Jump to content

Green Gartside

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Green Gartside
Gartside performing live at Brixton Academy, 2014
Gartside performing live atBrixton Academy,2014
Background information
Birth namePaul Julian Strohmeyer
Born(1955-06-22)22 June 1955(age 69)
OriginCardiff,Wales
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active1977–1991; 1999–present
Labels
Member ofScritti Politti

Green Gartside(bornPaul Julian Strohmeyer;22 June 1955)[3][better source needed]is a Welsh singer, songwriter and musician. He is the frontman of the bandScritti Politti.

Early life

[edit]

Gartside was born on 22 June 1955[4]inCardiff,Wales, to a "Cup-a-Soupsalesman dad and a hairdresser/secretary/whatever mum ".[5]His childhood was not always happy, with the family, which included a sister, having to move every twelve months or so because of his father's job.[5]The family ended up "living all over [Wales], fromBridgendtoNewporttoYstrad Mynach".[6]His father died while he was a child and his widowed mother married her boss, asolicitorfrom Newport named Gordon Gartside, from whom he adopted his new surname.[5]Gartside recalls, "The 'Green' bit came about because I didn't like the fact there were two other Pauls in my class and I wanted something different. So I just chose something random after listening to aCaptain Beefheartalbum where all the musicians were named odd things likeZoot Horn Rollo.I thought having a made-up name was well cool ".[5]

Gartside attendedCroesyceiliog Grammar SchoolinCwmbran.At the age of 14, he formed a branch of theYoung Communist League,along with his schoolfriend and future Scritti Politti bassist Nial Jinks.[5][7]He later completed a foundation course in art atNewport Art College.[5]and formed a band called Heads of the Valleys.[5]

In the mid-1970s, Gartside moved to England to study fine art atLeeds Polytechnic.[8]

Career

[edit]
Green Gartside: The record is an art form by its own.

While at art school inLeedsin 1977, Gartside formed thepost-punkbandScritti Politti[9]with schoolmate and friend Nial Jinks and art school friend Tom Morley. After Gartside and Morley had left Leeds Polytechnic, they moved to London, later securing arecording contractwithRough Trade Recordswho released Scritti Politti's debut studio albumSongs to Rememberin September 1982. However, subsequent Scritti Politti studio albums featured Gartside with different personnel, with Gartside being the only constant member of the group. In 1983, Gartside provided guest vocals onEurythmics's cover version of theSam & Davesong "Wrap It Up" from their second studio albumSweet Dreams (Are Made of This).

Scritti Politti performing live at Big Chill 2006

As Scritti Politti, Gartside andNew YorkerskeyboardistDavid Gamsonand drummerFred Maherreleased the band's second studio albumCupid & Psyche 85in June 1985. The album included hits "Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)"(to themusic videofor whichMichael Clarklent his contemporary dance); "Absolute"(the music video being based onWilliam Shakespeare'sA Midsummer Night's Dream);[10]"The Word Girl";"Perfect Way";and" Hypnotize ". Released onVirgin Records,it reached number 5 in the UK and wascertified goldby theBritish Phonographic Industry(BPI) for 100,000 copies sold. It was produced by Scritti Politti and Turkish-bornArif Mardinwho coincidentally had also producedAretha Franklin,one of Gartside's musical influences.

Released in June 1988, Scritti Politti's third studio albumProvisionwas a UK top 10 success, though it only produced one UK top 20 hit single, "Oh Patti (Don't Feel Sorry for Loverboy)". After releasing a couple of non-album singles in 1991, as well as a collaboration withB.E.F.,Gartside became disillusioned with the music industry and retired toSouth Walesfor more than seven years.[11]

In the early to mid-1990s, Gartside lived alone in a secluded cottage inUsk,Monmouthshire,spending his time listening tohip hop,playing darts and drinking beer at his localpubThe Nags Head Inn.[6][5]He returned to music-making in the late 1990s, releasing a new studio album,Anomie & Bonhomie,in 1999 (which included variousrapand hip hop influences).

In 2006, another new studio album was released by Gartside, the stripped-downWhite Bread Black Beerby Scritti Politti, which returned to the more experimental era of the band's history. He also returned to touring,[12]including his first ever tour of the United States with his band Scritti Politti.[13]

In 2012, Gartside, who has suffered from recurringstage frightthat prevented Scritti Politti from touring for many years, performed several songs byfolk rocksingerSandy DennyofFairport Conventionas part of a tribute called The Lady in several UK cities.

