now, mate? I mean - what's gonna happen now?
- Boy George: It was in the soul pocket, but, you know, using a bit of humor. You know, still a little bit of a kind of punky spirit in there. It was kind of like not what you expected.
- Paul Weller: I just had a completely open mind on it all, really. You know, on music, on the band, on life, who I was, you know, all those things. All those big questions, really.
- Martin Freeman: It felt fresh is what it felt. It felt exciting to me. It felt new like it was - like it was enjoyable. You know, coming with a double-edged sword rather than *all* the onus being on him. I imagine that was quite nice.
- Billy Bragg: Pretty soon, it was clear that the sensibility he had was just gonna be communicated through a more jazzier, more soulful, if you like, vibe.
- Steve White: Paul said, "I think we're sorted." You know, I said, "Can't I at least have a play?" And he went, "Oh, I really haven't got time." I said, "Go on, let me have a play." And he said, "So, oh, go on then, have a go." So, I said, "What sort of stuff you into?" He said, "Well, I like a lot of Blue Note." "Art Blakey?" "Yeah, yeah, Art Blakey." And I started playing like a terrible impression of Art Blakey. "What else are you into?" He said, "Elvin Jones." I did a terrible impression of Elvin Jones, you know.
- Dee C. Lee: You got to keep changing. You got to keep uppin' it. And you got to keep mixin' it up, you know. That's what keeps it exciting.
- Steve White: That whole European thing, how ever true it was or how ever authentic it was, it was a statement of intent. You know, it was we are not going to be a parochial little suburbanite band, just for people wear Parkers and bowling shoes, you know. And that bitterly disappointed a lot of people.
- Boy George: It was kind of Motown. I bit of Stax. But, it was, you know, it still had kind of English kind of understanding of soul. It's a little bit, sort of, irreverent, *respectful*, but, you know, I'm not gonna try my hardest to sound too much like an American, you know, sort of R&B musician. I want to sound a little bit British.
- Boy George: "Long Hot Summer" was the one that really made me prick my ears up. You know, it was, because, you know, this is Great Britain, you know. We always write people off, don't we. If you've had a moment, you don't have another one. And if you have another one, it can't be good. So, when it's kind of next level good...
- Paul Weller: It was just a bit of fun, you know. And it was aping Colin MacIness' style in "Absolute Beginners," really. And the book was a huge influence, as well, on me and The Style Council, forming The Style Council.
- Mick Talbot: I always thought that it had elements of those early Stones albums, as well, like getting some strength and dialogue from a really good novel and using it as a kind of language that was pertinent to just to one band.
- Paul Weller: And I just had a kind of another rebirth of mod when I read that book, really. And I thought that was the kind of sort of blueprint, really, for modernism, I thought, really. You know, kind of embracing all these different cultures and not being xenophobic and suspicious of anything foreign.
- Mick Talbot: It was a strange thing to get used to, though. Because, you kind of just feel like you're warming up and then your off. And then its just someone else is on. But, its nice like, you sort of feel like this is like it was at Sunday night at the Paladium or something. You know, being in the old school variety bill, you know. Its not dead - or, we didn't think it was. We might have helped kill it, but.
- Paul Weller: It definitely confused people. 'Cause a headliner come on first and, then, also finish the show, as well. But, we were just trying to present something different, you know. We was trying to get away from just the simple act and then the main act and all that. We wanted it to be a complete experience, you know, like a total sort of evening for people.
- Boy George: I think "You're the Best Thing" sounds like another song. It sounds like a cover. When you first heard it, it's like, "Oh, is this an old song?" And that's when you know, you know, when someone's kind of emulating that kind of mood. But, they get it so right, you feel like you knew the song. It's just a beautiful song. Very simple. You know, just kind of touches you, you know, sits nice on your ears. Slides all over your bones. You know, its a good one. Its like you *dream* of writing songs like that.
- Paul Weller: I thought we were outside what - of the culture of the 80s. But, its really hard to do that, I think. Whether you like it or not, you are still a product of your time.
- Paul Weller: You can only commit to what you feel at the time. You can't think how you're going to feel 10 years down the line.
- Hilary Seabrook, Saxophonist: We were taking so many influences from so many different places. I think Paul described it as musicians who like jazz rather than jazz musicians.
- Mick Talbot: We shied away from calling ourselves jazz musicians. I think, we felt that we were competently playing what we wanted to play and jazz was an influence. But, its another one of these things, I feel, genres of music and cults of fashion, and once you start putting a label on it, you start, you know, you have to fit in with the rules. So, it was an important influence; but, I don't know if we were a part of the 80s jazz scene.
- Paul Weller: I was really getting into at that stage, anyway, but, we weren't a jazz band. It wasn't like that. We were influenced - our influences were varied and they went from Tony Hancock to Horace Silver, you know, I mean, it's like that.
- Mick Talbot: There were points trying to be made. There was humor trying to be made. We tried - and people found it trying.
- Mick Talbot: I think the Orange album is, not because it's orange - I'm not going to be colorists - but it is a big turning point. And I think the Orange album turned a lot of people off.
- Martin Freeman: They were one of the most effective acts at getting a political message across in an absolutely pop way.
- Paul Weller: The influences on that record were quite deep, you know. We were sort of thinking about Debussy and Satie - so there were elements of classical music in it and we seemed to be like a little bit kind of pretentious; but, really it wasn't that. It was just what I was listening to at the time. Things like "Story of Someone's Shoe", right, with the Swingle Singers - was a direct influence, right, from the MJQ, Modern Jazz Quartet, right, they made an album called "Place Vendôme" with the Swingle Singers. Such a great concept - this jazz band with these - these singers.
- Paul Weller: With like any politician there's always some ulterior motive, in't there, you know. So, it just fuckin' put me off, really. That's all. They are as I imagined they would be. You know what I mean?
- Paul Weller: "Our Favourite Shop"'s a good record. I think "Confessions" is a good record. And there was great singles, you know, great little bunch of singles. But, more than anything else, it was a happy time for me in my life, you know. And, yeah, when I think of The Style Council, I just think of fun - all the fun we had.
- Paul Weller: As I always am, whenever I get sort of turned on to something, I just wanna - I wanna do this - this is where we're gonna go.
- Steve White: The record company, you know, were being a little - I think, a little vicious in denying this a release. You didn't need - you didn't have to do that. But, they was a point to be proven in my opinion. I think it stands up in the arc of what the band was about - to go from Kenny Burrell jazz to Chicago-influenced house music in seven years. I think it's a pretty amazing thing.
- Paul Weller: I don't now really remember in great detail. But, from what I remember, I liked it. And that's all you can do, man. You can only do what you feel is right at the time.
- Mick Talbot: I'm just struck by what a lot of music we turned around, really, and generally, I'm pretty proud of all of it.
- Paul Weller: We were getting more and more out of step with people; but, they were out of step - whatever way it works.
- Mick Talbot: We weren't particularly playing big hits and I think our Greatest Hits has just been released by Polydor - which we didn't have any power over. But, that's almost a bit like the death nail, I think, when they knocking them out.
- Paul Weller: [singing] Dredging up the past that is gone for good, Trying to polish up what is rotting wood, Oh-oh-oh
- Paul Weller, Dee C. Lee: Diving, I'm diving, Diving, Diving
- Paul Weller: Diving...