Different Class

Untitled

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
BBC	(positive) link
Drowned in Sound	(10/10) link
The Guardian	link
Rolling Stone	link
Robert Christgau	(A-) link
Spin	(9/10) 3/96, p.108
Q	October 1995
Yahoo Music	link

Different Class is an album by English Britpop band Pulp. It was released in 1995 at the height of Britpop, and led to the band being regarded as part of that movement. Two of the singles on the album – "Common People" (which reached number two in the UK singles chart) and "Disco 2000" (which reached number seven) – were especially notable, and helped propel Pulp to nationwide fame. A "deluxe edition" of Different Class was released on 11 September 2006. It contains a second disc of B-sides, demos and rarities.

The album was the winner of the 1996 Mercury Music Prize. In 1998 Q readers voted Different Class the 37th greatest album of all time; a repeat poll in 2006 put it at number 85. In 2000 the same magazine placed it at number 46 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. In 2004 it was voted number 70 of Channel 4's 100 greatest albums.

The inspiration for the title came to Cocker in Smashing, a nightclub on Regent Street in London. Cocker had a friend who used the phrase "different class" to describe something that was "in a class of its own". Cocker liked the double meaning, with its allusions to the British social class system which was a theme of some of the songs on the album. A message on the back of record also references this idea:

"We don't want no trouble, we just want the right to be different. That's all."

Track listing

All songs written by Jarvis Cocker, Nick Banks, Steve Mackey, Russell Senior, Candida Doyle and Mark Webber, unless otherwise noted.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Mis-Shapes"		3:46
2.	"Pencil Skirt"		3:11
3.	"Common People"	Cocker, Banks, Mackey, Senior, Doyle	5:50
4.	"I Spy"		5:55
5.	"Disco 2000"		4:33
6.	"Live Bed Show"		3:29
7.	"Something Changed"		3:18
8.	"Sorted for E's & Wizz"		3:47
9.	"F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E"		6:01
10.	"Underwear"	Cocker, Banks, Mackey, Senior, Doyle	4:06
11.	"Monday Morning"	Cocker, Banks, Mackey, Senior, Doyle	4:16
12.	"Bar Italia"		3:42

Different Class was released under the title Common People in Japan on 16 November 1995

Japanese Common People bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
13.	"P.T.A. (Parent Teacher Association)" (B-side to "Sorted for E's & Wizz / Mis-Shapes")	3:16
14.	"Common People (Motiv8 Club Mix)" (B-side to "Common People")	7:51

Second Class from 1995 (limited German/Japanese bonus disc)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Mile End" (B-side to "Something Changed")	4:32
2.	"Ansaphone" (B-side to "Disco 2000")	4:00
3.	"P.T.A. (Parent Teacher Association)" (B-side to "Sorted for E's & Wizz / Mis-Shapes", Not included on Japanese Edition)	3:16
4.	"Live Bed Show (Extended)" (B-side to "Disco 2000")	4:10
5.	"Your Sister's Clothes" (from the Sisters EP)	4:37
6.	"Seconds" (from the Sisters EP)	4:19
7.	"Deep Fried In Kelvin" (B-side to "Lipgloss")	9:49
8.	"The Babysitter" (B-side to "Do You Remember the First Time?")	5:01
9.	"Street Lites" (B-side to "Do You Remember the First Time?")	5:55
10.	"Common People '96 (7" Edit)" (B-side to "Common People", Japanese Edition Bonus track)	4:07

Bonus disc from 2006 deluxe edition

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Common People (live at Glastonbury 1995)" (B-side to "Sorted for E's & Wizz / Mis-Shapes")	7:38
2.	"Mile End" (B-side to "Something Changed")	4:30
3.	"P.T.A." (B-side to "Sorted for E's & Wizz / Mis-Shapes")	3:17
4.	"Ansaphone (demo)"	4:09
5.	"Paula (demo)"	3:37
6.	"Catcliffe Shakedown (demo)"	6:43
7.	"We Can Dance Again (demo)"	3:51
8.	"Don't Lose It (demo)"	3:10
9.	"Whiskey in the Jar" (from the charity album for "ChildLine")	4:48
10.	"Disco 2000 (Nick Cave pub rock version)"	4:22
11.	"Common People (Vocoda mix)" (B-side to "Common People")	6:18

Tracks 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 from deluxe edition bonus CD were previously unavailable

Personnel

Pulp

• Jarvis Cocker – Vocals, Vox Marauder Guitar, Ovation 12 String Guitar, Sigma Acoustic Guitar, Roland Vocoder Plus VP-330, Roland SH-09, Mellotron, Micromoog, Synare
• Russell Senior – Fender Jazzmaster Guitar, Violin
• Candida Doyle – Farfisa Compact Professional II Organ, Ensoniq ASR 10, Korg Trident II, Minimoog, Fender Rhodes Piano, Roland Juno 6, Roland SH-09
• Steve Mackey – Musicman Sabre Bass
• Mark Webber – Gibson ES 345 Guitar, Gibson Les Paul Guitar, Gibson Firebird Guitar, Sigma Acoustic Guitar, Casio Tonebank CT-470, Fender Rhodes Piano, Roland Juno 6
• Nick Banks – Yamaha Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Percussion

Additional Musicians

• Matthew Vaughan - Programming
• Olle Romo - Programming
• Anthony Genn - Additional Programming
• Mark Haley - Additional Programming
• Chris Thomas - Additional Guitar and Keyboards
• Anne Dudley - Orchestral Arrangement and Conducting
• Gavyn Wright - Orchestra Leader

Sleeve

Initial copies of the CD and vinyl album came with 6 different double-sided inserts of alternative cover art, and a sticker invited you to "Choose your own front cover". In all standard copies thereafter these 12 individual covers made up the CD booklet, with the wedding photograph used as the actual cover.

The full details of the wedding photograph used on the standard sleeve editions were described on 2011 tour posters:

LOCATION: St Barnabas Church, East Molesey
TIME: 12pm, Saturday 12th August 1995
EVENT: Sharon & Dominic's Wedding
PHOTOGRAPHER: Donald Milne
CAMERA: 1979 Hasselblad 500CM with 80mm lens
FILM STOCK: Fuji Super G-400
DESIGN: Blue Source
ORIGINAL SLEEVE NOTES: "Please understand - we don't want no trouble. We just want the right to be different. That's all."

Legacy

In 2006, British Hit Singles & Albums and NME organised a poll of which, 40,000 people worldwide voted for the 100 best albums ever and Different Class was placed at #54 on the list.