Pulp (band)
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Pulp are an English
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band formed in
Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
in 1978. Their best-known line-up from their heyday (1992–1997) consisted of
Jarvis Cocker Jarvis Branson Cocker (born 19 September 1963) is an English musician and radio presenter. As the founder, frontman, lyricist and only consistent member of the band Pulp, he became a figurehead of the Britpop genre of the mid-1990s. Following P ...
(vocals, guitar, keyboards),
Russell Senior Russell Senior (born 18 May 1961) is a British musician and the former guitarist and violinist of the band Pulp. Senior was born and grew up in Sheffield. Whilst at University in Bath, he formed the Dada Society (also known as the New Wave Soc ...
(guitar, violin),
Candida Doyle Candida Mary Doyle (born 25 August 1963) is an English musician who is keyboard player and occasional backing vocalist with the band Pulp, which she joined in 1984. She joined her brother, drummer Magnus Doyle in the line-up replacing the prev ...
(keyboards),
Nick Banks Nicholas David Banks (born 28 July 1965) is an English drummer, a member of the British band Pulp. He lives in Sheffield with his wife Sarah and two children. He is the nephew of Gordon Banks, goalkeeper of the 1966 FIFA World Cup-winning Eng ...
(drums, percussion),
Steve Mackey Stephen Patrick Mackey (born 10 November 1966) is an English musician and record producer best known as the bass guitarist for the alternative rock band Pulp, which he joined in 1989. As a record producer, he has produced songs and albums by ...
(bass) and Mark Webber (guitar, keyboards). 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 The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
. The album spawned four top ten singles, including "
Common People A commoner, also known as the ''common man'', ''commoners'', the ''common people'' or the ''masses'', was in earlier use an ordinary person in a community or nation who did not have any significant social status, especially a member of neither ...
" and "
Sorted for E's & Wizz "Sorted for E's & Wizz" is a song written and performed by the English band Pulp for their 1995 album ''Different Class''. Based lyrically on a phrase that lead singer Jarvis Cocker overheard at a rave, the song features lyrics examining the ho ...
", both of which reached number two in the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. Pulp's musical style during this period consisted of
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
-influenced pop-rock coupled with references to
British culture British culture is influenced by the combined nations' history; its historically Christian religious life, its interaction with the cultures of Europe, the traditions of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland and the impact of the British Empire. ...
in their lyrics in the form of a "
kitchen sink drama Kitchen sink realism (or kitchen sink drama) is a British cultural movement that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in theatre, art, novels, film and television plays, whose protagonists usually could be described as "angry young men" w ...
"-style. Cocker and the band became reluctant figureheads of the
Britpop Britpop was a mid-1990s British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. It produced brighter, catchier alternative rock, partly in reaction to the popularity of the darker lyrical themes of the US-led grunge music and to the ...
movement, and were nominated for the
Mercury Music Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...
in 1994 for ''His 'n' Hers''; they won the prize in 1996 for ''Different Class'' and were nominated again in 1998 for ''
This Is Hardcore ''This Is Hardcore'' is the sixth album by English band Pulp. Released in March 1998, it came three years after their breakthrough album, '' Different Class'', and was eagerly anticipated. In 2013, ''NME'' ranked it at number 166 in its list of ...
''. Pulp headlined the Pyramid Stage of the
Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
twice and were regarded among the Britpop "big four", along with
Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
, Blur and
Suede Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, fabrics, purses, furniture, and other items. The term comes from the French , which literally means "gloves from Sweden". The term was firs ...
. The band released ''
We Love Life ''We Love Life'' is the seventh and final studio album by English rock band Pulp, released on 22 October 2001 by Island Records. It reached number six on the UK Albums Chart, with a total chart stay of only three weeks. Written and recorded aft ...
'' in 2001 and then took a decade-long break, having sold more than 10 million records. Pulp reunited and played live again in 2011, with dates at the
Isle of Wight Festival The Isle of Wight Festival is a British music festival which takes place annually in Newport on the Isle of Wight, England. It was originally a counterculture event held from 1968 to 1970. The 1970 event was by far the largest of these early ...
,
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. The Reading Festiv ...
, Pohoda,
Sziget Festival The Sziget Festival ( hu, Sziget Fesztivál, ; "Sziget" for "Island") is one of the largest Music festival, music and cultural festivals in Europe. It is held every August in northern Budapest, Hungary, on Óbuda Island, Óbudai-sziget ("Old Bu ...
,
Primavera Sound Primavera Sound (commonly referred to as simply Primavera) is an annual music festival held in Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, Spain that takes place between the end of May and beginning of June. The first edition took place in 2001 in Poble Espanyo ...
, the Exit festival, and the
Wireless Festival The Wireless Festival is a rap and urban music festival that takes place every year in London, England. It is owned and managed by Live Nation. While it started as primarily a rock and pop festival, in recent years it has focused on hip hop and ...
. A number of additional concert dates were afterward added to their schedule. In January 2013, Pulp released "
After You After You may refer to: Songs * "After You" (Dionne Warwick song), 1979 * "After You" (Dan Seals song), 1983 * "After You" (Beverley Knight song), 2007 * "After You" (Pulp song), 2013 *" After You, Who?", a 1932 song by Cole Porter *"After You", a ...
", a song originally demoed for ''We Love Life'', as a digital download single. It was the band's first single release since "
Bad Cover Version "Bad Cover Version" is a song by United Kingdom, British rock music, rock band Pulp (band), Pulp, from their 2001 album ''We Love Life''. It was released 15 April 2002 as the second single (music), single from the album, charting at number 27 in ...
" in 2002. On 9 March 2014, Pulp and filmmaker
Florian Habicht Florian Habicht is a New Zealand film director. Florian was born in Berlin, Germany and moved with his family to the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, when he was eight. He went to high school in Kerikeri before attending the University of Auckland's ...
premiered the feature documentary ''Pulp: A Film about Life, Death & Supermarkets'' at SXSW Music and Film Festival in Austin, Texas. The film toured the international film festival circuit and was released theatrically by
Oscilloscope Laboratories Oscilloscope Laboratories is an independent film company and distributor founded by Adam Yauch and former TH!NKFilm executive David Fenkel. It also has a recording studio and film production facilities. Fenkel returned to the company on May 4, 2 ...
in the US in November 2014. It is the first film about Pulp (and Sheffield) that has been made in collaboration with the band. The band once again went on hiatus following this, but in 2022, Cocker announced that the band would be reuniting for a second time to play a series of shows in 2023.


