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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZPULPUK pop band, a great delayed-action success story. Formed in Sheffield '81 by lanky, idiosyncratic frontman Jarvis Cocker (voice/guitar/keyboards, b 19 Sep. '63) who was still at school. They soon recorded a John Peel session but then spent ten years in the indie wilderness; there were occasional releases on the Fire label (collected on Pulp Countdown '96); when Cocker and bassist Steve Mackey (b 10 Nov. '66) moved to London to do film courses the band seemed on verge of dissolution, but things looked up when they signed to Sheffield indie Gift label: singles 'OU', 'Babies' and 'Razzmatazz' had Cocker's droll lyrics offset by complex but hook-filled soundscapes of Mackey and drummer Nick Banks (b 28 July '65), Candida Crewe on keyboards (b 25 Aug. '63) and guitarist/violinist Russell Senior (b 18 May '61). They signed to Island, who put out PulpIntro, a canny budget-compilation of Gift releases including immortal b-side 'Sheffield Sex-City'. Singles like 'Do You Remember The First Time?' (for which band made a unique half-hour TV film wherein various pop and comedy stars described losing their virginity) began to scrape the Top 40. First proper Island album His N' Hers (no. 4 '94) established them as authentic pop stars and Cocker as the most astute and amusing British lyricist since Morrissey, his gawky charisma allied to a rare knack for combining social comment with psycho-sexual observation. 'Common People' (no. 2) was the sound of summer '95. Mark Webber (supplementary guitars) joined in time for triumphant Glastonbury Festival appearance June '95 and no. 1 album Different Class. Cocker became a hero with his bold bottom-waggling disruption of Michael Jackson's absurd messianic showcase at the Brit Awards '96; new album This Is Hardcore '98 was a step away from Britpop. |