Up until the Pulp reunion got going and the band really came back into the public eye, Like A Friend was the second most listened to Pulp song on Last FM, pretty much totally from US listeners. What I can't tell is if this is because people are listening to the whole soundtrack from Great Expectations, or if people are deliberately listening to Like A Friend because it's one of the few Pulp songs with mass exposure in the US and they genuinely love the song.
Do you reckon the band will be playing it at all their US shows/it will be met with a much greater crowd reaction than at UK shows?
It's been on some shows here. When I talk to people about Pulp (see also: forcing people to listen to Pulp) they almost always say they know "Like a Friend" and nothing else. I'm really hoping they'll play it, but I think it would be disappointing to have it be the finale when Common People is such a good finale song so I hope they don't do that.
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The trees, those useless trees, produce the air that I am breathing
Yeah, I didn't know that for years until This is Hardcore Deluxe ed. came out. I only had the Great Expectations soundtrack. Sounds more like the album version that they play live. Personally I'd prefer the film version but then that was the way I'd been listening to it for years so it sounded wrong when I heard it the other way! But I'm not complaining. Love both.
Aren't they both just the same with one edited to make it a bit shorter? Which version was on the 'A Little Soul' B side then? As that's the one I'd been listening to all these years
The short version is almost directly in to the fast lyrics from the slow lyrics. I like the contrast. The longer version has quite a long instrumental bit - at least 30 seconds - and it's good but I like the punch of the edit.
This would be the shorter version from Great Expectations that I first heard:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm1sKABBoto
and this would be the longer version on TIH deluxe ed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snouZdW2IWg
Like Fred I prefer the first one for the contrast onto the faster louder bit. Can upload to that Bar Italia a/c if Great Expectations version is wanted. I've never heard the promo single stuff. Dunno if that's the same.
Edit: so the difference is the longer one has more music after "Just to do it again" and "let me tell you now it's lucky for you that we're friends". That's the difference. Whereas the first version repeats the "you are the last..." rather than the instrumental stuff.
-- Edited by Jean on Tuesday 3rd of April 2012 01:33:40 PM
-- Edited by Jean on Tuesday 3rd of April 2012 01:36:31 PM
It is on Great Expectations, which I accidentally got rid of during a clear out failing to realise I didn't have any other copies of that version! I didn't even copy it to my computer! So I also hope it's on an account.
I have a promo CD of both versions of Like a Friend thanks to, I believe, Megan Green(e?) formerly of Lipgloss and now...unknown! I'll rip it tonight if you kids like.
The more I think about it the more I start to think LaF could be Pulps most perfect pop song. From a technical point of view. The way the music and lyrics compliment each other and stuff. Can anyone point me in the direction of similar songs to this and Gin Soaked Boy by The Divine Comedy? With the repetition.
I keep meaning to start watching that show, not even just for "Like a Friend." The voice of Dr. Ventura is James Urbaniak, one of my favorite character actors. I saw an online video interview with him recently where he mentioned getting mistaken for Jarvis by some guy in a bar once.
