Everybody’s Problem

Write a catchy pop song, like something by Wham, the manager suggests. The result makes you wonder if Jarvis had actually ever heard Wham. This attempt at an attention-garnering single is regarded by nearly all involved as a failure. The lyrics sketch out a breakdown in interpersonal communication with some measure of wit but no conciseness, no catchy payoff line. The melody and arrangement are somewhat memorable, but also generic. Eventually, Jarvis will sharpen his pop songwriting skills considerably, but we are a ways off from that era.

Arguably, the most interesting things about “Everybody’s Problem” are its lineup and tangled release history. In addition to a few remaining members of the It lineup, the song features a new drummer, Magnus Doyle, who will stick around for the band’s next, dramatically different era. An additional percussionist, Tim Allcard’s tenure in Pulp will be short-lived. But he’s an important part of the band’s story, as the building manager at The Wicker, an abandoned Sheffield factory turned community center, where Jarvis lives in squalor along with Tim during this era.

After the Red Rhino “Everybody’s Problem” 7-inch stiffs, the song and its highly superior b-side (see next entry) briefly turn up on a 1994 reissue (of dubious legality) of It. Later on, they can be found on a 2000 compilation called Schooldisco: Original Film Soundtrack, despite the fact that there is little-to-no evidence of any such film. Currently, “Everybody’s Problem” is available on the five-disc compilation Scared to Get Happy: A Story of Indie-Pop 1980–1989.

Everybody’s Problem