SCRITTI
CRUSH
CREW
Remember the infamous Scritti Crush Crew? How many of you outside UK sent a SAE and never got a reply? I was one. Didn't stop my blossoming obsession with Scritti Politti at the time though.
Now we have information curtesy of Mr. Lawrence in London that there was indeed a Scritti Crush Crew and that there was even a fanzine. Both were official: SCC made it onto Scritti's phase 3 LP covers. The magazine was designed by Keith Breedan of Design KB who helped designed quite a few of Scritti's record sleeves; and it also included original interviews with the phase 3 band members. Unfortunately, the magazine lasted only two issues; and it is doubtful that the fan club survived the breakup of phase 3 Scritti. SCC, nor Partisan Management, Scritti's management company during phase 3, were listed on the sleeves of phase 4 records in 1991.
5/16/97 DON'T BE SHY NOW!
Finally! One of you former Crew members finally stepped out of the closet for just a brief while to greet AoF. Hello Kerri of the fair British Isles! Here's the mike...
KERRI: I was a member of the oft-lamented Scritti Crush Crew, and thought I'd better inform you that I am 99.9% sure (although my memory could be called into question here) that I received 3 copies of the Crush Crew fanzine. Of course, I can't immediately back this up with hard evidence -- Jesus Christ knows where they are amongst the several boxes of belongings I have scattered across northern England. I'll have to try & track it down -- but be assured if I find anything of interest I'll let you know.
AOF: Thanks, Kerri! Now all you kids out there listen to the wise words of this veteran of a fan club guru...
KERRI: I'm afraid I have quite a long & sad history of joining fan clubs -- from the Bay City Rollers & the Wombles in the early '70's, via the likes of Abba, up to Scritti Crush Crew (for the former ones -- well, all I can say is, I was only young at the time, honest -- I didn't know any better!). The only one I'm a member of now is the Bjork fan club -- actually they call it an "information network" (the idea of 'fan clubs' is a bit unfashionable at the moment) -- which is *brilliant*. It took some time to get together, but it's been absolutely worth it so far: a wonderful free gig, a really fascinating magazine, and then -- with incredible timing -- on my birthday a free CD of previously unreleased material that was only available to the first 10,000 members worldwide (I think)!!!
AOF: Hear that Green, and Virgin? Now there's a fine example of fan club leadership for you and me! Kerri, maybe you better tell Green your birthdate or otherwise he can't send you his new album on your next birthday even if he wants to, can he? ;-)
KERRI: Scritti Crush Crew promised much, but nothing other than the magazine and some free stickers arrived. This seems to be about par for the course for fan clubs -- Bjork is very much an exception. Even mailing lists are very poor in the UK -- I've 'joined' loads but never received a thing! I only join if I'm REALLY into the band/artist(e), purely as a way of finding out more about them, what their recording/touring plans are -- things such as free CDs and gigs are mega-bonuses!
AOF: Now that's not too much to ask for, is it, Green, and Virgin? Okay, maybe Green doesn't have much to say, only a few hyper-polysyllabic words once every 3-6 years or so, but still...
KERRI: I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to meet or correspond with these people in any way, which I think is quite the opposite of a lot of people. I used to work in the music industry and I now appreciate that the worst thing you can do with any "icons" or "mentors" or "idols" or whatever you want to call them, is to actually meet them! I've been quite let down after meeting several people I'd held in really high esteem, only to find out they were complete idiots/really unpleasant people! I don't really have any interest in them personally anyway, except perhaps to try to appreciate where their creativity comes from...
AOF: Now now Kerri, you're scaring Green! Sure he does smoke and booze too much, and talk a lot of "non-sense", but he can't be all that bad and idiotic can he?
KERRI: Fan clubs nowadays have been pretty much superceded by web sites anyway -- for example, I am a massive Throwing Muses fan, and their website is WAY better than any fan club could ever be (as with Sidi Bou Said, Moloko, 808 State, etc). Fan clubs are REALLY hard work, and take alot of effort & money -- I know again from my music days -- most bands have really good intentions when they start out, but it kinda gets lost along the way.
AOF: There, she said it all for us. Amen!
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