Tom Sheehan - AIM HIGH: Paul Weller in Photographs 1978 - 2015

2026-06-30

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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 abou...

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, capturing not just their look but their camaraderie and focused ambition in the late '70s.

Over the next 40 years, Tom chronicled every chapter: documenting The Jam at work and play, venturing outside the studio for cold winter photo-walks through St John’s Wood, and producing iconic images as The Style Council embraced political activism and continental flair.

He shares the stories and context behind many pivotal images - studio shoots, backstage candids, on-the-road moments (and even festival shorts with blazers!).

He discusses the sometimes delicate relationship between band and lens, Paul Weller’s remarkable ease in front of the camera (“he’s just a great sitter”), and why authenticity and mutual respect were always at the core of their working dynamic. He reflects on private shoots at Black Barn and in West London record shops, his preference for quick, no-messing sessions, and the art of capturing both style and vulnerability in Weller as he moved between bands, eras, and personal highs and lows.

Tom also describes the spirit of working-class kinship and shared mod obsessions that shaped their rapport - why Weller’s forthrightness and his own direct approach gelled so naturally. Along the way, Tom talks about Weller’s enduring love of vinyl, the visual codes of musicianship and subculture, and the responsibility of creating a photographic legacy. The episode closes with thoughts on AIM HIGH, the book’s creation, and why Weller’s approval and foreword meant so much.

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