Different Class

Different Class
Studio album by Pulp
Released	30 October 1995
Recorded	1994-1995 at The Town House, London
Genre	Britpop
Length	52:50
Label	PolyGram, Island Records
Producer	Chris Thomas
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Drowned in Sound (10/10) link The Guardian link Rolling Stone link Robert Christgau (A-) link Spin (9/10) 3/96, p.108 Q October 1995 Yahoo Music link
Pulp chronology
His 'n' Hers (1994) Different Class (1995) This Is Hardcore (1998)

Different Class is an album by English Britpop band Pulp. It was released in 1995 at the height of Britpop, and led to the band being regarded as part of that movement. Two of the singles on the album – "Common People" (which reached number two in the UK singles chart) and "Disco 2000" (which reached number seven) – were especially notable, and helped propel Pulp to nationwide fame. A "deluxe edition" of Different Class was released on 11 September 2006. It contains a second disc of B-sides, demos and rarities.

The album was the winner of the 1996 Mercury Music Prize. In 1998 Q readers voted Different Class the 37th greatest album of all time; a repeat poll in 2006 put it at number 85. In 2000 the same magazine placed it at number 46 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. In 2004 it was voted number 70 of Channel 4's 100 greatest albums.

Some versions of the album came with 12 different options for cover art.

The inspiration for the title came to Cocker in Smashing, a nightclub on Regent Street in London^[1]. Cocker had a friend who used the phrase "different class" to describe something that was "in a class of its own". Cocker liked the double meaning, with its allusions to the British social class system which was a theme of some of the songs on the album. A message on the back of record also references this idea:

"We don't want no trouble, we just want the right to be different. That's all."

Track listing

All songs written by Jarvis Cocker, Nick Banks, Steve Mackey, Russell Senior, Candida Doyle and Mark Webber, unless otherwise noted.

1. "Mis-Shapes" – 3:46
2. "Pencil Skirt" – 3:11
3. "Common People" (Cocker, Banks, Mackey, Senior, Doyle) – 5:50
4. "I Spy" – 5:55
5. "Disco 2000" – 4:33
6. "Live Bed Show" – 3:29
7. "Something Changed" – 3:18
8. "Sorted for E's & Wizz" – 3:47
9. "F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E" – 6:01
10. "Underwear" (Cocker, Banks, Mackey, Senior, Doyle) – 4:06
11. "Monday Morning" – 4:16
12. "Bar Italia" – 3:42

Japanese bonus tracks

13. "P.T.A. (Parent Teacher Association)"
14. "Common People (Motiv8 Club Mix)"

(Released under the title Common People in Japan on 16 November 1995)

Second Class from 1995 (limited German/Japanese bonus disc)

1. "Mile End"
2. "Ansaphone"
3. "P.T.A. (Parent Teacher Association)"
4. "Live Bed Show (extended)"
5. "Your Sister's Clothes"
6. "Seconds"
7. "Deep Fried In Kelvin"
8. "The Babysitter"
9. "Street Lites"
10. "Common People '96 (7" Edit)*"

• = Bonus track only on the Japanese Edition

Bonus disc from 2006 deluxe edition

1. "Common People" (live at Glastonbury 1995) – 7:38
2. "Mile End" – 4:30
3. "PTA" – 3:17
4. "Ansaphone" (demo) – 4:09
5. "Paula" (demo) – 3:37
6. "Catcliffe Shakedown" (demo) – 6:43
7. "We Can Dance Again" (demo) – 3:51
8. "Don't Lose It" (demo) – 3:10
9. "Whiskey in the Jar" – 4:48
10. "Disco 2000" (Nick Cave pub rock version) – 4:22
11. "Common People" (Vocoda mix) – 6:18

Personnel

Pulp

• Jarvis Cocker – Vocals, Vox Marauder Guitar, Ovation 12 String Guitar, Sigma Acoustic Guitar, Roland Vocoder Plus VP-330, Roland SH-09, Mellotron, Micromoog, Synare
• Russell Senior – Fender Jazzmaster Guitar, Violin
• Candida Doyle – Farfisa Compact Professional II Organ, Ensoniq ASR 10, Korg Trident II, Minimoog, Fender Rhodes Piano, Roland Juno 6, Roland SH-09
• Steve Mackey – Musicman Sabre Bass
• Mark Webber – Gibson ES 345 Guitar, Gibson Les Paul Guitar, Gibson Firebird Guitar, Sigma Acoustic Guitar, Casio Tonebank CT-470, Fender Rhodes Piano, Roland Juno 6
• Nick Banks – Yamaha Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Percussion

Additional Musicians

• Matthew Vaughan - Programming
• Olle Romo - Programming
• Anthony Genn - Additional Programming
• Mark Haley - Additional Programming
• Chris Thomas - Additional Guitar and Keyboards
• Anne Dudley - Orchestral Arrangement and Conducting
• Gavyn Wright - Orchestra Leader

References