Podcast · Music

Paul Weller Fan Podcast

by HenFred Studio · English · Music

Hosted by Dan Jennings, the world’s first Paul Weller Fan Podcast is back with Season 3 ... a duel celebration of Weller’s covers album Find El Dorado with special guests, plus exclusive episodes celebrating the arrival of Dan's book Paul Weller: Dancing Through the Fire - The Authorised Oral His

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 36 min
Latest: 29 Jul 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

29 Jul 2026 · 46 min

Stuart Deabill - In the Shadow of the Sun – Paul Weller & the Nineties

There is a beautiful, cosmic symmetry in bringing this podcast journey to a close. Back in December 2020, Stuart Deabill was my very first guest, and today, he returns to close the circle for our final episode of season 3. It feels incredibly fitting that we are bowing out by celebrating Stuart’s stunning new book, In the Shadow of the Sun: Paul Weller & the Nineties . Find podcast show notes and sign up for regular information at PaulWellerFanPodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S3 · E67 · 21 Jul 2026 · 1 hr
Malcolm Gerrie - Pioneering TV Producer, Creative Renegade, and Architect of Live Music Television
In this episode, highly influential British television producer Malcolm Gerrie joins the podcast to share his incredible front-row memories of Paul Weller’s journey, spanning the historic final days of The Jam, the soul-infused rise of The Style Council, and the sheer grit of Weller's solo renaissance. Malcolm takes us back to the early '80s and the launch of Newcastle's groundbreaking live music show The Tube . He reveals the dramatic story of how he was sworn to secrecy by plugger Clive Banks after learning that The Jam were about to split up. This inside track led to the ultimate…
S3 · E66 · 14 Jul 2026 · 57 min
Richard Hawley - Singer-songwriter, Guitarist, and Producer
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…
S3 · E65 · 7 Jul 2026 · 26 min
Simon Napier-Bell - Talks NOMIS Studios, Paul and John Weller...
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…
S3 · E64 · 30 Jun 2026 · 51 min
Tom Sheehan - AIM HIGH: Paul Weller in Photographs 1978 - 2015
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,…
S3 · E63 · 23 Jun 2026 · 47 min
Paul Dowling - Director of Marketing, Go! Discs (1990-1993)
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…
S3 · E62 · 19 Jun 2026 · 46 min
John Reed - Author of Paul Weller: My Ever Changing Moods
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…
S3 · E61 · 16 Jun 2026 · 36 min
Jun Sato - International A&R, Pony Canyon Inc., Japan (1990–2002)
In this conversation, Jun Sato - International A&R at Pony Canyon, Japan - shares the remarkable story of how he helped get Paul Weller’s solo career off the ground when everyone else had written him off. In the early 1990s, as the UK industry dismissed Weller as an ‘80s has-been, Jun trusted his own taste, his love of British blue-eyed soul, and a very special demo cassette that landed on his desk. He quickly negotiated a three-album deal with John Weller and gave Paul the artistic freedom to launch a new chapter. Jun reflects on what it meant to sign a living legend at a crossroads,…
S3 · E60 · 9 Jun 2026 · 42 min
Richard Ogden - Polydor - Head of International Marketing + Managing Director
In this conversation for my book, Richard Ogden - former Head of International Marketing and later Managing Director at Polydor Records - shares the inside track on the extraordinary career of Paul Weller from a label perspective. Already immersed in the music industry when The Jam exploded in 1977, Richard’s role took off in the early '80s, working directly with Polydor’s most important acts as the sound of British pop was going global. He was the architect behind international campaigns for The Style Council, traveling with the band, advocating for bigger creative ambition, and helping to…
S3 · E59 · 2 Jun 2026 · 40 min
John Lewis - Arts critic, Journalist, Editor and Musician
In this conversation for my book, John Lewis - respected music journalist and critic - shares a fan’s journey that became a professional one. He recalls being a teenager during The Jam’s “imperial phase,” with a mod next-door neighbour and a copy of Snap! on repeat, and traces his path to writing in-depth features, retrospectives, and Q&As for Uncut , Time Out , the Metro , and more. Over the years, John has interviewed Paul Weller around a dozen times since 2004, capturing candid reflections on everything from The Jam’s final days to Weller’s experiments with new sounds on 22 Dreams , Sonik…
S3 · E58 · 28 May 2026 · 39 min
