A remastering of Pulp’s Different Class will be released in time to celebrate the album’s thirtieth anniversary.
Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker shared news of the new edition, which will feature the band’s 1995 Glastonbury Festival set in full, as well as a remastering of Different Class. The anniversary reissue, set for release on October 24, sounds “a whole lot better” according to Cocker, with the album heard in “all its glory” on this upcoming release. Cocker said: “This 45rpm double album version of Different Class will make it sound a whole lot better. We were obsessed with the fact that this was our ‘Pop’ album and, as everyone knows, all pop albums have 12 songs on them: 6 tracks per side.
“Only problem: this took the running time of the record to 53 minutes. We were told this would compromise the audio quality of the vinyl record – but we were more bothered about not compromising the quality of our Pop Dream. Now, 30 years later, we are finally ready for Different Class to be heard in all its glory.”
Along with a remastering of Different Class, which will feature the choose your own cover cards from the album’s first run, a 2 LP set of the previously unreleased Glastonbury 1995 performance is featured. A 32-page booklet with a newly commissioned essay and never-before-seen photos is also included. The Different Class anniversary boxset will retail for £95.99.
The album remastering was overseen by Cocker and guitarist Mark Webber, with the pair joined by Geoff Pesche at Abbey Road Studios. A statement from the band reads: “The audio has been remastered/mastered by Geoff Pesche at Abbey Road, overseen by Jarvis Cocker and Mark Webber, and is presented in a sturdy slipcase with a comprehensive, 28-page booklet featuring extensive notes from new interviews with the band members, plus previously unseen images from photographers Rankin and Donald Milne (who took the photos for the original release) and the band’s own archives.
“The original ‘aperture’ sleeve design, which invited purchasers to ‘Choose your own front cover’, came with six double-sided inserts/art cards of alternative cover images depicting cardboard cutouts of the band members in a variety of situations. This has been fully recreated, and a 12” by 12” poster featuring miniatures of the cutouts themselves is also included.”
A 4LP and 2CD set are available to pre-order from Pulp’s website. Vinyl pre-orders can be made here and CD sets here.
A remastering of Different Class comes just a few weeks after fans made their want for a We Love Life deluxe edition clear. Fans started a petition to kindle interest in the release of songs recorded during the sessions.
The album, released in 2001, did not receive a deluxe repackaging like His ‘n’ Hers, Different Class, and This is Hardcore, though fans are hoping one could be possible. Songs from the We Love Life sessions, which have not been officially released, have circulated on YouTube and fan forums for years.
Whether or not the Jarvis Cocker-fronted band will release a deluxe edition of We Love Life is not yet known. Pulp fans are hoping a fan initiative may be a step to realising the project, though, with a petition started by those wanting a deluxe edition. A post to the F.E.E.L.I.N.G. C.A.L.L.E.D. L.I.V.E. page has confirmed the petition will be sent to Universal and Rough Trade Records once it reaches 2,500 signatures.
You can sign the We Love Life deluxe edition petition here. Be sure to verify your email.
