November 2000: The new album, Scott Walker, Top Of The Pops and the Garage Gig!
November has seen a healthy flurry of Jarvis quotes appearing all over the press. As ever, they provide a wonderful insight as to why most of us will be dead by the time the new album's finally released...
[Radio 1 Online 14.11.00]: Jarvis Cooker
Jarvis Cocker's told Radio 1 the next Pulp album went in the wrong direction so they've started again! But they should be back in the summer. He also revealed a little known PJ Harvey fact: "She made her video on my street. It's really weird, I was watching it on the telly the other night. At the end of it she goes into a kebab shop, and that's just around the corner from us. It's amazing, 'cos I've not really been away, I might have bumped into her. It might have been quite funny. Instead of going to that kebab shop I could have cooked her something a bit more healthy."
[Radio 1 Online 15.11.00]: Jarvis reviews 'Top Of The Pops'
Jarvis Cocker turned up to the launch of the TOTP documentary on Monday night with none other than Jimmy Savile! The Pulp frontman says he and Jimmy aren't a double act, it was just sheer fluke that they arrived together. He entertained the old and new TOTP presenters with his DJ-ing skills and admitted to Radio 1 that he loved the show, and that it was his only way of hearing new music when he was younger: "I always watched it because my mother's record collection was so bad. I used to like it when they did the Top 40 run down and you'd go, 'Crap, crap, crap, not bad', you'd just kind of slag all the records off." 'TOTP: The True Story' documentary will be broadcast on New Year's Day.
Pulp have been promising an album for ages, but Jarvis told Radio 1 the waiting's not over just yet. The record's been put back further as the band weren't happy with the tunes they'd written: "We had a bit of a false start but we're alright now. It just didn't sound right so we started again. We haven't gone two step or anything like that." And if you're a fan it looks like it will be even longer until they do any live dates. Jarvis told Radio 1 they will hit the road but not until next year: "It's traditional that once you've released something then you go and play but it's not going to be until spring or summer next year."
[NME.com 21.11.00]: Incompetent People
Jarvis Cocker has revealed Pulp have decided to re-record their entire new album due to what he laughingly referred to as the band's "general ineptitude". Cocker said that after the Reading and Leeds festivals in August, where they played their first major live shows in two years, they decided to scrap everything because it "didn't seem right". He said: "We just went back into the studio, hopefully to get it right this time. There are no problems with the material, we just weren't happy with the way it sounded. It didn't seem right so we decided to start it (the entire recording process) again."
Cocker said the festival shows gave the group "a lot of confidence" and helped them work out "what is good and bad" about their new material. However, he refused to elaborate on how legendary songwriter Scott Walker was working out in a production capacity, saying: "It's not appropriate to discuss it at this time." Speaking about the as-yet-untitled new album, Cocker said morale was high. He continued: "We normally have loads of arguments which I think is fair enough for a band. I don't like it when bands get on too well, you know, 'That was a fantastic solo you just played', it's crap innit? So we are actually agreeing on a lot of things - it's slightly worrying actually!"
He said the album currently has no overriding mood, unlike its predecessor 'This Is Hardcore', which had "A bit of a mood - misery and terror and fear". He continued: "This one is probably not as heavy. They're still not nice songs though, you know?" Jarvis cited two possible singles, 'Sunrise' and 'Weeds', which the band want released "as soon as possible". He continued: "I'd like to have the record out for spring so we'd have to have a single before then. It's been too long as it is. I never want it to take a long time when we're recording but somehow it always seems to. I don't really know why that is. Maybe it's just general ineptitude, I dunno. I don't think it takes long to make a good record, sometimes the more you think about it the worse it becomes, but I'm not a fan of taking a long time."
