Scritti Politti to reissue third album, Provision

The repressing features the original tracklisting for the vinyl and CD editions. The LP includes the album's core nine tracks, while the CD has two extras, the dub of "Boom! There She Was" and an extended version of "Oh Patti". The new edition also features sleeve notes from Green Gartside and bandmate David Gamson, delving into the story of Provision nearly forty years after its original release.

"The whole album was pushing the limits of what analogue recording could do," Gamson notes, recalling their approach to recording which involved individual parts being brought in to create a whole — a major task in the days before computer-assisted recording. In addition to the pair's own contributions, Roger Troutman, founder of the Zapp band, brought his Talkbox instrument to their sessions Dan Huff provided guitar, and Miles Davis agreed to help the pair complete a track Green had first started in London, with his trumpet appearing on "Oh Patti (Don't Feel Sorry For Loverboy)", which had come about after Davis had covered Scritti's own "Perfect Way" from previous album Cupid & Psyche 85.

"He was enigmatically charming. I was expecting an entourage, but there was none. Miles came alone and, despite reputation, seemed almost more diffident than taciturn," recalls Gartside. "He was very gracious and spent time on the piano figuring out the changes and then trying a lot of different ideas over some hours."

Provision artwork

Provision tracklist

Side One
"Boom! There She Was"
"Overnite"
"First Boy in This Town (Lovesick)"
"All That We Are"
"Best Thing Ever"

Side Two
"Oh Patti (Don't Feel Sorry for Loverboy)"
"Bam Salute"
"Sugar and Spice"
"Philosophy Now"

Provision CD tracklisting

"Boom! There She Was"
"Overnite"
"First Boy in This Town (Lovesick)"
"All That We Are"
"Best Thing Ever"
"Oh Patti (Don't Feel Sorry for Loverboy)"
"Bam Salute"
"Sugar and Spice"
"Philosophy Now"
"Oh Patti (Extended)"
"Boom! There She Was (Dub)"