Pulp (band)
Encyclopedia
Pulp are an English alternative rock
band formed in Sheffield
in 1978. Their lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker
(vocals, guitar), Russell Senior
(violin, guitar), Candida Doyle
(keyboards), Mark Webber
(guitar), Steve Mackey
(bass) and Nick Banks
(drums).
Throughout the 1980s, the band struggled to find success, but gained prominence in the UK in the mid-1990s with the release of the albums His 'n' Hers
in 1994 and particularly Different Class
in 1995, which reached the number one spot in the UK Albums Chart
. Different Class
spawned four top ten singles, including "Common People" and "Sorted for E's & Wizz
", both of which reached number two in the UK Singles Chart
. Pulp's musical style during this period consisted of disco
influenced pop-rock coupled with "kitchen sink drama"-style lyrics. Jarvis Cocker
and the band became major figures in the Britpop
movement, and were nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 1994 for His 'n' Hers; they won the prize in 1996 for Different Class. They headlined the Pyramid Stage of the Glastonbury Festival twice.
The band would release two further albums, This is Hardcore
(1998) and We Love Life
(2001), after which they entered an extended hiatus, having sold more than 10 million records.
On 8 November 2010, it was announced that Pulp would return to playing live in 2011, with dates at the Isle of Wight Festival
, Reading and Leeds Festivals
, Sziget Festival, Primavera Sound, the Exit festival, and the Wireless Festival
. A number of additional concert dates have since been added to their schedule.
in Sheffield. Cocker's original preference was to name the band after the film Pulp starring Michael Caine
, though it was decided that this was too short. Instead, the two took inspiration from a copy of the Financial Times
which listed the Arabicas coffee bean in its commodity index. Cocker and Dalton used this, with a slight spelling change, and the band became "Arabacus". Early rehearsals took place in Cocker's house and featured Cocker, Dalton and Dalton's younger brother Ian. After finally deciding on "Arabacus Pulp", a fixed line-up was then established: Cocker, Dalton and two friends of theirs, David Lockwood and Mark Swift. The band played their first public gig at Rotherham Arts Centre
in July 1980. Later that year, Cocker met future member, Russell Senior
who recognised Cocker from his charismatic sales techniques in his part-time job at the local fish market
.
Their musical style at this time was varied, approximately described as "a cross between Abba
and The Fall". A local fanzine also noted this eclecticism, describing them as sounding "as if they listen to the John Peel
show every night in an endless quest for influences". Indeed, in October 1981, they gave a demo tape to Peel, who granted them a Peel Session. The session was a giant leap forward for the young band, who became well-known on the local music scene as a result. The tracks recorded were in the typical Sheffield sound of the time (cf. The Human League
and Comsat Angels
): electronic
New Wave
and post-punk
. These tracks were released in 2006 on The Peel Sessions
compilation.
Despite their exposure on national radio, success was not forthcoming and, apart from Cocker, most of the core line-up left for university. Soon, a new set of musicians was gathered: Simon Hinkler
(who later joined The Mission and produced All About Eve
), David Hinkler, Wayne Furniss, Peter Boam, Gary Wilson, and Cocker's sister, Saskia. They managed to get enough local backing to record a mini-album in late 1982, entitled It
(the title was a pun on pulp-it
, as if the band were preaching to the audience), which was released in April 1983 by Red Rhino Records
. This largely consisted of folkish
, romantic pop songs influenced by Leonard Cohen
and was a change of direction from the Peel Sessions a few years earlier. The album was later released by Cherry Red
records.
Though It failed commercially and fame was still elusive, the band continued to seek commercial success even to the point of recording a single, "Everybody's Problem"/"There Was". The single demonstrated a style shift advised by Red Rhino's Tony Perrin who had convinced Cocker that he "could write commercial songs like Wham!
". This approach also failed and Cocker was becoming unhappy with his chosen musical direction. He was set to break up the band and go to university himself before a practice with Russell Senior
(violin, guitar, vocals) and Magnus Doyle (drums) led to the establishment of a new, more experimental, artier and noisier direction for Pulp. They were subsequently augmented by Peter Mansell (bass) and Tim Allcard (keyboards, saxophone, poetry).
which ended in a riot) before Allcard left to be replaced on keyboards by Magnus Doyle's sister Candida
. Following her first performance with the band, they were signed to Fire Records
. Soon after signing to Fire, in November 1985, Cocker fell out of a window while trying to impress a girl with a Spider-Man
impression and ended up in hospital, temporarily requiring the use of a wheelchair in which he appeared during concerts. Pulp's relationship with Fire Records was tempestuous and Cocker admitted later that the band only accepted the deal as it "was the only offer on the table". During this period, the singles "Little Girl (With Blue Eyes)
" and "Dogs Are Everywhere
" were released.
Pulp's next major release was Freaks
(1987), an album recorded in one week due to record label pressure. Cocker was irritated, and remarked that "the songs could've been done a lot better if we'd have had a bit more time...". The release of Freaks ended up being delayed for a year, and the record was not well received. The album's darker style may be considered the antithesis of the happy and optimistic It. When Freaks failed to be a success, Pulp recorded tracks with FON, a Sheffield-based label. A single called "Death Comes To Town" was due to be released by FON in early 1988, but this relationship disintegrated and the release was cancelled. It was during this time that Cocker was taking a part-time foundation course
at Sheffield Polytechnic. This led to him leaving for London to study film at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
, effectively folding the band.
The fold was short-lived however. Steve Mackey
, a regular at their Sheffield and London gigs, was also studying in London and was asked to join the band as a bass player. The line-up now consisted of Cocker, Mackey, Senior, Candida Doyle, Nick Banks
(drums). In mid-1989, they began recording another album for Fire, this time with a bigger budget and production from Alan Smyth
, called Separations
. This was a progression of the style of Freaks, with Leonard Cohen
-esque ballads on side one and an Acid House
infused track-listing on side two. The disparate styles can be attributed to Cocker and Mackey's different and changing tastes; Mackey introduced Cocker to house music
which led to them both going to raves
, while Cocker introduced Mackey to "Scott Walker
and Serge Gainsbourg
". Like Freaks, the release of Separations was delayed, to an extent lessening the potential impact. In the meantime, however, in 1991, a 12" recording - "My Legendary Girlfriend
" became music periodical NME
s single of the week. Stuart Maconie
described it in his review as "a throbbing ferment of nightclub soul and teen opera". Furthermore, "Countdown
" began to be mentioned in the mainstream press, heralding a turning point in Pulp's quest for fame.
. However, the band were still frustrated that Separations still had not seen a release and so Pulp left Fire and signed to Warp Records
imprint Gift Records in 1992. Buoyed by a changing musical current, in June 1992 Pulp released "O.U. (Gone, Gone)
" on Gift while Fire finally released Separations in the same month. Melody Maker
made "O.U" a single of the week alongside "The Drowners
" by Suede
, another prominent new band. Pulp then signed to Island Records
, who jointly released (with Gift) the singles "Babies
" and "Razzmatazz
" to increasing chart success. Next were the singles "Lipgloss" and their first top 40 hit on the UK Singles Chart
, "Do You Remember the First Time?", which were put out as full Island releases. These singles were followed by the Ed Buller
-produced album, His 'n' Hers
(1994), which reached number nine on the UK Albums Chart
and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.
This sudden increase in popularity was helped by the massive media interest in Britpop
alongside acts such as Suede
, Oasis
and Blur
, with Pulp supporting the latter in a 1994 tour of the United States. 1995 saw the peak of Pulp's fame, with the release of their number two single on the UK Singles Chart, "Common People", in May 1995 and their performance in June at the Glastonbury Festival (standing in for The Stone Roses
at the last minute). A double-a side single, "Sorted for E's & Wizz/Mis-Shapes
", was to precede the release of their next album, Different Class
(1995). Upon the release of "Sorted for E's and Wizz", the Daily Mirror printed a front-page story headed "BAN THIS SICK STUNT" alongside a story by Kate Thornton
which said the song was "pro-drugs" and called for the single to be banned. The single had an inlay which showed how to conceal amphetamines in a DIY 'wrap'. Cocker released a statement two days later saying: "...'Sorted' is not a pro-drugs song. Nowhere on the sleeve does it say you are supposed to put drugs in here but I understand the confusion. I don't think anyone who listens to 'Sorted' would come away thinking it had a pro-drugs message." The single reached number two on the UK Single Charts.
Released in October 1995, Different Class garnered significant critical praise and debuted at the top of the UK Album Chart. This was the first album featuring Pulp fan-club president Mark Webber
, who became a permanent member of the band on guitar and keyboards. The album followed similar themes to their previous work with observances of life expressed through Cocker's sexualised, sometimes dark and witty lyrics. Other singles released from Different Class were "Disco 2000
" and "Something Changed
", which reached numbers seven and ten respectively in the UK. In September 1996, Different Class won the Mercury Music Prize.
It was at this time that Cocker gained significant media exposure due to a notorious prank at the 1996 BRIT Awards
, where he invaded the stage in protest during pop singer Michael Jackson
's performance of "Earth Song
" and "wiggled his backside" at the audience. After complaints by Jackson and his entourage, Cocker spent the night in Kensington Police Station charged with actual bodily harm
and assaulting the child performers. However, with British comedian and former solicitor Bob Mortimer
acting as legal representation, he was released without charge. This incident propelled Cocker into great controversy in the UK and elsewhere, and Pulp's record sales soared as a result. The event also coincided with the beginning of their first arena tour and the Daily Mirror, who had attacked the band months earlier, set up a "Justice for Jarvis" campaign backing his actions and carried out a stunt at Pulp's Sheffield Arena gig on 29 February, handing out free T-shirts. The NME described Cocker's actions as a "great publicity stunt" which was "creative, subversive and very, very funny", while Melody Maker
described Cocker as, "arguably the Fifth Most Famous Man In Britain" and suggested he should be knighted.
In March 1996, a compilation of Pulp's early recordings on Fire Records entitled Countdown 1992–1983 was released on the Nectar Masters label. It received largely negative reviews, but due to the band's popularity at the time it reached the top 10 of the UK charts. Cocker, whose permission was not sought before release, urged fans not to purchase the album, comparing it to "a garish old family photograph album". Later in 1996, Pulp gained minor international recognition on the back of the inclusion of the track "Mile End" on the Trainspotting soundtrack
. In August, the band played their last public performance for almost two years as headliners of the 1996 V Festival.
The band also played a gig in the Shetland Islands
, as arguably the most high profile band to do so. (http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Shetland's+Pulp+fans+sleep+out.-a061259683)
lifestyle, battling cocaine
addiction and a breakup of a long-term relationship. When the band came to begin work on the next album, they had only one song - "Help The Aged
". This creative inertia meant the band took over a year to finish the next record. Indeed, it was Cocker's disillusionment with his long-desired wish for fame that made up much of the subject matter of the This Is Hardcore
, which was released in March 1998. The album took a darker and more challenging tone than that of Different Class and lyrical topics - pornography
(the title track), fame
("Glory Days") and the after effects of drugs
("The Fear") - were dealt with more earnestly than on previous records. This shift in style meant This Is Hardcore received mixed critical and commercial reactions. Also in 1998, Pulp collaborated with Patrick Doyle
on the song "Like A Friend" for the soundtrack to the film Great Expectations
. The song was also used in the Adult Swim
cartoon The Venture Bros.
season 4 finale Operation P.R.O.M.
Pulp then spent a few years "in the wilderness" before reappearing in 2001 with a new album, We Love Life
. The extended period between the release of This is Hardcore and We Love Life is partly attributed to having initially recorded the songs which comprise the album and being dissatisfied with the results. Subsequent interviews also suggested interpersonal and artistic differences, including managing the fallout of the Britpop/Different Class era. Singer/songwriter Scott Walker
agreed to produce the record and this symbolised a new phase in Pulp's development. The record was lighter in tone to This is Hardcore, with a more pastoral tone.
Pulp subsequently undertook a tour of the National Parks in the UK, even playing a show as far North as Elgin
in Scotland. Richard Hawley
, the Sheffield-based singer/songwriter, was also present on various dates on this tour. In 2002 the band announced that they were leaving their label, Island. A greatest hits package was released: Hits
, with one new track. It is unclear whether this was the band's decision or released to satisfy contractual agreements. A music festival
, Auto, was organised (held at Rotherham's Magna
centre) where they played their last gig before embarking on a 9-year hiatus.
with Jason Buckle and the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
where he fronted a group which included Steve Mackey and members of Radiohead
. Also in 2007, Cocker appeared on Air's album Pocket Symphony
giving vocals to the two tracks "One Hell Of A Party" and "The Duelist". His first solo album Jarvis
, with the participation of Mackey, was released to critical acclaim in November 2006. Also, Candida Doyle has performed live with Cocker on his solo tours. Mackey has produced tracks on the debut album by M.I.A.
, Arular
and on Someone To Drive You Home
by The Long Blondes
, both of which were critically well-received. He has also produced tracks for Bromheads Jacket
and Florence + The Machine.
On 11 September 2006 the band re-released three of their albums (His 'n' Hers, Different Class, and This Is Hardcore), each with a bonus disc of B-sides, demos and rarities. On 23 October 2006 a 2CD set compiling all of Pulp's John Peel
Sessions from 1982 to 2001 was released.
In a message sent to the band's official mailing list on 1 January 2011, Cocker said the large amount of interest in the band's reunion had been "an inspiration," and that he was pleased with how rehearsals were going.
The band announced 22 concerts between May and September 2011, taking place in Europe and Australia. Pulp were one of the surprise special guests at Glastonbury Festival 2011
in June where they played on The Park stage on Saturday evening. They performed at the Way Out West Festival
in Sweden on 13 August, and played as co-headliners to The Strokes
at the Reading Festival and the Leeds Festival
during the final weekend of August 2011 . They headlined the Electric Picnic on the 4 September, their last festival of the year. Pulp has made no further plans of a continuation of their reunion.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band formed in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
in 1978. Their lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Branson Cocker is an English musician and frontman for the band Pulp. Through his work with the band, Cocker became a figurehead of the Britpop movement of the mid-1990s. Following Pulp's hiatus Cocker has led a successful solo career...
(vocals, guitar), Russell Senior
Russell Senior
Russell Senior is the guitarist and violinist of the band Pulp.Senior grew up in Sheffield. Whilst at University in Bath, he formed the "Dada Society" and appeared as the lead role in a dramatic adaptation of Kafka's The Trial...
(violin, guitar), Candida Doyle
Candida Doyle
Candida Doyle is a keyboard player and occasional backing vocalist with the band Pulp, which she joined in 1984...
(keyboards), Mark Webber
Mark Webber (guitarist)
Mark Webber is an English rock guitarist.He is most famous for playing in Pulp , and appearing on all of their albums since their Mercury Music Prize winning collection Different Class...
(guitar), Steve Mackey
Steve Mackey
Steve Mackey is a British musician and record producer best known for playing bass guitar in the band Pulp. He also played bass for Pulp singer Jarvis Cocker in the latter's solo career, and worked as a songwriter and producer with artists such as M.I.A...
(bass) and Nick Banks
Nick Banks
Nick Banks is the English drummer in the British band, Pulp. He lives in Sheffield with his wife Sarah Banks, two children , and his dog Geoff...
(drums).
Throughout the 1980s, the band struggled to find success, but gained prominence in the UK in the mid-1990s with the release of the albums His 'n' Hers
His 'n' Hers
His 'n' Hers is the fourth studio album by Pulp and is commonly cited as the band's breakthrough album, reaching #9 in the UK charts. In 1998, Q magazine readers voted it the 70th greatest album of all time. A "deluxe edition" of His 'n' Hers was released on 11 September 2006. It contained a second...
in 1994 and particularly Different Class
Different Class
Different Class is an album by English Britpop band Pulp. It was released in 1995 at the height of Britpop, and led to the band being regarded as part of that movement. Two of the singles on the album – "Common People" and "Disco 2000" – were especially notable, and helped propel Pulp to...
in 1995, which reached the number one spot in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. Different Class
Different Class
Different Class is an album by English Britpop band Pulp. It was released in 1995 at the height of Britpop, and led to the band being regarded as part of that movement. Two of the singles on the album – "Common People" and "Disco 2000" – were especially notable, and helped propel Pulp to...
spawned four top ten singles, including "Common People" and "Sorted for E's & Wizz
Sorted for E's & Wizz
"Sorted for E's & Wizz" is a song by the English band Pulp. Taken from their UK number one album Different Class, it was released as a double A-sided single with "Mis-Shapes" in September 1995 and reached number two in the UK charts...
", both of which reached number two in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. Pulp's musical style during this period consisted of disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
influenced pop-rock coupled with "kitchen sink drama"-style lyrics. Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Branson Cocker is an English musician and frontman for the band Pulp. Through his work with the band, Cocker became a figurehead of the Britpop movement of the mid-1990s. Following Pulp's hiatus Cocker has led a successful solo career...
and the band became major figures in the Britpop
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
movement, and were nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 1994 for His 'n' Hers; they won the prize in 1996 for Different Class. They headlined the Pyramid Stage of the Glastonbury Festival twice.
The band would release two further albums, This is Hardcore
This Is Hardcore
This Is Hardcore is the sixth album by English band Pulp, first released in March 1998. It came three years after their breakthrough album, Different Class, and was eagerly anticipated. As with the previous album it reached number one in the charts, and was well received critically, earning Pulp a...
(1998) and We Love Life
We Love Life
Initial critical response to We Love Life was very positive. The album received an average score of 84 at Metacritic, based on 20 reviews. The music review online magazine Pitchfork Media placed We Love Life at number 194 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s.-Track listing:All songs written...
(2001), after which they entered an extended hiatus, having sold more than 10 million records.
On 8 November 2010, it was announced that Pulp would return to playing live in 2011, with dates at the Isle of Wight Festival
Isle of Wight Festival
The Isle of Wight Festival is a music festival which takes place every year on the Isle of Wight in England. It was originally held from 1968 to 1970. These original events were promoted and organised by the Foulk brothers under the banner of their company Fiery Creations Limited...
, Reading and Leeds Festivals
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
, Sziget Festival, Primavera Sound, the Exit festival, and the Wireless Festival
Wireless Festival
The Wireless Festival is a music festival in England that takes place every year in Hyde Park, London, and took place at Harewood House, Leeds in 2006 and 2007. It is owned and managed by Live Nation....
. A number of additional concert dates have since been added to their schedule.
