The Style Council - The Cost Of Loving (1987)

The Cost of Loving is the third studio album by the English band the Style Council, released on 7 February 1987 by Polydor Records. 

The album was recorded over a period of three months in 1986, at Solid Bond Studios in London (owned by their lead vocalist, Paul Weller). 

The album is generally regarded as the culmination of the smoother, more adult-oriented sound of the band's later work. The album peaked at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart, and achieved gold status from the BPI. 

It featured the singles "It Didn't Matter" and "Waiting", which had corresponding music videos. "It Didn't Matter" reached the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart, however "Waiting" failed to make the top 40, which was a first for any Style Council single. 

A full-fledged soul album, The Cost of Loving illustrated why Paul Weller's star was rapidly declining in the late '80s. 

Filled with bland, professional soul-pop, few of the songs have memorable melodies and the band tends to meander through the slick arrangments. Weller's lyrics were self-important and under-developed, with only the hit single "It Didn't Matter" making a lasting impression among the undistinguished songs that comprised the majority of the album.

This album saw the group concentrating on the R&B styles that had been growing in America during the eighties. 

The album included a cover version of "Angel," a song originally recorded by Anita Baker for her debut solo studio album, The Songstress (1983). 

Its urban contemporary feel was a jolt to listeners who had grown accustomed to the continental mix of soul music, jazz, and European folk styles that the band had displayed on their previous two studio albums. 

United States label Geffen Records heard the tracks and promptly dropped the Style Council from their roster. Socially conscious soul music pioneer Curtis Mayfield was asked to mix some of the material on the album, which displays hints of being influenced by house music and the Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis sound. 

Tracks from the album were included in a 37-minute film, Jerusalem, about the band.

Track listing

1.  It Didn't Matter  (5:49)

       Mixed By – The Valentine Brothers

      Written By – Weller/Talbot

      Written-By – Talbot, Weller

2.  Right to Go  (5:15)

      Mixed By – Jezar

      Percussion – Steve Sidelnyk

      Rap [Rappin'] – The Dynamic Three

      Written-By – Weller, White, Dynamic Three

3.  Heavens Above  (6:14)

      Bass – Camelle Hinds

      Congas – Steve Sidelnyk

      Mixed By – Matthew Kasha

      Saxophone – Billy Chapman

      Soloist, Violin – Anne Stephenson

      Written-By – Weller

4.  Fairy Tales  (4:09)

      Congas, Percussion – Steve Sidelnyk

      Mixed By – Curtis Mayfield

      Percussion – Steve Sidelnyk

      Trombone – Ashley Slater, Chris Lawrence, Pete Thams

      Trumpet – Guy Barker, Luke Tunney, Roddy Lorimer

      Written-By – Weller

5.  Angel  (4:32)

      Bass – Camelle Hinds

      Mixed By – The Valentine Brothers

      Written By – Morten/Sully/Griffen

      Written-By – Morten, Griffen, Sully

6.  Walking the Night  (4:34)

      Backing Vocals – John Valentine

      Bass – Camelle Hinds

      Mixed By – Carl Beatty

      Soloist, Flugelhorn – Guy Barker

      Trombone – Ashley Slater, Chris Lawrence, Pete Thams

      Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Guy Barker, Luke Tunney, Roddy Lorimer

      Written-By – Talbot, Weller

7.  Waiting  (4:29) 

      Mixed By – John Valentine

      Written-By – Weller

8.  Cost of Loving  (4:21)

      Mixed By – Alan Leeming

      Written-By – Weller

9.  Woman's Song  (3:03)

      Written-By – Weller

All tracks are written by Paul Weller, except where noted.

The Style Council

• Paul Weller – lead and background vocals; guitars; synthesizers; drum machine programming
• Mick Talbot – acoustic and electric pianos, Wurlitzer and Hammond organs; synthesizers; bass synthesizer
• Dee C. Lee – lead and background vocals
• Steve White – drums; percussion

Additional musicians

• The Dynamic Three – rapping on "Right to Go"
• Steve Sidelynk – percussion on "Right to Go", congas on "Heavens Above" and "Fairy Tales"
• Camelle Hinds – bass guitar on "Heavens Above", "Angel" and "Walking the Night"
• Billy Chapman – saxophone on "Heavens Above"
• Anne Stephenson – violin on "Heavens Above"
• Guy Barker – trumpet on "Fairy Tales"; flugelhorn on "Walking the Night"
• Roddy Lorimer – trumpet on "Fairy Tales"; flugelhorn on "Walking the Night"
• Luke Tunney – trumpet on "Fairy Tales"; flugelhorn on "Walking the Night"
• Ashley Slater – trombone on "Fairy Tales"
• Chris Lawrence – trombone on "Fairy Tales"
• Peter Thoms – trombone on "Fairy Tales"
• John Valentine – backing vocals on "Walking the Night"
• John Mealing – orchestral arrangements"

Production and artwork

• Paul Weller – producer
• Jezar – engineer, sequencing, mixer on "Right to Go"
• Alan Leeming – engineer, mixer on "The Cost of Loving"
• The Valentine Brothers – mixers on "It Didn't Matter" and "Angel"
• Matthew Kasha – mixer on "Heavens Above"
• Curtis Mayfield – mixer on "Fairy Tales"
• Carl Beatty – mixer on "Walking the Night"
• John Valentine – mixer on "Waiting"

Notes

Released:  7 February 1987 

Recorded:  May, August and October 1986 Studio / Solid Bond Studios (London) 

Genre:  Soul 

Length: 42:12 

Producer:  Paul Weller

Label - Polydor