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 in 1978. At their critical and commercial peak, the band 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 (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 (drums, percussion), Steve Mackey (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 ''His 'n' Hers'' is the fourth studio album by English rock band Pulp, released on 18 April 1994 by Island Records. It proved to be the band's breakthrough album, reaching number nine on the UK Albums Chart, and was nominated for the 1994 Mercu ...
'' in 1994 and particularly ''
Different Class ''Different Class'' (released in Japan as ''Common People'') is the fifth studio album by English rock band Pulp, released on 30 October 1995 by Island Records. The album was a critical and commercial success, entering the UK Albums Chart at nu ...
'' in 1995, which reached the number one spot in the UK Albums Chart. The album spawned four top ten singles, including " Common People" and "
Mis-Shapes "Mis-Shapes" is a song written and released by Sheffield band Pulp from their 1995 album '' Different Class''. Lyrically inspired by Cocker's experiences socializing in Sheffield as an outcast, the song features lyrics that call for misfits to u ...
/ 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 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 in their lyrics in the form of a " kitchen sink drama"-style. Cocker and the band became reluctant figureheads of 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'' 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. 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, Reading and Leeds Festivals,
Pohoda :''The word "pohoda" means "relax" or "ease" in the Slovak and Czech languages.'' Pohoda is an open-air summer music festival in Slovakia, first organized in 1997 in Trenčín. It is the biggest Slovak music event organized annually. The current ...
, Sziget Festival, Primavera Sound, the Exit festival, and the Wireless Festival. A number of additional concert dates were afterward added to their schedule. In January 2013, Pulp released " After You", 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" 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, 20 ...
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'' 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 "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, 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 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 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 ...
. 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 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 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 were gathered: Simon Hinkler (who later joined The Mission), David Hinkler, Wayne Furniss (who switched to guitar after playing drums in the previous lineup), 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
pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...
, 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 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!". 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).


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 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 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 "Dogs Are Everywhere" is 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 what would become the band's next alb ...
" 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'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 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 Cr ...
. 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 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, 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 ...
". Cocker was also inspired by the band
Magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...
's early works that "had attack to it combined with a real intelligence, without going into ponce territory". 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 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''. 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." 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, 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" 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?",Roberts, David (editor) (2006)
977 Year 977 ( CMLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * May – Boris II, dethroned emperor (''tsar'') of Bulgaria, and his brother Roman ma ...
'' British Hit Singles & Albums'' (19th edition). London: HiT Entertainment. p. 442. .
which were put out as full Island releases. These singles were followed by the Ed Buller-produced album, ''
His 'n' Hers ''His 'n' Hers'' is the fourth studio album by English rock band Pulp, released on 18 April 1994 by Island Records. It proved to be the band's breakthrough album, reaching number nine on the UK Albums Chart, and was nominated for the 1994 Mercu ...
'' (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 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", 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 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 ''Different Class'' (released in Japan as ''Common People'') is the fifth studio album by English rock band Pulp, released on 30 October 1995 by Island Records. The album was a critical and commercial success, entering the UK Albums Chart at nu ...
'' (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 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. 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 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 Robert Renwick Mortimer (born 23 May 1959) is an English comedian, podcast presenter and actor. He is known for his work with Vic Reeves as part of their Vic and Bob comedy double act, and more recently the '' Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing ...
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",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 Tabloid may refer to: * Tabloid journalism, a type of journalism * Tabloid (newspaper format), a newspaper with compact page size ** Chinese tabloid * Tabloid (paper size), a North American paper size * Sopwith Tabloid, a biplane aircraft * ''Ta ...
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 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.'' 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, 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 Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...
'', 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 and the film ''
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the fourth novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series. It follows Harry Potter, a wizard in his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and W ...
'', 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'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 sin ...
'', 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 ''Arular'' is the debut studio album by British recording artist M.I.A. It was released on 22 March 2005 in the United States, and one month later in the United Kingdom, with a slightly different track listing. In 2004, the album's release was ...
'', 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, 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. 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 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 conc ...
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 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) 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 in December that year, at the 13,500 capacity Motorpoint Arena and made a previously unreleased track, " After You", 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'' on 9 February 2013. The remixed version of "After You" by Soulwax 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, 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." The reunion was officially confirmed on 28 October 2022, with dates announced at Finsbury Park,
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 The Latitude Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Henham Park, near Southwold, Suffolk, England. It was first held in July 2006 and has been held every year since, apart from 2020, when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 ...
as well as two homecoming shows at Sheffield Arena. Steve Mackey announced on his Instagram that he would not be taking part in the tour 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". On 2 March 2023, the band announced that Mackey had died at the age of 56. For the 2023 reunion tour, the band were joined by Andrew McKinney on bass, Emma Smith on guitar and violin, and Adam Betts on keyboards, guitar, and percussion. The tour also featured a ten-piece string section called the Elysian Collective. During this tour they also debuted two new songs "Hymn of the North" and "Background Noise". It is currently unknown if they are recording a new album.


