In the middle part of 1984, I fell completely in love with a song called “My Ever Changing Moods” by a relatively new British band, The Style Council. What I would discover later on is that The Style Council was actually the second band for singer / songwriter / musician Paul Weller. His first band, of course, was The Jam, who had four No. 1 songs between 1980 and 1982 in their native Britain, but for some Godforsaken reason, did nothing here in America.
Still being in a (mostly) American Top 40 frame of mind back in 1984, my association with The Style Council reminded me of my association with General Public a year later, in the sense that I learned of that band before learning of (and eventually adoring) the earlier band (in this case for Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger), The English Beat.
New Wavers The Style Council fared a little better in the U.S. than earlier counterpart The Jam did, and “My Ever Changing Moods,” their fifth overall single, was the first one to chart in the U.S., from their debut album, CAFÉ BLEU.
“My Ever Changing Moods” worked its way to a No. 29 peak on the BILLBOARD Hot 100 in June 1984, spending 3 months on the chart. Around the globe, it reached No. 5 in the U.K., and No. 32 in New Zealand. The Style Council would place 16 songs in the U.K. Top 40 between 1983 and 1988, but only “My Ever Changing Moods” and its follow-up, “You’re The Best Thing,” would chart in the U.S. (it stopped at No. 76).
Paul Weller and his respective bands were critical darlings here in America but would never get the proper public appreciation overall that they should have here in the States. Regardless, my fondness for the lovely “My Ever Changing Moods” has way outlasted way its short singles chart life. I don’t really know how to explain it, but “My Ever Changing Moods” is just one of those songs that exudes joy for me, always has. And I’ll happily never change my mood ever about that…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmVkOlZFF3Y
FOREVER YOUNG 