Cupid & Psyche 85, the classic album that made Scritti Politti a household name, returns as a brand-new deluxe edition.
Alongside the version fans have cherished for years, it includes precious material handpicked from the archives, making this the definitive edition. The release features a brand-new remaster of the original album plus bonus tracks and remixes.
Of particular note: the 13-track version created for the then-newborn CD format at the time of the album's June 1985 release is being pressed to vinyl for the very first time. The project was overseen by Green Gartside, with remastering handled by Chris Athens, whose credits include Drake and the Beastie Boys. In addition, three further recordings have been newly unearthed from the Scritti Politti archives: "Perfect Way (Version)," "Lover To Fall (12" Dance Mix)" and "Perfect Way (Perfect Way Mix)," all officially released here for the first time. Also included are self-penned liner notes by Green Gartside and David Gamson, who joined Scritti Politti during the making of Cupid & Psyche 85 and played a major role in shaping the album's sound.
Glimpses of their pop sensibility were already evident on 1982's Songs To Remember (reissued April 10, 2026), but Scritti Politti made a dazzling leap forward with 1985's Cupid & Psyche 85. Fusing soulful melodies, classic arrangements and cutting-edge lyrics while pushing the tape-based recording technology of the era to its absolute limits, its production anticipated creative foundations that still resonate with today's most advanced music-making. Born from the meticulous studio work of Green Gartside and David Gamson, and from collaborations with legendary producer Arif Mardin, Average White Band and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers drummer Steve Ferrone, and vocalist Tawatha Agee, Cupid & Psyche 85 is a record brimming with ideas and experimental spirit.
While boldly embracing the maximalism of 1980s pop, the album also drew on the production sensibilities, attitude and vocal delivery of the then-nascent hip-hop scene, channeling that free, open-minded outlook into something uniquely and unmistakably Scritti Politti. The 1985 CD edition embodied that same attitude: the band eagerly adopted the most advanced technology of the day, creating additional mixes and alternate versions with a sensibility shared by rap artists of the era.
The Japanese CD edition includes commentary, translated lyrics, bonus tracks, and self-penned liner notes by Green Gartside and David Gamson. "Perfect Way - Version," included as track 14 of the main program, was remastered for this release by Chris Athens. In addition to this lavish content, the Japanese CD also features the original audio of "Perfect Way - Version" as included on the 2022 reissue. The 13-track version is being issued on LP for the first time, available as a standard edition (black vinyl) as well as a limited edition with Japanese obi (black vinyl / self-penned liner notes enclosed / Japanese obi / commentary and translated lyrics included).