Early years: 1978–83
A 15-year-old Jarvis Cocker and his friend Peter Dalton, who was 14, conceived the band at The City SchoolThe City School (Sheffield)
The City School, Stradbroke Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, was formerly known as City Grammar School...
in Sheffield. Cocker's original preference was to name the band after the film Pulp starring Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
, though it was decided that this was too short. Instead, the two took inspiration from a copy of the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
which listed the Arabicas coffee bean in its commodity index. Cocker and Dalton used this, with a slight spelling change, and the band became "Arabacus". Early rehearsals took place in Cocker's house and featured Cocker, Dalton and Dalton's younger brother Ian. After finally deciding on "Arabacus Pulp", a fixed line-up was then established: Cocker, Dalton and two friends of theirs, David Lockwood and Mark Swift. The band played their first public gig at Rotherham Arts Centre
Rotherham College of Arts and Technology
Rotherham College of Arts and Technology is a further education college with two campus locations in South Yorkshire, England, one in Rotherham, and one in Dinnington...
in July 1980. Later that year, Cocker met future member, Russell Senior
Russell Senior
Russell Senior is the guitarist and violinist of the band Pulp.Senior grew up in Sheffield. Whilst at University in Bath, he formed the "Dada Society" and appeared as the lead role in a dramatic adaptation of Kafka's The Trial...
who recognised Cocker from his charismatic sales techniques in his part-time job at the local fish market
Fish market
A fish market is a marketplace used for marketing fish products. It can be dedicated to wholesale trade between fishermen and fish merchants, or to the sale of seafood to individual consumers, or to both...
.
Their musical style at this time was varied, approximately described as "a cross between Abba
Abba
ABBA is the name of a former Swedish pop music group.Abba may also refer to:* ABBA , a self-titled album by the Swedish pop music group ABBA* "Abba ", a song by Christian pop and rock artist, Rebecca St...
and The Fall". A local fanzine also noted this eclecticism, describing them as sounding "as if they listen to the John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
show every night in an endless quest for influences". Indeed, in October 1981, they gave a demo tape to Peel, who granted them a Peel Session. The session was a giant leap forward for the young band, who became well-known on the local music scene as a result. The tracks recorded were in the typical Sheffield sound of the time (cf. The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
and Comsat Angels
Comsat Angels
The Comsat Angels were a post-punk band from Sheffield and Doncaster, England, active from 1978 to 1995. Their music has been described as "abstract pop songs with spare instrumentation, many of which were bleak and filled with some form of heartache." They have been credited as being an influence...
): electronic
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
. These tracks were released in 2006 on The Peel Sessions
The Peel Sessions (Pulp album)
-Disc 1:#"Turkey Mambo Momma" #"Please Don't Worry" #"Wishful Thinking" #"Refuse To Be Blind" #"Pink Glove"...
compilation.
Despite their exposure on national radio, success was not forthcoming and, apart from Cocker, most of the core line-up left for university. Soon, a new set of musicians was gathered: Simon Hinkler
Simon Hinkler
Simon Thomas Hinkler is a guitarist, keyboard player, songwriter and producer from Sheffield, most notable for being the lead guitarist for the British rock group, The Mission from 1986 to 1990....
(who later joined The Mission and produced All About Eve
All About Eve (band)
All About Eve were a British rock/pop band. The creative core consisted of the Coventry born Julianne Regan , and the Huddersfield born Andy Cousin , with other members changing over the years...
), David Hinkler, Wayne Furniss, Peter Boam, Gary Wilson, and Cocker's sister, Saskia. They managed to get enough local backing to record a mini-album in late 1982, entitled It
It (album)
It is the first album by British pop band Pulp. Originally given a limited vinyl release of 2000 copies in April 1983, it was re-released on CD by Cherry Red in February 1994 with three bonus tracks...
(the title was a pun on pulp-it
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
, as if the band were preaching to the audience), which was released in April 1983 by Red Rhino Records
Red Rhino Records
Red Rhino Records, also known as Red Rhino, was a British record label which was developed by the independent record shop and wholesaler of the same name, all formed and run by "Tony K"...
. This largely consisted of folkish
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, romantic pop songs influenced by Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
and was a change of direction from the Peel Sessions a few years earlier. The album was later released by Cherry Red
Cherry Red
Cherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens...
records.
Though It failed commercially and fame was still elusive, the band continued to seek commercial success even to the point of recording a single, "Everybody's Problem"/"There Was". The single demonstrated a style shift advised by Red Rhino's Tony Perrin who had convinced Cocker that he "could write commercial songs like Wham!
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
". This approach also failed and Cocker was becoming unhappy with his chosen musical direction. He was set to break up the band and go to university himself before a practice with Russell Senior
Russell Senior
Russell Senior is the guitarist and violinist of the band Pulp.Senior grew up in Sheffield. Whilst at University in Bath, he formed the "Dada Society" and appeared as the lead role in a dramatic adaptation of Kafka's The Trial...
(violin, guitar, vocals) and Magnus Doyle (drums) led to the establishment of a new, more experimental, artier and noisier direction for Pulp. They were subsequently augmented by Peter Mansell (bass) and Tim Allcard (keyboards, saxophone, poetry).
Independent days: 1984–91
The new incarnation of Pulp survived a number of ill-fated gigs (including one at a rugby club at Brunel UniversityBrunel University
Brunel University is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom. The university is named after the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel....
which ended in a riot) before Allcard left to be replaced on keyboards by Magnus Doyle's sister Candida
Candida Doyle
Candida Doyle is a keyboard player and occasional backing vocalist with the band Pulp, which she joined in 1984...
. Following her first performance with the band, they were signed to Fire Records
Fire Records (UK)
Fire Records is an independent record label in London, England. The label was founded by Clive Solomon in 1986 and is currently run by James Nicholls.-Current roster:*Giant Sand*Guided By Voices*Howe Gelb*Josephine Foster*Wooden Wand*Bobby Conn...
. Soon after signing to Fire, in November 1985, Cocker fell out of a window while trying to impress a girl with a Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
impression and ended up in hospital, temporarily requiring the use of a wheelchair in which he appeared during concerts. Pulp's relationship with Fire Records was tempestuous and Cocker admitted later that the band only accepted the deal as it "was the only offer on the table". During this period, the singles "Little Girl (With Blue Eyes)
Little Girl (With Blue Eyes)
"Little Girl " is a non-album single by British band Pulp, released in 1985. It features very dark songs, far from the acoustic feel of the first album It...
