weed wrote:

---

Effing heck... it's bleedin 95 squid!!!

---

 Mmm, don't think I will worry.  A lot to pay for an album I already have.

Eamonn wrote:

---

I was really hoping for the remainder of the demos from here https://pulpwiki.net/Pulp/DifferentClassLPDemos. I count 7 tracks as being unreleased. Would an extra CD with of all the demos and the BSides really have hurt? The proper version of Ansaphone still hasn't been physically reissued.

The 1983(?) version of Something Changed was also on my wishlist.

---

From what I remember when I asked Mark a very long time ago, he didn't seem to rate the Different Class demos of the album songs - something along the lines of them just being inferior versions with no real differences. Obviously us nerds would beg to differ, but I don't think we can hold out much hope of seeing them released.

That proto-Something Changed would be great to hear. If anyone has a copy though, it's very well buried - I don't think Mark has it.

Eamonn wrote:

---

There are no other songs, the demos are the only unreleased studio material.

---

 Yeah i meant the demos 

I'd pay good money for a great remix, or a cleaning like the beatles did. We'll see about that remaster but usually, it's a letdown. 

Eamonn wrote:

---

Fingers-crossed they act on the demand and consider further material for reissue. Even for RSD next year they could do the Different Class offcuts - can anyone think of a snappy name for this? B-Sides & Broken Biscuits?

---

 Second Class, or as it's called these days, Standard Class.

triciathetree wrote:

---

Sad to see the preorders sold out but thenmaybe best for my wallet

---

 Still available from Rough Trade and other 3rd party sellers

HoltbyCity wrote:

---

triciathetree wrote:

---

Sad to see the preorders sold out but thenmaybe best for my wallet

---

 Still available from Rough Trade and other 3rd party sellers

---

 terrible news for my savings account!

The world its playing with me because i got the "Different Class" cd last year as a birthday present.

It's not mentioned in the announcement, but presumeably it's the remixed version of the concert, only heard once on radio - which I'm very keen to get in CD quality. Mark mentioned in his Giles interview that it was going to be part of the abandoned 25th anniversary, if he could arrange it, so hopefully that's what they've managed to get. A cassette recording of the FM radio broadcast is tucked away on YouTube but I'm really looking forward to an upgrade.

Hard to find accurate sales on the albums - the last BPI milestones were quadruple platinum >1.2m for DC and gold >100k for TIH - which has been the case for the latter since April 1998. So it hasn't reached the next milestone of Gold (300k) since the month of release. Worldwide, another...75k?
Say 200k in total as an estimate. Average retail price £12.99 (cheaper now than in 1998!) = £2.6m

Costs...a year on-and-off in two of the best studios at the time in Britain (Townhouse and Olympia) with one of the best producers in the game (Chris Thomas) and his staff.
Manufacturing of physical albums. The distributors and record stores' cut.

Marketing. Cost of promo videos - between £300k - £500k? The one for This Is Hardcore has often been cited as costing £250k but in one of Mark's book-talks this year he gave a much lower figure.

Would all that add-up more than two and a half mill? Probably comes down to how high the day-rates in those studios were but...potentially. 

We Love Life was granted a silver award (60k units sold) upon release but has never gone higher. These awards are for trade sales as opposed to retail, and when we were analysing More's numbers, the opening week of WLL was reported as being c 25k so it's likely that it didn't actually even physically sell 60k units to the public in 2001/02 or the intervening years.

More must not be far off that 60k number, it's still in the top 100 physical charts after 3 months. Mercury nominations for 2025 are announced on Wednesday, that should help prolong its stay in the charts if listed. The fact that it wasn't granted a silver award on release is clearly a reflection in the decline of physical product since the millenium.

Given We Love Life had an even longer gestation than Hardcore with other expensive studios being used (Metropolis and Air plus Cosford Mills for the failed try-out with Chris Thomas - at least Steve's own studio was used for demos/early try-outs which would have saved on costs) and although only two music videos were made (compared to five for both DC and TIH) and the marketing campaign not as glossy as Hardcore, it was still a commercial failure.

