Formed: 1978 in Sheffield, Yorkshire,
England
Group Members: Nick Banks, Jarvis
Cocker, Candida Doyle, Simon Hinkler, Steve Mackey, Russell Senior, David
Lockwood, Antony Genn, Mark Webber,
Peter Boam, Wayne Furniss, David Hinkler,
Magnus Doyle, Peter Mansell, Saskia Cocker, Peter Dalton, Jamie Pinchbeck,
Timm Allcard, Stephen Havenland, Jimmy Sellers, Mark Swift, Gill Taylor
Genres: Rock
Styles: Britpop, Post-Punk, Alternative
Pop/Rock
Tones: Irreverent, Reflective, Sexy,
Precious, Bittersweet, Poignant, Witty, Autumnal, Sensual, Acerbic, Quirky,
Theatrical, Sexual, Stylish, Literate, Sophisticated, Elegant, Nocturnal,
Melancholy, Ironic, Wry, Cynical/Sarcastic, Brooding
Labels: Island (24), Fire (6),
Velvel (4), CIDX (4), Polygram International (3), Gift (3), Universal International
(2)
BIOGRAPHY
Most bands hit the big time immediately and
fade away, or they build a dedicated following and slowly climb their way
to the top. Pulp
didn't follow either route. For the first 12 years of their existence,
Pulp languished in near total obscurity, releasing a handful of albums
and singles in the '80s to barely any attention. At the turn of the decade,
the group began to gain an audience, sparking a remarkable turn of events
that made the band one of the most popular British groups of the '90s.
By the time Pulp became famous, the band had gone through numerous different
incarnations and changes in style, covering nearly every indie rock touchstone
from post-punk to dance. Pulp's signature sound is a fusion of David Bowie
and Roxy Music's glam rock, disco, new wave, acid house, Europop, and British
indie rock. The group's cheap synthesizers and sweeping melodies reflect
the lyrical obsessions of lead vocalist Jarvis Cocker, who alternates between
sex and sharp, funny portraits of working class misfits. Out of second-hand
pop, Pulp fashioned a distinctive, stylish sound that made camp into something
grand and glamorous that retained a palpable sense of gritty reality.
Jarvis Cocker formed Pulp in 1978, when he
was 15 years old. Originally called Arabicus Pulp, the first lineup consisted
of schoolmates of Cocker. After a year, the band's name was truncated to
Pulp. While they were in school, Pulp performed a handful of gigs. The
band recorded a demo sometime in 1980-1981, giving the tape to John Peel
at one of his traveling shows. Peel liked the tape and invited the band
to appear on his show. Pulp had their first Peel Session in November 1981.
Instead of leading to record deals and pop stardom, Pulp's appearance on
Peel led nowhere. Discouraged by the band's lack of success, every member
but Cocker left the band in 1982 to go to university. The following year,
Cocker assembled a new lineup which featured eight members, including keyboardist
Simon Hinkler, who would later join the Mission. In this incarnation, Pulp
had distinct folk overtones, as well as new wave underpinnings. The group
landed their first record contract, releasing their debut album, It, in
1984. It didn't make much of an impact and the band fell apart again. After
the second incarnation of Pulp disintegrated, Jarvis Cocker formed another
version of the band, with guitarist/violinist Russell Senior, who became
Cocker's first full-fledged collaborator. Cocker and Senior added drummer
Magnus Doyle and bassist Peter Mansell to the group, as well as Tim Allcard,
who did nothing but read poetry. Musically, Pulp backed away from the folky
inclinations of It, adding keyboardist Candida Doyle in 1985, which led
to a darker sound; shortly after her arrival, Allcard left the group. In
1985, Pulp released a series of singles on Fire Records. Just as their
fortunes were looking up, Cocker became injured severely. As he was trying
to impress a girl, he fell 30 feet out of a window, injuring his pelvis,
foot, and wrist. For two months, he was confined to a wheelchair, but he
performed concerts anyway.
Released in 1986, Pulp's second album, Freaks,
was a dense, dark affair. Following its release, the band split during
the filming of the video for "They Suffocate at Night." All of the members,
except Cocker and Senior, left the group. For a year, the band was dormant,
but Candida Doyle returned in 1987, with drummer Nick Banks and bassist
Steven Havenhand joining shortly afterward. Havenhand was soon replaced
by Anthony Genn, who was soon replaced by Steve Mackey. Although the group
had a stable lineup, they weren't gaining much of a following. In 1988,
Cocker moved to London with Mackey and began studying filmmaking at St.
Martin's College. While he was studying, Pulp was offered the chance to
record another album. The resulting album, Separations, was recorded in
1989 and reflected Cocker's newfound obsession with acid house but it also
boasted some full-fledged pop songs. Separations was released nearly three
years after it was completed. Cocker was prepared to stake out a career
in film when a single from the album, "My Legendary Girlfriend," was released.
NME named the song Single of the Week in 1991 and Pulp's career suddenly
took off.
In early 1992, Pulp left Fire Records for
Gift, and began releasing a series of singles that consolidated the success
of "My Legendary Girlfriend." In particular, "Babies" earned the band a
great deal of attention. "Babies" led to a contract with Island Records,
their first major-label deal. Island released Pulpintro, a compilation
of the Gift singles, as the band recorded its major-label debut, His 'n'
Hers. Upon its spring 1994 release, His 'n' Hers earned positive reviews
and became an unexpected success, reaching the British Top Ten; it was
also nominated for the 1994 Mercury Award. For the rest of 1994 and the
early part of 1995, Jarvis Cocker suddenly became omnipresent on British
television. These suave, humorous television appearances became legendary,
making Cocker somewhat of a national hero, as well as a sex symbol.
