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Soft Cell

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Soft Cell was an English synthesizer duo during the early 1980s (currently re-formed). They consisted of Marc Almond (vocals) and David Ball (synthesizers). Their lyrics often focused on love and romance as well as the darker side of life, with subjects such as kinky sex, transvestism, drugs and murder. They had a huge world-wide hit in 1981 with a cover version of "Tainted Love", a northern soul classic originally sung by Gloria Jones (the wife of Marc Bolan).

Both Marc Almond and David Ball grew up in seaside towns (the former, Southport, and the latter, Blackpool), and later met while students at the Leeds Polytechnic Fine Arts University (now Leeds Metropolitan University). Almond, a performance artist, collaborated with Ball on a few avant-garde multi-media performances at the university. Although Ball's musical background consisted of guitar, he had access to the university studio and was experimenting with the nascent synthesizer technology at the time. The two students became the prototypical synth duo and were initially associated with other New Wave scenesters dubbed "New Romantics" by the British Press. Other bands associated with this scene included Visage, Duran Duran, and Spandau Ballet, but the darker nature of their music also made Soft Cell darlings of the emerging Goth scene.

Contents

Early Soft Cell

Their initial efforts at recording resulted in an EP called Mutant Moments, made with simply a 2-track recorder. This was released independently with very few vinyl copies pressed and has since become a highly valued collector's item among Soft Cell fans. Their early shows and EP caught the interest of certain record labels, such as Mute Records and Some Bizzare Records, both of which pioneered the new wave of synthesizer bands. Soft Cell's next recording, "The Girl with the Patent Leather Face," appeared as a contribution to the Some Bizzare compilation album, which featured other (then unknown) bands such as Depeche Mode, The The, and Blancmange.

\"Tainted Love\"

Their first single, "Memorabilia," was produced by Daniel Miller, the founder of Mute Records. While the single was a minor club hit, Soft Cell remained essentially unknown. Showing impatience, Soft Cell's record label permitted them to release one final single in an attempt to score a chart hit. The band opted to record a radically reworked cover version of a 1964 Gloria Jones track penned by Ed Cobb of The Four Preps, "Tainted Love", a Northern Soul classic. Released in 1981, "Tainted Love" was a number-one hit in seventeen countries, including the United Kingdom, as well as a number eight single in the United States during 1982, and went on to set a then-Guinness World Record for the longest consecutive stay on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart (43 weeks). The 12 inch single of the song featured "Tainted Love" joined in a medley with the classic Motown hit "Where Did Our Love Go?" by The Supremes. At the peak of its popularity many radio stations opted to play the full medley, utilizing their own edits to bring the track's original extended running time to a more radio-friendly length while still showcasing both songs.

According to Marc Almond's book, "Tainted Life", Soft Cell had left the "Tainted Love" recording sessions with only modest expectations that the track might dent the UK Top 50. Further, Almond wrote that his only significant contribution to the song's instrumentation (besides the vocals) was the suggestion that the song begin with a characteristic "bink bink" sound which would repeat periodically throughout. While "Tainted Love" was Soft Cell's only major hit in the United States, the band had a string of hits in the UK, including "Bedsitter", "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye", "Torch" and "What", each of which broke the UK Top 5.

Covers and Sampling

Due to its cult status, the band's version of "Tainted Love" has been covered and sampled a number of times, including:

Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret

Their first , called Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, further explored the trademark Soft Cell themes of squalor and sleaze. "Seedy Films" talks of long nights in porno cinemas, while "Frustration" and "Secret Life" deal with the boredom and hypocrisy associated with suburban life. A companion video entitled Non-Stop Exotic Video Show was released alongside the album and featured videos directed by Tim Pope, who later found fame as director of music videos by The Cure. The video generated some controversy in Britain, mainly due to the scandal involved with the "Sex Dwarf" promotional film. The original version of the music video featured Almond and Ball in a bloody butcher shop surrounded by chainsaws, nude actors, and dwarves. However, the film was confiscated by police and censored before it was even released. As a tongue-in-cheek substitute, a re-filmed "Sex Dwarf" appeared in Non-Stop Exotic Video Show featuring Almond dressed in a tuxedo, directing a symphony orchestra of dwarves.

In 1982, the duo spent most of their time recording and relaxing in New York City, where they met a woman named Cindy Ecstasy. It was Cindy Ecstasy who introduced them to the new club drug of the same name. By their own admission, most of Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing was recorded and mixed under the influence of ecstasy.

By now, the shadow of "Tainted Love" was beginning to haunt the band, and the pressures of stardom were taking their toll. Marc Almond also formed the group Marc and the Mambas, featuring collaborations with The The's Matt Johnson and future Almond collaborator Annie Hogan, as an offshoot in order to experiment out of the glare of the Soft Cell spotlight. Soft Cell followed their remix album with a full length album appropriately titled The Art of Falling Apart. The singles were modest successes in Britain. Again, Soft Cell courted some controversy when their second single from the album, "Numbers," was banned from the BBC due to references in the song to the drug speed.

By 1983, they had decided amicably to dissolve the band and released one final album called This Last Night in Sodom, a critical success but a commercial failure. The album departed from its predecessors by having a much grittier feel, featuring more live drums and guitars than previous albums. However, the sleazy subject matter still remained true to the Soft Cell ethos, with songs such as "L'Esqualita" that glamourized transvestite culture in Manhattan.

Solo years

During Almond's solo years, he and Ball continued to keep in touch. Dave Ball's wife played cello in Marc Almond's solo band. Almond and David Ball did not work again together until the nineties, when Ball arranged some music for Almond's "Tenement Symphony." David Ball formed The Grid in 1990. They split up in 1996, but reformed in 2003.

Reunion

Almond and Ball's reunion as Soft Cell became official with well-received initial concerts followed by the release of Cruelty Without Beauty in 2003, featuring their first new songs together in almost twenty years. One of those songs was their 2003 hit single "The Night" (UK #39). Soft Cell had considered recording "The Night" back in 1981 in place of "Tainted Love" as their last-ditch attempt to score a chart hit. In a 2003 interview with BBC's Top of the Pops, keyboardist David Ball asserted, "I think history has kind of shown that we did make the right choice."

Discography

Singles

Rarities

Albums

Video/DVD

External links

 

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