#TUNESTALKTAPES: "Cupid & Psyche 85" by Scritti Politti

The second part of the above featured tunestalktapes video see me man-handling "CUPID & PSYCHE 85" by Scritti Politti (from the 0:36 mark), which I wonder was it ME who added the gold ink (I am in denial) on this bootleg cassette tape (maybe that's why I could do this in the first place?), and that weird red ball-point pen inked scribbles ... instead, let's have a Full Album Listen, based on the tape's tracking listing, thanks!



SIDE A:
1. The Word Girl
2. Small Talk
3. Absolute
4. A Little Knowledge
5. Don't Work That Hard

SIDE B
1. Perfect Way
2. Lover To Fall
3. Wood Beez
4. Hypnotize



SIDE A:






I am not 100%-concrete-confirmed, but I reckon the track "Wood Beez" may be the first time I'd heard from Scritti Politti, yet another scramble recording it on my Panda-cassette/radio... I was somewhat initially confused with the name of the band, as I was trying to decipher what the Radio DJ was mumbling (or perhaps it was the muffled mono-speaker LOL) and that I somehow could comprehend "scritti politti" as a band-name (nowadays everything's either mono-sibylic or literally-irreverent), but could not be ever certain... but most of all, I remembered the trippy-synth melody being something that was unique during that fortuitous era of music.

The melodies were always lovely and catchy. And what stuck me the most were the hard heavy-ish beats, during a time where synth-manipulation was de rigueur and where the beats came fast and lite. And the mashup of different musical genres and cultural-influences were fresh and done with a touch of class (IMHO) as compared to the schtick-shock of other synth-outfits.

What I had relished about their music was this lingering "darkness", of the mood and of what I'd termed; "dark dance" (for which I cannot tangibly quantify til now tho), and of coz there was Scritti's signature electric-guitar wha-whas :)

SIDE B







It was not until reggae-tinged "Word Girl" when I fully discovered and assimilated Scritti (and no, I was not discovering their discography in chronologically released-sequence too LOL) via Smash Hits and No.1-magazines (who were of coz cut-up and made into montage/collage which adorned file-holder's covers = THE must-have school accessory back then, i insist! LOL).

...and frankly, I'm thankful for the bootleg cassette-tapes (THIS is the prime example), where I'd the opportunity to partake of their excellent "Cupid & Psyche 85" (1985) and (so-so) "Provision" (1988) albums!

One of my fav Scritti Politti-tracks is from 1988's "Provision", with the following MV for "Oh Patti (Don't Feel Sorry For Loverboy)";



Besides their music, I remembered Scritti Politti mainly for their white polo shirts with turned up collars (for which I attempted to emulate but failed horrendeously if my muddled memory serves me cold) ... but then again, it was the era of the "Rainbow Kids" back then in the 80s (*a collective local term named for rainbow-colored clothings belonging to "Far East Kids" and/or "Centrepoint Kids" etc = ie: kids togged up in the latest Japanese or Brit-Pop-styles, hanging out during weekends at local malls; Far East Plaza and Centrepoint - hence the tag - not very creative, i know LOL), and I remembering the kids were given a pretty tough time, gathering enmass outside FEP's McDs and Times bookshop (on 4th floor of CP) - when instead folks should be worried about the kids NOT seen in open public locales, who end up sniffing glue and doing nasty shitte (but then again mayhap that has always been the Singaporean mass-mentality, tackling the face-surface-issues but not what's underneath, until tis too late, of coz :p).

But no, me mum needn't worry, as the worse I'd gotten were ill-attempted turned-up polo shirt collars... :p

(The earliest incarnation of my music memories was regaled in 2007!!)

And if you are curious about the "People Are People" tape from Depeche Mode, CHECK IT OUT HERE!

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