When Pulp took the stage of BBC Radio 2’s Piano Room last week, they didn’t just treat fans to a selection of their greatest hits, but performed one of the most jaw-dropping ABBA covers we’ve ever seen here at The Music Man.
Taking one of ABBA’s more obscure singles, “The Day Before You Came,” into their own hands, Pulp molded the tune to their trademark Britpop aesthetic, making it sound like a true Pulp original. Music Man readers can watch Pulp’s outstanding cover unfold in the viral clip below…
This track was the perfect match for Pulp. With its lyrics styled like a story upon an almost janky synth-pop backing, the original almost sounds like a Pulp hit in itself. But once frontman Jarvis Cocker replaced ABBA’s female vocalists with his own spoken-word take, the track practically transformed into a follow-up piece to “Common People”!
Yet, it’s the BBC Concert Orchestra who let this rendition truly ascend to a brand new level. A live string section and flute players replace ABBA’s original synthetic soundtrack, crafting a wonderfully organic take on the pop song, which still manages to pay homage to ABBA’s 1982 hit.
Pulp and the BBC Orchestra retain every ounce of gripping suspense powering this song’s unique ambience, letting it blossom beneath their own light whilst adding their own vibrant and dramatic cinematic twists. Jarvis crowns the cover with a dash of eccentricity and theatrics, delivering its lyrics as if he were uncovering a story from his own past, the singer fully submerged in the moment.
Don’t miss the moment Pulp and the BBC Orchestra dive into their instrumental break, not merely adding a new air of brooding darkness to the song, but slotting a brand new guitar solo in its midst.
“The Day Before You Came” marked the very last song ABBA recorded in their career, explaining the ‘end of an era’ vibe it emanates. Pulp fans were wowed by the band’s bravery in covering a song as poignant as this, with viewers flocking to the YouTube comments to share their praise for this mind-blowing cover.
As one viewer wrote, “Never been a fan of ABBA covers and this is my all time favourite song by them, but this was truly epic. What an arrangement too,” another pop fan shared a tidbit which makes this performance even more stunning: “So stirring. I remember Benny [Andersson] saying that he wished someone would record ‘The Day Before You Came’ with a proper arrangement, because it deserved it. And here we go, Pulp.”