As many of us know, it was originally written during the "It" sessions and she originally did vocals...and that version of the song never saw the light of day. Until now...
It had different lyrics, so probably had a different title.
Mark, what's the evidence there was a 1984 recording of this? What else would be on the tape? Would this be in the Paramore collection, perhaps?
I'm sure Jarvis has said they recorded "a very early version" of Something Changed with Saskia singing. The only original song they did with her singing lead, as far as I've been able to work out, was When You Cry, I Cry.
I don't think Michael Paramore will have it as it was done a year after he left. Nor, as far as I can tell, does anybody else...
__________________
"Yes I saw her in the chip shop / so I said get yer top off"
The suggested 1984 date must be wrong though, if it's from Saskia's time. Your own research suggests she was gone from the band before the end of 1983.
Can't see her fitting in too well with the Russell incarnation...
It wasn't Pulp as such - there was a brief idea that Saskia would have a solo career in parallel to Pulp. But the line-up on the session (Saskia, Jarvis, the Hinkler brothers, Magnus, plus Tony Perrin on bass) was very nearly still the Everybody's Problem incarnation of Pulp, so it could be sort of seen as a coda to that period.
Mark - thanks for the link. I'd forgotten about that session!
Jason - maybe it's one for you to ask Simon H about next time you speak to him. I don't expect him to have or provide the tape, but might be interesting to hear his take on it. If he remembers it!
Didn't Jarvis compose the bare bones to much of diff class at Saskia's house? Maybe that's why she sang an early version of it?
I think we're talking about two different things here.
Something Changed has its roots in a song that was part of Pulp's live set in 1983, on which Saskia sang lead vocals. As Jarvis has said that they recorded that version, and the only song recorded around that time with Saskia singing lead was When You Cry I Cry, I'm assuming it was that.
Jarvis did write a lot of the lyrics to Different Class in an all-nighter when staying at Saskia's, true. But it doesn't sound like the sort of scenario where they'd be having a singalong - he's always painted that as being on his own at the kitchen table with a bottle of brandy, the night before they had to go and demo the songs.
__________________
"Yes I saw her in the chip shop / so I said get yer top off"
Oops... Yep, thanks Sturdy, i think i got a bit confused, a "Senior moment" if you will... I didn't read the whole thread properly, soz..
As far as i know Saskia did an album's worth of demos with Simon & pals, sometime in '85, no Jarvis inclusion though..
Was just re-reading the Different Class Twitter Listening Party with Mark Webber's comments - a reminder that he wrote this:
Something Changed was an old song that Jarvis dredged up & we all dusted off. Theres a rehearsal tape of a previous incarnation of Pulp attempting it circa 1984. #timstwitterlisteningparty
This has just reminded me that the 25th Anniversary remastered Different Class should be coming out next month but there's been no word about it. Possibly postponed due to "The Event"... but I'd have expected to hear something my now either way.
Anyway that rehearsal tape of Something Changed would make a nice extra. But then again, I'm expecting a similar affair to the HnH's re-release, with no extra content.
Yeah, I've been wondering if an announcement for DC25 is pending. There's plenty of superdeluxes due between now and Christmas (Ultravox Vienna 40th anniversary, U2 All That You Can't Leave Behind 20th, Mansun's big career spanning box, The fucking "Menswear Collection" etc.).
I imagine there's a long lead-in between production and promotion so I'd be surprised if Covid has delayed it but unless it's announced in the next couple of weeks, maybe it ain't happening at all or not until next year.
At this stage I wonder if Jarvis' book will even appear in 2020. Due at the start of October as per the last update, you'd imagine we'd be seeing marketing/reviews cranking up by now.
Anyway that rehearsal tape of Something Changed would make a nice extra.
That's a damn good idea. I know Jarvis isn't keen on digging into the archives, but I know last time an expanded DC was in the offing (2011ish), they were struggling to find any extra content that would make it worthwhile. So maybe they'll resort to it!
