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The lone Jackson family member to stay
with
Motown while the other brothers split for CBS/Epic (he was then married
to Berry Gordy's
daughter Hazel), Jermaine
enjoyed a artistically diffident career during the '70s at Motown,
surfacing with an occasional hit like a remake of "Daddy's Home" (1972)
and "Let's Be Young Tonight" (1975). Jermaine got a badly needed
shot in
the arm from Stevie
Wonder,
who ... ReadFor
the first 12 years of their existence, Pulp languished in near
obscurity, releasing a handful of albums and singles in the '80s to
barely any attention. At the turn of the decade, the group began
to
gain an audience, sparking a remarkable turn of events that made the
band one of the most popular British groups of the '90s.
By the time
Pulp became famous, the band had gone through numerous
incarnations and changes in style, covering nearly every indie rock
touchstone from post-punk to dance. Pulp's signature sound is a
fusion
of new wave, acid house, David
Bowie and Roxy Music's glam rock, disco, Europop, and British indie rock. The group's
cheap synthesizers and
sweeping melodies reflect the lyrical obsessions of lead vocalist
Jarvis Cocker, who alternates between sex and sharp, funny portraits of
working class misfits. Out of second-hand pop, Pulp fashioned a
distinctive, stylish sound that made camp into something grand and
glamorous that retained a palpable sense of gritty reality.
Jarvis
Cocker formed Pulp in 1978, when he was 15 years old. Originally
called
Arabicus Pulp, the first lineup consisted of schoolmates of
Cocker. While they were in
school, Pulp performed a handful of gigs. The band recorded a
demo
sometime in 1980-1981, giving the tape to John Peel at one of his
traveling shows. Peel liked the tape and invited the band to
appear on
his show. Pulp had their first Peel Session in November
1981. Instead
of leading to record deals and pop stardom, Pulp's appearance on Peel
led nowhere. Discouraged by the band's lack of success, every
member
but Cocker left the band in 1982 to go to university. The
following
year, Cocker assembled a new lineup which featured eight members,
including keyboardist Simon Hinkler, who would later join the
Mission.
In this incarnation, Pulp had distinct folk overtones as well as new
wave underpinnings.
The group landed their first record contract and
released their debut album, It,
in 1984. It didn't make much of an
impact and the band fell apart again. After the second
incarnation of
Pulp disintegrated, Jarvis Cocker formed another version of the band
with guitarist/violinist Russell Senior, who became Cocker's first
full-fledged collaborator. Cocker and Senior added drummer Magnus
Doyle
and bassist Peter Mansell to the group, as well as Tim Allcard, who did
nothing but read poetry. Musically, Pulp backed away from the
folky
inclinations of It,
adding keyboardist Candida Doyle in 1985, which led
to a darker sound. Shortly after Doyle's arrival, Allcard left
the group.
In 1985, Pulp released a series of singles on Fire Records. Just
as
their fortunes were looking up, Cocker became injured severely.
As he
was trying to impress a girl, he fell 30 feet out of a window, injuring
his pelvis, foot, and wrist. For two months, he was confined to a
wheelchair, but he performed concerts anyway. Released in 1986,
Pulp's
second album, Freaks,
was a dense, dark affair. The band split during the filming of
the video for "They Suffocate at
Night." All of the members except Cocker and Senior left the
group.
For a year, the band was dormant, but Candida Doyle returned in 1987,
with drummer Nick Banks and bassist Steven Havenhand joining shortly
afterward. Havenhand was soon replaced by Anthony Genn, who was
soon
replaced by Steve Mackey.
In 1988, Cocker moved to London
with Mackey and began studying filmmaking at St. Martin's
College.
While he was studying, Pulp was offered the chance to record another
album. The resulting project, Separations, was recorded
in 1989 and
reflected Cocker's newfound obsession with acid house but also
boasted some full-fledged pop songs. Separations wasn't released
until nearly
three years after it was completed. Cocker was prepared to stake
out a
career in film when a single from the album, "My Legendary Girlfriend,"
was released. New Music Express named the song Single of the Week
in 1991 and Pulp's
career suddenly took off.
In early 1992 Pulp left Fire Records for Gift Records and began
releasing a series of singles that built on the
success of "My Legendary Girlfriend." In particular, "Babies"
earned
the band a great deal of attention, leading to a contract with
Island Records, their first major-label deal. Island released Pulpintro,
a compilation of the Gift singles, as the band recorded its
major-label debut, His 'n'
Hers. Upon its spring 1994 release, His 'n'
Hers earned positive reviews and became an unexpected success,
reaching
the British top ten; it was also nominated for the 1994 Mercury
Award.
For the rest of 1994 and the early part of 1995, Jarvis Cocker suddenly
became omnipresent on British television. These suave, humorous
television appearances became legendary, making Cocker somewhat of a
national hero, as well as a sex symbol.
No matter how popular Jarvis
Cocker had become, the band didn't break into the big time until they
released "Common People." The single became a massive hit upon its May
1995 release, debuting at number two on the U.K. charts. In July,
Pulp
accepted a last-minute headlining slot at Glastonbury Festival when the
Stone Roses had to cancel. Pulp's set was rapturously received,
launching the band into superstar status in England and conveniently
setting the stage for their forthcoming album, Different Class.
During
the recording of the album, guitarist Mark Webber -- the president of
Pulp's fan club -- became a full-time member of the group. The
first
record to feature Webber was the double A-sided single, "Mis-Shapes"
and "Sorted for E's & Wizz," which was released in August, two
months before Different Class.
The single became a number two hit,
despite a major tabloid controversy over the lyrics to "Sorted." Different Class
arrived to rave reviews throughout the
British media. The album entered the charts at number one, going
gold
within its first week and platinum within the second. At the end
of the
year, the album topped many best-of-the-year lists. In February of
1996, Different Class
was released in the United States to positive
reviews without the benefit of mainstream airplay.
source:
Stephen
Thomas
Erlewine, All Music Guide |
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