On this episode of the Paul Weller Fan Podcast, we dive in to the memories of Pete Mason.

Pete spent 17 years working for both major and independent record labels in the UK including Polydor, Phonogram, Chrysalis, Go! Discs and Independiente, which saw him involved with album & single releases from many of the UK’s finest artists including The La's, Billy Bragg, Portishead, The Beautiful South, Travis, and two of his all-time music heroes John Martyn and Paul Weller.

While at Independiente Paul Weller invited Pete to work as Executive Producer on his live solo acoustic album Days Of Speed. The acoustic, double live album featured songs from across Paul’s career including The Jam classics; That’s Entertainment and Town Called Malice, The Style Council’s Headstart For Happiness and Down In The Seine and solo hits such as You Do Something To Me and Wild Wood.

The album was released in 2001 and reached no.3 in the UK album charts which earned him a platinum disc for his efforts.

Pete also brought the legendary singer-songwriter and guitarist, John Martyn, to the Go! Discs label and then later to the Independiente label where he worked with John on four albums in an artist liaison role.

In 2004 Pete left the UK and moved to Wisconsin, USA, and set up Solid Air Music which includes a project recording studio where he has spent time composing his musical ideas and working with local artists, helping them to record and produce their music.

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On this episode of the podcast, we hear from filmmaker, Steve Barron.

This fella was behind the music promo videos for The Jam's Strange Town, When You're Young, Going Underground and Dreams of Children... This was all pre-MTV... in a world where Top of the Pops wanted as-live performances rather than music videos.

He also happened to create some of the most-watched music videos of all time, we're talking "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson, "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits and "Take On Me" by A-ha as examples.

These films defined the medium during the early days of MTV and are still considered among the best of all time.

The videos for "Take On Me" and "Billie Jean" have each garnered over 1 billion views on YouTube.

Steve has also directed several films, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), Coneheads (1993), The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996) and Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001).

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In this episode of the podcast, we celebrate the release of Paul Weller’s new book Magic – A Journal Of Song through a conversation with its curator - journalist and author, Dylan Jones.

Dylan was my guest back on Episode 58 of the podcast, prior to this book being revealed and so I really wanted to check in, with my copy in hand to dig in to the 'making of' this incredible publication.

The hardback edition is officially available in bookstores from today (April 4th 2023), with the special limited editions shipping from May 2023.

The book takes us on a journey from In the City to Fat Pop, through unforgettable songwriting that has meant so much to so many. From The Jam in his teenage years, to creating The Style Council, through to his years as a solo musician.

Magic combines a selection of over 100 lyrics from across Paul Weller’s musical life, proving him to be the ultimate shapeshifter: from The Jam’s punk sensibilities to the genre-defying Style Council, through to a remarkable 30-year solo career. His third Genesis edition, Magic is narrated by Weller and illustrated with more than 450 photographs and pieces of ephemera throughout. A revealing commentary garnered over a series of conversations with journalist and author Dylan Jones covers the songs, the stories and inspirations behind them, and all of the 28 albums of Weller’s ever-evolving musical journey.

You can watch a video with Paul and Dylan and order the book at WellerBook.com

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On this episode of The Paul Weller Fan Podcast, we hear from Barry Cain - another key player in this incredible story arc as from the tail-end of the seventies to the beginning of the nineties, Barry was a music journalist, publisher, and PR man.

He joined Record Mirror at the end of 1976 - the start of the punk explosion - and was perfectly placed to take part in, and report on, the scene. Barry was viewed as an 'insider' by the bands of the time and his access was unrivalled. So much so that if you flip to the back sleeve of The Modern World album by The Jam, you'll see a credit to Barry... (Special thanks to Mr B. Cain (Teenage Blue).

On this podcast chat, we hear about his first The Jam gig at the Hope and Anchor to the band's first nationwide tour, travels across Europe including a visit to Dachau Concentration Camp, magazine reviews for gigs, singles and albums, and of course, interviews galore - including the band's final one.

We also hear how in 1980, together with writer Tim Lott, he launched Flexipop! magazine.

A publication which featured a flexi disc on the cover of each issue exclusively recorded by artists like The Jam, Blondie, Madness, the Cure, Adam Ant and even Genesis.

Flexipop! has to be the most bizarre pop music magazine ever published... stand-out features include Paul Weller as a TV critic, revealing his nasty habits, a photo history of The Jam and even Paul Weller in bondage...

Barry had such a great connection with The Jam that Paul even wrote and performed - ‘Pop-Art Poem’ – just for Flexipop!.

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On this episode of The Paul Weller Fan Podcast, we dig in to stories from the solo years with Jamie Johnson.

Jamie has been working as a musician, producer and sound engineer since the early 1990’s.

As a house engineer at Phil Manzanera’s (Roxy Music) Gallery Studio, he recorded with some of the world's leading musicians and producers, before becoming freelance in 1999.

He has worked on numerous No 1 albums for artists including Paul Weller, Razorlight and David Gilmour, he co-produced Robert Wyatt's Mercury nominated album ‘Cuckooland’ in 2004, and recorded and mixed Paul Weller's Mercury shortlisted album ‘Wake Up The Nation’ in 2010.

Jamie also contributed to albums - Heavy Soul, Heliocentric, 22 Dreams, Sonik Kicks and A Kind Revolution.

