Scritti Politti - Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)

Directed by John Scarlett-Davis and featuring a young Michael Clark. Green Gartside: “As The Funky Four Plus One said: ’That’s The Joint!’ Wood Beez started with an idea based on part of a lyric in Dave and Ansell Collins’ record Double Barrel. I love playing this live nowadays.” David Gamson: “Like Absolute, the DNA of this is an acoustic guitar-based song that’s been arranged in a completely different way. Whenever I listen I still get the thrill of hearing all our ideas realised in the studio with all these amazing musicians.” GG: David and I were just reminiscing about how the rapid fire kick drum pattern happened by accident when programming the 808 drum machine. We didn’t have an 808 then, so Fred borrowed Brian Eno’s. Great backgrounds from Tawatha Agee, who sang with Mtume – remember Juicy Fruit? – and Fonzi Thornton, who sang with Chic and Luther Vandross. Scritti recording engineer Ray Bardani was Luther’s friend and longtime engineer. I think he hooked us up… B.J. Nelson is in there too, of course. She was a key part of the sound.” Following a reissue process overseen by Green Gartside the band’s acclaimed albums Cupid & Psyche 85 and Anomie & Bonhomie are out now on vinyl. You can buy them here: