Russell Senior
On 20 January 1997 Radio 1 sadly announced that Russell Senior had left Pulp.
While initial reports were dismissed as rumours, the news was finally confirmed to shocked Pulp fans
around the world. In his honour and in true Pulp style, various members of the
Lipgloss mailing list compiled a brief guide to those Seniorisms that had shaped and steered our favourite band for over a decade.
Being Russell Senior is...
Dreaming about love and sex... wanting to be a revolutionary... collecting Russian cigarette packets... doing your own laundry
whilst on tour... having a dislike of flying... dressing smartly and wearing sharp suits with outrageous sunglasses...
producing dadaist plays... smashing up the Leadmill dressing room one night, and sneaking back and replace lightbulbs the next
day...not closing your eyes when you kiss... collecting fungi... describing yourself as thin, white, male... hating to be
patronised... having a frieze of industry from eastern bloc countries... wanting people not to own more than two houses...
being overly affectionate when drunk... having a piercing stare... being kind enough to give away your last fag to a needy gal
in Philadelphia... searching for truth and beauty... giving flip answers... crying to "leader of the pack"... making strange
kinds of tea and having people guess the flavour... never mastering the art of relaxing... describing concerts as "multi media
tangerine experiences"... being Russell Senior is about being talented, stylish and cool... not cool just for the sake of it...
but because you're natural at it. Farewell Russell - your influence will be sorely missed.
Official press release from Russell and Pulp:
"Russell Senior has decided to leave Pulp after more than 13 years due to a desire to pursue new projects. The split is
entirely amicable and although the band are sad to see him go they wish him all the best for the future. Pulp are currently
rehearsing prior to recording their next album."
Front page story from Sheffield paper The Star:
PULP STAR QUITS
"Russell Senior, the second-longest standing member of Sheffield supergroup Pulp, has left the group after 13 years. The
guitarist and violinist has surprisingly quit saying he wishes to pursue new projects outside the band. It is known that he had
become dissatisfied with the touring, recording and publicity treadmill the band found themselves on after their long-awaited
success. He is the oldest member, and one of only two of the six-piece band to still live in Sheffield, where he is settled
with his girlfriend Vicky and two children. Although most of the publicity was for Jarvis, Russell is understood to have found
certain incidents - such as one when a tabloid journalist attempted to hand him drugs following the furore over the Sorted...
single - very upsetting. He also thought he was spending too much time away from his family."
Keyworks:
(Vocals)
The Will To Power, Fairground, Anorexic Beauty, Coy Mistress, This House Is Condemned.
(Violins)
Separations, Pencil Skirt, Underwear, The Never Ending Story, She's A
Lady, Acrylic Afternoons.
(Violins more prominent on live recordings - especially on She's A
Lady & Acrylic Afternoons)
Below: Nick & Russell looking at a model of the National Centre for Popular Music, Sheffield. Taken on 19 December 1996, this was one of Russell's last 'engagements' as an official member of Pulp.