Finally, Cocker said that the band will tour the UK in the "early summer". He said: "Because I'm getting on a bit I have to be careful - it would be horrible if you went on and it just didn't feel right no more." When asked about the size of venues he joked: "We did two warm-ups at the (London) Garage and up in Edinburgh and they were quite nice shows. The Garage one was good because I could touch the audience and I was performing in bare feet and this girl was stroking my foot in the quieter bits of the songs, it was really nice! It's nice when you feel more like you're performing to specific people rather than just a mass." NME.COM understands that, despite the setbacks, Pulp are close to completing the project.
[Melody Maker 22.11.00]: Pulp Album Due In Spring
Jarvis Cocker has told The Maker that the new Pulp album is right on course for a spring release. He also confirmed recent reports that he would dearly love legendary Sixties singer Scott Walker to take on the job of mixing the album. Speaking about the potential collaboration at a recent party, Jarvis said, "it may happen or it may not, but it would certainly be very nice, as I'm a long term Walker fan. But that's as far as I can comment at the moment."
The recording of the album has not been without its difficulties. Jarvis told us: "We just weren't very happy with the results of some of the songs as we were recording. Rather than fart around with them and try to make them palatable, we just thought, 'Let's get rid of that and start again.' But Jarvis confirmed that "Sunrise" and "Weeds" - two new songs played at this summer's Carling Weekend Reading and Leeds festivals - were not among those ditched from the album. Asked what direction the new album is taking, Jarvis said: "Well, for a start, I'll be doing the singing, so you'll be able to recognise it's Pulp. [Laughs] It's not like we've gone all disco or anything. I mean, it has a bigger, broader, more open sound. Not in a pompous way, though!"
05.09.00 Radio 1 to broadcast Pulp's set from Leeds Carling Festival.
Next Monday (11 September), Radio 1 will be broadcasting part of the Pulp set which was recorded at the Leeds Carling Festival on 27 August. It is likely to be broadcast after 10pm and should last for 50 minutes.
29.08.00 Radio 1 first to play new material.
Last night, Radio 1 broadcast a live version of Sunrise from the Leeds Carling Festival performance on Sunday night.
23.08.00 Fan Club Gig & Reading Leeds Festivals.
Last night, Pulp debuted three new songs (Minnie, Weeds & I Love Life) at the fanclub only gig at Highbury Garage. They also performed new versions of Common People and F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E. There'll be a review and pictures of the show on this site next week. Jarvis was also interviewed in this week's NME (transcription and scans soon) saying that there'd be video projections at the Reading / Leeds festivals this weekend that he filmed himself. Jarvis said, "They're taken on my trips out birdwatching... I've been walking around with a camera for a year and a half. It's one of them video things that can fit in your pocket. I've just been trawling through it trying to find something appropriate."
02.06.00 Reading Festival's "Gonna be Cutting Edge"
Interview with Jarvis taken from the July 2000 Q Magazine
What's been you favourite festival experience? - I can tell you my least favourite one. That was when I nearly died. In Belgium, about four years ago. The rest of the bill was really shit, just loud, irritating stuff. Out of boredom, I drank all me duty free, then passed out and threw up underneath the tour bus. Luckily, I was on my side so I didn't choke on me vomit or anything.
Do you have a favourite experience? - As a spectator yes - Beck at V96. You know how sometimes you watch bands and after a while get a pain in your lower back and feel uncomfortable generally? Well, there was none of that. I stood and watched for the whole hour and 20 minutes.
Pulp's performance at Glastonbury in 1995 is, obviously, legendary. How do you feel about it now? - I've bored everyone to death with my memories of that performance. But there was the memory of before the performance, which was the sitting on a chair. I was convinced that if I got up, I'd fall over and break something and we wouldn't be able to play. I was, basically, paralysed with fear.
Will you be unveiling a new stage-show? - Oh aye, yeah. But I can't tell you about it, because I don't want some halfwit nicking my idea. Is it an all-new Pulp? New? You know what? It's gonna be cutting edge [laughs].
Any new songs - Oh yeah, we'll be cutting edge, both visually and aurally. Again, I don't want to give too much away, but we will be charting new territory.