Jim Cook - Head of A&R at Polydor (1975-1984) - The Jam / The Style Council
In this episode, recorded for my book, Jim Cook shares his inside perspective from his years as Head of A&R at Polydor Records (1975-1984) during one of British music’s most exciting eras. As the man who signed The Jam and oversaw their rise, Jim reflects on the real-life stories behind the deals, the challenges of the music business in the punk and new wave era, and what it was like to work alongside one of the sharpest British bands of the time (in fact, change that to all time!) Find podcast show notes and sign up for regular information at PaulWellerFanPodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See…
S3 · E57 · 21 May 2026 · 28 min
Erica Echenberg - Punk Photographer
In this episode, Erica Echenberg , one of the pioneering female photographers of the UK punk explosion, joins the podcast to share vivid memories from the very heart of late ‘70s London. Starting in 1976, Erica was everywhere - camera in hand at legendary venues like the Roxy and the Nashville, capturing the wild energy of acts like The Damned, Generation X, and, crucially, an emerging band called The Jam. Known for going where the action was (often straight to the front, dodging pogoing punks, flying bottles, and chairs), Erica not only photographed the bands, but also spotlighted the fans…
S3 · E56 · 19 May 2026 · 35 min
Craig McLean - Music Writer & Editor, The Face, The Word etc
Craig McLean joins the podcast to share his reflections on interviewing Paul Weller across several pivotal moments, offering an insider’s look at a music icon through the eyes of a veteran journalist. With bylines for The Face, The Word, The Observer , and The Telegrap h, Craig has had rare, in-depth access to Weller - riding tour buses, joining late-night escapades, and catching candid conversations that reveal the wit, vulnerability, and creative drive behind his public persona. From the Isle of Wight to Black Barn studio, Craig paints a vivid picture of Weller at work and at play,…
S3 · E55 · 14 May 2026 · 22 min
Richard Engler - Marketing Director at V2 Records
This podcast episode is living proof that sometimes your teenage music heroes really do come full circle. Richard Engler grew up in Manchester, a diehard Jam fan who could recite Paul Weller’s lyrics and remember the row and seat number of his first gig. Fast forward a couple of decades, and Richard found himself working directly with Weller as Marketing Director at V2 Records - helping to steer the campaign for the Studio 150 album and seeing firsthand what it’s like to support one of Britain’s most enduring and restless musicians. In this episode, Richard shares what it was like to go from…
S3 · E54 · 12 May 2026 · 32 min
Jamie Telford - Touring Keyboardist for The Jam (1982)
Jamie Telford joins the podcast to take us behind the scenes of The Jam’s frenetic final days. As a Scottish musician brought in on keyboards for their last run of shows and the farewell single 'Beat Surrender,' Jamie experienced firsthand the thrill of playing with one of the UK’s biggest bands just as internal tensions and creative restlessness threatened to pull them apart. He shares candid stories of wild gigs, backstage chaos, life on the road, and the unique energy of touring with The Jam during their dramatic curtain call in 1982. Now best known as the songwriter and performer behind…
S3 · E53 · 7 May 2026 · 30 min
Detail Magazine - Guest Editor, Paul Weller ... the full story from Claire Mahoney.
Detail Magazine - Guest Editor, Paul Weller ... the full story from Claire Mahoney. In this special episode, we explore Paul Weller’s personal take on modernism. If you’ve followed this podcast from the beginning, you’ll know it started back in 2020 with one simple ambition: to interview Paul Weller. That ambition became Desperately Seeking Paul, and after 180 episodes, we finally reached that goal. What began as fandom grew into something far bigger, eventually leading to my book, Paul Weller: Dancing Through the Fire – The Authorised Oral History . But this episode isn’t about my story.…
S3 · E52 · 5 May 2026 · 40 min
Miles Leonard – Former Chairman, Parlophone Records / Warner Music
In this episode, Miles Leonard - a respected record executive, tastemaker, and lifelong music fan - shares rare insight into his years at the helm of Parlophone Records and his close working relationship with Paul Weller during the mid-2010s. Miles was Director of A&R between April 1995 and May 2003, before stepping up to chairman - a role he held until 2012 when he was made Chairman of Parlophone & Warner Records. He left the role in 2018, to set up his my own company Viva La Music , whilst also working as A&R/Creative executive to Warner Music. With a career spanning decades and a…
