After the personal breakdown and group dissension in 1979, Green spent 1980 convalescing at home with his parents in Wales. To heal himself, he listened to black pop such as the Staple Singers and began writing new songs in the same vein.To justify his new direction to the rest of the band, he wrote a whole tome of material explaining why the use of 'mainstream' sound and song structure isn't necessarily a defection from leftist politics. But frustrated with this process of communal consent, he eventually just said here are the songs, play them or leave the band. Nail officially left the band though he still played with the band during this phase. The band now assumed a three men unity with assorted supporting musicians: Green, Tom, and Matthew who wasn't involved with the music, but rather acted as agent, promoter, and 'organiser'.

The first fruit from new Green was released in March 1981 on New Musical Express/Rough Trade C81 cassette. But as a single, The Sweetest Girl wasn't released until August and it reached #64 on the UK chart. The second single Faithless -- released in May 1982 -- reached UK #56 and topped UK independent chart. Having reached success of some sort, the next and last single from this period was promoted heavily by Rough Trade with picture discs and limited edition signed posters. And it paid off, sort of: 'Double A-side' Asylums in Jerusalem/Jacques Derrida, released in August '81 and featured guest Robert Wyatt on keyboards, was the group's first UK top 50 entry at #43. But press at the time indicated Scritti had hoped for even better results. September release Songs To Remember -- Scritti's debut LP -- reached UK #12 and again topped UK independent chart. It got ab okay review from NME despite Green's headstrong and difficult personality. But huge commercial success eluded them.

In November Tom left the band. Green in the meanwhile struck up with David Gamson who worked as an assistant sound engineer at Rough Trade and had a cover version of The Archies' Sugar Sugar released on Rough Trade at the same time as Scritti's The Sweetest Girl. The two left for America and the next phase of Scritti began in New York.

( . . . . . 80-82 articles listing )

Click on the in the 7", 12", or LP column
to get more details on the single, EP, or LP.
Also available: complete SCRITTI POLITTI songs listing

song title	7"	12"	LP
Asylums in Jerusalem
A Slow Soul
Jacques Derrida
Lions After Slumber
Faithless
Sex
Rock-A-Boy blue
Gettin' Havin' & Holdin'
The Sweetest Girl