Als 1984 das Debütalbum „Café Bleu“ von The Style Council erschien, präsentierten Weller und sein Partner Mick Talbot eine kosmopolitische Mischung aus Jazz, Soul und Pop, die mühelos raffiniert und gewagt frisch wirkte. „Café Bleu“ war mehr als nur ein Debüt – es war eine Absichtserklärung, die neu definierte, wie britischer Pop in einem neuen Jahrzehnt klingen könnte.

Seitdem warteten die Fans gespannt darauf, einen tiefen Einblick in die Archive von The Style Council zu erhalten, um unveröffentlichtes Material zu hören. Und nun hat das Warten ein Ende.

Die Café Bleu Special Edition ist eine Fundgrube für Style Council-Anhänger und Musikliebhaber gleichermaßen – eine immersive Reise in eine der kreativsten Epochen von Paul Wellers Karriere. Diese aufwendige Veröffentlichung enthüllt eine Fülle von bisher unveröffentlichtem Material, darunter frühe Demos, alternative Takes und unveröffentlichte Songs, die den unermüdlichen Drang der Band nach Experimenten und Weiterentwicklung zeigen. Für noch mehr Tiefe sorgt eine außergewöhnliche Sammlung von BBC-Sessions und Live-Aufnahmen, die die Band in voller kreativer Blüte zeigen. Abgerundet wird das Paket durch hervorragende neue Liner Notes des Rundfunkmoderators und langjährigen Café Bleu-Fans Gary Crowley, die neue Einblicke in das bleibende Vermächtnis dieses zeitlosen Klassikers bieten.

Zu den Highlights der Special Edition gehören:

CD1 – Extended edition of Introducing… The Style Council.

CD2  – Café Bleu full album. As well as the two hit singles “My Ever Changing Moods” and “You’re The Best Thing”, stand-out tracks on the original Café Bleu include "Headstart for Happiness" and "The Paris Match" which features Tracey Thorn on vocals.

CD3 - All related singles, B-sides, remixes, and demos from that era.

CD4 – Unreleased demos, Outtakes & Alternate Versions, including:

• An early demo of “Long Hot Summer” (Aug 1982) showing its evolution from “Le Départ" offering a fascinating insight into its evolving musical journey.

• “Boy Hairdresser” (written for Respond artist Tracie Young). 

• Extended 6:31 version of “The Paris Match” and early variant “Summertime Song.”

• Unreleased instrumental gems from Mick Talbot including a jazzier “Party Chambers” and “Mick’s Demo.”
  
  

CD5 & CD6 – BBC Sessions & Live Performances made available for release for the first time, including:

• Live recordings from Cheltenham’s Gold Diggers and London’s Dominion Theatre.

• BBC Radio One sessions (1983) for David Jensen and Saturday Live, featuring standout versions of “Headstart for Happiness,” “The Paris Match,” “Long Hot Summer,” and “My Ever Changing Moods.”

Full tracklisting:

CD1 - Introducing 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 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