History


Early years: 1978–1983

Pulp were formed in 1978 at The City School in Sheffield by Jarvis Cocker, then 15 years old, and Peter Dalton, then 14. Cocker's original preference was to name the band after the film ''
Pulp Pulp may refer to: * Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit Engineering * Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture * Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper * Molded pulp, a packaging material ...
'' starring
Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...
, though it was decided that this was too short. Instead, the two took inspiration from a copy of the ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
'' which listed the Arabicas coffee bean in its commodity index. Cocker and Dalton used this, with a slight spelling change, and the band became "Arabicus". Early rehearsals took place in Cocker's house and featured Cocker, Dalton and Dalton's younger brother Ian. After finally deciding on "Arabicus Pulp", a fixed line-up was then established: Cocker, Dalton and two friends of theirs, David "Fungus" Lockwood and Mark Swift. The band played their first public gig at Rotherham Arts Centre in July 1980.Reed, John. "The Complete History of Pulp". ''Record Collector''. December 1994. Later that year, Cocker met future member
Russell Senior Russell Senior (born 18 May 1961) is a British musician and the former guitarist and violinist of the band Pulp. Senior was born and grew up in Sheffield. Whilst at University in Bath, he formed the Dada Society (also known as the New Wave Soc ...
, who recognised Cocker from his charismatic sales techniques in his part-time job at the local
fish market A fish market is a marketplace for selling fish and 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. Retail fish markets, a type of wet ma ...
. Their musical style at this time was varied, approximately described as "a cross between
ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's ...
and The Fall". A local fanzine also noted this eclecticism, describing them as sounding "as if they listen to the
John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
show every night in an endless quest for influences". Indeed, in October 1981, they gave a
demo tape A demo (shortened from "demonstration") is a song or group of songs typically recorded for limited circulation or for reference use, rather than for general public release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas in a fixed for ...
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 are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album ''Dare' ...
and
Comsat Angels The Comsat Angels were an English post-punk band from Sheffield, England, initially active from 1978 to 1995. Their music has been described as "abstract pop songs with sparse instrumentation, many of which were bleak and filled with some form ...
):
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...
new wave and
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...
. 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 were gathered:
Simon Hinkler Simon Thomas Hinkler (born 13 November 1959) is an English 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. Early musical ...
(who later joined The Mission), 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 Red Rhino Records, also known as Red Rhino, was a British independent record label which was developed by the independent record shop and wholesaler of the same name, all formed and run by "Tony K" (Tony Kostrzewa) and his wife Gerri. It was part ...
. This largely consisted of folkish, romantic pop songs influenced by
Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...
and was a change of direction from the Peel Sessions two years earlier. The album was later released by
Cherry Red Records Cherry Red Records is a British independent record label founded in Malvern, Worcestershire by Iain McNay in 1978. The label has released recordings by Dead Kennedys, Everything But the Girl, The Monochrome Set, and Felt, among others, as well ...
. 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! (briefly known in the US as Wham! U.K.) were an English pop duo formed in Bushey in 1981. The duo consisted of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They became one of the most commercially successful pop acts of the 1980s, selling more ...
". 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 (born 18 May 1961) is a British musician and the former guitarist and violinist of the band Pulp. Senior was born and grew up in Sheffield. Whilst at University in Bath, he formed the Dada Society (also known as the New Wave Soc ...
(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: 1984–1991

