Pulp

"When I hit puberty with a bang and started being interested in girls and stuff like that, my main kind of education if you like about those matters had been from listening to songs, and I felt that the information I'd been given from pop songs really didn't prepare me for the real world of trying to go out with girls and relationships and stuff. And so I consciously wanted to write pop songs that had the messy bits in, and the kind of awkward fumbling bits, because I felt that I'd been sold short in some way, and I wanted to provide a public service." (Jarvis Cocker, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 2005-04-25.)
Pulp are a band from Sheffield, England who formed in 1978. The original line-up consisted of Cocker, schoolfriend Peter Dalton, Mark Lockwood and David Swift. Playing their first gig in 1980, they took many years to find commercial success, despite the fact that Cocker gave Peel a demo tape at one of his roadshows in 1981 This was at Sheffield Polytechnic on 10 October 1981. See Gigography 1981., which JP promised to listen to on the way home, and was sufficiently impressed for Chris Lycett to offer them their first session either three days or a week and a half later, depending on Cocker's memory.
===First Session===
When Jarvis and Nick Banks visited Peel Acres to take part in a pre-recorded interview broadcast as part of a Pulp special on 30 September 1995, the initial session was repeated for the first time in thirteen years, and, since Peel claimed to remember nothing about it, Cocker was able to supply him with a good deal of information.
As a result of the kudos surrounding the offer, the Sheffield Star actually put the band on their front page and wanted to take pictures of them wearing school uniform, but this was refused. Not having proper equipment, the band had to borrow a bass amp containing a graphic equaliser, and brought with them a home-made synth drum. Dale Griffin was the producer: Cocker said, "I think he thought, I'd like this to finish soon so that I can go home."
Hearing these tracks, which display a mixture of influences including that of Joy Division, embarrassed Jarvis, but he used it as a weapon to persuade his mother that he should be a musician rather than going to Liverpool University. (There are conflicting reasons as to why he never did this. Cocker admitted on Desert Island Discs that he was due to read English, but flunked the interview after pretending that he had read a Thomas Hardy novel he'd barely started.In a 2022 interview for This Cultural Life (R4), Cocker states that the interview was for Oxford University and that he had stayed in an Oxford dormitory the night before, a night which coincided with the first Peel session's first transmission. (see also faroutmagazine.co.uk, Nov. 2022) Wikipedia claims he had had a successful practice session with prospective Pulp members Russell Senior and Magnus Doyle which persuaded him to try an artier approach to his music.)
===In The Wilderness===
Despite the fact that the first session was broadcast three times in six months, a mixture of bad record deals and the lack of a defining style ensured that Pulp would spend the rest of the 1980s groping for fame. Their first LP release, It, was a commercial failure, most of the original members left to go to university, and Jarvis was confined to a wheelchair for some months after falling out of a window. He later regrouped with a line-up including Doyle's sister Candida on keyboards and signed to Fire Records, becoming label mates with the Farm. The relationship with the label was a stormy one, and they left the label when the release of the Separations LP was unaccountably delayed.
===Renewed Exposure===
JP gained a renewed interest in the band when he saw them supporting the Fall at the Corn Exchange in Cambridge This was 30 March 1992. He was convinced as a result of this that the band had recorded a large number of sessions for his programme, but was shocked to find only one when he consulted Ken Garner's In Session Tonight.thumb|300px|right|The 1995 FF number 1. It entered the chart three times in two different versions.
The release of the album His N' Hers in 1993 and renewed interest in their sound by JP kick-started a wave of growing popularity. They went on to further success with the UK number one album Different Class which featured the singles Common People, Sorted for E's and Whizz (both of which made number 2 in the UK singles charts) and Disco 2000. In 1997 Peel chose Different Class as his 4th favourite album of all time and the band presented three of Peel's shows whilst he was away in November of that year. After Peel's death, Jarvis Cocker narrated the Radio One tribute, Teenage Dreams So Hard To Beat.
== Festive Fifty Entries ==
In all, Pulp had fifteen chart entries with thirteen different songs. 'Common People' featured in two successive charts, the first time in the session version (a remarkable feat considering that it was only broadcast once and was not commercially available until 2006) and the official release on Different Class, where it hit the top spot (and would reappear in the final All-time chart). In fact, in the 1995 list, the band had the highest number of entries (six) and held down the top two spots, something which had not happened for 10 years. Oddly, John chose to play the session version of 'Underwear' in 1995, even though that was recorded the previous year and an official release had already seen the light of day.