S3 · E51 · 29 Apr 2026 · 20 min
Sean O’Hagan – The High Llamas, String Arranger on Paul Weller’s Sonik Kicks
In this episode, Sean O’Hagan - composer, producer, and frontman of The High Llamas - shares his perspective on working with Paul Weller, and explores the curiosity, eclecticism, and collaboration that continue to drive both musicians. As the arranger behind the lush strings of 'Sleep of the Serene' and 'By the Waters' on Paul’s celebrated Sonik Kicks album, Sean offers rare insights into the creative process and mutual respect at the heart of their partnership. Find podcast show notes and sign up for regular information at PaulWellerFanPodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for…
S3 · E50 · 21 Apr 2026 · 42 min
Roger Pilling - Paul Weller’s School Friend
In this episode, I’m joined by Roger Pilling , who offers an intimate window into Paul Weller’s formative years - sharing memories from their early friendship at Sheerwater School right through to the pivotal moments that would define Paul Weller’s life and career. As one of Paul’s earliest confidants, before The Jam and the limelight, Roger’s perspective brings to life the world Weller grew up in: the friendships, family, ambition, and small-town energy that helped shape a future icon. If you’ve ever wondered what Paul Weller was really like before he became a household name - or how those…
S3 · E49 · 19 Apr 2026 · 22 min
Joeri Saal – Recording Engineer and Producer, Studio 150 (Amsterdam)
In this episode, recording and mixing engineer Joeri Saal shares a behind-the-scenes perspective on working with Paul Weller during the creation of the Studio 150 and As Is Now albums - capturing the collaborative Amsterdam sessions and the transition to mixing Weller’s original material. Find podcast show notes and sign up for regular information at PaulWellerFanPodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S3 · E48 · 17 Apr 2026 · 28 min
Benjamin Herman - Jazz Saxophonist, Composer and Bandleader talks Studio 150 and As is Now...
In this episode, Dutch jazz icon Benjamin Herman shares how his lifelong journey in music - and his creative outlook as a musician and bandleader - was profoundly shaped by working with Paul Weller. From contributing horns and arrangements on Weller’s Studio 150 and As Is Now albums to joining his touring band, Benjamin describes how these collaborations and time spent on the road deeply influenced his own approach to making music. Find podcast show notes and sign up for regular information at PaulWellerFanPodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S3 · E47 · 15 Apr 2026 · 32 min
Paul Lester - Record Collector and Uncut - Paul Weller 'Last Man Standing'
In this episode, recorded for my book, Paul Lester -now editor of Record Collector and longtime music journalist - reflects on his career, his encounters with Paul Weller, and the makings of his celebrated Uncut Magazine cover story, ' Paul Weller: Up Close and Personal - Last Man Standing ' (December 1998). We discuss the enduring influence of meaningful, passionate music journalism. Paul Weller’s restless creativity and refusal to be pinned down by his past. The rare trust and intimacy possible in extended, thoughtful interviews. Paul Lester’s perspective on the continuing story of Weller…
S3 · E46 · 7 Apr 2026 · 39 min
Dean Rudland - Acid Jazz Records
In this episode, Acid Jazz records co-owner, Dean Rudland shares his lifelong musical journey and personal relationship with the world of Paul Weller From being pulled into music by The Beatles and The Jam, through finding his own identity in Mod, to eventually working with and around the Weller orbit, Dean gives an insider’s perspective on cultural movements - and Paul Weller’s unique gift for making fans feel part of something bigger. Find podcast show notes and sign up for regular information at PaulWellerFanPodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S3 · E45 · 24 Mar 2026 · 24 min
Joe Beckett - Percussionist, Paul Weller Movement 1990
Percussionist Joe Beckett share his stories from inside a pivotal, often-overlooked chapter in Paul Weller’s career: the Paul Weller Movement. Joe recalls the unique circumstances that landed him in the band, from chance club gigs to a spontaneous audition at Solid Bond Studios, and the creative camaraderie that followed. He takes us on the road in 1990, from a packed Dingwalls debut surrounded by mods and scooters, across Europe and the UK, to the final triumphant night at London’s Town & Country Club, later immortalized by the BBC. Along the way, Joe details the evolution of new tracks…