" and "Dogs Are Everywhere
Dogs Are Everywhere
"Dogs Are Everywhere" in a non-album single released by British band Pulp in 1986. The title song is a soft ballad reminiscent of the band's first album It, but the B-sides have a darker sound closer to the band's next album Freaks...
" were released.
Pulp's next major release was Freaks
Freaks (Pulp album)
Freaks is the second album by British pop band Pulp. It was released in 1987 to little commercial success. It has a much darker sound than its predecessor, It. Russell Senior sings lead vocals on "Fairground" and "Anorexic Beauty"...
(1987), an album recorded in one week due to record label pressure. Cocker was irritated, and remarked that "the songs could've been done a lot better if we'd have had a bit more time...". The release of Freaks ended up being delayed for a year, and the record was not well received. The album's darker style may be considered the antithesis of the happy and optimistic It. When Freaks failed to be a success, Pulp recorded tracks with FON, a Sheffield-based label. A single called "Death Comes To Town" was due to be released by FON in early 1988, but this relationship disintegrated and the release was cancelled. It was during this time that Cocker was taking a part-time foundation course
Foundation Course
A foundation course is a preparatory course for university-level art and design education, used particularly in the United Kingdom.-Description:...
at Sheffield Polytechnic. This led to him leaving for London to study film at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. The school has an outstanding international reputation, and is considered one of the world's leading art and design institutions...
, effectively folding the band.
The fold was short-lived however. Steve Mackey
Steve Mackey
Steve Mackey is a British musician and record producer best known for playing bass guitar in the band Pulp. He also played bass for Pulp singer Jarvis Cocker in the latter's solo career, and worked as a songwriter and producer with artists such as M.I.A...
, a regular at their Sheffield and London gigs, was also studying in London and was asked to join the band as a bass player. The line-up now consisted of Cocker, Mackey, Senior, Candida Doyle, Nick Banks
Nick Banks
Nick Banks is the English drummer in the British band, Pulp. He lives in Sheffield with his wife Sarah Banks, two children , and his dog Geoff...
(drums). In mid-1989, they began recording another album for Fire, this time with a bigger budget and production from Alan Smyth
Alan Smyth
Alan Smyth is a music producer from Sheffield, England. He has worked with a number of bands, including Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, Reverend and The Makers, The Long Blondes, Milburn, Richard Hawley, Dead Like Harry, Smokers Die Younger, Monkey Swallows the Universe, Little Man Tate, 65daysofstatic,...
, called Separations
Separations
Separations is the third album by British alternative rock band Pulp. Recorded in 1989, it was belatedly released in 1992 on the independent record label Fire Records...
. This was a progression of the style of Freaks, with Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
-esque ballads on side one and an Acid House
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
infused track-listing on side two. The disparate styles can be attributed to Cocker and Mackey's different and changing tastes; Mackey introduced Cocker to house music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
which led to them both going to raves
Raves
Raves can refer to:* Rave party* Raves, Vosges, a commune in the Vosges département in France* Raves , a 1980s power pop group from Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
, while Cocker introduced Mackey to "Scott Walker
Scott Walker (singer)
Scott Walker, born Noel Scott Engel on January 9, 1943 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and the former lead singer of The Walker Brothers. Despite being American born, Walker's chart success has largely come in the United Kingdom, where his first four solo albums...
and Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
". Like Freaks, the release of Separations was delayed, to an extent lessening the potential impact. In the meantime, however, in 1991, a 12" recording - "My Legendary Girlfriend
My Legendary Girlfriend
"My Legendary Girlfriend" is the first single from the album Separations by British band Pulp. The single was first released in 1991 on 12" vinyl, then re-released in 1992 on Bob Stanley's label Caff Records with a different track-listing on 7" vinyl in a limited edition of 500 copies only, and...
" became music periodical NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
s single of the week. Stuart Maconie
Stuart Maconie
Stuart Maconie is an English radio DJ and television presenter, writer, journalist, and critic working in the field of of pop music and popular culture. He is currently a presenter on BBC 6 Music, where he hosts an afternoon show five times a week , alongside Mark Radcliffe, called the Radcliffe...
described it in his review as "a throbbing ferment of nightclub soul and teen opera". Furthermore, "Countdown
Countdown (Pulp song)
"Countdown" is the second and final single from the album Separations by British band Pulp. The song was re-recorded for the single release.-CD track listing:# "Countdown" # "Death Goes to the Disco"# "Countdown"...
" began to be mentioned in the mainstream press, heralding a turning point in Pulp's quest for fame.
Commercial height: 1992–96
Pulp's repertoire was growing rapidly. Tracks such as "Babies", "Space" and "She's a Lady" were being played live throughout 1991 and in October of that year, they played their first overseas gig, a concert organised by French magazine Les InrockuptiblesLes Inrockuptibles
Les Inrockuptibles is a French cultural magazine. Started as a monthly magazine in 1986, it became weekly in 1995. The name is a play on "Les Incorruptibles", the French title of the American television series The Untouchables...
. However, the band were still frustrated that Separations still had not seen a release and so Pulp left Fire and signed to Warp Records
Warp Records
Warp, commonly referred to as Warp Records, is a pioneering independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the more enduring artists in electronic music....
imprint Gift Records in 1992. Buoyed by a changing musical current, in June 1992 Pulp released "O.U. (Gone, Gone)
O.U. (Gone, Gone)
"O.U. " is a single released by British pop band Pulp in 1992. The song was later included on the compilation album Intro - The Gift Recordings in 1993.-Track listing :# "O.U. " # "O.U. "...
" on Gift while Fire finally released Separations in the same month. Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
made "O.U" a single of the week alongside "The Drowners
The Drowners
"The Drowners" is the debut single by Suede, released on 11 May 1992 on Nude Records. It charted at number 49 on the UK singles chart. Though not a hit at first, it amassed airplay over time and has become one of the band's definitive singles. It garnered much acclaim from New Musical Express and...
" by Suede
Suede (band)
Suede are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1989. The group's most prominent early line-up featured singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Bernard Butler, bass player Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. By 1992, Suede were hailed as "The Best New Band in Britain", and attracted...