Outside of the world of Weller, Jamie has also recorded albums with some of Spain and South America's most successful artists including Heroes Del Silencio, Robi Draco Rosa and The Hall Effect.

Jamie began teaching guitar in 2012, before starting Music Club in the summer of 2014.

Find out more in the show notes to this podcast at paulwellerfanpodcast.com/episode-137-jamie-johnson

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Let's celebrate the 40th anniversary of the start of The Style Council and the release of that debut single Speak Like a Child back on March 11th 1983.

I really wanted to chat to someone who knows what it's like to sing and perform that band's incredible songs live on stage to adoring audiences. In the absence of Paul Weller for our podcast series (so far?), I turned to Darren Fletcher - the fella behind The Style Councillors - an incredible tribute to the mighty Style Council.

Formed in 2013, the band have built a loyal fanbase for the group which was Paul Weller's musical home from 1983 to 1989 and where he wrote some of his finest pop songs. 

Their full band lineup replicates the very best from the back catalogue and not only do they replicate the vocal and sound of the songs but they also use the same original instruments to recreate the exact style and feel of the extensive original line up - including that swirling hammond organ and classic horn section...

The Style Councillors are as close as it gets to actually being there, back in the eighties.

Praised by the original members of the band for their love and dedication in order to 'do it how it was', come see probably the best tribute band in the world...

You can find more info on upcoming live dates here... seetickets.com/tour/the-style-councillors

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My special guest on this episode of The Paul Weller Fan Podcast is Punk Photographer, Andy Rosen.

Andy started out as a music photographer working on Record Mirror and Sounds and freelancing to NME, Melody Maker, The Face Magazine and most record companies during the burgeoning punk scene in the mid-1970s.

As a friend and cohort of many who went on to become the biggest names in punk, Andy had unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to the musicians and artists of London’s early punk scene. 

Andy photographed many of The Jam's live gigs - including the final shots of the band in 1982 on that final gig in Brighton... plenty of his photos have never been shared... but more of that in our chat...

Andy also photographed the image for the rear of the Setting Sons album cover - taken on Brighton beach, the rear of the sleeve for Start! and the cover of Town Called Malice.

Find out more , buy Andy's prints with a special offer for podcast listeners, and find video of the chat with the reveal of those images at paulwellerfanpodcast.com/episode-135-andy-rosen

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On this episode of The Paul Weller Fan Podcast, I’m joined by a huge fan of The Jam and Paul Weller... singer-songwriter Nick Heyward...

Nick burst onto the scene in the early 80s with his band Haircut One Hundred and the debut album Pelican West (which has just been re-released to celebrate the 40th anniversary! ).

On this episode of the podcast, Nick talks about his love of The Jam and connections with Paul Weller from sharing the stage in the US to the man who signed The Jam ( Chris Parry) to the legendary publisher, the late Brian Morrison, photographers Gered Mankowitz and Lawrence Watson to sleeve designer, Simon Halfon and much more...

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On this episode of The Paul Weller Fan Podcast, I’m joined by Franco-Algerian singer-songwriter and guitarist Souad Massi.

Souad began her career fronting the Kabyle political rock band Atakor, earning her a reputation as a troublemaker in an Algeria torn apart by civil war.

After fleeing to Paris following a series of death threats, she performed at the 1999 Femmes d'Algérie to great acclaim, earning her first recording contract.

She has forged her reputation over the course of a career spanning more than 20 years.

Driven by an unfailing determination to speak out for what she values most: freedom and justice.

Her songs are steeped in love, altruism and bravery.

Our Paul Weller connection comes in the 2000's - with Paul telling Uncut magazine in July 2008: "I've recently developed a bit of a thing about tango. I love that music. It's really emotional, passionate music. And in soundchecks we often mess about with tango and bolero rhythms. Again, Simon ( Dine ) had a backing track and I had a tune in my head and we started jamming on it. The melody is quite influenced by an Algerian singer called Souad Massi, who's been a huge inspiration recently."

As you’ll hear on the podcast, this led to the two of them creating music together at Black Barn Studio.

Resulting in a beautiful song called Let Me In Peace which featured as the last track on Souad’s album Ô Houria (Liberty).

Find out more in the show notes for this podcast on my website at paulwellerfanpodcast.com/episode-133-souad-massi

And if you want to support the podcast financially, you can buy me a virtual coffee at paulwellerfanpodcast.com/store

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On this episode of The Paul Weller Fan Podcast, I’m joined by author, Richard Houghton - one of the people behind the book - The Jam - The Day I Was There.

With a foreword written by Jam drummer Rick Buckler, this book tells the story of The Jam in the words of over 300 fans. With memories from the earliest shows at clubs and pubs around Woking and London, UK and North American tours through to their last ever gig in Brighton in December 1982.

Told by the perspective of fans, promoters, studio engineers, photographers and support acts the book includes personal photographs, memorabilia, anecdotes and stories that have never been published before.

Richard has previously created books the Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Who, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix (all of which are compilations of fan memories of seeing these legendary artists live). He has also co-written a book about the semi legendary indie band The Wedding Present with lead singer David Gedge and worked with Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark on their book, Pretending To See The Future.

You can buy the book, co-written with Neil Cossar (the fella behind the award winning web site and publisher - This Day in Music) here...

In 2023, Richard will be publishing books on the Faces, Slade, The Beatles, The Who and Pink Floyd... Find out more at richardmhoughton.com

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