*'Lipgloss (7")' (Island) (1993 Festive Fifty #46) (JP: 'It's taken them twenty-seven years to get into the Festive Fifty. This must be the proudest moment of their lives, I'd say.')
*'Razzmatazz (CD Maxi-single)' (Gift) (1993 Festive Fifty #14)
*'Babies (CD-His 'N' Hers)' (Island) (1994 Festive Fifty #23)
*'Common People' (Peel Session) (1994 Festive Fifty #21)
*'Do You Remember The First Time? (7")' (Island) (1994 Festive Fifty #13)thumb|300px|right|'Indisputably one of those great pop moments' (JP)
*'Underwear' (Peel Session) (1995 Festive Fifty #31)
*'Disco 2000 (CD-Different Class)' (1995 Festive Fifty #27)
*'Mis-Shapes (CD-Different Class)' (Island) (1995 Festive Fifty #12)
*'I-Spy (CD-Different Class)' (Island) (1995 Festive Fifty #8)
*'Sorted For E's & Wizz' (live from Glastonbury) (1995 Festive Fifty #2)
*'Common People (CD-Different Class)' (Island) (1995 Festive Fifty #1 and 2000 Festive Fifty (All-Time) #12)
*'This Is Hardcore (CD-This Is Hardcore)' (Island) (1998 Festive Fifty #8)
*'Trees (CD-We Love Life)' (Universal Island) (2001 Festive Fifty #29)
*'Sunrise (CD-We Love Life)' (Universal Island) (2001 Festive Fifty #19)
*Running The World (Jarvis Cocker solo single) (2006 Festive Fifty #41)
== Sessions ==
*All four sessions were released on The Peel Sessions (Universal Island). In 2022, 'Wishful Thinking' from the first session placed #62 in a Guardian list of the 100 Greatest BBC Music Performances, marking the centenary of the BBC.
1. Recorded: 1981-11-07. First broadcast: 18 November 1981. Repeated: 08 December 1981, 08 February 1982, 30 September 1995 (JP: 'Non-Liverpool band gets Peel Session shock!)
*Turkey Mambo Momma / Please Don't Worry / Wishful Thinking / Refuse To Be Blind
2. Recorded: 1993-02-07. First broadcast: 05 March 1993. Repeated: 09 July 1993
*Pink Glove / You're A Nightmare / Acrylic Afternoons The last-named was also played on the 24 June 1996 broadcast of John Peel's Classic Sessions.
3. Recorded: 1994-09-09. First broadcast: 22 October 1994. Repeated: 17 June 1995.
*Underwear / Common People / Pencil Skirt
4. Recorded: 2001-08-12. First broadcast: 28 August 2001. Repeated: 01 January 2002.
*Sunrise / Weeds / I Love Life / Duck Diving
== Live ==
09 July 1994
*Recorded Glastonbury Festival, 1994-06-26 (set list from Pulp Wiki).
#She's A Lady
#Lipgloss
#Razzmatazz
#Acrylic Afternoons
#Do You Remember the First Time?
#Babies
21 April 1995
*Live from Bristol Anson Rooms as part of Radio One Sound City (set list from Pulp Wiki).
#Razzmatazz
#Monday Morning
#Pencil Skirt
#Mile End
#Do You Remember the First Time?
#Underwear
#Acrylic Afternoons
#Babies
#Common People
28 June 1998
*Recorded at Glastonbury
#I'm A Man
#Live Bed Show
#Seductive Barry
#Sorted for E's & Wizz
#TV Movie
#A Little Soul
#Party Hard
#Help the Aged
#F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.
#This is Hardcore
11 October 2001
*Recorded King’s College, 2001-09-24.
*Special to mark Peel's 40th anniversary in broadcasting. Pulp play five songs and Jarvis cheekily dedicates 'Help The Aged' to JP.
#Theme From Peter Gunn
#Sorted For E's & Wizz
#Help The Aged
#This Is Hardcore
#Sunrise
31 October 2001
*Live from Birmingham Academy.
*Notoriously plagued by technical problems to the extent that the final song was played out of sequence at the end of the show.
#Weeds
#Weeds II (The Origin Of The Species)
#The Fear
#The Birds In Your Garden
#Wickermann (ends with technical problems, unidentified record, JP: "That's just been what we doctors call a bit of a cockup. I apologize for that. Let's go back and rejoin Pulp.")
