Following on from Bob Dylan’s suggestion we should write his autobiography, Pulp are currently running a competition to find the best cover version of one of their tracks:

During the process of learning to play the old songs again we have been consulting the cover versions posted on-line… Vote for your favorites by ‘liking’ them - or upload your own rendition if you think you can do better.

There’s even “a musical prize” for the winner.

As “Common People” is Pulp’s best known song and the one that appears to encourage most cover versions (will anyone surpass William Shatner’s version?) here are 8 covers of “Common People” - just a small selection of the many videos so far uploaded onto the site. If you want to see more, vote for your favorite, or think you can do better check here.
 

William Shatner’s cover of ‘Common People’ as a Lego animation by niblickthe3rd 
 
More Pulped versions after the jump…
 

 
Made in 1995, at the height of “Brit Pop” (that much hyped re-imagining of the 1960s), Pulp: No Sleep till Sheffield follows the band on their tour of the UK, which culminated with a gig in Sheffield, the Pulp’s hometown.

While best known for its stainless steel, cutlery production and incredible greenery (with 2.5 million trees, the highest ratio of trees to people of any city in Europe), Sheffield is also famed for its wealth of musical talent, a list which includes Joe Cocker, Def Leppard, The Human League, Cabaret Voltaire, Heaven 17, ABC, Richard Hawley, The Longpins, Moloko, Arctic Monkeys, The Long Blondes and, of course, Pulp.

Though associated with “Brit Pop”, Pulp were formed in 1978, and had released 3 albums, by the time of their breakthrough record His ‘n’ Hers in 1994, which announced a band of talent, originality and wit. This was followed in 1995, by the equally brilliant Different Class, which delivered one of the decade’s greatest pop songs,  “Common People”.

This summer, Pulp tour the Festivals, starting on May 27 at Primavera Sound, Barcelona, followed by the Isle of Wight Festival on June 11, and T in the Park on July 10. For full details check here.
 

 
Previously on DM

 
Bonus clip of Pulp’s legendary performance of ‘Common People’ at Glastonbury 1995, after the jump…
 

 
Well, it’s been almost fifteen years and Jarvis Cocker still hasn’t gotten his much deserved knighthood for jumping onstage during Michael Jackson’s ludicrous “messianic” performance at the 1996 Brit awards when the King of Pop implied he had the power to heal children and sick people. While the incident is well-known, of course, in the UK, this story is less known outside of Britain.

As Cocker told BBC’s Question Time in 2009:

“He was pretending to be Jesus. I’m not religious but I think, as a performer myself, the idea of someone pretending to have the power of healing is just not right. Rock stars have big enough egos without pretending to be Jesus – that was what got my goat, that one particular thing.”

Cocker and his friend, former Pulp member Peter Mansell jumped onstage and caused comic confusion before being led off by security. It was reported at the time that Jarvis “mooned” Jackson (that’s what I always believed) but this is not true at all.

The incident itself, which took place on live television. GENIUS!!! Even if you’ve seen it before, it’s still laugh out loud funny.
 

 
 
The police detained the Pulp frontman on suspicion of assault. A former attorney, comedian Bob Mortimer represented Cocker, who was released without charge.

Noel Gallagher, of Oasis proclaimed, “Jarvis Cocker is a star and he should be given an MBE.” Clearly the editors of the Melody Maker felt the same way. I was already a huge Pulp fan at the time, but this made me love them—and their lanky, fashionable and intellectual frontman—all the more.

After the jump, Jarvis Cocker’s press conference about the incident, Cocker looking back on the Brit awards stage invasion in 2009 and how the story was reported on at the time in Amercia..

 
Jimmy Savile has been a pop culture icon in England since the early 1960s when he was a host on BBC TV’s “Top Of The Pops,”  NME Awards presenter and Radio One deejay. Savile’s pimpalicious fashion sense, platinum page boy, monumental cigar and ego converge in a larger than life character that is both charming and a wee bit appalling.

Jarvis Cocker presents his top ten rules for making the perfect television pop show. Rule number 8: Get Jimmy Savile. From British TV series “Favouritism.” As Savile blows hard, Cocker is like a sail in a hurricane.
 

 
Like Mr. Cocker, I hope one day this song will become obsolete. But until then…
 
With thanks to Suzanne Moore
 

 
Excellent news for Pulp fans: The band will be reforming for some live festival dates next summer, as reported on the Guardian website, including shows at London’s wireless festival and Spain’s Primavera Sound:

A press release distributed this morning said: “Pulp have decided to get together and play some concerts next summer. The shows will involve all the original members of the band (Nick Banks, Jarvis Cocker, Candida Doyle, Steve MacKey, Russell Senior and Mark Webber) and they will play songs from all periods of their career. Yes, that means they’ll be playing your favourites.”

Pulp formed in Sheffield in 1978, establishing a cult fanbase before breaking into the mainstream with their 1995 single Common People. They released seven albums, before going on hiatus in 2002. Their forthcoming shows will be the first time the classic Pulp lineup has played together since 1996.

Below, the video for “Something’s Changed,” probably the best love song of the 1990s not written by Nick Cave.
 

 
Warm congratulations to Dangerous Minds hero—and Michael Jackson disruptor—Jarvis Cocker!

Former Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker has been given an honorary degree in his home city of Sheffield.  Cocker, who has also had success as a solo artist and radio producer, studied at the institution when it was Sheffield Polytechnic.  Receiving his certificate at a ceremony at City Hall, the 46-year-old said: “I’m called a doctor now.  Don’t worry, I won’t open a surgery.”  He added: “But I guess if you are a songwriter maybe I could have some kind of musical surgery.  If you had a song with a swollen chorus, or a varicose verse, or if you need a little bit of help I could try and heal your song for you.”

And while Jarvis won’t be delivering them anytime soon, “Babies” the song follows below:

 
Pulp Singer Jarvis Cocker Receives Honorary Doctorate

Jarvis Cocker, Sheffield’s greatest son (after J. G. Ballard), has been awarded an honorary doctorate at Sheffield Hallam University. Quite a kudos after recently being an honorary BBC news presenter. I’m not sure what he’s teaching but I have a feeling his classes would be legendary or make you feel all pervy and wrong depending on what gender you were.

The NME reports:

Jarvis Cocker is to be awarded an honorary doctorate at Sheffield Hallam University this November.

Sheffield-born Cocker credits the establishment ?