Paul Weller says he has no regrets about splitting up The Jam - and has repeated his distaste for the current reunion without him. The band split in 1982 at Weller's behest, but drummer Rick Buckler and bassist Bruce Foxton recently formed a new version of the group, From The Jam, with a different singer.
However, speaking to BBC 6Music's Music Week show, the original frontman says there is no going back for him.
"It was the right thing to do. It was an artistic decision, without sounding poncey. I didn't want to be in the same set up for the rest of my life. I like to change and move on," Weller explained.
"Do I miss it? No, not particularly. I quite like what today is. It was a lot of pressure, being that kind of spokesman for a generation. Whether it was my own fault for setting myself up or not, I don't know, but it was a lot of pressure for a young man. I certainly didn't miss that."
Weller added he would not be attending his old bandmates shows any time soon.
"I'm not mad about the idea, it's a bit cabaret to me," he explained. "I thought we were against all that."
In response, Jam drummer Rick Buckler said, "I don't understand the spleen-venting. It is totally out of the blue and I was shocked by it.
"In the Jam days, we were quite a unified force. We had to be. I don't know why he's got it in for me - we haven't spoken since 1983. You can understand my bemusement. The Jam was a band, it wasn't just Paul Weller."
Weller's first album in three years, 22 Dreams, will be released this summer. The first single, "Echoes Round the Sun," was co-written with Noel Gallagher.
Photo: BBC Radio via bbc.co.uk
Material: nme.com & independent.co.uk