#The Trees
#The Night Minnie Timperley Died
#I Love Life
#This Is Hardcore (JP: "We seem to have hit another minor technical problem. We'll try to get back to that before the programme is over.")
28 August 2002
*Live at Reading Festival (set list from Pulp Wiki).
#Sorted for E's & Wizz
#The Trees
#Weeds
#Common People
#I Love Life
#Sunrise
== Peel Acres ==
*30 September 1995 Pulp special, featuring interview with Javis Cocker and Nick Banks at Peel Acres, exclusive tracks from new album, and repeat of first session from 1981.
== Peel Show Presenters ==
In November 1997, members of Pulp presented a week of Peel shows on R1 while the DJ was on holiday.
*25 November 1997
*26 November 1997
*27 November 1997
== Peelenium ==
*Peelenium 1995: Sorted For E's & Wizz (CD single)
==Other Shows Played==
The list below is almost certainly incomplete and has been compiled only from the database of this site. Please add further information if known.
;1982
*23 February 1982: What Do You Say? (v/a album - Your Secrets Safe With Us) Statik STAT LP7
*28 February 1982 (BFBS): What Do You Say? (v/a album - Your Secrets Safe With Us) Statik STAT LP7
;1983
*01 August 1983: My Lighthouse (7") Red Rhino
*19 September 1983: Everybody's Problem (7") Red Rhino
;1985
*27 November 1985: The Will To Power (EP - Little Girl (With Blue Eyes) And Other Pieces...) Fire
;1986
*20 January 1986 (BBC World Service): Blue Glow (12" - Little Girl (With Blue Eyes) And Other Pieces...) Fire
*10 February 1986 (BBC World Service): Blue Glow (12" - Little Girl (With Blue Eyes) And Other Pieces...) Fire
;1991
*07 September 1991: Countdown (Radio Edit) (12") Fire BLAZE 51T
;1992
*16 May 1992: O.U. (Gone, Gone) (12") Gift GIF 1
*29 May 1992: O.U. (Gone, Gone) (12") Gift GIF 1
;1993
*05 February 1993: Razzmatazz (12") Gift GIF 6
*06 February 1993: Stacks (12" - Razzmatazz) (Gift Records) ("And a couple more from the record before the end of the show if I don't talk too much.")
*06 February 1993: Inside Susan (12" - Razzmatazz) Gift GIF 6
*06 February 1993: 59 Lyndhurst Grove (Single Razzmatazz) Gift Records GIF6
*Peel February 1993: Razzmatazz (12") Gift GIF 6
*21 February 1993 (BFBS): Razzmatazz (12") Gift GIF 6
*12 March 1993: My Lighthouse (7")' (Red Rhino)
*12 March 1993: Razzmatazz (CDS)' (Gift)
*18 March 1993 (BBC World Service): Razzmatazz (12") Gift GIF 6
*27 March 1993: Razzmatazz (7") Gift GIF 6
*03 April 1993: Stacks (b/w 7" - Razzmatazz) Gift GIF 6
*09 April 1993 (John Peel Is Jakki Brambles): Razzmatazz (single) Gift
*09 October 1993: Babies (album - Intro The Gift Recordings) Island ILPM 2076
*16 October 1993: O.U. (album - Intro The Gift Recordings) Island ILPM 2076
*22 October 1993 (BFBS): O.U. (album - Intro The Gift Recordings) Island ILPM 2076
*30 October 1993: ‘Lip Gloss (CD single)’ (Island Records)
*25 December 1993: 'Lipgloss (single)' (Island) Festive Fifty #46
*25 December 1993: 'Razzmatazz (CD Maxi-single)' (Gift) Festive Fifty #14
;1994
*26 February 1994: 'Do You Remember The First Time? (CD Single)’ (Island)
*05 March 1994: 'Do You Remember The First Time? (CD Single)’ (Island)
*10 June 1994: Your Sister's Clothes (12 inch - The Sisters EP ) Island Records
*25 March 1994: 'Do You Remember The First Time? (CD Single)’ (Island)
*08 April 1994: Joyriders (LP 'His 'N' Hers') Island
*15 April 1994: Babies (CD: His 'N' Hers) Island
*16 April 1994 (BFBS): Joyriders (LP 'His 'N' Hers') Island
*23 April 1994 (BFBS): Babies (CD: His 'N' Hers) Island
*13 May 1994: Babies (CD Single - The Sisters EP ) Island Records