The new incarnation of Pulp survived a number of ill-fated gigs (including one at a rugby club at
Brunel University Brunel University London is a public research university located in the Uxbridge area of London, England. It was founded in 1966 and named after the Victorian engineer and pioneer of the Industrial Revolution, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. In June ...
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 Fire Records was an American independent record label, set up in 1959 by Bobby Robinson. Amongst others, it released records by Lightnin' Hopkins, Elmore James, Buster Brown and Arthur Crudup. At one point it was thought Fire had issued the la ...
. 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 is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
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" and " Dogs Are Everywhere" were released. Pulp's next major release was ''
Freaks Freak has several meanings: a person who is physically deformed or suffers from an extraordinary disease and condition, a genetic mutation in a plant or animal, etc. Freak, freaks or The Freak may also refer to: Fictional characters * Freak (Ima ...
'' (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
Chakk Chakk were an industrial funk band from Sheffield, who existed from 1981 until 1987.Chakk
(AllMusic)
's label FON in Sheffield. 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 A foundation course is a preparatory course for university-level art and design education, used particularly in the United Kingdom. Description A foundation course is a one or two-year preparatory course for school-leavers who want to qualify for ...
at
Sheffield Polytechnic Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) is a public research university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The university is based on two sites; the City Campus is located in the city centre near Sheffield railway station, while the Collegiate C ...
. This led to him leaving for London to study film at
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design Central Saint Martins is a public tertiary art school in London, England. It is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. It offers full-time courses at foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and a variety of sho ...
, effectively folding the band. The fold was short-lived however.
Steve Mackey Stephen Patrick Mackey (born 10 November 1966) is an English musician and record producer best known as the bass guitarist for the alternative rock band Pulp, which he joined in 1989. As a record producer, he has produced songs and albums by ...
, 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 Nicholas David Banks (born 28 July 1965) is an English drummer, a member of the British band Pulp. He lives in Sheffield with his wife Sarah and two children. He is the nephew of Gordon Banks, goalkeeper of the 1966 FIFA World Cup-winning Eng ...
(drums). In mid-1989, they began recording another album for Fire, this time with a bigger budget and production from
Alan Smyth Alan Smyth is an English record 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, The Fever Club, The Scaramanga Six, Sm ...
, called '' Separations''. This was a progression of the style of ''Freaks'', with
Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...
-esque ballads on side one and an
acid house Acid house (also simply known as just "acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synthesiz ...
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 is a music genre characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by Disc jockey, DJs and music producers from Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago' ...
which led to them both going to
raves A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mu ...
, while Cocker introduced Mackey to " Scott Walker and
Serge Gainsbourg Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French musician, singer-songwriter, actor, author and filmmaker. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provoca ...
". 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" is the first single from the album '' Separations'' by British band Pulp. The single was first released in 1991 on 12" vinyl and then in 1996 on CD featuring the original track-listing. "Is This House?" and "This Hous ...
", became music periodical ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
''s single of the week.
Stuart Maconie Stuart Maconie (born 13 August 1961) is an English radio DJ and television presenter, writer, journalist, and critic working in the field of pop music and popular culture. He is currently a presenter on BBC Radio 6 Music where, alongside Mark ...
described it in his review as "a throbbing ferment of nightclub soul and teen opera". Furthermore, "
Countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...
" began to be mentioned in the mainstream press,Robinson, N. ''The Courier Mail and The Sunday Mail''. 15 August 1991.Gallivan, Joseph. "Rock/gig guide". ''The Independent''. 29 August 1991. heralding a turning point in Pulp's quest for fame.