Island's attempts to reduce Pulp's terms on a new contract in 2002 were hardly surprising, in the light of all that. I do wonder if Pulp's consistent reputation as one of the best live bands in the business from 1994 onwards gave them any leverage in talks with Island/Universal in 2002 (i.e we headlined Leeds/Reading in 2000 and are second from top in 2002 - you need to market us better and pick the singles to sell. To which Universal wouldn't have been blamed from replying "Well, give us a ****ing single that we can sell, then!"

The press release at the time suggested that it was simply a case of the band not being happy with the new offer and all parties amicably deciding to part ways.

As an aside, I've seen articles/heard reports over the years that have said "Pulp, who have sold over 10m records around the world throughout their career..." and I'm doubtful about that. The only "proof" for that figure on Wikipedia last time I checked a few years ago was one news article which could have plucked it from anywhere. About half that figure sounds closer to the mark, I think. Hard to have accurate figures across the globe but it doesn't seem that Pulp sold in huge quantities beyond the UK even at their mid-90s peak.

Pip wrote:

---

andy wrote:

---

I really dont see the appeal of live releases attached to those reissues. I understand them in the 90s, but now, everything is available on youtube, in great quality. What's the point ? Who's buying this bar the die hard collectors ?

I cant see a casual fan going like "oh i'm buying this because there's that live performance on it". Might as well just re-release the album only.

---

Problem is that YouTube, like all streaming content, is the definition of ephemera, things can disappear at any moment.

Plus these Super Deluxe Editions aren't aimed at casual fans, they're for collectors and audiophiles who want a high-end product with all the bells and whistles.

And a professionally mixed and mastered live recording will always be superior to a YouTube upload, not least due to heavy compression.

---

Yeah i know that's why i said die hard collectors and maybe live enthusiasts... But is there a market for that on Pulp ? I'm not one of them, i used to watch a lot of of their gigs back in the day, but not anymore, maybe sometimes of when a new one comes out. But i wouldnt buy a release just for that. So i dont really get why they included that in such a "casual" buyer release. It does not make much sense. The gig alone i would understand. but would not buy. I suppose they will sell few but at a high price. 

I agree about streaming though, that's why i buy everything on CD. It's probably the most reliable format in the long run. 

lipglossed wrote:

---

A nice contrast between the way these bands work: Blur are re-releasing their 1995 album, The Great Escape in an utterly hideous AI slop sleeve, on a bright yellow disc, with the entire 52 minutes of the album on one side and the B-sides on the reverse.

---

Just like Pulp and Oasis, this is a lazy release. All bsides are available on their 21 boxset releases 13 years ago. I guess all those bands understood there was no need to be adventurous... the 30th anniversary is the selling point on its own. 

Bypass the mail with Amazon 

https://www.amazon.ca/Different-Class-30-4LP-Pulp/dp/B0FMSBBV8C/ref=sr_1_1?crid=F4BAZVD09RNG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QhsdsPk-wJ38k-LW2EwgzDM1ycktYj2-iS5IjsTpe2QGtWY14fvRRZkHJ9Id8hL3G7gcB27Wyg7J8AwQmaV1cs2ScTqxk5r8J0xj2k8SX0KQv5acUbx2jEIGThGtb8qlqWWa5GInl0cebt3rOoXgnFbfGWky1AgOKzSlIyWvFtpmOrH-bmMcrbE8RSGd1VxT4ryxi6vzuTgu3tGsUeb6yU8BXtqkV6-dNehPNqi1TpIEgl4-21F7vf429t_fPGWHR4soxfpg1vgB324eJRVVzm-iO2aeziy3aK2p8DimFUI.N9nOWdXu94nKWZgTZ_JnKI-DHfEBRaKaGS1IKgpCQCY&dib_tag=se&keywords=pulp+different+class&qid=1760578301&sprefix=pulp+differen+%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-1

That's weird. Why press it on 2xLP if not 45rpm? The original email definitely quote Jarvis saying 45rpm, but to be fair, doesn't say anything about it being 45rpm on SOV or Recordstore. Maybe someone just got muddled up, and this version is pressed 'normally' whereas the original was compromised somehow, by being too condensed.

