Hardly surprising. I honestly don't mind if Pulp re-form or not (cf. "We Love Life"), as long as he releases top-drawer material. Which means a little better than "Jarvis", please. I'd rather a little bit of experimentation than comfy strum-alongs about the weather.

bands reforming is almost always a bad idea and it end up being disappointing. id rather have jarvis do a good solo career than a Pup reunion. With the records they put out in the 90s, the bar is high and i doubt they could top that.

i see what you mean.... thats a really good interview - ta for the link.

Fuss Free wrote:

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The Britpop fans around here might enjoy the other interviews with Brett Anderson and Neil Hannon.

Sturdy, if I were you, I'd be chuffed. You spent 10 years researching your 500+ page omnibus on Pulp and Jarvis never bothers to give you even 10 minutes of his time, but now it seems Jarvis will gladly oblige any two-bit blogger with a phone. Where's the justice, eh?

-- Edited by Fuss Free at 14:43, 2007-03-08

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Too right. It wasn't ten years though...I hope. Mark could have spent that time training to be an aeronautical engineer or something.

Did Pulp's management even ask Jarvis what he thought of the idea of such a big literary under-taking on his band? I remember the book mentions that as Jarvis wasn't too keen, they thought it best not to bother the rest of the group about it but Nick and Russell were forth-coming. Is this because they have minds of their own or Mark had contacts which came up trumps?

I wonder if any of the group have read the book. If not, it would be a shame. Any follower of interesting and intelligent pop music would do well to educate themselves on the Pulp story, and Sturdy's book captures all of it in great detail.

It's the "acoustic, heart-on-sleeve Jarvis" that I can do without. Quantum Theory is more spooky and Walkeresque, though the "Everything is going to be all right" refrain lets it down... Russell would never have stood for that.

Eamonn wrote:

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Fuss Free wrote:

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The Britpop fans around here might enjoy the other interviews with Brett Anderson and Neil Hannon.

Sturdy, if I were you, I'd be chuffed. You spent 10 years researching your 500+ page omnibus on Pulp and Jarvis never bothers to give you even 10 minutes of his time, but now it seems Jarvis will gladly oblige any two-bit blogger with a phone. Where's the justice, eh?

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Too right. It wasn't ten years though...I hope. Mark could have spent that time training to be an aeronautical engineer or something.

Did Pulp's management even ask Jarvis what he thought of the idea of such a big literary under-taking on his band? I remember the book mentions that as Jarvis wasn't too keen, they thought it best not to bother the rest of the group about it but Nick and Russell were forth-coming. Is this because they have minds of their own or Mark had contacts which came up trumps?

I wonder if any of the group have read the book. If not, it would be a shame. Any follower of interesting and intelligent pop music would do well to educate themselves on the Pulp story, and Sturdy's book captures all of it in great detail.

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Fuss Free - thanks for that, just twist the knife why don't you! ;)

Eamonn - it was roughly seven years. Bear in mind that during that period I also managed to do A-levels, a degree in Philopsophy and a few day jobs!

Pulp's management did ask Jarvis about the book - or at least I think they did anyway. I pestered them for ages and ages, and all they could ever tell me was that they hadn't got an answer out of him "yet", or that he hadn't replied to his emails, or somesuch rubbish. It went on for two or three months and eventually I gave up, so naturally I've no idea what Jarvis really thought of the book... except that a year or two before that, I got Russell to sound him out for me and the most meaningful reply he could get out of him was that he wanted to remain "an enigma".

Nick and Russell came to me via different routes - Russell right at the start in '97 when I sent letters to everyone (including Jarvis). He was the only one who got back to me at the time and we just sporadically talked to each other through the years. We never did a proper interview as such but he told me lots of things informally, and that's where most of the quotes from him in the book come from.

I got Nick right at the very end. After I'd given up on the Rough Trade/Jarvis route, as a last ditch attempt I got Alex from Pulp People to pass on notes to all the other members pleading my case. Mark had already said no (again, for unknown reasons), Candida was busy moving I think, Steve never got back to me, but Nick was happy to give up a couple of afternoons to try and answer my endless list of silly questions, for which I will be eternally grateful.

Sturdy, not to disregard your accomplishment, it's a great book, but I suppose I could see where Jarvis was coming from. As a "star of his magnitude", my guess is he probably thought he deserved a more respected biographer, someone with some established creditials, rather than an untested and very young fan. You know, he was probably just jealous that he didn't get the call from John Harris or Douglas Coupland or something.

But you've come a long way now. You've got your book, you've got your articles in Mojo, etc. etc. Maybe it's time you give Jarvis another call? If that doesn't work, tell him your Edith Piaf's manager and you want him to write some new songs for her big comeback album or something. He's a sucker for that stuff.

-- Edited by Fuss Free at 20:43, 2007-03-08

I loved the book too, Sturdy. I think it's about time I gave it a re-read (Just as soon as I'm finished with Vic Reeves' book which I can also highly recommend!

As for Pulp not reforming - I can't really see what the story is there. Great interview but I think it must be a slow news day in the nme office as they have just piled together a load of words from Jarvis and come out with bullshit!

we still hope but to be honest I'm looking forward to the second Jarvis solo record now.

i'd also like to congratulate you on the book. i loved it!
took be about a year to read it but it was worth it!

"Pulp's management did ask Jarvis about the book - or at least I think they did anyway. I pestered them for ages and ages, and all they could ever tell me was that they hadn't got an answer out of him "yet", or that he hadn't replied to his emails, or somesuch rubbish. It went on for two or three months and eventually I gave up, "

hi....to be honest, i know that he doesn't reply to emails. i worked on a magazine and the first time they wanted an interview out of him he just never, ever replied to any emails. My pal that was going to do the interview knew that his agent/roughtrade/whoever wasn't bullshitting him - if he had said no they would have been honest and said that he'd said no (sorry rambling sentence). maybe when he doesn't want to do stuff he just ignores it and hopes they go away, so i'd be inclined to believe pulps management...

about a year or so later he did do an interview, after i'd left that magazine grrrrrr!!!!

Yeah, that photo is great!

I used it for the cover of pulp mix CD I once made. I titled the cd: "We Shagged Your Byrd". It was well-received.

I love 'Jarvis' MUCH MORE than Pulp. Although I really like the whole album 'Different Class', some of the songs from This is Hadcore and 'His'n'Hers'.

INCIDENTALLY, Jarvis did mention in 2006 interview that he tried to avoid britpop in his new album 'Jarvis'. Well, I just wonder what genre he considered to be his new album 'Jarvis'. As far as I know it's britpop...

I'm really looking forward for Jarvis's new solo album! Does anyone know any info about the new album? Let me know!

-- Edited by Heady at 20:54, 2007-03-17