Paul Weller Fan Podcast

In this episode, acclaimed Sheffield singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer Richard Hawley talks about his long-standing friendship and creative kinship with Paul Weller.
Richard takes us back to his working-class upbringing in Pitsmoor, Sheffield, where he was raised on a strict diet of '50s rock and roll, rockabilly, and R&B - until his two younger sisters took over the household’s three-watt portable record player. It was through their relentless, non-stop playing of Setting Sons, All Mod Cons, and Sound Affects that The Jam became permanently ingrained in his psyche, sparking a lifelong appreciation for Paul Weller's distinctive guitar playing and raw, uncompromising energy.
He shares the hilarious story of their first proper meeting at a festival in Spain, where he mistakenly geared up for a classic "Mods vs. Rockers" confrontation as Weller and Steve Cradock came charging across a hotel dining room. Richard reflects on their subsequent decades-long friendship, discussing the parallel experiences of losing their fathers, their shared refusal to compromise with the music industry, and their mutual respect as songwriters. He also offers a peek into his phone’s highly classified archive of raw Weller voice-note demos, explains why they've never quite managed to finish a song together in the same room, and recounts playing lap steel on the beautiful track 'I Woke Up' from Paul’s album 66.
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In this conversation, recorded for my book, legendary music manager, producer, and author Simon Napier-Bell takes us inside the creation of NOMIS Studios, the state-of-the-art Hammersmith rehearsal complex he built out of a Victorian dairy with two-foot-thick concrete walls.

Originally created to give top-tier acts a luxurious, soundproof, and private space to hone their live craft, NOMIS quickly became the beating heart of the London music scene. It was here that Simon first crossed paths with John and Paul Weller, renting Weller Snr an office and witnessing the daily coming-and-goings of the crew.

He reflects on the distinct and fascinating character of John - a man often perceived as a "rough diamond" but whom Simon found delightful, humorous, and affectionate - as well as Paul’s varying moods and legendary dislike of mime-synching on Top of the Pops.

Simon also details the striking musical and stylistic crossover between the era-defining bands he managed, like Wham!, and The Style Council, sharing his views on how Paul Weller and George Michael were parallel visionaries pulling from the same rich lineage of British blue-eyed soul, jazz-pop, and sharp visual presentation.
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In this episode, legendary photographer Tom Sheehan shares a personal narrative that spans the arc of Paul Weller’s career, from The Jam’s charged early days right through to Weller’s solo renaissance - we take a journey through images found in his acclaimed book AIM HIGH: Paul Weller in Photographs 1978–2015.

Tom’s first encounter with Weller was as a CBS staff photographer at that infamous 1977 Rainbow punk show - dodging flying chairs and learning fast about the wild energy of the era. When he began working for the music press, Tom soon found himself taking early studio shots of The Jam, capturing not just their look but their camaraderie and focused ambition in the late '70s.

Over the next 40 years, Tom chronicled every chapter: documenting The Jam at work and play, venturing outside the studio for cold winter photo-walks through St John’s Wood, and producing iconic images as The Style Council embraced political activism and continental flair.
He shares the stories and context behind many pivotal images - studio shoots, backstage candids, on-the-road moments (and even festival shorts with blazers!).

He discusses the sometimes delicate relationship between band and lens, Paul Weller’s remarkable ease in front of the camera (“he’s just a great sitter”), and why authenticity and mutual respect were always at the core of their working dynamic. He reflects on private shoots at Black Barn and in West London record shops, his preference for quick, no-messing sessions, and the art of capturing both style and vulnerability in Weller as he moved between bands, eras, and personal highs and lows.

Tom also describes the spirit of working-class kinship and shared mod obsessions that shaped their rapport - why Weller’s forthrightness and his own direct approach gelled so naturally. Along the way, Tom talks about Weller’s enduring love of vinyl, the visual codes of musicianship and subculture, and the responsibility of creating a photographic legacy. The episode closes with thoughts on AIM HIGH, the book’s creation, and why Weller’s approval and foreword meant so much.
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In this episode, Paul Dowling - director of marketing at Go! Discs in the early ‘90s - tells the story of how he helped Paul Weller find a new home and a fresh start after The Style Council and Polydor rejected him.
A teenage Jam fan who witnessed the band’s energy first-hand, Paul started work in an indie record shop job before moving in marketing within the record industry and then landing at Go! Discs just as the label was building on it's reputation for artist-friendly culture and creative risk-taking.
Paul takes us inside the DIY campaign for 'Into Tomorrow' - Weller’s first solo single - explaining how a tight team of trusted industry figures and Weller’s own clear vision turned an independent release into a Top 40 hit, and led directly to a new label deal in the UK.
He describes hearing those early demos, smoking spliffs with Andy McDonald, and realising just how wild, raw, and ready Weller was for his comeback. Drawing on his unique perspective, Paul reflects on the label’s role in supporting Weller’s creative freedom, the transition through Wild Wood and toward Britpop’s peak, and the sheer thrill - and surprise - of working with an artist who had provided the “soundtrack of my life.”
He offers candid observations on Go! Discs’ staff, its culture of collaboration and love of music, and the shared social and political energy that ran through both the label and the acts it signed. Paul also describes the magic of that era: small teams, big nights out, and a sense that, somehow, the stars had aligned for Weller’s reinvention.
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In this conversation, John Reed - music journalist, a former Research Editor of Record Collector magazine, Director of Catalogue at Cherry Red, and author of Paul Weller: My Ever Changing Moods - takes us on a journey through the many stages of Weller’s remarkable career. Growing up entrenched in the Mod revival and drawn into The Jam’s world as a teenager, John became the “kid at school who liked The Jam,” long before he would ever dig deep into his music as a writer.

John shares stories from his early days as a fan (his first Jam shows in Brighton, his coming of age as a mod, and surviving the territorial world of Harrington jacket colours), to building a career in music journalism and becoming a trusted member of the Weller story’s inner circle. We hear his unique perspective on the trio dynamic of The Jam, his view on Bruce and Rick’s underrated contributions, and why Weller’s break-up of the band was both brave and necessary.

As a journalist and Record Collector writer, John’s work bridges the worlds of the fan and the chronicler - penning features, sleeve notes, and, ultimately, a much-loved biography. He shares what went into writing My Ever Changing Moods (often by chance: “I just made it up” - the pitch, not the research!), the responsibility of telling the story for fans, and how he balanced candidness with sensitivity. From interviewing Paul Weller during pivotal moments in the ’90s and 2000s, to discussing album sequencing, adversity, and his restless creativity, John brings the experience of both a listener and an expert.

His reflections move through Weller’s post-Jam doubts, The Style Council’s misunderstood experiments, the energy of “comeback” records like As Is Now and 22 Dreams, and a decades-long relationship balancing proximity, critique, and admiration. John also shares personal memories: a surreal night with Weller and Ocean Colour Scene, phone calls from “Paul Weller, ya c—t,” and thoughts on what would make the ultimate Weller companion release.
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