scritti pollitti

Tommy Martyn · Post by **Tommy Martyn** » Fri May 26, 2006 2:35 am

Hello chaps. No time to talk at moment. If you don't own "Songs to Remember" or "cupid and Psyche" then get out there and get them. Don't know about this new work yet though. Still, nice to see someone back from the dead.

Even if you don't like this band, read the quote from Bob Marley at he end. Lovely.

Here's the link.

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/sto ... 39,00.html

marky · Post by **marky** » Sat May 27, 2006 3:43 am

Yeah, on the other board there are a lot of folks speaking very well of his new album, believe it or not. I can't tell you how frustrating I have found this because for some insane reason I haven't been able to find any of it available for download except a rough live version of one of the tracks. This has resulted in me having to give up and just ignore it because otherwise I'd have to tear my hair out. I can't believe I won't even be able to get even one track off the damn thing until school is out! ARRGH!

Now truth be told, I've thought all the stuff he's done since Cupid & Psyche has been overproduced crap (not that there's really been that much output), but the curiosity about this new one is really is driving me crazy.

You are right that Cupid & Psyche and Songs To Remember are the best ones. The early stuff gets all sorts of raves in ultra hip post-punk circles these days, but it sure sounds like a bunch of useless haphhazard noise to me, aside from two songs.

marky · Post by **marky** » Sat May 27, 2006 3:50 am

Well, I say "he" but of course it's fine to call Scritti Politti a band, too, I guess.

I just clicked on the link above! Wow! Look at the way he looks now! You would never fucking think that was him would you? That is wild!

Yeah the Marley quote is good.

Well this is unrelated but maybe Tommy will come back and say something - or I'll ask him on the phone - but the show on the BBC I listened to last weekend that had the Vini Reilly (Durutti Column) live performance was a really good radio show aside from just Vini's performance. I mean I don't know that I'm even usually that happy with Peel shows! The DJ's name was Stuart Maconie. He's apparently been a journalist at NME and various other places. In his 40's I'd guess. Anyway I was wondering if his name rings a bell for you at all. He just played a lot of really interesting out of the way sorts of things, mostly old stuff, but not much I'd heard before. I'll likely listen to him again.

I also have been quite shamed for ignoring Vini Reilly's output for the last 10 years. The last time I tried to get into him was '95 but I just wasn't all that thrilled with his early 90's records so I figured he was one of those artists where the early stuff would always be best. But now I'm thinking I really need to investigate the albums he's put out since 2001, all of which have gotten great reviews, and I do think there is some really brilliant stuff going on there. There is a song at the end of his latest album Keep Breathing where he has a lyric about turning a gun on himself and escaping depression & "the grey of Manchester rain". It all sounds very dour and Morrissey-ish but it's a beautiful song and I think he's rather gutsy to put that stuff in a lyric.

marky · Post by **marky** » Sat May 27, 2006 4:30 am

Oh...well I guess I should probably link to that radio show with Vini Reilly incase anyone cares. It took me an awfully long time to find the damn thing last weekend, there's so much stuff on that site.

Okay here's the link.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/freakzone/

When you get there, if you want to hear the show with Vini Reilly in the studio performing, look on the right side where it says "Listen Again To This Show". Click on "Last Show" below that. If you only want to hear Vini, move the thing to the very last like 20 min of the show because they made ME fucking wait for 3 hours to hear Vini! (not that the music wasn't good but I was very drunk and passed out in the middle, thankfully waking just in time)

I wouldn't recommend trying to do this after Sunday night, though, because BBC only keeps shows available for a week and then they are gone. Also BBC radio player is pretty crap soundwise, so don't expect miracles. It's tolerable, though.

marky · Post by **marky** » Sat May 27, 2006 8:43 am

Well, let's get back on topic shall we? Here is a show from last Tuesday on BBC with Mark Radcliffe that features A LIVE PERFORMANCE BY SCRITTI POLITTI IN THE STUDIO:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/radcliffe/

marky · Post by **marky** » Sat May 27, 2006 9:42 am

Here's the playlist. After the first song by Deep Purple Radcliffe does a really funny and quite accurate John Peel impression. Taking the piss, it's fabulous.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/radcl ... sday.shtml

marky · Post by **marky** » Sat May 27, 2006 9:45 am

Radclffe mentions coming across John Cooper Clarke that day! Stop! I am tripping here! I love MArtin Hannett and FACTORY RECORDS!!!!!!!!!!!!

marky · Post by **marky** » Sat May 27, 2006 9:50 am

Also I found out about a Buzzcocks song the other day by complete accident that I'd never heard before that Martin Hannett produced! "Are Everything" it was great. It was playing on the PA at a gig I went to.

marky · Post by **marky** » Sat May 27, 2006 9:53 am

Radcliffe says Green is wearing GREEN in the studio!!

Scritti Politti interview scoop of 2006!!!!

INTERVIEW WITH GREEN GARTSIDE OF SCRITTI POLITTI ON BBC RADIO IN MAY 2006~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

marky · Post by **marky** » Sat May 27, 2006 10:22 am

IT'S THE REAL ONE AND ONLY GREEN GARTSIDE SINGING ON BBC RADIO IN 2006!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tommy Martyn · Post by **Tommy Martyn** » Mon May 29, 2006 12:54 pm

Yeah, I couldn't believe that photograph. Fancy sitting next to some bloke with a goatee, in a pub in the middle of nowhere Wales and have him tell you he was Green Gartside. I would have probably replied that I already knew that, seeing as I was Stevie Wonder and we had shared some studio time back in the day.

marky · Post by **marky** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 9:29 pm

Oh my god. If I was out in the middle of nowhere in a pub in Wales and a guy 'cross the bar tells me he's Green Gartside and he looks like that, but especially with suspenders, I would run screaming as far as I could away from that place and tell myself I need to gather my senses back to sanity.

marky · Post by **marky** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 9:33 pm

No really, even without suspenders, if I saw him in a pub in Wales, and he told me he was Green Gartside, I'd STILL run screaming.

marky · Post by **marky** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 8:14 am

Here's Green in the 80's...

And wow, look at this magazine cover...mentions the Woodentops so that definitely dates it...

marky · Post by **marky** » Sun Jun 04, 2006 8:20 am

I've heard some of this new Scritti Politti album now (title is "White Bread, Black Beer") and I don't think it's bad at all. It's a lot more subdued and minimal than you might expect, pleasant, low key. And that trademark honey voice.