Saturday 6 December 2008

Party Chambers

Adam over here is talking about The Style Council and their first album Introducing today. It made me think about their first b-side, Party Chambers, which to me is one of those Weller B-sides that stay with you long after you're sick of the A-side. It's also pretty typical of a Weller strand that sort of got lost. It's jazzy, but it's not really jazz; it kind of sounds like 60s film soundtrack music, but modernised and Weller-fied. I'd sit it alongside The Jam tracks like The Great Depression and Shopping, both for quality B-side status and for their musical similarities.

I love the Moogy solo over the finish, it ends too abruptly for me: I could listen to that for hours.

I was 14 when I heard this first and in the midst of a huge teenage crush/unrequited love thing. It reminds me of wet pavements and Benson & Hedges; of really good chip shop chips and Coke of the cola variety. It sounds like the ups when she chose to smile at me and the downs when she ignored me completely.

"Let me sink in sadness, cause I can't forget her;
She was on my mind and
Try as I might I spend all my time thinking about her"

The Style Council - Party Chambers

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm a big fan of weller b-sides and particularly, I think, of Style Council b-sides... except this one. Never done it for me. Sorry. :)

davyh said...

For me, a lovely song....remember being so thrilled that this first single was so good - cover, 'sleeve notes' A & B, the lot.

Eleanor said...

I love Party Chambers - but then I read your description of unrequited love, wet pavements and Benson & Hedges and I decided I loved that more.

whiteray said...

I agree with El. It's a good song, but that was an evocative bit of writing! And like anyone who ever drew a breath, I've been there and recognized the territory from your description.

David said...

Style Council recording many great songs, their reputation tarnished by an unfortunate album called The Cost of Loving - A terrible piece of shit.


Party Chambers is great - other great Weller song of that era include Blood Sports, Spin Drifting, Fell to Pieces in my Hand, and Paris Match; Paris Match being quite sublime.

Also loved and love Mick Talbot's Le Depart as well; certain to give a shiver to any fully functional spine.