The Style Council have announced a new special edition of their 1984 debut album ‘Café Bleu’ featuring unheard material, early demos and live recordings.
The band is Paul Weller‘s project that he formed in 1982 alongside keyboardist Mick Talbot (Dexys Midnight Runners) following his shock dissolution of the The Jam. ‘Café Bleu’ is notable for Weller’s exploration of more sophisticated sounds, such as jazz, soul and pop.
The Style Council would go on to release several albums, including their last full-length album ‘Confessions of a Pop Group in 1988’. The Woking group would then split the following year.
Now, after decades of inactivity, The Style Council will finally release the ‘Café Bleu Special Edition’ with previously unheard material and unreleased songs from their vault. Early demos, alternate takes, and a huge collection of BBC sessions and live recordings will also be available to listen to on this special edition. The new edition is completed with fresh sleevenotes from broadcaster Gary Crowley.
The ‘Café Bleu Special Edition’ is due January 30, 2026 via Universal Recordings as a 6 CD set and as 3 vinyl LPs – check out the full tracklisting below:
The Style Council’s ‘Café Bleu Special Edition’ tracklisting is:
CD1 – ‘Introducing… The Style Council’ Expanded
1 ‘Speak Like A Child’
2 ‘Party Chambers’
3 ‘Money-Go-Round’ (Parts 1&2) (original 12 inch version)
4 ‘Headstart For Happiness’ (early version)
5 ‘Mick’s Up’
6 ‘Long Hot Summer’ (extended version)
7 ‘The Paris Match’ (early version)
8 ‘Party Chambers’ (instrumental)
9 ‘Le Depart’
10 ‘A Solid Bond In Your Heart’
11 ‘It Just Came To Pieces In My Hands’
12 ‘My Ever Changing Moods’ (long version)
13 ‘Spring, Summer, Autumn’
14 ‘Mick’s Company’
15 ‘Money-Go-Round’ (Parts 1&2) (bert bevans remix /club mix)
16 ‘Long Hot Summer’ (club mix aka 12″ mix)
CD2 – Original ‘Café Bleu’ album
1 ‘Mick’s Blessings’
2 ‘The Whole Point Of No Return’
3 ‘Me Ship Came In!’
4 ‘Blue Café’
5 ‘The Paris Match’
6 ‘My Ever Changing Moods’
7 ‘Dropping Bombs On The Whitehouse’
8 ‘A Gospel’
9 ‘Strength Of Your Nature’
10 ‘You’re The Best Thing’
11 ‘Here’s One That Got Away’
12 ‘Headstart For Happiness’
13 ‘Council Meetin”
CD3 – Post album released singles, B-sides, single edits and remixes
1 ‘You’re The Best Thing’ (7″ version)
2 ‘You’re The Dub Thing’
3 ‘The Big Boss Groove’ (12″ version)
4 ‘Money Go Round’ (Dance mix)
5 ‘Long Hot Summer (Don’t Matter What I Do)’ (7″ single)
6 ‘A Solid Bond In Your Heart’ (instrumental)
7 ‘My Ever Changing Moods’ (7″ version)
CD4 – Demos, outtakes and alternate versions
1 ‘Long Hot Summer’ (pre TSC demo)
2 ‘Party Chambers’ (alternate version)
3 ‘Up For Grabs’ (demo)
4 ‘Take It To The Top’ (demo)
5 ‘Mick’s Demo’
6 ‘Funk Interlude’
7 ‘The Big Boss Groove’
8 ‘Summertime Song’
9 ‘The Paris Match (with Tracey Thorn)’ (long version)
10 ‘Come Away With Me’ (demo)
11 ‘Me Ship Came In!’ (alternate version)
12 ‘Dropping Bombs on The White House’ (alternate version)
13 ‘That One In D’ Minor’ (demo)
14 ‘Boy Hairdresser’
15 ‘A Gospel’ (alternate instrumental version)
16 ‘A Gospel’ (outtake)
17 ‘Mick’s Company’
18 ‘I’m In The Mood For Gazza’
CD5 – BBC Sessions & Live
Radio 1 Session 5/5/83
