Paul Weller New Single

[Guest]

Lads, stop me from going out of my mind. Who done the PW new single out at the moment - "Thinking of You", everytime it comes on the radio, I can here the better version in my head but not the artist....agh !!!!

Cheers...

[Guest LeoLyxxx]

Lads, stop me from going out of my mind. Who done the PW new single out at the moment - "Thinking of You", everytime it comes on the radio, I can here the better version in my head but not the artist....agh !!!!

Cheers...

link

don't have the tracklist in front of me..

Sister Sledge?

best

Leo

[Christian Punky]

Sister Sledge it is!

[Guest]

Cheers lads....it was driving me mad.

[Guest LeoLyxxx]

Cheers lads....it was driving me mad. 

link

No sweat btw on that same lp (we are family) is the MONSTER 2 step track "easier to love" , it's also a flipside on one of the 45s..

best

Leo

[Haydn]

You should still be able to pick up We are Family LP cheap enough as there are a lot about in boot sales and the like, gr8 album.

If you manage to pick up the album "Circle of love" on Atlantic, the title track is worth a listen. Only bought this album for LDYGTNCOM, and found that Circle of Love is better.

H.

[Guest LeoLyxxx]

You should still be able to pick up We are Family LP cheap enough as there are a lot about in boot sales and the like, gr8 album.

If you manage to pick up the album "Circle of love" on Atlantic, the title track is worth a listen. Only bought this album for LDYGTNCOM, and found that Circle of Love is better.

H.

link

Seconded!

Plenty of good CHIC/Sis. Sledge tracks around.. and all are cheap

best

Leo

[oldsteve woomble]

Seconded! 

Plenty of good CHIC/Sis. Sledge tracks around.. and all are cheap 

best

Leo

link

Chic Cheer! What a party starter!

[Little-stevie]

Away from uk at the moment..Gonna see mr Weller in a couple of weeks,can anyone tell me about is soul covers,good/bad and what a bout the new single...etc...

[Guest]

Any views on his Nolan Porter - 'How Can I Be Sure' effort?

[Guest ShaneH]

Link here to listen to the new Paul Weller album of covers including Nolan Porter & Sister Sledge

https://www.paulweller.com/

Shane

[Guest ShaneH]

By the way I am not keen on his Nolan Porter take but the Sister Sledge cover is really good in my opinion. Nice folky lots of strings version!

Sister Sledge 'thinkin of you' cover gets my vote!

Shane

[vaultofsouler]

Link here to listen to the new Paul Weller album of covers including Nolan Porter & Sister Sledge

https://www.paulweller.com/

Shane

link

What the f*** has he done to "The Bottle".... jeez.... :Fck_off_by_nulltarget:

Can't make my mind up with either Nolan Porter or Sister Sledge.... if fact not too sure about any of them.... if your gonna cover SOUL then make it SOULFUL.... IMO....

[Guest ShaneH]

What the f*** has he done to "The Bottle".... jeez.... :Fck_off_by_nulltarget:

Can't make my mind up with either Nolan Porter or Sister Sledge.... if fact not too sure about any of them.... if your gonna cover SOUL then make it SOULFUL.... IMO....

link

Bottle is awful as many of the others are.

Shane

[Chalky]

I'm sick of hearing the over-rated t**t One of his tracks has been record of the week on radio 2 and it's shite Can't believe he's being talked about on a forum called All about the soul

Edited October 22, 2004 by chalky

[Guest Dan]

I think he quite a soulful artist, he consistently good i think, I like him. What did he once say,.... "northern soul is just the English term for American soul music".

link

A lot of us of a certain vintage will have fond memories of Weller - he was at his best around All Mod Cons IMO, with things like It's Too Bad, To Be Someone and In The Crowd.

Sound Affects was also a good album - Man In The Corner Shop, Start!, That's Entertainment and the sublime Monday.

Style Council was pretty forgettable - I liked My Ever Changing Moods and You're The Best Thing and some of the album tracks - and his later solo stuff has contained some fantastic stuff (though plenty of mediocre tripe).