Commercial height: 1992–1996

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 Inrockuptibles ''Les Inrockuptibles'' () is a French cultural magazine. Started as a monthly magazine in 1986, it became weekly in 1995. Now it is a monthly again, since 2021. In the beginning, rock and roll, rock music was the magazine's primary focus, though ...
''. 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 (or simply Warp) is a British independent record label founded in Sheffield in 1989 by record store employees Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell and record producer Robert Gordon.Southern, Richard (2003) "Label of Love: WARP", X-RAY, ...
imprint Gift Records in 1992. Buoyed by a changing musical current, in June 1992 Pulp released " O.U." on Gift while Fire finally released ''Separations'' in the same month. ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
'' made "O.U" a single of the week alongside "
The Drowners "The Drowners" is the debut single of English rock band Suede, released on 11 May 1992 on Nude Records. It was later included on the band's debut album, ''Suede'' (1993). "The Drowners" charted at number 49 on the UK Singles Chart. Background T ...
" by
Suede Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, fabrics, purses, furniture, and other items. The term comes from the French , which literally means "gloves from Sweden". The term was firs ...
, a prominent new band. Pulp then signed to
Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...
, who jointly released (with Gift) the singles "
Babies An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...
" and " Razzmatazz" to increasing chart success. Next were the singles "
Lipgloss Lip gloss is a cosmetic used primarily to give lips a glossy luster, and sometimes to add a subtle color. It is distributed as a fluid or a soft solid (not to be confused with lip balm, which generally has medical or soothing purposes, or lipst ...
" and their first top 40 hit on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, " Do You Remember the First Time?",Roberts, David (editor) (2006) 977 ''
British Hit Singles & Albums ''British Hit Singles & Albums'' (originally known as ''The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles'' and ''The Guinness Book of British Hit Albums'') was a music reference book originally published in the United Kingdom by the publishing arm of ...
'' (19th edition). London:
HiT Entertainment HIT Entertainment Limited (commonly written as HiT) was a British-American entertainment company founded in 1982 as Henson International Television, the international distribution arm of The Jim Henson Company, by Jim Henson, Peter Orton, and Soph ...
. p. 442. .
which were put out as full Island releases. These singles were followed by the
Ed Buller Edmund Wilbur Hudson "Ed" Buller (born 9 August 1962 in Reigate, Surrey) is an English record producer and former musician. He has primarily worked with English bands including Suede, Pulp, The Raincoats and The Courteeners. Biography Buller fir ...
-produced album, '' His 'n' Hers'' (1994), which reached number nine on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
and was nominated for the
Mercury Music Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...
. This sudden increase in popularity was helped by the massive media interest in
Britpop Britpop was a mid-1990s British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. It produced brighter, catchier alternative rock, partly in reaction to the popularity of the darker lyrical themes of the US-led grunge music and to the ...
alongside acts such as
Suede Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, fabrics, purses, furniture, and other items. The term comes from the French , which literally means "gloves from Sweden". The term was firs ...
,
Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
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 A commoner, also known as the ''common man'', ''commoners'', the ''common people'' or the ''masses'', was in earlier use an ordinary person in a community or nation who did not have any significant social status, especially a member of neither ...
", in May 1995 and their performance in June at the
Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
(standing in for
The Stone Roses The Stone Roses were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. One of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the band's classic and most prominent lineup consisted of vocalist I ...
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 The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...
'' printed a front-page story headed "BAN THIS SICK STUNT" alongside a story by
Kate Thornton Kate Thornton (born 7 February 1973) is an English journalist and broadcaster, best known as the first presenter of ''The X Factor'' (2004–2006) and for presenting daytime shows including ''Loose Women'' (2009–2011) and '' This Morning'' (20 ...
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 "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...
'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 Singles 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 observations 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 The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...
. It was at this time that Cocker gained significant media exposure due to a notorious prank at the 1996
BRIT Awards The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
, where he invaded the stage in protest during pop singer
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
's performance of "
Earth Song "Earth Song" is a song written and performed by American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson for his ninth studio album, '' HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I'' (1995). It was released on November 27, 1995, by Epic Records as the third ...
" 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 Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (often abbreviated to Assault OABH, AOABH or simply ABH) is a statutory offence of aggravated assault in England and Wales, Northern Ireland, the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Hong Kong and th ...
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 Sheffield Arena, known for sponsorship purposes as Utilita Arena Sheffield, is a multi-purpose arena located in Sheffield, England. It is situated near Meadowhall and lies between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham town centre. Opened in 1991 ...
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",Mulvey, John. "Fiasco 2000!". ''NME''. 2 March 1996. while ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
'' described Cocker as, "arguably the Fifth Most Famous Man in Britain"Simpson, Dave. "Fame Fatale". ''Melody Maker''. 30 March 1996. and suggested he should be
knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
. 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.