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 ...
 – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards (1978–2002, 2011–2013, 2022–present) *
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, 2022–present) * Nick Banks – drums, percussion (1986–2002, 2011–2013, 2022–present) * Mark Webber – guitar, keyboards (1995–2002, 2011–2013, 2022–present; touring musician 1994–1995) ;Current touring musicians * Andrew McKinney – bass (2023–present) * Emma Smith – violin, guitar (2023–present) * Adam Betts – percussion, guitar, keyboards (2023–present) ;Former touring musicians * Saskia Cocker – backing vocals (1982–1983, 2012) * Jill Taylor  – backing vocals (1982–1983, 2012) * Garry Wilson – drums (1982–1983) * Richard Hawley – guitar (1998–2002, 2011–2012; guest 2023) * Leo Abrahams – guitar (2011–2013) * Jean Cook  – violin (2012) ;Former members * Steve Mackey – bass (1988–2002, 2011–2013, died 2023) * Russell Senior – guitar, violin, vocals (1983–1997, 2011) * 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 – bass, guitar, keyboards, piano (1982–1983) * Peter Boam – bass, guitar, drums, keyboards (1982–1983, died 2006) * 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 Antony Genn (born 1971 in Sheffield, England) is a British musician and composer. Genn got his start as a 16-year-old playing bass for Pulp for seven months in 1988. He toured with Elastica in 1995-96, playing keyboards. He was one of the origi ...
 – bass (1988)


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'' (1992) * ''
His 'n' Hers ''His 'n' Hers'' is the fourth studio album by English rock band Pulp, released on 18 April 1994 by Island Records. It proved to be the band's breakthrough album, reaching number nine on the UK Albums Chart, and was nominated for the 1994 Mercu ...
'' (1994) * ''
Different Class ''Different Class'' (released in Japan as ''Common People'') is the fifth studio album by English rock band Pulp, released on 30 October 1995 by Island Records. The album was a critical and commercial success, entering the UK Albums Chart at nu ...
'' (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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A Little Soul "A Little Soul" is a song by British alternative rock band Pulp, from their 1998 album, ''This Is Hardcore''. It was released on 8 June 1998 as the third single from the album, charting at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart. B-side "Like a Fri ...
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" , , , - ! scope="row" rowspan=3, Mercury Prize , 1994 , rowspan=3, Album of the Year , ''
His 'n' Hers ''His 'n' Hers'' is the fourth studio album by English rock band Pulp, released on 18 April 1994 by Island Records. It proved to be the band's breakthrough album, reaching number nine on the UK Albums Chart, and was nominated for the 1994 Mercu ...
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'' , , - , 1998 , ''
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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Different Class ''Different Class'' (released in Japan as ''Common People'') is the fifth studio album by English rock band Pulp, released on 30 October 1995 by Island Records. The album was a critical and commercial success, entering the UK Albums Chart at nu ...
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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 ...
'' , , - , 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 ...
" , , - , rowspan=3, 2012 , Outstanding Contribution to Music , rowspan=3, Themselves , , , - , Best Live Band , , rowspan=2, , - , Greatest Music Moment of the Year , , - , 2015 , Best Music Film , ''A Film About Life, Death And Supermarkets'' , , , - ! scope="row" rowspan=4, Q Awards , 1996 , rowspan=2, Best Live Act , rowspan=2, Themselves , , rowspan=3, , - , rowspan=2, 1998 , , - , Best Album , ''
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 ...
'' , , - , 2012 , Inspiration Award , rowspan=2, Themselves , , , - ! scope="row", Smash Hits Poll Winners Party , 1996 , Best Indie-Type Band , ,


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 * * {{Authority control Britpop groups English alternative rock groups English 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