I disagree with Chalky in one sense - I think he is a fairly soulful singer, for a white guy from Surrey - but this covers album certainly stinks. Weller's twin problems have always been his lack of judgment and the fact that he's basically fake. He wants to be thought of as someone who's into soul but look at what he actually covers - right from the start, with In The City, he was covering Taking My Love and Slow Down...later on we had stuff like Heatwave and David Watts. If he really had known his onions he would surely have gone for more obscure things.

Dan

[Daved]

As someone who used to be a big fan of The Jam, their cover versions of soul records helped me get into the music in the first place. I've not been a fan of PW since The Jam split up and basically think he lost the plot ages ago. He's run out of inspiration - quite sad really.

[Mattbolton]

I've voiced my opinions on this Woking Crass Zero on here before, but when you look at bands like The Detroit Cobras and the truly obscure R'n'B releases they cover (and brilliant stripped down versions they do) , it's evident that he knows shite all about half decent soul. It's like whenever he's approached about the greatest Soul singers ever by some magazine like Q and he spouts off saying Aretha is the greatest singer ever. It's as if his 'Super Mod' collection consists of is 'This Is Soul'. I'd be interested if anyone actually saw him at Mod/Soul do's in the 80's/90's. And apparently he can't dance for shit. What a top mod HE is. Perhaps someone could pass him Tricksters number.

[Guest Johnny One Trout]

So does this mean your not a fan Matt?

For me his best period is as Dan said the All Mod Cons era. They never were a soul band or pretended to be.

Best for me, English Rose.

Trouty

[Garethx]

Matt

I hate it when you sit on the fence.

[Mattbolton]

>Matt

>I hate it when you sit on the fence.

Yeah, I'm still undecided.

[Guest ben]

I reckon the proof of his soul credentials are...

his dodgy covers and his lack of presence HERE ( LOL)

Come on Paul my boy face down that bearded young gun, or at least get your "PA" to second for you...that reminds me how is the Bexter?

[Guest Dan]

I'd be interested if anyone actually saw him at Mod/Soul do's in the 80's/90's.

link

Seen at the 100 Club way back when but v v v infrequent ie maybe once/twice.

English Rose - awesome song J One T. 'No matter where I roam' etc with those fog horns in the background. Anyone know why it wasn't credited on the album?

Also used to love Fly: 'The way that sunlight flits across your skirt' - always summoned up images of this bird I knew with the most gorgeous arse, fantastic in a tight grey school skirt. Obviously I was only a strip of a lad at the time myself btw...I'd like to point out that I no longer fancy schoolgirls.

[Guest]

Have to confess I have yet to hear Paul Wellers version of Thinking Of You, but then I don't listen to Radio 1 or 2, not bothered really, from a female perspective he is absolutely GORGEOUS I would happily watch him sing anything

[oldsteve woomble]

So does this mean your not a fan Matt?

For me his best period is as Dan said the All Mod Cons era. They never were a soul band or pretended to be.

Best for me, English Rose.

Trouty

link

'Precious' could have been fantastic, and almost was. No, actually it WAS fantastic. And many more besides. This new 'soul' covers album is just not up to scratch though. Rather than being reverential to our faith, I've found it a touch embarassing. My own opinion is that if you can't improve on the original, then leave well alone. And how anyone could improve on some of the originals he has tackled is beyond me. Sorry, cos I reckon from his comments over the years he must love the music as much as we do. Still, I've been a fan since the early 'In The City' days and am gonna be there 'live' when he plays Hull. Final judgement then! I really hope he pulls it off live..... (I'm taking the rotten tomatoes to lob at him just in case!)

[Mark Bicknell]

So the man can't dance, he has no soul, has nothing to do with the rare soul scene, has covered a few soul records on his latest album, nothing new there then... take the Stones and The Beatles both covered early R'n'B hits when they started out still Mr Weller ain't in their league is he!!!!! so taking all this into account i agree with Chalky on this thread......what the f*** are you doing talking about it in the first place...lol

I saw The Jam way back on their very first tour on a Wednesday night i think at the Top Rank in Redaing when 'In The City' came out, went with some friends and thought they were ok, Mr Weller likes the image, likes to walk the walk, has talent yes and a huge bank balance, but i suggest has no real interest in Soul music on our level and in his defence why should he?