No matter how popular Jarvis Cocker had become,
the band didn't break into the big time until they released "Common People."
The single became a massive hit upon its May 1995 release, debuting at
number two on the U.K. charts. In July, Pulp accepted a last-minute headlining
slot at Glastonbury Festival when the Stone Roses had to cancel. Pulp's
set was rapturously received, launching the band into superstar status
in England and conveniently setting the stage for their forthcoming album,
Different Class. During the recording of the album, guitarist Mark Webber
— the president of Pulp's fan club — became a full-time member of the group.
The first record to feature Webber was the double A-sided single, "Mis-Shapes"
and "Sorted for E's & Wizz," which was released in August, two months
before Different Class. The single became a number two hit, despite a major
tabloid controversy over the lyrics to "Sorted."
Different Class arrived in late October to
rave reviews throughout the British press. The album entered the charts
at number one, going gold within its first week and platinum within the
second. At the end of the year, the album topped many best-of-the-year
lists. In February of 1996, Different Class was released in the United
States to positive reviews. The massive fame and attention that Different
Class brought Pulp influenced the direction of their follow-up, 1998's
world-weary, paranoid This Is Hardcore. The album's troubled sound and
somewhat mixed reception led some to speculate whether or not the group
would continue; the band's members took some time to pursue side projects
such as DJ-ing at various nightclubs and remixing tracks for artists like
Black Box Recorder and Death in Vegas. Meanwhile, they continued to play
live, performing at various festivals, including the Meltdown festival
curated by Scott Walker. Walker proved such an inspiration for the group
that Pulp hired him on as the producer of their new material after recording
with Chris Thomas went unsatisfactorily. The resulting album, We Love Life
— its name inspired by the September 11 terrorist attacks — was released
in the fall of 2001 in the UK and in the spring of 2002 in the US to critical
acclaim.
Similar Artists: : Belle & Sebastian, Suede, Radiohead, Mansun, Spiritualized, The Verve, Gene, Blur, Tindersticks, Saint Etienne, Denim, Longpigs, The Divine Comedy, Geneva, Elastica, The Boo Radleys, Stereolab, Menswear, Orlando, Stereo Total, Cousteau
Roots and Influences: Roxy Music, David Bowie, Scott Walker, Felt, Echo & the Bunnymen, Julian Cope
Followers: Menswear, The Atomic Numbers, Pinko Pinko, Ooberman, Climate, The Fuzz Terlenka, Elbow
albums
1983 It Velvel
1986 Freaks Velvel
1992 Separations Razor & Tie
1994 His 'n' Hers Island
1995 Different Class Island
1998 This Is Hardcore Island
1998 Goes to the Disco Connoisseur
2001 We Love Life Island
2002 We Love Life [US Bonus Tracks]
Sanctuary
Compilations,boxes
1993 Pulpintro -- The Gift Recordings
Island
1993 Pulpintro -- The Gift Recordings
Island
1994 Masters of the Universe
Velvel
1996 Countdown 1992-1983 Velvel
1996 Second Class Island
1996 Different Class/Second Class
CIDX
1998 Freshly Squeezed (Early Years)
EMI
1999 This Is Hardcore [Bonus Live CD]
Polygram
1999 Pulped: 1983-1992 Cooking
Vinyl x
1999 On Fire Recall
1999 Different Class [Japan Bonus CD]
Polygram
1999 This Is Hardcore [Japan Bonus Track]
Island
2000 Different Class [Import Bonus Tracks]
MVP Japan
Best ep's,single's
1983 My Lighthouse Red Rhino
1983 Everybody's Problem
Red Rhino
1985 Little Girl (With Blue Eyes)
Fire
1986 Dogs Are Everywhere
Fire
1987 They Suffocate at Night
Fire
1987 Master of the Universe
Fire
1990 My Legendary Girlfriend
Fire
1991 Countdown Fire
1992 O.U. (Gone, Gone) Gift
1992 Babies Gift
1993 Razzmatazz Gift
1993 Lipgloss Island
1994 Do You Remember the First Time?
Island
1994 The Sisters EP [EP]
Island
1995 Common People [Pt. 2 -- Nighttime]
Island
1995 Common People [Pt. 1 -- Daytime]
Island
1995 Mis-Shapes Island
1995 Sorted for E's and Wizz
Island
1995 Disco 2000, Pt. 1 Island
1995 Disco 2000, Pt. 2 Island
1996 Something Changed [#1]
CID
1996 Something Changed [#2]
CID
1997 Help the Aged CID
1998 Party Hard [12"] Island
1998 Party Hard [#1] Island
1998 Party Hard [#2] Island
1998 This Is Hardcore [Single #1]
Island
1998 This Is Hardcore [Single #2]
Island
1998 Little Soul, Pt. 1
Island
1998 Little Soul, Pt. 2
Island
2001 Trees/Sunset, Pt. 1 Polygram
2002 Bad Cover Version, Pt. 1
Universal
2002 Bad Cover Version Pt. 2 Universal
LAST UPDATED MONDAY 04 November 2002