Today: Paul Weller is 55 – Happy Birthday to The Modfather

Paul Weller green yellow

Paul Weller was born 25 May 1958.  Starting with the Punk/New Wave band The Jam (1972–1982), later Weller went on to branch out musically to a more soulful “cool” style with The Style Council (1983–1989). In 1991 he established himself as a successful solo artist, and continues to remain a respected singer, lyricist and guitarist.

Paul Weller grey

Despite widespread critical recognition, Weller has remained a national rather than an international star, and much of his songwriting is rooted in English culture. That said, he has a devout following in the rest of Europe and abroad. He is also the principal figure of the 1970s and 80s mod revival and is sometimes and respectfully referred to as the Modfather.

 

Here is a great documentary telling the story of Paul Weller’s musical career, Into tomorrow (BBC):

My favorite Paul Weller album is Stanley Road and it is today’s chosen album:

Other May-25:

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The Who videos & concerts

The Who Performing in Concert

This is a collection of published posts @ JV including videos & concerts by The Who.
It will be updated along the way..

If you like what you see… please consider a “like” at our FP page:

Videos:

Concerts:

Other:

 

Check out:

-Egil

The Who – Won’t Get Fooled Again – Thu, 25 May 1978: London, Shepperton Film Studios (Video)

Keith Moon May 1978 Shepperton Studios

This concert was Keith Moon‘s last show with The Who.

On the 25th, Who fans and the members of the bands Generation X, The Rich Kids, The Pretenders and The Sex Pistols assemble at Shepperton Studios in London for an impromptu Who concert. Jeff Stein films performances of “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” for The Kids Are Alright movie but The Who give the audience an almost complete concert. At the end of “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” the performance reaches a dead stop and The Who walk off the stage. Stein, realizing this will make an awful ending to the movie, gets The Who to go back on stage and perform the song again. This time The Who put everything into the ending and the crowd is encouraged to go wild. This ending will be grafted onto the earlier take for the finished film.
thewhothismonth.com

The Who 25 may 1978

Won’t Get Fooled Again:

Moon’s final performances

The film incidentally became a sort of “time capsule” for the band, after Keith Moon died only one week after he’d seen the rough cut of the film with Roger Daltrey. Moon, according to Daltrey, was deeply shocked by how much he’d changed physically in just 15 years, “from a young good-looking boy to a spitting image of Robert Newton”. After Moon’s death, the rough cut did not suffer a single change, since neither Jeff Stein nor the rest of the band wanted to turn the film into an homage to remember Moon’s passing, but to celebrate his life and career with The Who.

Moon’s last performances with the band were:

  • The clip for “Who Are You” — Last studio performance. Jeff Stein wanted to show The Who recording in the studio, even though the band had already finished recording the song. Stein planned to have the band mime over the original recording, but The Who played it live at the Ramport Studios, London, on 9 May 1978. The only playback tracks were Entwistle’s bass guitar, the acoustic guitar solo in the middle, the backing vocals and synthesizer track.
  • The show at Shepperton Studios, London, on 25 May 1978—Last live performance.

-wikipedia

Baba O’Riley:

Check out:

-Egil

 

Paul Weller top 12 songs – Happy Birthday

paul-weller

Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher gave Jon Wilde in The Guardian 60 seconds to tell them his all-time top 10.

Being given a mere 60 seconds to name one’s 10 Favourite Songs Of All Time would be a daunting enough task at the best of times. Being invited to do so by no-nonsense arbiters of taste Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller is extremely intimidating. Weller’s knowledge of music is zealously encyclopaedic. If Oasis hadn’t worked out, Gallagher could easily have carved out a career as an astute and funny music journalist.
- Jon Wilde (The Guardian, 2007)

I have used the same method on my Paul Weller list with a few differences; first, I  decided that I would include equally many songs from his different bands, and , second, I picked two more songs and gave myself two minutes to complete the task.

Two minutes to make up my mind.  Imagining Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller over my shoulders. It was fun!

Here is my Top 12 (4 solo, 4 by The Jam and 4 by  The Style Council).

I think I like his solo stuff best, but I believe the guys range is incredible and I wanted the list to reflect that:

You do something to me – Paul Weller:

Outtake from the Live Wood DVD

Wild Wood (live 2006) – Paul Weller:

Changing Man (Live at Abbey Road Studio) – Paul Weller:

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Four great concerts with Paul Weller and his bands – Happy Birthday

Paul_Weller_squares

We have found four shows by The Jam (2), The Style Council and Paul Weller solo, they are all very, very good! I shouldn’t pick one of them but the greatest revelation is The Style Council’s set at the Roskilde Festival in 1985, it is just so good, they often get a bad rap but this proves that they were a great live band!

A short but sweet set from The Jam in Paris in 1981:

The Jam at Bingley Hall in 1982, an effing great show!

The Style Council – Live Roskilde Festival 1985:

From Paul Weller’s solo career we have chosen a great set from 2010 in Sidney were he mixes old Jam/Style Council stuff with his solo material:

- Hallgeir

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