So he's covered a couple of soul/northern related tracks so what, his fans which i would think are many and loyal since The Jam will support what ever he puts out and if he sells a few hundred thousand units then again so what, it has nothing to do with us the soul scene and hardcore people who will only down his covers and never accept them as Soul anyway.

I strongly suggest that he was a 'Mod' in style of dress only rather than his way of life, manufactured rather than natural and was of his time around 1978/79 and perhaps cahed in on the 'Mod' revival at that time, a clever bloke perhaps but not to be confused with a Soul attitude, you could play him the best selection of quality rare soul music and he just would'nt get it and again why should he?

Perhaps he should stick to what he knows best, I've heard the Bottle and Nolan Porter things by Mr Weller and on this ocassion i just did'nt get it but why should i?

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

[stomper45]

Yeah Mark

u summed up well. can never understand somebody calling themselves a mod after say 72 (original)...suedehead, smoothie even new romantic being mod not a copycat...

but his covers might bring the music to a new era

keep it

[Little-stevie]

I take it you lot are saying a big fat no to mr weller on the soul covers...I will go and see him because i have a ticket bought for me,it could be the last time after watching him from the Jam right through to present day...He got out of the Jam because he thought the time was right,lets hope he knows when to call it a day this time...

English Rose...And the rest of all mod cons..WILL ALWAYS SOUND GOOD TO ME...

[Mark Bicknell]

If new blood is to discover the soul scene and it's music as we know it then as we all did they will find it, stumble upon it and that's that basically, should it take self elected famous people to turn them onto it who have no idea or conception of what it's all about,Northern Soul can become trendy when it suits people, the media, pop world, advertising houses etc. almost think it's cool to use the scene and it's music as and when they see fit, yes it may bring it to the attention of the masses but how many of them will dig deep and really get into it, very few i suggest if any.

Paul Weller as it goes seems to be a really decent bloke, very talented and will always be a Mod i guess and that's cool, what is a rather hard pill to swallow is the mainstream acceptance that he and others are doing something new and creative when the real credit should fall with the likes of Nolan Porter, Sister Sledge etc.

I'm sure he's the type of bloke to credit his sources on cover versions which yes may then stimulate interest to the non soul person to investigate the original at least, but as i said this would not perhaps turn them into a regular on the soul scene.

I would suggest that Mr Weller's love of all things soulful is at best very basic and limited to the Stax/Atlantic/Motown and the well know Northern classics, again if he likes what he likes who are we to judge his level and understanding of a music, culture and attitude which takes a lifetime to even start to understand as we all know it's a journey of discovery, learning, debating etc. if he has never been there how can he realise or grasp what Northern Soul is about and again does he need too, want too and why should he?

Still as the man said 'That's Entertainment' just perhaps as he knows it and not basically what we are all about.

Full credit to him and for his efforts with the covers thing but in future it's better left alone i feel.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

[Guest Johnny One Trout]

Seen at the 100 Club way back when but v v v infrequent ie maybe once/twice.

English Rose - awesome song J One T. 'No matter where I roam' etc with those fog horns in the background. Anyone know why it wasn't credited on the album?

link

Because it's just Weller on accoustic guitar no other band members involved and therefore not a Jam record as such. Well that's what i was told anyway

Trouty

[Guest Johnny One Trout]

Pretty much as i see it as well Mark.

I would perhaps add that we have the privilage of knowing the songs that he has covered and because of that are somewhat forced to compare them to the Original versions, whereas perhaps your average Weller fan will be hearing these records for the first time and will view them from a different perspective and if as a result they do seek out the original versions all well and good. At the very least, artists that generally could do with the extra revenue generated from royalties etc and any subsequent media interest in the source of the tracks will gain some financial reward and critical acclaim which can only be a good thing.

John

[Markw]

I love it when everyone gets het up about Weller!

I repeat what I said on a previous thread about him, the fact that he attracts so much attention on a SOUL MUSIC forum reinforces his importance to and influence on so many people associated with the scene.

Let's get something straight, Paul has never tried to appropriate soul music for himself, bathe himself in its light or use its icons in any way to promote himself or his music, unlike some other acts. He draws on a vast range of musical influences and styles just as many soul artists have always done.

