Introducing Paul Weller: The Modfather

This is a musical contribution and a musical contribution regarding possibly one of the most important people in British music ever. Whilst he may well have registered in the USA we, in Britain, couldn’t care less. Mister Paul Weller is ‘the business.’

Having done a few musical contributions I thought I would progress things a bit and, rather than just waffle on about forgotten musical treasures and so forth I would write about musical treasures who could never in a million years be forgotten.

‘Mod’ music was the place where The Beatles originated. Smart suits etc as opposed to their direct opposites The Rolling Stones. Personally I admit I actually prefer The Rolling Stones musically albeit I cheerfully accept The Beatles were incredible before it all went sour.

As a child I remember the ‘mods and rockers’ and the stories in the press about pitched battles between the two musical sections in Brighton – a scene brought to life in the amazing movie ‘Quadrophenia’.

The Who, of course, were considered the epitome of ‘the mod’ scene back in the 60’s and, despite Roger Daltry growing his hair the ‘mods’ continued to hero worship The Who – and rightly so.

‘Mods and Rockers’ eh? I can’t think of any other statement regarding musical influences that would give your age away in Britain better than the term ‘Mods and Rockers’.

Still, both musical genres continue to thrive although, it has to be said, the ‘mod’ genre hasn’t exactly set the entire world alight as the ‘rocker’ genre has. After all, ‘rock’ encompasses The Sex Pistols and Green day and Bon Jovi and Aerosmith and Meatloaf and Queen and Led Zeppelin and Guns’n Roses and on and on and on.

Even The Who are considered by many to be a ‘rock’ band not a ‘mod’ band and, frankly, there’s much truth in that. At least once the 70’s hit there is, despite Quadrophenia.

In many ways the ‘mod’ genre became almost an irrelevance by the onset of the 70’s. ‘Mod’ bands of the 60’s faded. The Kinks, The Small Faces, The Yardbirds etc et al were forgotten about as ‘Glam Rock’ – note the use of ‘rock’ again – became the order of the decade.

Even David Bowie, God of Glam Rock in the 70’s had once portrayed himself as a ‘mod’ around the mid-sixties when he was lead singer with The King Bees and The Lower Third.

‘Mod’ seemed to be dying out as ‘rock’ whether ‘Glam’ or ‘heavy’ or ‘punk’ or in what ever context seemed to obliterate ‘mod’. Certainly other musical genres such as reggae continued unabated. Disco came and went albeit it didn’t really go, it just metamorphosized into ‘garage’ and ‘house’ and so forth.

‘Mod’ had nowhere to go really. It was just, well, ‘mod’, and either it was loved or it wasn’t and, for a period of time, it wasn’t.

Then, in the late 70’s on the crest of the punk wave, record labels started to take notice of ‘new’, or to be more accurate, returning musical genres that previously they had ignored. After all, if the ‘kids’ wanted The Sex Pistols then maybe ‘the kids’ wanted other things and, on said punk wave crest came ‘new wave rock’ such as Blondie and The Ramones and the Ska revival with Madness and Selecter and The Specials and then – the Mod revival.

Sadly, the ‘mod’ revival didn’t really ‘take hold’ as other ‘new’ bands on the punk wave did. The Stranglers for example were no more ‘punks’ than I was a Martian but they happened to ‘be around at the right time’ and, sensibly, kept quiet about ‘punk’ as the ‘punk’ label wasn’t doing them any harm.

The ‘mod’ revival stalled almost as it began. The Merton Parka’s were ok at best. The Lambrettas, Nine Below Zero, The Inmates and Purple Hearts never really went beyond a local fan base but – but, the ‘mod revival’ found a ‘mod’ band that single handedly brought the ‘mod’ genre back from the dead.

THE JAM.

Paul Weller, Rick Butler and Bruce Foxton. “Down In The Tube Station At Midnight”, “News Of The World”, “Strange Town”, “Carnaby Street” – the kids loved it and before you knew it there WAS a ‘mod’ revival and kids could be seen walking the streets in ‘two tone’ suits and wearing Ikon boots.

Merc suits proliferated (I still have a Merc suit in my wardrobe that, bizarrely, still fits me more or less. My three two tone suits wouldn’t fit me with the aid of a tin opener now) and kids were seen, not with purple mohawks but with smart haircuts and smart suits. One band, and one band alone – with all due respect to other bands of the ‘mod revivalist time’ – made ‘mod’ fashionable again and not a fashion that would go away again either.

The music was incredible. “That’s Entertainment”, “A Town Called Malice”, “Funeral Pyre”, “Going Underground”, “Eton Rifles”, “Beat Surrender” – and the list goes on and on.

The Jam ended and Paul Weller formed The Style Council with Mick Talbot of The Merton Parka’s. Some ‘mods’ were initially slightly bemused by The Style Council but most jumped aboard as Weller’s ‘mod’ instincts could be easily heard still.

Weller has continued on as a solo artist producing magnificent albums such as “Wild Wood”, “Illumination”, “22 Dreams” and “Sonik Kicks”.

I have no idea quite how much Weller’s songs have done in the USA but, frankly, if you don’t know of him and you have never heard him then your life is missing out on someone special.

As a lover of ‘mod’ music I completely agree that I am unashamedly biased.

If you have never heard Weller sing then I can only ask you to listen and, perhaps, you will understand why I am so biased.

Ladies and gentlemen. I present to you, The Modfather. Mr Paul Weller.

Besides, he talked Sir Bradley Wiggins, British Olympic Champion and Tour de France winning cyclist and ‘mod’ man into accepting his knighthood from Her Majesty The Queen as Bradley was initially reluctant to accept such an accolade until The Modfather said “Just do it man”.

Paul Weller. The Modfather. Thank you for just being you.

By the way, Glastonbury 2007? I was there singing along…I was still sober when he did “A Town Called malice” too. Well, more or less? 🙂

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