Featured Artist for January 11: Paul Weller

Paul Weller began his musical career in spectacular fashion with the mod/punk-rock band The Jam (1976–1982), Weller then went on to branch out musically to a more soulful style with The Style Council (1983–1989). In 1991 he re-established himself as a successful solo artist, and continues to remain a respected singer, lyricist and guitarist, a fact reaffirmed by his awarding of the 2009 BRIT award for Best Male Solo Artist. He has remained a national rather than an international star, and much of his songwriting is rooted in British culture. He is also the principal figure of the 1970s and 80s mod revival and is often referred to as the Modfather.

Early solo career: 1990–1995

In 1989, Weller found himself for the first time since he was 17 without a band and without a recording deal. After taking time off throughout 1990 to reconsider his musical direction, he returned to the road in 1991, touring as The Paul Weller Movement with long-term drummer and friend Steve White. After a slow start playing small clubs with a mixture of Jam/Style Council classics as well as showcasing new material such as "Into Tomorrow", by the time of the release of his 1992 LP, Paul Weller he had begun to re-establish himself as a leading British singer/songwriter. This self-titled album saw a return to a more jazz-guitar-focused sound, featuring samples and a funk influence with shades of The Style Council sound. The album also featured a new producer, Brendan Lynch. Tracks such as "Here's a New Thing" and "That Spiritual Feeling" were marketed among the emerging Acid Jazz scene.

Buoyed by the positive commercial and critical success of his first solo album, Weller returned to the studio in 1993 with a renewed confidence. Accompanied by Steve White, guitarist Steve Cradock, and bassist Damon Minchella, the result of these sessions was the triumphant Wild Wood, an album hailed by fans and critics as one of Weller's finest.

His 1995 album Stanley Road took him back to the top of the British charts for the first time in a decade, and went on to become the best-selling album of his career. The album, named after the street in Woking where he had grown up, marked a return to the more guitar-based style of his earlier days. Weller found himself heavily associated with the 'Britpop' movement that gave rise to such bands as Oasis, Pulp and Blur. Weller even appeared as a guest guitarist and backing vocalist on Oasis' hit song "Champagne Supernova". The album's major single, "The Changingman", was also a big hit, taking Weller to #7 in the UK singles charts. Another single, the ballad "You Do Something To Me", was his second consecutive Top 10 single and reached #9 in the UK. Two other hits were "Broken Stones" (#20) and new version of 1994 single "Out Of The Sinking" (#16).

The Modfather: 1996–2004

Heavy Soul, the follow up to the million-selling Stanley Road saw Weller twist his sound again. The album was more raw than its predecessor; Weller was now frequently playing live in the studio in as few takes as possible. The first single, "Peacock Suit" reached #5 in the UK Singles Chart, and the album reached #2. Success in the charts also came from compilations: "best of" albums by The Jam and Style Council charted, and his own solo "best of" collection Modern Classics was a substantial success in 1998.

In 2000, while living in Send, Surrey, he released his fifth solo studio album, Heliocentric. There were rumours at the time that this would be his final studio effort, but these proved unfounded when he released the No. 1 hit album Illumination in September 2002 which was co-produced by Noonday Underground's Simon Dine, preceded by yet another top 10 hit single "It's Written In The Stars". Weller also appears on the 2002 Noonday Underground album called Surface Noise, singing on the track, "I'll Walk Right On."

Between these two albums he had also released a second successful live album, 2001's Days Of Speed, which contained live acoustic versions from his world tour of the same name. The LP included some of his best-known songs from his solo career and the back catalogues of his Jam and Style Council days. Weller had again found himself without a record contract and the tour provided him with the opportunity to view his works as one back catalogue.

In 2003, Weller teamed up with electronic rock duo Death in Vegas on a cover of Gene Clark's "So You Say You Lost Your Baby" which featured on the album Scorpio Rising.

In 2004 Weller released an album of covers entitled Studio 150. It debuted at No. 2 in the UK charts and included Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" besides covers of songs by Gil Scott-Heron, Rose Royce, Gordon Lightfoot, and others.

Critical success: 2005–present

His 2005 album As Is Now featured the singles "From The Floorboards Up", "Come On/Let's Go" and "Here's The Good News". The album was particularly well received critically and in February 2006 it was announced that Weller would be the latest recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BRIT Awards. Despite a tendency to shun such occasions, Weller accepted the award in person, and performed four songs at the ceremony, including ‘The Jam’ classic "Town Called Malice".

In June 2006, a double live album titled Catch-Flame! with songs from both his solo work and his career with The Jam and Style Council, was released. In late 2006, the album Hit Parade was released, which collected all the singles released by The Jam, Style Council and Weller during his solo career. Two versions of this album were released: a single disc with a selection from each stage of his career, and a four-disc limited edition, which included every single released and came with a 64-page booklet.

The double album 22 Dreams was released on 2 June 2008 with "Echoes Round The Sun" as the lead single. Before recording this album, Weller had decided to part company with his existing band, resulting in the replacement of everyone except Steve Cradock. As well as Cradock, the new band consisted of Andy Lewis on bass, Andy Crofts of The Moons on keys and Steve Pilgrim of The Stands on drums. In November 2008 the box set Weller at the BBC was released in various formats, most notably as a 4-CD set, and as a download which included multiple bonus tracks. A DVD, Weller at the BBC, was also released. The DVD contained more than 30 tracks, none of which were included in the various audio formats.

After winning a BRIT award at the 2009 ceremony, there was controversy at the bookmakers when it was discovered a suspiciously high number of bets had been placed for Weller to win the "Best Male Solo Artist" award, for which James Morrison was T4's favourite. It was reported that they had lost £100,000 in the event, and that as a result would not be taking bets for the awards in the future.

Paul appears on Dot Allison's 2009 album titled, Room 7½. He co-wrote and duets on the song, "Love's Got Me Crazy."

On 24 February 2010, Paul received the Godlike Genius Award at the NME Awards.

On a personal note, I’ve always felt Paul was never given his creative due outside the UK. Here in North America, his fans, though many, have never benefited from the coverage and exposure Paul garners in his home country. It’s my hope that this week’s feature on Up All Night will entertain fans and introduce new followers to the genius of The Modfather. Enjoy!

Acknowledgement: wikipedia.com