Until break-up: 1997–2002

It was during this period of intense fame and tabloid scrutiny that longtime 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".Barber, Lynn. "Puppy Love". ''The Observer''. 5 April 1998. The band were due to begin working on a new album in late 1996. However, Cocker was having difficulty with the celebrity lifestyle, battling
cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...
addiction and a break-up 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 was a United Kingdom based international charity founded in 1961 by Cecil Jackson-Cole and Hugh Faulkner to help disadvantaged older people who were affected by poverty, isolation and neglect. It merged with Age Concern in 2009 to f ...
". 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 ''
This Is Hardcore ''This Is Hardcore'' is the sixth album by English band Pulp. Released in March 1998, it came three years after their breakthrough album, '' Different Class'', and was eagerly anticipated. In 2013, ''NME'' ranked it at number 166 in its list of ...
'', 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. Also in 1998, Pulp collaborated with Patrick Doyle on the song "Like A Friend" for the soundtrack to the film ''
Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. It depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip (Great Expectations), Pip (the book is a ''bildungsroman''; a coming-of-age story). It ...
''. The song was also used in the
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as
dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
cartoon ''
The Venture Bros. ''The Venture Bros.'' is an American adult animated action comedy TV series created by Chris McCulloch (also known as "Jackson Publick") for Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim. Following a pilot episode on February 16, 200 ...
'' 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'' is the seventh and final studio album by English rock band Pulp, released on 22 October 2001 by Island Records. It reached number six on the UK Albums Chart, with a total chart stay of only three weeks. Written and recorded aft ...
''. 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. This new effort fell short of expectations and was to be Pulp's last. 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 Richard Willis Hawley (born 17 January 1967) is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer. After his first band Treebound Story (formed while he was still at school) broke up, Hawley found success as a member of Britpop band Longp ...
, the Sheffield-based singer/songwriter, was also present on various dates on this tour. He later described it as "very much pink feather boas and glamour which was great and brilliant. That was about trying to find glamour among all the shit and I loved all that". 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.


After break-up: 2003–2010

Cocker was involved in a number of one-offs and side projects, including the group
Relaxed Muscle Relaxed Muscle are an English electro duo formed in 2002 by Pulp's Jarvis Cocker and All Seeing I's Jason Buckle. In early 2003, Relaxed Muscle began playing gigs. Cocker and Buckle maintained anonymity by assuming the alter-egos 'Darren Spoone ...
with
Jason Buckle The All Seeing I were a British electronic music group from Sheffield, England, comprising Dean Honer, Jason Buckle and DJ Parrot (real name Richard Barratt). Biography The band released their first single "I Walk" in 1997, but it was not unti ...
and the film '' Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'', where he fronted a group which included Steve Mackey and members of
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...
. In 2006 he collaborated with Air, Neil Hannon and Charlotte Gainsbourg on her album entitled ''5:55''. In 2007 he appeared on
Air The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...
's album ''
Pocket Symphony A pocket symphony is a song with extended form. The term was popularized by English journalist Derek Taylor, who used it to describe the Beach Boys' 1966 single "Good Vibrations". (The description of a "pocket" symphony had appeared in print s ...
'', co-writing and giving vocals to the 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. Candida Doyle has performed live with Cocker on his solo tours. Mackey produced tracks on the debut album by M.I.A., '' Arular'', and on ''
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 lisand features in many other best of lists ...
'' by
the Long Blondes The Long Blondes are an English indie rock band formed in Sheffield in 2003 by Dorian Cox (lead guitar and keyboards), Reenie Hollis (real name Kathryn Hollis) (bass guitar and backing vocals), Emma Chaplin (rhythm guitar, keyboards and backing ...
, both of which were critically well received. He has also produced tracks for
Bromheads Jacket Bromheads (formerly Bromheads Jacket) are a two-piece British garage rock band originating from Sheffield, England. History Bromheads formed in Sheffield in 2005, following the split of a band called Fixated. Although often compared to othe ...
and
Florence + The Machine Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
. 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 2-CD set compiling all of Pulp's
John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
Sessions from 1982 to 2001 was released.


