Scritti Politti

About

Forming in Leeds after seeing the Sex Pistols, Scritti became a Camden squat land collective, devouring Marxist critical theory and applying it to pop so remorselessly that after several landmark singles, they became too self–conscious to make it. Gartside re-emerged from this stasis and his 1980 collapse, as a genuine pop star. His talent was hinted at in the aching beauty of “The Sweetest Girl” – and full blown by “Cupid & Psyche 85” a landmark album that inspired black US pop, right up to Timbaland’s micro–sliced beats today.

Gartside’s melodic instincts led him high into the transatlantic charts with hits such as “The Perfect Way” (covered by an admiring Miles Davis). The 1988 follow up to “Cupid,” “Provision” (on whichDavis played) maintained some sort of momentum. His next album appeared in 1999 the hip-hop fused “Anomie & Bonhomie” which won him much critical acclaim.

Their last album was White Bread, Black Beer in 2006 which was nominated for the Mercury Prize that same year.