Only pre-ordered the CD myself, for the silly and shallow reason that I wanted the stickers. Still acting like a 12 year old. Resisted the LP, just too expensive, though if I ever see it below £65, I'd probably get it.

Did go into HMV today, to see if there was any promotion or prominence, but it was just in the racks with everything else.

Edit: just browsing IG, saw this from Jarvis in a post today "There is a double 45rpm pressing of the album" so if he posts this stuff himself, he still thinks it's issued at 45rpm.

-- Edited by inspirit on Friday 24th of October 2025 10:16:45 PM

I read somewhere that brickwalling is bad for the hearing - as there are no lulls in intensity, the mechanism by which the ears protect themselves from loud noise relaxes and are not protected. I don't listen to music very loud, but getting older, it's worrying that more releases are following this pattern. Does anyone have technology to check if this is true of More and DC30?

inspirit wrote:

---

I read somewhere that brickwalling is bad for the hearing - as there are no lulls in intensity, the mechanism by which the ears protect themselves from loud noise relaxes and are not protected. I don't listen to music very loud, but getting older, it's worrying that more releases are following this pattern. Does anyone have technology to check if this is true of More and DC30?

---

 Brickwalling is not True or False. It's a question of levels. You can try to open some tracks with a software like Audacity and see how the graph looks like.

I used myself Audacity to boost the sound levels of the It/Freaks/Separation remasters (2012) to reach the level on the 2006 H&H/DC/TIH remasters. I also boosted the sound level on the Intro original CD. 

Scottbloodyfrazer wrote:

---

What does Brickwalling mean? Im not quite down with you younguns these days.

---

 Basically it's the variation between the loud and quiet parts, the dynamic range. When something is brickwallef it means the loud bits and the quiet bits are all at the same volume ie loud.

His 'n' Hers 25th anniversary release in 2019 was remastered at Abbey Road, supervised by Steve Mackey according to the press release. There was a photo posted earlier that year of Steve and Jarvis at the mixing desk together, with Geoff Pesche, "working on something special to be revealed soon".

In Steve's statement in late 2022 when the new Pulp tour was first announced, he said: "Jarvis and I remastered Pulp's entire Universal Records back catalogue together just over two years ago at Abbey Road Studios. It was a huge pleasure to do that and review our songs and recordings together." (e.g. quoted by the NME here)

When the Record Store Day version of Intro was released in 2024, this was also described as having been remastered at Abbey Road. (There was no mention of Steve or Jarvis.) 

The press release for DC30 included "The audio has been remastered/mastered by Geoff Pesche at Abbey Road, overseen by Jarvis ****er and Mark Webber", e.g. reported by SDE here. (So it sounds as though this might not be from the same remastering session that Steve was involved in. Certainly I would have thought they would have made a feature of Steve's involvement, if so. Or... perhaps someone credited Jarvis and Mark when it should have been Jarvis and Steve?)

I'd be surprised if they have re-remastered Different Class again since circa 2019 but perhaps... a few years have passed, maybe Jarvis wanted another opinion from Mark to listen to what he, Steve and Geoff Pesche had done.

My vinyl deluxe set arrived today. It's an absolutely gorgeous-looking thing. The alternate covers are all glossily reproduced as cardboard sleeves. Both albums have their own plastic sleeves, the wonderful "Please understand..." album message is embossed beautifully.

Mild spoilers below so I'll put in the spoiler tag...

