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 1980s. In spite of the song's political content, it picked up BBC Radio 1 airplay and was performed on Top of the Pops. The record featured The Style Council and a number of other performers, notably Jimmy Ruffin and Junior Giscombe. In December 1984, Weller put together a charity ensemble called the Council Collective to make a record, "Soul Deep", initially to raise money for striking miners and subsequently also for the family of David Wilkie. The band played in New York City in May, 1984. The song remains Weller's greatest success in the US (including his efforts in The Jam and as a solo artist), while the group reached the peak of its success in the UK with the 1985 album Our Favourite Shop. In 1984, the single "My Ever Changing Moods", backed with the Hammond organ instrumental "Mick's Company", reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. The Dutch version was heavily imported to the United Kingdom. Near the end of 1983, these songs were compiled on Introducing The Style Council, a mini-album initially released in Japan, the Netherlands, Canada, and the US only. Singles "Speak Like a Child" (with its loud soul-influenced style), the extended funk of "Money-Go-Round", and the synth-ballad "Long Hot Summer" all featured Talbot on keyboards and organ. The band showed a diversity of musical styles. The band was founded in early 1983 by Paul Weller and initially consisted only of himself and Mick Talbot, who Weller said he chose because "he shares my hatred of the rock myth and the rock culture".
The band also had hit singles and albums in Australia and New Zealand during the 1980s. As with Weller's previous band, most of the London-based group's hits were in their homeland, where they scored seven Top 10 hits. Other artists such as Tracie Young, Tracey Thorn ( Everything but the Girl), and drummer/percussionist Steve Sidelnyk ( Madonna, SEAL, Richard Ashcroft ) also performed and collaborated with the group. The permanent line-up grew to include drummer Steve White and Weller's then girlfriend, vocalist Dee C. The band enabled Weller to take a more soulful direction with his music. The Style Council were an English band formed in 1983 by Paul Weller, the former singer, songwriter, and guitarist with the punk rock/new wave/mod revival band The Jam, and keyboardist Mick Talbot, previously a member of Dexys Midnight Runners, The Bureau and The Merton Parkas.
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