On this day in 1963, a lad by the awesome name of Jarvis Branson Cocker was born in an unassuming corner of Sheffield. From humble beginnings, that lad went on to become a spindly icon that would shake his arse at Michael Jackson, make geek chic cool without irony, soundtrack an era and define a generation.
From the days of Abacus Pulp in his teens knocking around with Richard Hawley, he was only ever going to be a star.
As the radio DJ, author, actor, raconteur, Pulp frontman and all-round legend marks his 50th birthday, come with us as we look back on the life and career of Yorkshire's favourite son and celebrate the highlights of his years on this Earth.
Happy Birthday Jarvis Cocker.
The early stuff
Pulp didn't reach fame until Different Class, and to a lesser extent with His N' Hers, but the band had been slogging it out in toilet venues and obscure late night radio sessions for over a decade before the mainstream started to give a toss. Across three albums, the band experimented with post-punk, disco and all kinds of weird shit in between, giving the mass audience a treasure trove of wonderful weirdness to look back on and discover. It was worth it all for 'Countdown' and 'Sheffield Sex City'. Enjoy these and Pulp's other most underrated tracks in the video above.
Defining Britpop - whilst always soaring above it
In the 1990s, America had Kurt Cobain's tales of a disenfranchised youth with 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', while the UK had Jarvis Cocker making the ordinary seem extraordinary and firing the kitchen space into outer space. While New Labour promised change and giving a voice back to the working man, Pulp saw through it all in a world where posh lads disguised themselves as common people and the working class aesthetic became little more than a fashion accessory. 'Common People' would go on to 'define' the Britpop era, but as the genre became a cut-copy parody of itself, Pulp consistently continued to deliver album after album packed with poetry, invention and imagination. Plus he gave us THAT dance...
The Jacko incident
You've read the scriptures - you know what happened here. Michael Jackson stands on the Brit Awards stage in a Messiah-esque pose and the sick and needy fawn around him in admiration. Are we just going to let Jacko get away with this? No, no we aren't - cue our Jarvis, wiggling his arse.
"My actions were a form of protest at the way Michael Jackson sees himself as some kind of Christ-like figure with the power of healing," said Jarvis, explaining his actions.
King. He had legendary comedian Bob Mortimer acting as his solicitor as well. It's the stuff that music history is made of, and rightly so. The front page of that week's Melody Maker summed up most of the world's reaction...
Glastonbury 1995
Stepping in as a last minute replacement for The Stone Roses, Pulp truly arrived and made their mark on Worthy Farm, going down in history as one of Glasto's most spectacular and memorable performances. 'Sorted For E's And Whizz' became an anthem for all festivals for decades to come.
The dark days
Of course, like all rock n' roll legends, there's a downward spiral to all of the excess. With all of the constant partying and almighty highs of the Britpop era came an almighty crash back down to Earth. Yorkshire through and through, our Jarvis wasn't quite cut out for all of that cocaine and the celebrity lifestyle. The upside to Cocker's depression was the brilliant This Is Hardcore - an album of darkness, sex, drugs and the downside of fame. While it didn't match the staggering commercial success of Different Class, it's arguably Pulp's finest hour and contains many of their most compelling tracks.
Loving Life
Pulp spent a few years "in the wilderness" before they returned in 2001 with the criminally-underrated We Love Life. Produced by Scott Walker, the record was a much more mature record, containing Cocker's songwriting at its richest. 'Wickerman' paints the crumbling Sheffield riverside in a wonderfully romantic glow while 'Sunrise' is quite frankly one of the best album closers that you'll ever hear. The tour also saw Cocker invite his old mate, former Longpigs man and fellow Sheffield demi-God Richard Hawley onto the road as a guitarist for the band. Nice, that.
Life after Pulp
Following the mixed response to We Love Life, Pulp went on hiatus. Not content with defining a decade, Jarvis Cocker moved on to pastures new. There were, in his own words, "further complications in store". After debuting the brutally cutting stand-alone single 'Running The World' at Reading Festival 2006, what followed were two understated but oh-so-typically Cocker solo records - and they rocked.
His brilliant cameo in The Fantastic Mr Fox
Well, less a cameo as an awesomely animated realisation of Mr Cocker. Hats off to the special effects folk for taking our Jarvis into another dimenson, literally. The comedy genius of 'Petey's Song' and the banter that ensues is a true highlight of the movie too.
The Sunday service
Also keeping Mr Cocker occupied during these years was his love of radio. His BBC 6 Music radio show, Jarvis Cocker's Sunday Service, is packed with witty tales, nerdy facts, musical obscurities and a plethora of fascinating guests. After decades of soundtracking mad Saturday nights in indie discos, Cocker now puts his own idiosyncratic spin on the tail-end of the weekend.
Continuing to reign
"To me, Pulp are still relevant," said Richard Hawley when we spoke to him earlier this year. "‘Common People’ is more relevant now than it was then. That was the Britpop era when Blair was in power and everything was supposed to be fucking rosy and look where that got us."
Amen. After reuniting in 2011, Pulp shook the world once more by proving why they're still so timelessly essential - make history again and again at Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds festivals. You only need to take one listen to their 2013 single 'After You' to realise why Cocker and Pulp are still so vital.
Happy Birthday Jarvis Cocker - long may you reign.