First reunion: 2011–2013

In November 2010 it was announced that the ''Different Class'' line-up (Cocker, Banks, Doyle, Mackey, Senior and Webber) would be playing at the Wireless festival in London's Hyde Park and a Saturday slot at the
Isle of Wight Festival The Isle of Wight Festival is a British music festival which takes place annually in Newport on the Isle of Wight, England. It was originally a counterculture event held from 1968 to 1970. The 1970 event was by far the largest of these early ...
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 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 b ...
in June where they played on The Park stage on Saturday evening. They performed at the Sziget Festival in Hungary on 10 August,
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. The main festival is complemented with the club co ...
in Sweden on 13 August, and played as co-headliners to
The Strokes The Strokes are an American rock band from New York City. Formed in 1998, the band is composed of lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio More ...
at the
Reading Festival 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. The Reading Festiv ...
and the
Leeds Festival 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. The Reading Festiv ...
during the final weekend of August 2011. They headlined the Electric Picnic on 4 September, their last festival of the year. On 9 January 2012, the Coachella festival line-up was released, with Pulp listed as part of the line-up. Further dates were announced, including North and South America and a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in support of the Teenage Cancer Trust. Senior did not take part in the 2012 gigs. In February 2012, ''It'', ''Freaks'' and ''Separations'' (the albums released by
Fire Records Fire Records was an American independent record label, set up in 1959 by Bobby Robinson. Amongst others, it released records by Lightnin' Hopkins, Elmore James, Buster Brown and Arthur Crudup. At one point it was thought Fire had issued the la ...
) were re-issued. These editions came with bonus tracks, including "Death Goes to the Disco", "Dogs Are Everywhere" and "Sink or Swim". Cocker told ''
ShortList A short list or shortlist is a list of candidates for a job, prize, award, political position, etc., that has been reduced from a longer list of candidates (sometimes via intermediate lists known as "long lists"). The length of short lists varie ...
'' magazine in April 2012 that he was working on ideas for new Pulp songs, but in November he told '' Q'' that the band had no plans to release new material and would be "cruising off into the sunset" at the end of the year, signalling a possible end to the reunion. The band played a one-off concert in their hometown of
Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
in December that year, at the 13,500 capacity Motorpoint Arena and made a previously unreleased track, "
After You After You may refer to: Songs * "After You" (Dionne Warwick song), 1979 * "After You" (Dan Seals song), 1983 * "After You" (Beverley Knight song), 2007 * "After You" (Pulp song), 2013 *" After You, Who?", a 1932 song by Cole Porter *"After You", a ...
", available for download to those who had attended the concert. It was subsequently released to the general public in January 2013 via digital download. The song had previously only existed in demo form. Their last performance was to promote the song on ''
The Jonathan Ross Show ''The Jonathan Ross Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on ITV on 3 September 2011 and airs on Saturday evenings following the conclusion of Ross' BBC One chat show, ''Friday Night with Jonat ...
'' on 9 February 2013. The remixed version of "After You" by
Soulwax Soulwax are an electronic band from Ghent, Belgium. Centred around brothers David and Stephen Dewaele, other current members include Igor Cavalera and Stefaan Van Leuven. They were first noticed after the release of their album '' Much Against Ev ...
later went on to be used in the 2013 video game ''
Grand Theft Auto V ''Grand Theft Auto V'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2008's ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', and ...
'' as a track on the ingame radio station, Soulwax FM. In May 2015, a music heritage plaque was unveiled at the venue of the band's first gig,
The Leadmill The Leadmill is the longest running live music venue and nightclub in Sheffield, England, based on Leadmill Road, lying on the southeast edge of the city centre. It opened in 1980 in a former flour mill, originally a Community Centre. The ven ...
, Sheffield. Band members Jarvis Cocker, Nick Banks, Steve Mackey, Candida Doyle and Mark Webber were present at the ceremony.