1 ‘Headstart For Happiness’
2 ‘Mick’s Up’
3 ‘Here’s One That Got Away’
4 ‘The Paris Match’
SBH: In Concert 11/6/83. Recorded as part of the Respond Package night at the Paris Theatre London
5 ‘Head Start For Happiness’
6 ‘Here’s One That Got Away’
7 ‘The Paris Match’
8 ‘Times Are Tight’
Saturday Live 31/12/83 In Session
9 ‘My Ever Changing Moods’
10 ‘Mick’s Blessings’
11 ‘Paris Match’
12 ‘Head Start For Happiness’
13 ‘Long Hot Summer’
BBC Live at the Dominion Theatre Pt.1 14/3/84
14 ‘Meeting Over Yonder’
15 ‘My Ever Changing Moods’
16 ‘It Just Came To Pieces In My Hands’
17 ‘Mick’s Up’
18 ‘Here’s One That Got Away’
19 ‘Up For Grabs’
20 ‘Dropping Bombs On The White House’
21 ‘Long Hot Summer’
CD6 – Live versions
BBC Live at the Dominion Theatre Pt.2 14/3/84
1 ‘Money Go Round’
2 ‘Speak Like A Child’
3 ‘Headstart For Happiness’
4 ‘Hanging On To A Memory’
BBC Sight & Sound In Concert – Live At Goldiggers Chippenham 10/3/84
5 ‘Meeting Over Yonder’
6 ‘My Ever Changing Moods’
7 ‘Speak Like A Child’
8 ‘The Whole Point Of No Return’
9 ‘Le Depart’
10 ‘The Paris Match’
11 ‘Party Chambers’
12 ‘Money Go Round’
13 ‘Head Start For Happiness’
14 ‘Hanging On To A Memory’
15 ‘Dropping Bombs On The White House’
16 ‘Long Hot Summer’
3LP Vinyl
LP1 – side A
1 ‘Speak Like A Child’
2 ‘Party Chambers’
3 ‘Mick’s Up’
4 ‘Headstart For Happiness’
5 ‘Money-Go-Round (Parts 1&2)’ (Bert Bevans remix/club mix)
LP1 – side B
6 ‘Long Hot Summer’ (Extended Version)
7 ‘Le Depart’
8 ‘The Paris Match’
9 ‘Spring, Summer, Autumn’
10 ‘Mick’s Company’
LP2 – side C
11 ‘Mick’s Blessings’
12 ‘The Whole Point Of No Return’
13 ‘Me Ship Came In!’
14 ‘Blue Café’
15 ‘The Paris Match’
16 ‘My Ever Changing Moods’
17 ‘Dropping Bombs On The Whitehouse’
LP2 – side D
18 ‘A Gospel’
19 ‘Strength Of Your Nature’
20 ‘You’re The Best Thing’
21 ‘Here’s One That Got Away’
22 ‘Headstart For Happiness’
23 ‘Council Meetin”
LP3 – side E
24 ‘My Ever Changing Moods’ (Long Version)
25 ‘A Solid Bond In Your Heart’
26 ‘The Big Boss Groove’ (12″ version)
27 ‘You’re The Dub Thing’
LP3 – side F
28 ‘Long Hot Summer’ (pre TSC demo)
29 ‘Party Chambers’ (alternate version)
30 ‘Up For Grabs’ (demo)
32 ‘Mick’s Demo’
32 ‘Take It To The Top’ (demo)
33 ‘Dropping Bombs on The White House’ (alternate version)
We spoke to Weller in 2020 about his boundary-pushing avant garde album ‘On Sunset‘, where he spoke to us about his mission to artistically challenge listeners.
“I think that’s the role of any artist in whatever form” he told us. I always thought that is one of the beautiful sides of it all. So I would like to think that I can still do that but I also do it from the point of view that I really want people to come with it – as opposed to The Style Council when I was just putting everyone’s back up and enjoying it, which is a bit weird.
“I’m not getting any younger and I want to try lots of different things, as much as I can possibly incorporate into what I naturally do,” Weller continued. “It’s feeling that freedom to do that. It feels like where I need to be. I’m trying different things as much as I can – time is of the essence, man.”
Elsewhere, Paul Weller has announced some huge summer 2026 UK outdoor shows – check here for more details.