S3 · E44 · 10 Mar 2026 · 51 min
Chas De Whalley - Stories of The Jam for Sounds Magazine...
In this episode, music writer Chas De Whalley recalls discovering The Jam after a last-minute tip-off that led him to see them at the Nashville Rooms and review them for Sounds magazine. He reflects on the charged early gigs, their breakthrough shows at the The Roxy, and the fast-moving record deal with Polydor Records. Chas also shares memories of travelling with the band, visiting the Weller family home and seeing Ann Weller run the fan club operation, while watching Paul Weller rapidly develop as a songwriter. Our conversation also revisits the chaos of the Reading Festival 1978 and…
S3 · E43 · 24 Feb 2026 · 36 min
Matt Askem - Live Music Director - Hyde Park, Braehead, Studio 150, As Is Now...
In this episode, I’m joined by acclaimed live film director Matt Askem , a creative force behind some of the most iconic concert films of the last 25 years. From capturing the raw intensity of Paul Weller on stage to working with global superstars like Adele, U2, Muse and Take That, Matt has spent decades translating live music into cinematic storytelling. We dive into the making of Weller’s 2000s concert films, the challenges of filming massive crowds versus intimate venues, and how Matt’s perspective has evolved from fast-cut MTV-era energy to a more timeless visual style. He shares…
S3 · E42 · 10 Feb 2026 · 20 min
Roger Armstrong - Rock On + Chiswick / Ace Records
In this episode, I’m joined by Roger Armstrong - co-founder of the legendary Rock On record shop and the Chiswick label - to talk about his unique vantage point on Paul Weller’s earliest days. Long before record deals, Roger knew Paul as a meticulous record buyer, hunting for Motown and soul 45s at his Soho Market stall. We explore the lost world of seven-inch singles, the importance of B-sides, and how that deep, physical relationship with records helped shape Paul Weller’s musical values from the very beginning. Roger also shares first-hand memories of the Jam’s formative period, including…
S3 · E41 · 3 Feb 2026 · 30 min
Keith Cameron - Music Writer - Sounds, NME, Mojo
A journalist since 1988, Keith Cameron is currently a contributing editor at MOJO , with a career that’s taken him from Sounds and NME to bylines in the Guardian, The Times, Kerrang! and Q. In this episode, Keith talks about discovering The Jam in the punk era, growing up in the Highlands, and the lengths he went to just to get to gigs - finally seeing The Style Council at university. He gives an honest glimpse into interviewing Paul Weller, from nerve-racking moments on tour buses to frank discussions about Heavy Soul, along with stories of superfans, music press dramas, and the…
S3 · E40 · 27 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 22 min
Dee C. Lee - Singer, Songwriter - The Style Council, Solo, Wham! and more...
For this special episode, I bring you a conversation with Dee C. Lee - singer, songwriter and essential member of The Style Council. This chat was recorded in a riverside pub back in January 2025 for my book Paul Weller: Dancing Through The Fire and Dee has been kind enough to let me share this as a podcast episode. What better timing than the release week for the new Café Bleu Deluxe Edition boxset! From her early breakthrough as a backing singer with Wham! to Paul Weller inviting her to Solid Bond Studios, Dee recalls how she became part of a new band without fully realising the shadow The…
S3 · E39 · 20 Jan 2026 · 23 min
John Mealing - Composer and Arranger - The Style Council
In this episode of the Paul Weller Fan Podcast, I talk to composer and arranger John Mealing , whose work helped define The Style Council’s orchestral and cinematic edge. John shares how he first connected with Paul Weller, starting with 'Shout To The Top', and goes deep into the making of Our Favourite Shop , The Cost of Loving and Confessions of a Pop Group - including strings, horns, live performances and studio experiments. Along the way, John reflects on his jazz roots, his unlikely journey into arranging, and a parallel career creating some of British television’s most memorable theme…

About Paul Weller Fan Podcast

Paul Weller Fan Podcast is a English music podcast from HenFred Studio. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: HenFred Studio
Language: English
Category: Music
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 36 min
Latest episode: 29 Jul 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1542369697

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