__________________
"Yes I saw her in the chip shop / so I said get yer top off"
Chuck us the demo tape of DC (did Nick ever say what Micro Dot was?) and a cleaned-up compilation of the better radio sessions/live shows from the era (remastered Glasto'95 a shoe-in you'd imagine) and they'd be nearly there. Double vinyl with the 12 covers and maybe a DVD/Blu Ray with more home movies.
Mark, is Mark still the archivist of the group most likely to plan any future digging ?
Not meaning to piss on anyones chips here - but what do we legitimately think the chances of a DC anniversary reissue would present us? His N Hers was a wasted oppotunity - however the mastering was pretty nicely done, and breathed some fresh air into the old tracks. DC - we have already had We Can Dance Again, Catcliffe Shakedown, Paula, Dont Lose It, Ansafone demo - so that leaves us pretty limited as to whats available. Here is my idea.
Bonus Disc 1
Something Changed - Rehersal from the early days.
I Spy
Feeling Called Love
Something Changed - Orchestral versions
Disco 2000
PTA
Misshapes
Sorted - Demos
Soundcheck 1
Soundcheck 2
Bonus Disc 2
Live at V96 Remastered or Glastonbury 1995 Remastered.
Im seriously hoping for a nice juicy reissue, HOWEVER I just get a gut feeling we are gonna be bitterly dissapointed.
Scott, I'm curious, what are soundchecks 1/2 ?
I know what a soundcheck is in reference to balancing a mix of sounds for a performance, just wondered what these were referring to specifically?
Mark, is Mark still the archivist of the group most likely to plan any future digging ?
When we were in contact circa 2011 I got the sense that he was still the one with more of a handle of what was in the vaults. But I don't think he - or even the band more generally - get to call all the shots as to what kind of reissues happen. There was a bit of disappointment that Universal had originally expressed some interest in more of a career-spanning retrospective, but it had then devolved to a box-set based solely around DC, and then I guess that eventually fell by the wayside too. It was also Universal who'd decided against doing a WLL reissue alongside the other albums a few years beforehand, even though Mark certainly felt that that would be one of the most interesting ones to do.
They did manage to establish at that point that the BBC still had the full V96 concert, including all the unbroadcast songs. So that'd be an interesting one to hear at some point.
Do we know for sure that this Different Class boxset is actually happening?
__________________
"Yes I saw her in the chip shop / so I said get yer top off"
No, just speculation based on Steve, Jarvis and one of the guys who mastered Different Class (Geoff Pesche) being pictured together in studio on the Abbey Road Facebook page during the summer of last year along with a caption of "Watch this space" or similar.
Pesche is credited on the HnH vinyl remaster that came out last October so it could be that was what he and Steve were working on and Jarvis just popped in. However it would seem strange that Mr Pesche was only there to work on a record he had no prior involvement in, instead of the album he did have experience in making. Also, the turnaround in time from that picture and HnH coming out was only three or four months which seems quite tight to me for the work to finish and copies be manufactured and distributed.
I think soundchecks would be scraping the barrel to be honest but the seven unreleased demos of album songs would cover most of a disc (in the sense that most reissues merit a disc if there's at least 10 tracks per CD).
Hardcore being repressed for sale next month according to a record store on Twitter. Maybe they did a remaster of the 3 main Island albums altogether last year and presumably DC will follow.
Not exactly the reissue campaign most of us want and to that end it probably pushes back by a few more years the possibility of unreleased stuff coming out *grumble*
I was under the impression that they remastered His n Hers and Different Class in the same session & then we just obviously have to wait for the anniversary?
Different band but has any else seen The Divine Comedy's reissues & boxset that is out next month? Every album has an extra disc jam packed full of rarities. That's the way to do it! Although I know Neil Hannon bought back all of his own back catalogue about 10 years ago & now has complete soul control.
Maybe with more members of the band having a stake & with more awkward record labels involved it would be harder to do this with Pulp, but I can't understand why they can't knock their heads together & get some of these great records out there officially.