Episode 107: Olly Ball, Photographer, Our Favourite Shop by The Style Council…

My guest on this episode of The Paul Weller Fan Podcast is Olly Ball, Photographer for The Style Council album cover Our Favourite Shop.
It is the band’s most commercial successful album and undoubtedly one of the best album covers in Paul”s 45 year career. An immediate commercial and critical success on release with a sleeve that so many fans spent hours, day and weeks figuring out, pouring over every little detail.
You can purchase the full colour photo here

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I would encourage you to grab your copy of the album as we take a walk through the making of the sleeve…

Speaking to Snap Galleries, Olly Ball’s recollections of the session are fascinating: 

“We shot the cover of Our Favourite Shop on a Sunday afternoon in London in April or May 1985, at Bow Street Studios in Covent Garden. I was based there for ten years.”

“I wasn’t a rock photographer as such. I mostly shot magazine editorial in those days. I was offered the job because Simon Halfon, the designer, had seen some photos I’d shot for the Observer Magazine Living Extra. These were pictures of rooms based on a TV programme; so we’d have Jewel In The Crown on the TV and all the props and food would be Indian. The other themes were Dallas, Arena and The Tube.”

“Most of the stuff in the shop belonged to Paul and Mick, but the snooker cue and George Best coat hanger are mine. Fran Crawley was the stylist and she supplied the counter, book-rack etc. The set was built by my assistant, and great friend, Ross Kerridge with Peter Chatterton. Paul and Mick dressed most of the set, but we were all involved, and I shot it on a Mamiya RB6x7 on a 90mm lens.”

“I’m happy to say it went straight to number 1 in the album charts, but it remains the only album cover I ever shot.”