|
What does "Scritti Politti" mean? Roughly, it's Italian for "political writings". It's taken from Antonio Gramsci's book, with a liberty or two taken. Is "Green Gartside" his real name? Green was born Paul Julian Strohmeyer. The Gartside piece was added after his mother remarried (following his father's death). Gordon Gartside was a solicitor in Newport, South Wales. The Green bit is (shock!) a made-up name decided upon while viewing the countryside during a train journey back to Wales. He was born on June 22, 1955. He dropped a year some time in the late 70's or early 80's. Green went to Croesyceiliog Grammar School in Cwmbran, and studied Foundation art at Newport. I've never heard anything by Scritti Politti. Where should I start? Cupid & Psyche '85. Without question. I have an aversion to synthesizers and androgyny, and an I.Q. of 75. Should I listen to Scritti Politti? No. What are the band members doing now? Fred Maher produces and co-writes with other artists (Lloyd Cole, Trip Shakespeare) and has drummed on and co-produced many other records. Details on David Gamson's current activities are more difficult to find. He co-wrote a song with Lloyd Cole (but has had no credited involvement with Cole's albums) in 1989 called "Something About My Baby". This song was recorded by the young british group (now based in the US) Five Star (who were successful in the UK in 1985 and 1986). Gamson produced the track for them, which appears on their UK Greatest Hits album (CD version ONLY). Although not actually a band member, drummer Steve Ferrone went on to record and perform with Duran Duran, Eric Clapton and countless others. Like, I don't get that picture on the back of Cupid & Psyche. What's it supposed to mean? My theory is that it symbolizes the bizarre juxtapositions in Scritti Politti's music: Aretha Franklin and Jacques Derrida. Gaultier pants and Immanuel Kant's. The fallout of love and the vagaries of science. The word "pharmacopoeia" and the word "girl". In that context the raw meat, scarf and butterfly fit right in. I could be wrong, but I've yet to see someone come up with a better interpretation. The image is modeled after the artwork by Marcel Duchamp called "Genre Allegory (George Washington)" and was produced in 1943. The picture is from an art book "Marcel Duchamp" by Gloria Moure, published by Rizzoli New York. Green supposedly likes (liked?) Duchamp. In a 1988 article he mentioned Duchamp as his favorite painter who one day just gave art up to play chess. Who the heck is Jacques Derrida? M. Derrida is a Algerian-born philosopher whose work, especially that which gets called deconstruction, has been extremely influential in the past 30 years or so. Green often has avowed his admiration for Derrida, and has even referred to him in one of the coolest songs on Songs to Remember. Have any other artists covered Scritti Politti songs? Miles Davis covered "Perfect Way" on his 1986 album Tutu, and Madness covered "The Sweetest Girl" on 1985's Mad Not Mad. Neither compares to the original version.
|
 |