My First Wife

One of the roughly recorded early live songs floating around the internet, “My First Wife” appeared on a compilation cassette, Oozing Through the Ozone Layer, put together in 1987 by future Pulp member Mark Webber. The band’s evolving interest in mixing disco and Eastern European folk is on full-display here. The lyrics are mostly unintelligible, apart from Jarvis’ constant exhortation, “I won’t think of love.” The song comes alive mid-way through, when new member Nick Banks lets out a frantic eight-bar snare volley. It’s not virtuosic, but it’s definitely lends the song some extra energy.