Spoiler

There is a note, presumably written by Mark (it sounds like him!) about how the multi-track master-tapes for the Glastonbury '95 album couldn't be found but they've used the best existing sources possible and remixed it (i.e Russell's violin not being quite as piercing as it is on the TV footage). It's well-explained, fair play for him/them to get into the details of it. Also, judging by the writing credits, Mark is now given co-writer status for Underwear and Common People! And Do You Remember The First Time? per the back of the Sorted - Live At Glastonbury credits, unless an error was made on that one (maybe not, he did come up with the bass line to the chorus, albeit partially lifting it from Bowie's 'Heroes' according to the man himself!).

The new essay in the booklet is decent, a few nice stories and quotes that I don't think have been told before along with the familar story about Glastonbury '95  that we all know quite well by now. I would have loved to have read more about the genesis of the songs, of how the material came together in Catcliffe and then London during mad rushes between recording and promoting Common People.

Also, it would have been great to see some pictures of the band in the studio recording the record - Russell being moody away from everyone, trying to design his board-game, Chris Thomas calling the shots in the control room etc. Of course there's a good chance that none of that exists! Still, I do get a feeling there are more images in the archive - the strings session at Air Studios in summer '95 was snapped by I think Mark and shared somewhere (could have been the Different Class Twitter listening party 5 years ago). The centre-fold of the iconic Common People shoot with an alternate snap is fantastic. Quite funny that there's another customer in the cafe, just out of the original shot, looking out the window like the rest of the band. I wonder who she was and what happened to her! In fact, the visuals for Different Class, using the cut-outs, is so striking even 30 years on that it's understandable that they would want to reproduce as many images as possible from the campaign.

I haven't listened to the records yet, Discogs is always full of audiophile critiques, I don't want to feel bad about having spent a lot of money on my favourite ever album so haven't read what's been said but apparently there are mutterings of disapproval. The whole 45 RPM actually being 33RPM is a little embarassing to be honest, and given the price-point of this release, is something that Universal/Pulp should probably front-up. I can't see a mention of the album being cut at 45RPM any more on some of the online stores selling it i.e HMV, Rough Trade - does anyone know if the descriptions have been quietly edited?!

I've checked the Midweek Charts and Different Class is currently at number 13! That will likely fall as all the pre-orders will have been counted already but still, it's probably in the region of 1k-2k units sold. With the vinyl box retailing at nearly £100, that's not a bad old return. More impressive, in a way, is the fact that Different Class was at number 128 in the charts last week - i.e the standard version. Which, (depressingly, in a way) is probably higher than More. The Mercury Prize effect wasn't as much as might have been expected. More was at number 99 in the physical charts (but not the overall charts) the week of the Prize, and is at 94 the week after.

Well, I got stiffed on the stickers - I pre-ordered the CD only, from the 'stickers' link at Sound Of Vinyl - but they didn't come.

Not surprised, I bet they only went out with the LP, but disappointed I spent an extra £3 on the shop price.

(Not disappointed with the CD though - Pink Glove and especially Acrylic Afternoons are tremendous.)

Can anyone share anything about the stickers, as I can't find images or info about them?

Thanks for sharing @luckyduck , they look lovely.

The LP's still available from the Pulp shop, and despite all my whining about the price, I'm quite tempted now.

It looks so nice in AA's review and reveal. I was trying to spend my money on actual audio this year, and not just stuff... but as far as stuff goes, this is pretty gorgeous.

I fancy the Air Virgin Suicides super deluxe, plan to treat myself this winter (self employed, and winter is when I work out if I made any money for the year, and can let loose a bit). I adore that album, and want the demo and unheard session tracks. It has the bluray dics, but I won't benefit from it, as my hi-fi set up is 20+ year old Denon, and my bluray player only outputs to the crappy little speakers on my titchy little telly.

I'm not an audiophile, never had opportunity to find out if I'm sophisticated enough to hear the difference. I am a cinephile though, and I really should get sorted out to watch and listen to my films on a better quality set up.