Prince, do you have fooked shoulders?
Josh, i recall a method for pullups i was told when i first started out. You basically do 50 reps in as many attempts as it takes. It may take a lot of sets, but so be it. Keep note of how many you can do first time round and try to better it. Once you can do 12 reps of your own bodyweight, you can forget about the 50 reps and start adding weight and doing 2-3 sets.
If you start out and you only get a few reps, then maybe you should do your work sets on the pulldown (pull to the front and keep your lower back static and out of the motion - unlike most "cheaters" in the gym) and once you've done your work sets, give a few pullups a try.
In fact, have you tried supsinated curl grip chins? (shoulder width underhand grip that is.)