Personally, I think Paul is the dogs bollocks and to have carved out 2 hugely successful careers, from angry young man to mature singer/songwriter is ample testimony to his talent. A supremely gifted song writer, a soulful voice and a fantastic live performer. His latest album is patchy - he hasn't just covered soul songs by the way - but I think as one of the most recognised names in the UK music business, he's got more right than most to bring his own stamp to songs he admires and acknowledges as major influences on him. I don't like his version of the Bottle but I wouldn't want him to try doing a straight copy of the original.

It's interesting that people here always choose to debate Weller's soul covers. How about a discussion on the relative merits of Kylie's version of Chairman of the Board's "Give Me Just A Little More Time" or that outfit that covered Mel Wynn a while back? How about Soft Cell's contribution to soul music?

As for the idea that he should log on here and justify his work.....get a life!! I think he's happy enough to let the fans vote with their wallets and feet. Quite right too.

I shall certainly be there at Cardiff International Arena in 3 weeks to have a great time and see another stirring performance from Britain's greatest white soulful singer.

Live long and prosper.

Mark White

[Mark Bicknell]

Mark, You pretty much covered this topic well and infact have answered the real question here, yes this is a soul forum and not perhaps the right arena to discuss Mr Weller's career and his cover versions, you mentioned Soft Cell, Kylie and others again in a nutshell these acts have nothing to do with soul music, perhaps we have double standards on the Northern Soul scene as we have over the years accepted non Black records in the Northern up tempo style such as Lou Roberts, Paul Anka etc. etc. more because the beat was right to dance to rather than the true ethnic origin of the records.

Another question is do you have to be Black to have and perform SOUL, perhaps a very difficult question to answer as Soul has been described as a feeling from within an expression from the heart and all that, so i guess anyone, creed or colour can express that, just that in the main Black performers seem to do it the best.

Mr Weller is without question a very talented bloke and has been on the music scene for many years so on reflection perhaps this thread has been a little over the top and a little anti 'Weller' in places and to be honest i don't really think he would give a flying f*** what we say or think about him and his work.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

[Markw]

Mark, I couldn't agree more mate. I still find it fascinating how much attention the man attracts on this site. Incredible.

[Guest garv]

well said Mark as a Weller fan i will be at Hammersmith on the 20th nov, but why do people get so upset by the man. He tips his hat to many music styles, as a lot of artists do but can anyone say that if they have heard " above the clouds" or " you do something to me" that the man is not a soul singer!. This is a site for soul music in all its forms.

Garv.

[Guest Adam G]

I think he gets mentioned and discussed on soul sites as a lot of "Mods" That are now into northern soul probably started off listening to Paul Weller and the Jam and secret affair,Purple Hearts etc that were prevelant in the Mod revival of 78-79.I agree he has nothing to do with the soul scene.I remember an article in Mojo a few years ago where he was disscusing his soul collection which was to say the least shite.an overated performer with a hairstyle much too young for his head.But thats all in my personal opinion.Doesnt he look like Nicholas Lyndhurst though :4: :4: .

[Guest ShaneH]

If I am right Ady Croadsell was/is good mates with Paul Weller. Apparently Ady was the DJ on the Jam tours. I am sure I also read that Weller used to visit Ady and buy 45s off him whilst Ady's missus gave him dancing lessons. Didn't the last Jam album have photographs of dancers at Wigan in the sleeves.

You either like him or you don't and his music covers so many styles and generations its difficult to comment.

I got into Northern Soul through Paul Weller no doubt. But as the years go by and you keep hearing great stuff on the soul scene Paul Weller becomes less relevant.

It is without question that many of the younger lot got into soul through listening to Paul Weller. Those fortunate to have older friends with great records maybe bypassed the weller thing.

I dont think he is relevant anymore to the soul scene hence the absence of his records being played.

I remember when he got quite big again in the mid 90's and the NME did a poll for its younger student readers. Paul Wellers 'you do something to me' was the winner of the record played when you lost your virginity!

Can we put this subject to bed now and maybe start a new topic about losing your cherry!!

Shane