, another prominent new band. Pulp then signed to Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
, who jointly released (with Gift) the singles "Babies
Babies (song)
"Babies" is a song and single by British rock group Pulp. It was released as a single for Gift Records in 1992, and was later remixed for the Sisters EP in 1994. The remixed version featured on the His 'n' Hers album and the original single mix on the Intro compilation...
" and "Razzmatazz
Razzmatazz
Razzmatazz may refer to:* "Razzmatazz" , by Pulp* "Razzamatazz", a song by Quincy Jones from The Dude* Razzmatazz , an Indian dance reality show...
" to increasing chart success. Next were the singles "Lipgloss" and their first top 40 hit on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, "Do You Remember the First Time?", which were put out as full Island releases. These singles were followed by the Ed Buller
Ed Buller
Ed Buller is a British record producer and former musician. He primarily works with Australian and British bands like Suede, Pulp, The Raincoats....
-produced album, His 'n' Hers
His 'n' Hers
His 'n' Hers is the fourth studio album by Pulp and is commonly cited as the band's breakthrough album, reaching #9 in the UK charts. In 1998, Q magazine readers voted it the 70th greatest album of all time. A "deluxe edition" of His 'n' Hers was released on 11 September 2006. It contained a second...
(1994), which reached number nine on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.
This sudden increase in popularity was helped by the massive media interest in Britpop
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
alongside acts such as Suede
Suede (band)
Suede are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1989. The group's most prominent early line-up featured singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Bernard Butler, bass player Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. By 1992, Suede were hailed as "The Best New Band in Britain", and attracted...
, Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
and Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
, with Pulp supporting the latter in a 1994 tour of the United States. 1995 saw the peak of Pulp's fame, with the release of their number two single on the UK Singles Chart, "Common People", in May 1995 and their performance in June at the Glastonbury Festival (standing in for The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses are an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
at the last minute). A double-a side single, "Sorted for E's & Wizz/Mis-Shapes
Sorted for E's & Wizz
"Sorted for E's & Wizz" is a song by the English band Pulp. Taken from their UK number one album Different Class, it was released as a double A-sided single with "Mis-Shapes" in September 1995 and reached number two in the UK charts...
", was to precede the release of their next album, Different Class
Different Class
Different Class is an album by English Britpop band Pulp. It was released in 1995 at the height of Britpop, and led to the band being regarded as part of that movement. Two of the singles on the album – "Common People" and "Disco 2000" – were especially notable, and helped propel Pulp to...
(1995). Upon the release of "Sorted for E's and Wizz", the Daily Mirror printed a front-page story headed "BAN THIS SICK STUNT" alongside a story by Kate Thornton
Kate Thornton
Kate Thornton is an English journalist and television presenter. Early in her career, she was notable for her articles at the Daily Mirror and for her role as editor of Smash Hits magazine...
which said the song was "pro-drugs" and called for the single to be banned. The single had an inlay which showed how to conceal amphetamines in a DIY 'wrap'. Cocker released a statement two days later saying: "...'Sorted' is not a pro-drugs song. Nowhere on the sleeve does it say you are supposed to put drugs in here but I understand the confusion. I don't think anyone who listens to 'Sorted' would come away thinking it had a pro-drugs message." The single reached number two on the UK Single Charts.
Released in October 1995, Different Class garnered significant critical praise and debuted at the top of the UK Album Chart. This was the first album featuring Pulp fan-club president Mark Webber
Mark Webber (guitarist)
Mark Webber is an English rock guitarist.He is most famous for playing in Pulp , and appearing on all of their albums since their Mercury Music Prize winning collection Different Class...
, who became a permanent member of the band on guitar and keyboards. The album followed similar themes to their previous work with observances of life expressed through Cocker's sexualised, sometimes dark and witty lyrics. Other singles released from Different Class were "Disco 2000
Disco 2000 (song)
"Disco 2000" is a hit single by British band Pulp, released in 1995. It reached #7 in the UK Singles Chart. It was the third single from the album Different Class, following "Common People" and the double A-side "Mis-Shapes"/"Sorted for E's & Wizz", both of which reached #2.The song tells the story...
" and "Something Changed
Something Changed
"Something Changed" is the fourth and final single taken from the album Different Class by British pop band Pulp, released in 1996 with two different sleeves , but with identical tracklistings. It is also their fourth consecutive top ten single, peaking at #10 in the UK Singles Chart. The song was...
", which reached numbers seven and ten respectively in the UK. In September 1996, Different Class won the Mercury Music Prize.
It was at this time that Cocker gained significant media exposure due to a notorious prank at the 1996 BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
, where he invaded the stage in protest during pop singer Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's performance of "Earth Song
Earth Song
"Earth Song" is the third single from Michael Jackson's album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. It is the fifth song on the second disc of the album. It is a ballad that incorporates elements of blues, gospel and opera. Jackson had a long-standing history of releasing socially conscious...
" and "wiggled his backside" at the audience. After complaints by Jackson and his entourage, Cocker spent the night in Kensington Police Station charged with actual bodily harm
Actual bodily harm
Assault occasioning actual bodily harm is a statutory offence of aggravated assault in England and Wales, Northern Ireland, the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Hong Kong and the Solomon Islands...
and assaulting the child performers. However, with British comedian and former solicitor Bob Mortimer
Bob Mortimer
Robert "Bob" Renwick Mortimer is an English comedian and actor, who is best known for his double act with Vic Reeves...
acting as legal representation, he was released without charge. This incident propelled Cocker into great controversy in the UK and elsewhere, and Pulp's record sales soared as a result. The event also coincided with the beginning of their first arena tour and the Daily Mirror, who had attacked the band months earlier, set up a "Justice for Jarvis" campaign backing his actions and carried out a stunt at Pulp's Sheffield Arena gig on 29 February, handing out free T-shirts. The NME described Cocker's actions as a "great publicity stunt" which was "creative, subversive and very, very funny", while Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
described Cocker as, "arguably the Fifth Most Famous Man In Britain" and suggested he should be knighted.
