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The Style Council / Café Bleu special edition

6CD deluxe with unreleased tracks

By Paul Sinclair

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Café Bleu / The Style Council 6CD Special edition

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3.9

Both 6CD and 3LP editions of this release have been recalled. It will now be released on 15 May 2026.

The Style Council’s 1984 album Café Bleu, is reissued as a 6CD special edition featuring unheard material, including early demos, alternate takes, and unreleased songs.

The band’s debut (the band being Paul Weller and Mick Talbot) showcased a new sound for Weller, a cosmopolitan blend of jazz, soul, and was released a year after their first single (‘Speak Like A Child’) and a few other non-album singles that were issued in the US (and a few other territories) as a mini-album Introducing The Style Council.

The new Café Bleu Special Edition in 6CD form includes the following content:

  • CD1 – Extended edition of Introducing… The Style Council.
  • CD2 – Café Bleu full album.
  • CD3 – All related singles, B-sides, remixes, and demos from that era.
  • CD4 – Unreleased Demos, Outtakes & Alternate Versions
  • CD5 & CD6 – BBC Sessions & Live Performances

The demos disc includes an early demo of ‘Long Hot Summer’ (from August 1982), ‘Boy Hairdresser’ (written for Respond artist Tracie Young) and extended version of ‘The Paris Match’ (running to 6:31) and early variant ‘“’Summertime Song’. There’s also some instrumentals from Mick Talbot including a jazzier version of ‘Party Chambers’ and ‘Mick’s Demo’.

Live recordings include performances from BBC Sight & Sound In Concert at Chippenham’s Gold Diggers and London’s Dominion Theatre.

The 6CD special edition includes a book with new sleeve notes from Gary Crowley. The 3LP vinyl edition offers the expanded Introducing… album on LP 1 (less tracks than on the CD version), the album proper on LP 2 and then a third LP that combines more tracks from the expanded Introducing… with some of the demos.

Café Bleu will be reissued on 15 May 2026 (was 30 January) via UMR / Polydor.

Tracklisting

Café Bleu The Style Council / 6CD box set

    • CD 1: 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)
    • CD 2: 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’
    • CD 3: 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)
    • CD 4: 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
    • CD 5: 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
      1. Head Start For Happiness
      2. Here’s One That Got Away
      3. The Paris Match
      4. Times Are Tight
      Saturday Live 31/12/83 In Session
      1. My Ever Changing Moods
      2. Mick’s Blessings
      3. Paris Match
      4. Head Start For Happiness
      5. Long Hot Summer
      BBC Live at the Dominion Theatre Pt.1 14/3/84
      1. Meeting Over Yonder
      2. My Ever Changing Moods
      3. It Just Came To Pieces In My Hands
      4. Mick’s Up
      5. Here’s One That Got Away
      6. Up For Grabs
      7. Dropping Bombs On The White House
      8. Long Hot Summer
    • CD 6: 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
      1. Meeting Over Yonder
      2. My Ever Changing Moods
      3. Speak Like A Child
      4. The Whole Point Of No Return
      5. Le Depart
      6. The Paris Match
      7. Party Chambers
      8. Money-Go-Round
      9. Head Start For Happiness
      10. Hanging On To A Memory
      11. Dropping Bombs On The White House
      12. Long Hot Summer

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