'Weller at the BBC' is a stunning 74-track, digitally-remastered, 4-CD hard-back book set of exclusive BBC sessions and live concert tracks from 1990 – 2008, fully sanctioned by Paul and including his introduction to the liner notes.

This limited edition set includes alternative versions of 19 classic hit singles, including - Hung Up, Out Of The Sinking, Wild Wood, The Changingman, You Do Something To Me, Peacock Suit,  Thinking Of You, Sunflower, Broken Stones, Speak Like A Child, My Ever Changing Moods, All I Wanna Do (Is Be With You) and That’s Entertainment.

Discs one and two feature key session tracks - 40 unreleased versions, many with Paul’s introductions, show-casing material from new or forthcoming albums and are presented in band versions as well as solo, acoustic settings.

There are some rare gems within these sessions including an exhilarating rendition of Ronnie Lane’s 1974 single The Poacher from 1997. From 2006 are highlights of Radio 2’s, Sold On Song, where Paul armed with acoustic guitar provided a fascinating song-writing tutorial. From July this year are stunning interpretations of All I Wanna Do (Is Be With You), Cold Moments and Push It Along from the recent critically-acclaimed, no. 1 album 22 Dreams.

Discs three and four feature 34 of the best live concert tracks from six BBC-recorded shows from 1990 – 1998, including an early solo gig from 1990, the Royal Albert Hall 1992 and the triumphant July 1995 headlining performance at the Phoenix Festival where he performs dazzling versions of favourites - Porcelain Gods, Stanley Road, Can You Heal Us (Holy Man) & Shadow Of The Sun.

Includes a lavish, 64-page booklet with extensive new sleevenotes, brand new interviews with Paul, Noel Gallagher, Bobby Gillespie, Tim Burgess, Steve White and others as well as scores of rare and unseen photos from the archives.

Released the same day is a DVD featuring the best of Paul’s BBC TV performances recorded throughout his solo career. Essentially, an alternative ‘greatest hits’ set, the DVD includes versions of 16 hits singles, some classic Jam tracks and some intriguing cover versions. All of this material is completely unreleased and includes performances with Amy Winehouse, Carl Barat of the Dirty Pretty Things and Richard Archer from Hard Fi.

Also available - highlights versions on double CD and 3-piece vinyl as well as a digital box set

“The BBC Recordings is a great tradition. I’ve bought quite a few in the past, from the Hendrix one to The Who to the Small Faces to the Fabs, so for my stuff to be put out alongside them and to be a part of that tradition, it’s definitely something special.

Every time you play a song it’s always a little bit different, and radio sessions, they give you a chance to do something you’d perhaps not release on record, like we covered Ronnie Lane’s The Poacher, that was great, there’s an acoustic version of Clues too, these things are purely one offs, you know you’re not going to do them again and to get the opportunity is great. Doing a session is pretty much like doing a gig, for the most part it’s off the cuff. You’re going to be playing that song just one time and that’s it, so it’s always going to have an air of spontaneity about it.

As for a live show I try and vary it as much as I can from the last time, which isn’t always easy. It’s much easier if you’ve got a new record out, because then you can base everything around the new songs. Then you’ll add a few old songs that people want to hear and some songs that you’ve not played for a while, and coming back to them, they sound fresh again or you can add something else to them to make them a little bit different.

You can’t really prepare though, you don’t know until you get on that stage what it’s going to be like, what the sound’s going to be like, how the crowd will react to the songs, whether you’ll be any good or not, it’s all up in the air but that’s what makes it brilliant and makes you come back for more. That’s what I do, I mean I write, and make records, but essentially what I do is play music live to people. It’s my life. It’s what I’m here on earth to do.”

Paul Weller, 2008

Details of exclusive discounts available on the digital box set;

If you have the 4CD Weller at the BBC, you will receive a £20 discount off the full price of the 189 track digital box listed below.
If you have the 2CD Weller at the BBC, 22 Dreams or 22 Dreams Deluxe Edition you will get a £10 discount.
To get this, have your cd handy and go to www.paulweller.com/bonus and follow the instructions.

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