What's your best festival survival tip? - Bring a pac-a-mac, I s'pose. And Wet Ones, too. I’ve used both myself and found 'em really useful.
12.05.00 Jarvis' 'montage' in Face Magazine...
Click Here to see Jarvis' creation in aid of the 20th birthday of Face magazine.
12.04.00 Pulp track "Barry Crusoe" Released on Compilation Album.
"My Body May Die" (Working Title: Barry Crusoe) is due to be released on the Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) Soundtrack album scheduled for release on 24 April through Universal/Island. See the news item from 10 February for further details.
29.02.00 Jarvis: New album three quarters finished.
[nme.com] Pulp have nearly finished their new album with a single set to be released before summer. Cocker was speaking exclusively to nme.com on Saturday at Birmingham Ronnie Scott's where he'd gone to watch Tony Christie, the 1960s crooner he collaborated with on The All Seeing I's hit 'Walk Like A Panther'. He said the album, which is as-yet untitled, was about three-quarters finished - and a lighter affair than their last.
He said: "We've recorded all the songs to make sure they sound alright and I've already gone to the trouble of writing words, usually I leave it to the day before we go in the studio. We want to go in and record it as soon as possible and hopefully get a single out before the summer." Cocker also revealed the new LP wouldn't be as dark as their last, 1998's 'This Is Hardcore' saying "we've turned a bit towards the light."
Meanwhile, Cocker has turned modern art critic and is judging the 'Becks Futures Exhibition And Awards' at London's Institute for the Contemporary Arts. The awards are set up to showcase Britain's best young, contemporary artists. Jarvis, who made a series of television documentaries recently about 'outsider artists', was asked to be part of the judging panel by the ICA as he's an 'artist patron' of the institute along with stars like David Bowie, Brian Eno, Bryan Ferry, Joanna Lumley and Janet Street Porter.
His Pulp bandmate, Mark Webber, also hosts a regular club at the venue called 'Little Stabs Of Happiness' which often features Jarvis as a DJ. You can see the the 'Beck's Futures Exhibition And Awards' at the ICA from March 17 - May 17. The awards ceremony takes place on April 18. As reported yesterday, the band also play this year's Carling Weekend Festival at Reading and Leeds on August 26 (Reading) and August 27 (Leeds).
10.02.00 New Pulp track for TV series...
[nme.com] Pulp have recorded a brand new track to the soundtrack of forthcoming Reeves & Mortimer series, 'Randall & Hopkirk (deceased)', due to be screened on BBC1 in March. Pulp recorded their track 'My Body May Die' especially for the programme with a choral group, The Swingle Sisters. A spokesperson for the band could not confirm whether it would appear on a Pulp record in the future but said the band were currently in the studio working on their next album, which should be released late this year. The series is based on the 1970's cult classic and stars comedians Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer in their first 'straight acting' roles.
08.02.00 Baby Banks on Radio 1!
[Lamaq Live] Last night, Radio 1 broadcast a documentary about pop stars becoming parents - "Rock 'n' Roll versus Parenthood?" - and Nick Banks was interviewed! Here's what he said about the birth of his son Jackson Banks: "I don't smoke, but it was the only situation in my life where I thought 'I really could do with a fag now'. I'd got a gown and that stuff on and I was outside this room and they'd say 'We'll be about 15 to 20 minutes', and you're thinking 'my god how long can 20 minutes be? Give me a fag!'... I would have sparked up immediately!"
"Jackson went to Glastonbury when he was seven months old in a camper van, when it was waist deep in mud. I do believe he had a sip of cider from Joe Strummer's paper cup - his very first sip of cider!... obviously not encouraging the under ones to take up cider. He came to see us in Sweden, he enjoyed that and he played on the drums there in the sound check and then took some of the drum sticks away. And then when we started playing he'd still got them - he was going, 'Aaah, these are the drum sticks!'. He didn't realise obviously they'd be a few more kicking about!"
"When we did Finsbury park last year, we did have, in one of the back stage areas, a little child sandpit and paddling pool and things like that!"
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