Singles singled out

Press, 12 April 1984, Page 22

Singles singled out

By

TONY GREEN

Recent 45 rpm releases include “Wood Beez,” the new single from English band, Scritti Politti. Apart from a very New York streetwise mix, the lead singer, Green, has fashioned a very seductive tune similar to those found on their LP, “Songs to Remember,” and it improves with each play (forget Karen Hay describing their LP as “for intellectuals only”). Shriekback, featuring exXTC keyboard wizard, Barry Andrews, continue the hard-edged funk of their debut LP, “Care on My

Spine Is The Bassline,” which is even better than their first New Zealand single, “All Lined Up.” The flip side, “Accretions,” is another good reason to have a listen to the above-men-tioned LP.

“Never Never” is a great pop ballad that combines the quivering vocals of exUndertones frontman, Feargal Sharkey, with the Assembly, a two-man band featuring Vince Clarke, of Yazoo. The Assembly plan to use a different singer on each record, but they will find it very hard to match the consummate ease of

Feargal Sharkey, arguably the best singer in post-’77 music.

The black American singer, Eartha Kitt, seen recently on television in the film, “St Louis Blues,” with Nat King Cole, uses her sassy, vampy voice to perfection on her single “Where Is My Man?” This has more personality than many current LPs, and in spite of being well into her 60s, her distinctive vocal style and charisma turn what may have been just another disco song into a record not to be missed.