*05 September 1994 (Ö3): 'O.U. (Gone, Gone) (CDS)' (Gift)
*23 December 1994: 'Babies (CD-His 'N' Hers)' (Island) Festive Fifty #23
*23 December 1994: 'Common People' (Peel Session) Festive Fifty #23
*23 December 1994: 'Do You Remember The First Time (7 inch)' Festive Fifty #13
;1995
*05 May 1995: Underwear (CD: Common People) ISLAND
*07 April 1995: 'Common People (7 inch)' (Polygram)
*08 April 1995: Common People (CD: Common People) ISLAND
*23 June 1995: Common People (remixed version)
*18 August 1995: Sorted For Es And Wizz (CD single)' (Island)
*19 August 1995: Sorted for E’s and Wizz (Single) Island
*25 August 1995: 'Sorted For E's And Wizz (CD single)' (Island)
*26 August 1995: Mis-Shapes (CD - Mis-Shapes) Island
*26 August 1995 (BFBS): 'Sorted For E's And Wizz (CDS)' (Island)
*01 September 1995: 'Sorted For E's & Wizz (CD single)' (Island)
*09 September 1995: 'Sorted For E's & Wizz (CD single)' (Island)
*09 September 1995 (BFBS): 'Sorted For E's & Wizz (CDS)' (Island)
*23 September 1995: Everybody's Problem (7") Red Rhino
*07 October 1995: Bar Italia (album - Different Class) Island CID 8041
*13 October 1995: Pencil Skirt (album - Different Class) Island CID 8041
*14 October 1995: Disco 2000 (album - Different Class) Island CID 8041
*20 October 1995: Something Changed (CD - Different Class) Island
*21 October 1995: Underwear
*22 October 1995 (BFBS): 'Pencil Skirt (LP-Different Class)' (Island)
*28 October 1995 (BFBS): 'Disco 2000 (LP-Different Class)' (Island)
*24 November 1995: Ansaphone (single - Disco 2000 (Part One)) Island
*01 December 1995: 'Sorted For E's & Wizz (Live) (Compilation Cassette-Class Of 95)' (Vox Magazine)
*29 December 1995: Underwear (Peel Session) Festive Fifty #31
*30 December 1995: 'Mis-Shapes (LP-Different Class)' (Island) Festive Fifty #12
*30 December 1995: 'I Spy (LP-Different Class)' (Island) Festive Fifty #08
*30 December 1995: 'Sorted For E's And Wizz' (live at Glastonbury) Festive Fifty #02
*30 December 1995: 'Common People (LP-Different Class)' (Island) Festive Fifty #01
*30 December 1995 (BFBS): 'Mis-Shapes (CD-Different Class)' (Island) Festive Fifty #12
*30 December 1995 (BFBS): 'I-Spy (CD-Different Class)' (Island) Festive Fifty #08
;1996
*07 January 1996 (BFBS): 'Sorted For E's And Wizz' (live at Glastonbury) Festive 50 #2
*07 January 1996 (BFBS): 'Common People (LP-Different Class)' (Island) Festive 50 #1
*26 January 1996: 'Mile End (Soundtrack CD - Trainspotting)' (EMI Premier)
*03 February 1996 (BFBS): 'Mile End (Soundtrack CD - Trainspotting)' (EMI)
*13 February 1996 (Radio Mafia): 'Mile End (Soundtrack CD - Trainspotting)' (EMI Premier)
*23 February 1996: Feeling Called Love (The Moloko Mix) (single – Something Changed ) Island
*01 March 1996: 'Mile End (Soundtrack CD - Trainspotting)' (EMI)
*02 March 1996: What Do You Say? (v/a album - Your Secrets Safe With Us) Statik STAT LP7
*09 March 1996 (BFBS): 'F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E. (The Moloko Mix) (12"-Something Changed)' (Island)
*09 March 1996 (BFBS): 'What Do You Say? (2x Compilation LP-Your Secret's Safe With Us....)' (Statik)
*19 March 1996: Something Changed (CD: Something Changed) Island
*20 March 1996: Something Changed (single)
*24 June 1996: Acryllic Afternoons (session version) John Peel's Classic Sessions
*01 July 1996: Common People (session version) John Peel's Classic Sessions
;1997
*28 June 1997: Live Bedshow (v/a album - Long Live Tibet) EMI
*01 October 1997: Babies (session version)