Second reunion: 2023

In July 2022, following speculation from a cryptic Instagram post, Cocker announced that the band would reunite for a series of concerts in 2023. Nick Banks also tweeted confirming the announcement by saying "Hey folks, unsurprisingly it’s has all gone a bit mental on here. Gig details will be revealed as and when. Stay calm, hug your #pulp records and dream of going mental sometime in 2023." Cocker has also appeared at a concert with Richard Hawley (former touring guitarist of first reunion), speculating his involvement in the reunion. The reunion was confirmed on 28th October 2022, with dates announced at
Finsbury Park Finsbury Park is a public park in the London neighbourhood of Harringay. It is in the area formerly covered by the historic parish of Hornsey, succeeded by the Municipal Borough of Hornsey. It was one of the first of the great London parks ...
,
TRNSMT TRNSMT (pronounced as "Transmit") is a music festival staged at Glasgow Green in Glasgow, Scotland, organised by DF Concerts. History An early line-up for the first TRNSMT festival was revealed in January 2017, two months after the announceme ...
, Latitude Festival as well as 2 homecoming shows at
Sheffield Arena Sheffield Arena, known for sponsorship purposes as Utilita Arena Sheffield, is a multi-purpose arena located in Sheffield, England. It is situated near Meadowhall and lies between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham town centre. Opened in 1991 ...
. Former Pulp bassist, Steve Mackey announced on his Instagram that he would not be taking part but stated "Wishing Candy, Nick, Mark and Jarvis the very best with forthcoming performances in the UK and also an enormous thanks to Pulp’s amazing fanbase, many of whom have sent me lovely messages today".


Band members

;Current members *
Jarvis Cocker Jarvis Branson Cocker (born 19 September 1963) is an English musician and radio presenter. As the founder, frontman, lyricist and only consistent member of the band Pulp, he became a figurehead of the Britpop genre of the mid-1990s. Following P ...
 – vocals, guitar, keyboards (1978–2002, 2011–2013, 2023) *
Candida Doyle Candida Mary Doyle (born 25 August 1963) is an English musician who is keyboard player and occasional backing vocalist with the band Pulp, which she joined in 1984. She joined her brother, drummer Magnus Doyle in the line-up replacing the prev ...
 – keyboards, organ, backing vocals (1984–1986, 1987–2002, 2011–2013, 2023) *
Nick Banks Nicholas David Banks (born 28 July 1965) is an English drummer, a member of the British band Pulp. He lives in Sheffield with his wife Sarah and two children. He is the nephew of Gordon Banks, goalkeeper of the 1966 FIFA World Cup-winning Eng ...
 – drums, percussion (1986–2002, 2011–2013, 2023) * Mark Webber – guitar, keyboards (1995–2002, 2011–2013, 2023) touring member (1994–1995) ;Additional musicians * Saskia Cocker – backing vocals (1982–1983, 2012) * Jill Taylor  – backing vocals (1982–1983, 2012) * Garry Wilson – drums (1982–1983) *
Richard Hawley Richard Willis Hawley (born 17 January 1967) is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer. After his first band Treebound Story (formed while he was still at school) broke up, Hawley found success as a member of Britpop band Longp ...
 – guitar (1998–2002, 2011–2012) *
Leo Abrahams Leo Matthew Abrahams (born 1977 in Camden, London) is an English musician, composer and producer. He has collaborated with a multitude of professional musicians, including Brian Eno, Katie Melua, Imogen Heap, Jarvis Cocker, Carl Barât, Regina ...
 – guitar (2011–2013) * Jean Cook  – violin (2012) ;Former members * Peter Dalton – guitar, keyboards, vocals (1978–1982) * Ian Dalton – percussion (1978–1979) * David "Fungus" Lockwood – bass (1979) * Mark Swift – drums, percussion (1979–1980) * Philip Thompson – bass (1979–1980) * Jimmy Sellars – drums (1980–1981) * Jamie Pinchbeck – bass (1980–1982) * Wayne Furniss – drums, guitar, bass (1981–1982) * David Hinkler – keyboards, organ, trombone, guitar (1982–1983) *
Simon Hinkler Simon Thomas Hinkler (born 13 November 1959) is an English 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. Early musical ...
 – bass, guitar, keyboards, piano (1982–1983) * Peter Boam – bass, guitar, drums, keyboards (1982–1983) *
Russell Senior Russell Senior (born 18 May 1961) is a British musician and the former guitarist and violinist of the band Pulp. Senior was born and grew up in Sheffield. Whilst at University in Bath, he formed the Dada Society (also known as the New Wave Soc ...
– guitar, violin, vocals (1983–1997, 2011) * Magnus Doyle – drums, keyboards (1983–1986) * Peter Mansell – bass (1983–1986) * Tim Allcard – keyboards, saxophone, poetry, drums (1983–1984) * Michael Paramore – drums, percussion (1983) * Steven Havenhand – bass (1986–1988) * Captain Sleep – keyboards (1986–1987) * Antony Genn – bass (1988) *
Steve Mackey Stephen Patrick Mackey (born 10 November 1966) is an English musician and record producer best known as the bass guitarist for the alternative rock band Pulp, which he joined in 1989. As a record producer, he has produced songs and albums by ...
 – bass (1988–2002, 2011–2013)