In 2015, Gartside was awarded an Honorary Fellowship fromGoldsmiths, University of London.[9]

He has been a regular stand-in presenter onBBC Radio 6 Music.[14][15]

Gartside has also worked withMiles Davis,[16]Chaka Khan,[17]Eurythmics,Elvis Costello,[18]Shabba Ranks,Mos Def,[19]Meshell Ndegeocello,[20]Kylie Minogue,[21]Robyn Hitchcock,[22]Manic Street Preachers,[23]Tracey Thorn,[24]andRobert Wyatt(onSongs to Remember).

In 2020, Gartside released a solo single on Rough Trade Records, which featuredcover versionsof "Tangled Man" and "Wishing Well"[25]byfolksingerAnne Briggs.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"One week, one band".Retrieved14 September2017.
  2. ^Horton 2011, Matthew."Scritti Politti Absolute Review Compilation. Released 2011".Retrieved15 January2020.{{cite news}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^Dalton, Stephen (4 August 2006)."It's getting easier being Green".The Times.Retrieved4 August2010.
  4. ^Berkmann, Marcus (3 June 2021).Berkmann's Pop Miscellany: Sex, Drugs and Cars in Swimming Pools.Little, Brown Book Group.ISBN9781408713846.
  5. ^abcdefghOwens, David (28 June 2012)."Scritti Politti's Green Gartside returns to Newport for the Busk on the Usk Festival".Wales Online.Media Wales Ltd.Retrieved30 November2016– via walesonline.co.uk.
  6. ^abBevan, Nathan (13 March 2011)."Scritti Politti's Green Gartside on cracking under the pressures of fame".Wales Online.Media Wales Ltd.Retrieved1 February2015– via walesonline.co.uk.
  7. ^Butt, Gavin (2022).No machos or pop stars: when the Leeds art experiment went punk.Durham: Duke University Press. p. 78.ISBN9781478023234.LCCN2021050347.
  8. ^"Scritti Politti".iTunes.Retrieved12 September2017.
  9. ^ab"Film producer Lord Puttnam and designer Margaret Howell to be honoured by Goldsmiths".gold.ac.uk.Goldsmiths, University of London. Archived fromthe originalon 23 February 2015.Retrieved15 January2020.
  10. ^"Happy Birthday, Green!".Oh by the Way.22 June 2014.Retrieved7 October2019.
  11. ^Roberts, David (1998).Guinness Rockopedia(1st ed.). London:Guinness Publishing Ltd.p.378.ISBN0-85112-072-5.
  12. ^"Pop legend plays first gig for 26 years".The Guardian.9 January 2006.Retrieved7 October2019.
  13. ^Scritti Politti's First Ever U.S. Tour Datesby B.V. Staff,BrooklynVegan,27 September 2006.
  14. ^"Green Gartside sits in".Guy Garvey's Finest Hour.BBC.Retrieved7 October2019.
  15. ^"Green Gartside sits in".The Tom Robinson Show.BBC.Retrieved7 October2019.
  16. ^"Interview: Green Gartside".The Last Miles.Retrieved7 October2019.
  17. ^"Pop legend plays first gig for 26 years".The Guardian.9 January 2006.Retrieved7 October2019.
  18. ^"Pop music: My dinner with Derrida".The Independent.15 July 1999.Retrieved7 October2019.
  19. ^"Do Remember: Scritti Politti, Mos Def & Lee Majors – Tinseltown To Boogie Down".Ambrosia For Heads.Retrieved7 October2019.
  20. ^Derrik, Mathis (26 January 2000)."Behind Blue Eyes".LA Weekly.Retrieved7 October2019.
  21. ^"Album: Kylie Minogue".The Independent.14 November 2003.Retrieved7 October2019.
  22. ^"Scritti Politti's Green Gartside plays Nick Drake tribute dates".Rough Trade Records.Retrieved7 October2019.
  23. ^"Behind the Manic Street Preachers' new Welsh assembly: The collaborators who made Futurology possible".Wales Online.5 July 2014.Retrieved7 October2019.
  24. ^"Album: Tracey Thorn, Tinsel and Lights (Strange Feeling)".The Independent.22 December 2012.Retrieved7 October2019.
  25. ^"Green Gartside – Tangled Man – 7" ".Rough Trade.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Green_Gartside&oldid=1240818396"