In March 1996, a compilation of Pulp's early recordings on Fire Records entitled Countdown 1992–1983 was released on the Nectar Masters label. It received largely negative reviews, but due to the band's popularity at the time it reached the top 10 of the UK charts. Cocker, whose permission was not sought before release, urged fans not to purchase the album, comparing it to "a garish old family photograph album". Later in 1996, Pulp gained minor international recognition on the back of the inclusion of the track "Mile End" on the Trainspotting soundtrack
Trainspotting (soundtrack)
-Trainspotting #2: Music from the Motion Picture, Vol. #2:-Complete soundtrack list:The following is a complete list of songs that appear in Trainspotting in order of appearance:#"Lust for Life" - Iggy Pop#"Carmen Suite No.2" - Georges Bizet...
. In August, the band played their last public performance for almost two years as headliners of the 1996 V Festival.
The band also played a gig in the Shetland Islands
Shetland Islands
Shetland is a subarctic archipelago of Scotland that lies north and east of mainland Great Britain. The islands lie some to the northeast of Orkney and southeast of the Faroe Islands and form part of the division between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. The total...
, as arguably the most high profile band to do so. (http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Shetland's+Pulp+fans+sleep+out.-a061259683)
Till break-up: 1997–2002
It was during this period of intense fame and tabloid scrutiny that long time member and major innovator in the band's sound Russell Senior decided to leave the band saying "it wasn't creatively rewarding to be in Pulp anymore". The band were due to begin working on a new album in late 1996. However, Cocker was having difficulty with the celebrityCelebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
lifestyle, battling cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
addiction and a breakup of a long-term relationship. When the band came to begin work on the next album, they had only one song - "Help The Aged
Help the Aged (song)
"Help the Aged" is a song by British alternative rock band Pulp, and was released on 10 November 1997 as the lead single from their 1998 album This Is Hardcore...
". This creative inertia meant the band took over a year to finish the next record. Indeed, it was Cocker's disillusionment with his long-desired wish for fame that made up much of the subject matter of the This Is Hardcore
This Is Hardcore
This Is Hardcore is the sixth album by English band Pulp, first released in March 1998. It came three years after their breakthrough album, Different Class, and was eagerly anticipated. As with the previous album it reached number one in the charts, and was well received critically, earning Pulp a...
, which was released in March 1998. The album took a darker and more challenging tone than that of Different Class and lyrical topics - pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
(the title track), fame
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
("Glory Days") and the after effects of drugs
Comedown (drugs)
Comedown refers to the after effects of heavy recreational stimulant use, usually ecstasy, amphetamine, methylphenidate, cocaine, alcohol, and occasionally cannabis. It can be characterized by depression, apathy, dysphoria, anxiety, fatigue, intense hunger, paranoia and insomnia. These effects are...
("The Fear") - were dealt with more earnestly than on previous records. This shift in style meant This Is Hardcore received mixed critical and commercial reactions. Also in 1998, Pulp collaborated with Patrick Doyle
Patrick Doyle
Patrick Doyle is a Scottish musician and film score composer. A longtime collaborator of actor/director Kenneth Branagh, Doyle is known for his work scoring such critically acclaimed films as Henry V , Sense and Sensibility , Hamlet , and Gosford Park , as well as noteworthy blockbusters as Harry...
on the song "Like A Friend" for the soundtrack to the film Great Expectations
Great Expectations (1998 film)
Great Expectations is a 1998 contemporary film adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel of the same name, directed by Alfonso Cuarón and starring Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert De Niro, Anne Bancroft and Chris Cooper. It is known for having moved the setting of the original novel from 1861...
. The song was also used in the Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
cartoon The Venture Bros.
The Venture Bros.
The Venture Bros. is an American animated television series that premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on February 16, 2003. The series mixes action and comedy together while it chronicles the adventures of the Venture family: well-meaning but incompetent teenagers Hank and Dean Venture; their...
season 4 finale Operation P.R.O.M.
Pulp then spent a few years "in the wilderness" before reappearing in 2001 with a new album, We Love Life
We Love Life
Initial critical response to We Love Life was very positive. The album received an average score of 84 at Metacritic, based on 20 reviews. The music review online magazine Pitchfork Media placed We Love Life at number 194 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s.-Track listing:All songs written...
. The extended period between the release of This is Hardcore and We Love Life is partly attributed to having initially recorded the songs which comprise the album and being dissatisfied with the results. Subsequent interviews also suggested interpersonal and artistic differences, including managing the fallout of the Britpop/Different Class era. Singer/songwriter Scott Walker
Scott Walker (singer)
Scott Walker, born Noel Scott Engel on January 9, 1943 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and the former lead singer of The Walker Brothers. Despite being American born, Walker's chart success has largely come in the United Kingdom, where his first four solo albums...
agreed to produce the record and this symbolised a new phase in Pulp's development. The record was lighter in tone to This is Hardcore, with a more pastoral tone.
Pulp subsequently undertook a tour of the National Parks in the UK, even playing a show as far North as Elgin
Elgin, Moray
Elgin is a former cathedral city and Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland. It is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. The town originated to the south of the River Lossie on the higher ground above the flood plain. Elgin is first documented in the Cartulary of Moray in 1190...
in Scotland. Richard Hawley
Richard Hawley
Richard Hawley is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer. After his first band Treebound Story broke up, Hawley found success as a member of Britpop band Longpigs in the 1990s. He later joined the band Pulp, led by his friend Jarvis Cocker...
, the Sheffield-based singer/songwriter, was also present on various dates on this tour. In 2002 the band announced that they were leaving their label, Island. A greatest hits package was released: Hits
Hits (Pulp album)
Hits is a greatest hits collection by popular UK indie-pop band Pulp, released in Britain in November 2002. As a collection, it only covers Pulp's singles from the early-90s when they started becoming popular, although the band had existed in one form or another since 1979."Mis-Shapes", from...
, with one new track. It is unclear whether this was the band's decision or released to satisfy contractual agreements. A music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
, Auto, was organised (held at Rotherham's Magna
Magna
-Companies, products and institutions:* Magna , an American bicycle brand* Magna International, Canada's largest automobile parts manufacturer** Magna Steyr, a subsidiary* Magna Natural Stone, Germanys biggest producer of natural stones...
centre) where they played their last gig before embarking on a 9-year hiatus.
After break-up: 2003–10
Cocker was involved in a number of one-offs and side projects, including the group Relaxed MuscleRelaxed Muscle
Relaxed Muscle are a British electro duo formed in 2002 by Pulp's Jarvis Cocker and Jason Buckle.In early 2003, Relaxed Muscle began playing gigs. Cocker and Buckle maintained anonymity by assuming the alter-egos 'Darren Spooner' and 'Wayne Marsden' respectively...
with Jason Buckle and the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a 2005 fantasy film directed by Mike Newell and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the fourth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman...
where he fronted a group which included Steve Mackey and members of Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
. Also in 2007, Cocker appeared on Air's album Pocket Symphony
Pocket Symphony
Pocket Symphony is the fifth full-length album by French duo Air. The album was released in March 2007 and features collaborations with Jarvis Cocker and Neil Hannon....
giving vocals to the two tracks "One Hell Of A Party" and "The Duelist". His first solo album Jarvis
Jarvis (album)
Jarvis is the debut solo album by Pulp vocalist and musician Jarvis Cocker, released in the UK on November 13, 2006.-Production:...
, with the participation of Mackey, was released to critical acclaim in November 2006. Also, Candida Doyle has performed live with Cocker on his solo tours. Mackey has produced tracks on the debut album by M.I.A.
M.I.A. (artist)
Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...
, Arular
Arular
Arular is the 2005 debut album by British musician M.I.A. Originally set for a September 2004 release, the album was delayed due to problems obtaining permission to use samples. Arular was finally released in the US on 22 March 2005 and a month later in the UK with a slightly different track...
and on Someone To Drive You Home
Someone to Drive You Home
Someone To Drive You Home is the debut album by The Long Blondes. It was released on November 6, 2006. It received widespread critical praise and was placed 7th in the NMEs best 50 albums of 2006 list and features in many other best of lists for 2006.The predominant theme of the album is...
by The Long Blondes
The Long Blondes
The Long Blondes were a five-piece English indie rock band formed in Sheffield, United Kingdom in 2003 by Dorian Cox , Reenie Hollis , Emma Chaplin , Kate Jackson and Screech Louder .After several critically...
, both of which were critically well-received. He has also produced tracks for Bromheads Jacket
Bromheads Jacket
Bromheads are a two-piece English garage rock band originating from Sheffield, England-History:Bromheads was formed in Sheffield in 2005, from the ashes of a band called Fixated. Although often compared to other Sheffield bands who found fame around the same time, such as Arctic Monkeys and...
and Florence + The Machine.
On 11 September 2006 the band re-released three of their albums (His 'n' Hers, Different Class, and This Is Hardcore), each with a bonus disc of B-sides, demos and rarities. On 23 October 2006 a 2CD set compiling all of Pulp's John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
Sessions from 1982 to 2001 was released.
Reunion: 2011
In November 2010 it was announced that the Different Class line-up would be playing at the Wireless festival in London's Hyde Park and a Saturday slot at the Isle of Wight festival in 2011.In a message sent to the band's official mailing list on 1 January 2011, Cocker said the large amount of interest in the band's reunion had been "an inspiration," and that he was pleased with how rehearsals were going.
The band announced 22 concerts between May and September 2011, taking place in Europe and Australia. Pulp were one of the surprise special guests at Glastonbury Festival 2011
Glastonbury Festival 2011
The 2011 Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts was held from 22–26 June 2011. Tickets for the festival went on sale from 9 am on Sunday 3 October 2010, over 37 weeks before the festival was set to begin, with a deposit of £50 being paid, while the whole cost of a ticket is £195...
in June where they played on The Park stage on Saturday evening. They performed at the Way Out West Festival
Way Out West Festival
Way Out West is a three-day music festival held in Gothenburg, Sweden, during August that plays host to a variety of popular music artists mainly from the rock, electronic and hip-hop genres...
in Sweden on 13 August, and played as co-headliners to The Strokes
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
at the Reading Festival and the Leeds Festival
Leeds Festival
Leeds Festival may refer to:*Reading and Leeds Festivals , a rock music festival in Leeds , West Yorkshire, England*Leeds Festival , European classical music festival in Leeds...
during the final weekend of August 2011 . They headlined the Electric Picnic on the 4 September, their last festival of the year. Pulp has made no further plans of a continuation of their reunion.
Discography
- ItIt (album)It is the first album by British pop band Pulp. Originally given a limited vinyl release of 2000 copies in April 1983, it was re-released on CD by Cherry Red in February 1994 with three bonus tracks...
(1983) - FreaksFreaks (Pulp album)Freaks is the second album by British pop band Pulp. It was released in 1987 to little commercial success. It has a much darker sound than its predecessor, It. Russell Senior sings lead vocals on "Fairground" and "Anorexic Beauty"...
(1987) - SeparationsSeparationsSeparations is the third album by British alternative rock band Pulp. Recorded in 1989, it was belatedly released in 1992 on the independent record label Fire Records...
(1992) - His 'n' HersHis 'n' HersHis 'n' Hers is the fourth studio album by Pulp and is commonly cited as the band's breakthrough album, reaching #9 in the UK charts. In 1998, Q magazine readers voted it the 70th greatest album of all time. A "deluxe edition" of His 'n' Hers was released on 11 September 2006. It contained a second...
(1994) - Different ClassDifferent ClassDifferent Class is an album by English Britpop band Pulp. It was released in 1995 at the height of Britpop, and led to the band being regarded as part of that movement. Two of the singles on the album – "Common People" and "Disco 2000" – were especially notable, and helped propel Pulp to...
(1995) - This Is HardcoreThis Is HardcoreThis Is Hardcore is the sixth album by English band Pulp, first released in March 1998. It came three years after their breakthrough album, Different Class, and was eagerly anticipated. As with the previous album it reached number one in the charts, and was well received critically, earning Pulp a...
(1998) - We Love LifeWe Love LifeInitial critical response to We Love Life was very positive. The album received an average score of 84 at Metacritic, based on 20 reviews. The music review online magazine Pitchfork Media placed We Love Life at number 194 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s.-Track listing:All songs written...
(2001)
External links
- Pulp People - the band's official site, relaunched in 2010
- Discography at acrylicafternoons.com
- PulpWiki - a comprehensive user-generated resource for everything related to Pulp
- Pulp Online - the band's official site, still online but dormant since 2003