Timeline


Discography

* '' It'' (1983) * ''
Freaks Freak has several meanings: a person who is physically deformed or suffers from an extraordinary disease and condition, a genetic mutation in a plant or animal, etc. Freak, freaks or The Freak may also refer to: Fictional characters * Freak (Ima ...
'' (1987) * '' Separations'' (recorded in 1989; released in 1992) * '' His 'n' Hers'' (1994) * '' Different Class'' (1995) * ''
This Is Hardcore ''This Is Hardcore'' is the sixth album by English band Pulp. Released in March 1998, it came three years after their breakthrough album, '' Different Class'', and was eagerly anticipated. In 2013, ''NME'' ranked it at number 166 in its list of ...
'' (1998) * ''
We Love Life ''We Love Life'' is the seventh and final studio album by English rock band Pulp, released on 22 October 2001 by Island Records. It reached number six on the UK Albums Chart, with a total chart stay of only three weeks. Written and recorded aft ...
'' (2001)


Awards and nominations

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, 1994 , rowspan=3, Album of the Year , '' His 'n' Hers'' , , rowspan=3, , - , 1996 , '' Different Class'' , , - , 1998 , ''
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, rowspan=6, 1996 , Best Band , rowspan=2, Themselves , , rowspan=7, , - , Best Live Act , , - , Best Video , rowspan=2, "
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" , , - , rowspan=2, Best Single , , - , "
Sorted for E's & Wizz "Sorted for E's & Wizz" is a song written and performed by the English band Pulp for their 1995 album ''Different Class''. Based lyrically on a phrase that lead singer Jarvis Cocker overheard at a rave, the song features lyrics examining the ho ...
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'' , , - , Best Single , "
This is Hardcore ''This Is Hardcore'' is the sixth album by English band Pulp. Released in March 1998, it came three years after their breakthrough album, '' Different Class'', and was eagerly anticipated. In 2013, ''NME'' ranked it at number 166 in its list of ...
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This Is Hardcore ''This Is Hardcore'' is the sixth album by English band Pulp. Released in March 1998, it came three years after their breakthrough album, '' Different Class'', and was eagerly anticipated. In 2013, ''NME'' ranked it at number 166 in its list of ...
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Smash Hits Poll Winners Party The Smash Hits Poll Winners Party was a British awards ceremony which ran from 1979 (as the Smash Hits Readers' Poll) to 2005. Each award winner was voted by readers of the '' Smash Hits'' magazine. It ended with the closure of the magazine in F ...
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Notes


References

* Mark Sturdy, ''Truth & Beauty: The Story of Pulp'' (Omnibus Press, 2003) – comprehensive biography * Jean-Marie Pottier, ''Brit Pulp. La britpop selon Pulp, de Thatcher à Blair'' (Autour du Livre, 2009) – a French essay about the connections between Pulp and English popular culture of its time


External links


Discography at acrylicafternoons.com

PulpWiki
– a comprehensive user-generated resource for everything related to Pulp
Bar Italia
– active discussion forum for Pulp fans worldwide
The Beat Is The Law – Fanfare For The Common People (2011)
– critically acclaimed music documentary about Pulp's rise to fame
''Pulp: a Film about Life, Death & Supermarkets''
– Florian Habicht's film that launched at SXSW in March 2014 {{DEFAULTSORT:Pulp Britpop groups British alternative rock groups British indie pop groups Musical groups from Sheffield Musical groups established in 1978 Musical groups disestablished in 2002 Musical groups reestablished in 2010 English art rock groups NME Awards winners