Searching For The Young Soul Rebels

Welcome to Friday! Some bright and breezy jazz pop today.

Back in 1983 one of my favourite bands were producing a cool jazzy pop that sounded like it should be soundtracking Absolute Beginners. Big, bold and brassy, with backing vocals by D.C. Lee who appeared to be much in demand, one tune in particular was never far from the stereo.

Animal Nightlife - Native Boy

Heh, you thought I was talking about the Style Council? Animal Nightlife, if you don't remember, were as described above, a jazzy pop group out of London's club scene. They had a few minor hits, of which Native Boy is my favourite. It was early on in the summer of 1983. Weller had already semi-appropriated D.C. Lee, but listening to Native Boy, that's not all he took. Billy Chapman on saxophone for Animal Nightlife also features heavily on many of The Style Council records that came out. And then that bright and breezy London jazz sound would pop up, with a pretty similar brass arrangement (Billy Chapman) on the following tune the year after. Check out Dee's solo vocal in the middle of both tunes...

The Style Council - Headstart For Happiness

And then later on one of Weller's Respond Records bands The Questions also used Billy Chapman on this next tune:

The Questions - Month Of Sundays

Gotta love Weller and his magpie instinct!