*07 October 1997: Help The Aged (7") Island
*17 October 1997 (BBC World Service): Help The Aged (7") Island
*27 October 1997: Help The Aged (7") Island
*30 October 1997: Help The Aged (7") Island
*23 December 1997: 'Help The Aged (CD single)' (Island)
;1998
*10 February 1998: 'This Is Hardcore (CDS)' (Island)
*18 February 1998: 'This Is Hardcore (CDS)' (Island)
*20 February 1998 (BBC World Service): This Is Hardcore (Original Version) (7") Island
*29 December 1998: This Is Hardcore (CD single)' (Island) Festive 50 #08
;1999
*31 August 1999: Common People
;2000
*11 January 2000: 'Sorted For E‘s & Wizz (CD single)' (Island) Peelenium 1995
*20 January 2000: 'Common People (CD single)' (Island) All-Time Festive Fifty #12
;2001
*26 June 2001: Sunrise (12") white label
*09 August 2001: Sunrise (LP - We Love Life) Universal Island
*15 August 2001: Bad Cover Version (LP - We Love Life) Universal Island
*16 August 2001: The Birds In Your Garden (LP - We Love Life) Universal Island
*21 August 2001: The Origin Of The Species (LP - We Love Life) Universal Island
*23 August 2001: 'Roadkill' (LP 'We Love Life') Sanctuary (advance white label promo)
*29 August 2001: Bob Lind (The Only Way Is Down) (LP - We Love Life) Universal Island
*02 September 2001 (BBC World Service): Bad Cover Version (single) Universal
*18 September 2001: Bad Cover Version (LP - We Love Life) Island
*25 September 2001: The Birds In Your Garden (LP - We Love Life) Universal Island
*27 September 2001 (Radio Eins): The Trees (album - Advance Album) Universal pre-release of We Love Life
*09 October 2001: Bob Lind (The Only Way Is Down) (LP – We Love Life) Universal Island
*10 October 2001: Trees (LP - We Love Life) Universal/Island
*18 October 2001: Bad Cover Version (single) Universal Island
*25 October 2001 (Radio Eins): Minnie Timberly (LP - We Love Life) Universal/Island
*26 December 2001: Trees (CD-We Love Life) (Universal Island) Festive 50 #29
*26 December 2001: 'Sunrise (CD-We Love Life)' (Universal Island) Festive 50 #19
;2002
*05 September 2002: 'Babies (4 Scott)' (V2)
*11 September 2002: 'Sunrise (LP - 4Scott)' (V2)
*19 September 2002: Sunrise (compilation album - 4 Scott) V2 VVR1020542
*19 September 2002 (Radio Mafia): 'Babies (LP - 4Scott) V2 VVR1020542
*19 September 2002 (Radio Eins): Babies (album - 4 Scott) V2 VVR1020542
*16 October 2002: 'Babies (LP - 4Scott)' (V2)
;2004
*30 September 2004: ‘Do You Remember The First Time?’ (CD Single) - (Island)
*28 October 2004: 'Little Girl (With Blue Eyes) (12")' Fire
;Other
*Keeping It Peel: I Spy / Refuse to be Blind
*John Peel Remembered: Turkey Mambo Momma (session)
== See Also ==
*120 Minutes
*Top 20 Albums
*Do You Remember The First Time?: Short promo film for Pulp single of the same name. Peel is among the celebrities recalling their first sexual experience.
*25 November 1997 (Pulp presented the show whilst Peel was away)
*26 November 1997 (Pulp presented the show whilst Peel was away)
*27 November 1997 (Pulp presented the show whilst Peel was away)
*June 2001 (Peel's Record Box)
*August 2001 (Peel's Record Box)
*September 2001 (Peel's Record Box)
*October 2001 (Peel's Record Box)
*Gigography 1981 
*Gigography 1992 
*Gigography 1995
== External Links ==
*Wikipedia
*Teenage Kicks: Class Act
*Pulp Wiki
*The Runout Groove: His 'N' Hers, Different Class, This Is Hardcore, We Love Life extensively reviewed
*‪John Peel Archive & Classic Album Sundays on Audio Note UK with Jarvis Cocker‬ (video, 2015)
;Footnotes
Category:Artists
Category:Featured Articles