Soft Cell

Bio

Soft Cell are an electronic music duo that came to prominence in the early 80s. They consist of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The duo is most widely known for their 1981 worldwide hit version of "Tainted Love" and influential multi-platinum debut ''Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret''. In the UK, they had five Top 5 hits, including "Bedsitter", "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye", "Torch" and "What!", and also had four Top 20 albums between 1981 and 1984. The duo split in 1984, but reformed in the early 2000s to tour and released a new album in 2002. Their songs have been covered by various artists including David Gray, Marilyn Manson, Nouvelle Vague and A-ha. Both Marc Almond and Dave 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. Marc Almond had a productive career as a solo artist later in the 80s and 90s and with Marc & the Mambas and other collaborations. Dave Ball has done a few solo productions with other British new wave acts in the early 80s. He also later was involved in the electronic dance act The Grid with Richard Norris. Almond and Ball's reunion as Soft Cell became official with well-received initial concerts - they performed at the opening of the Ocean nightclub in London in March 2001 to strong reviews, and a mini tour followed later in the year. The track "God Shaped Hole" featured on the Some Bizzare compilation titled "I'd Rather Shout at a Returning Echo than Kid Someone's Listening", released in 2001. The album Cruelty Without Beauty was released in late 2002, followed by a European tour and a partial US tour in early 2003. The new album featured their first new songs together in almost twenty years. One of those songs was their 2003 single "The Night" (UK #39). Interestingly, Soft Cell had considered recording "The Night" in place of "Tainted Love" back in 1981 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 [in 1981]." In August 2007, the band announced they were working on a remix album, "Heat - The Remixes". The remix album is expected to be released in May 2008 and will include classic Soft Cell tracks remixed by such acts as Manhattan Clique, Cicada, Richard X, Ladytron, MHC, Mark Moore, Kinky Roland, Spektrum, George Demure, Yer Man and many more. . User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

Similar artists

Marc Almond, The Human League, Visage, Heaven 17, Blancmange

Genres

new wave,synth-pop,synthpop,uk,minimal synth,rock and indie,dark cabaret,british,english,electronic,new romantic,new wave,new wave pop,synthpop,

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Infos

On Tour: Yes

country: GB

city: 1980

Begin Date: 1980

Last Update:

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Last FM

Martin (Hallowe'en Mix)

Martin (Hallowe'en Mix)

Jan/2019

Guilty (Wow & Flutter Remix)

Guilty (Wow & Flutter Remix)

Jan/2018

Non‐Stop Erotic Cabaret / The Art of Falling Apart

Non‐Stop Erotic Cabaret / The Art of Falling Apart

Jan/2010

Say Hello Wave Goodbye - The O2 London

Say Hello Wave Goodbye - The O2 London

Jul/2019

Together Alone

Jun/2019

Magick Mutants EP

Magick Mutants EP

May/2019

Tainted Love - Single

Tainted Love - Single

Mar/2019

Keychains and Snowstorms - The Singles

Keychains and Snowstorms - The Singles

Sep/2018

Keychains and Snowstorms

Keychains and Snowstorms

Sep/2018

Northern Lights / Guilty ('Cos I Say You Are)

Northern Lights / Guilty ('Cos I Say You Are)

Sep/2018

Keychains And Snowstorms: The Soft Cell Story

Keychains And Snowstorms: The Soft Cell Story

Sep/2018

The Singles – Keychains & Snowstorms

The Singles – Keychains & Snowstorms

Sep/2018

Keychains & Snowstorms – The Soft Cell Story

Keychains & Snowstorms – The Soft Cell Story

Sep/2018

Club Remixes EP 2018

Club Remixes EP 2018

Jul/2018

Martin

Jul/2018

Say Hello Wave Goodbye / Youth

Say Hello Wave Goodbye / Youth

Nov/2017

Sex Dwarf

Apr/2016

Tainted Love (Re-Recorded / Remastered) - The Remixes

Tainted Love (Re-Recorded / Remastered) - The Remixes

Jan/2010

Tainted Love (The Remixes)

Tainted Love (The Remixes)

Jan/2010

Tainted Love - The Remixes

Tainted Love - The Remixes

Dec/2009

Bedsitter E.P.

Mar/2024

Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go? E.P.

Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go? E.P.

Feb/2024

Memorabilia / A Man Could Get Lost E.P.

Memorabilia / A Man Could Get Lost E.P.

Feb/2024

*Happiness now digital

*Happiness now digital

Jan/2024

Chips On My Shoulder

Chips On My Shoulder

Dec/2023

Nostalgia Machine (The Remixes)

Nostalgia Machine (The Remixes)

Sep/2023

*Happiness Now Completed

*Happiness Now Completed

Jul/2023

Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret ...And Other Stories : Live

Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret ...And Other Stories : Live

Jun/2023

Non Stop Erotic Cabaret ... And Other Stories [Live]

Non Stop Erotic Cabaret ... And Other Stories [Live]

May/2023

Non Stop Erotic Cabaret ... And Other Stories [Live] [Explicit]

Non Stop Erotic Cabaret ... And Other Stories [Live] [Explicit]

May/2023

Tainted Love (Re-Recorded - Sped Up)

Tainted Love (Re-Recorded - Sped Up)

Apr/2023

Tainted Love (Re-Recorded - Sped Up) - EP

Tainted Love (Re-Recorded - Sped Up) - EP

Apr/2023

Light Sleepers (The Grid Mixes) / Last Chance (Brass Mixes)

Light Sleepers (The Grid Mixes) / Last Chance (Brass Mixes)

Apr/2023

*Happiness Now Extended

*Happiness Now Extended

Mar/2023

Last Chance (Christmas Mix) / Light Sleepers

Last Chance (Christmas Mix) / Light Sleepers

Dec/2022

Last Chance (Christmas Mix)

Last Chance (Christmas Mix)

Nov/2022

Last Chance (Christmas Mix) - Single

Last Chance (Christmas Mix) - Single

Nov/2022

Nostalgia Machine

Nostalgia Machine

Nov/2022

Strange Kinda Dance

Strange Kinda Dance

Nov/2022

Happiness Not Included

Happiness Not Included

May/2022

Say Hello, Wave Goodbye E.P.

Say Hello, Wave Goodbye E.P.

Mar/2024

What? E.P.

Apr/2024

Torch E.P.

Apr/2024

Mutants In Hollywood

Mutants In Hollywood

Mar/2024

Tainted Love (Federico Romanzi Remix)

Tainted Love (Federico Romanzi Remix)

Mar/2024

Torch E.P. [Explicit]

Torch E.P. [Explicit]

Apr/2024

Non-Stop Extended Cabaret

Non-Stop Extended Cabaret

Apr/2024

What?

Apr/2024

Non‐Stop Extended Cabaret

Non‐Stop Extended Cabaret

Apr/2024

Light Sleepers (Christmas Mix)

Light Sleepers (Christmas Mix)

Dec/2024

*Happiness Now Digital

*Happiness Now Digital

Jan/2024

Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing (Deluxe Edition) [Explicit]

Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing (Deluxe Edition) [Explicit]

Jun/2025

First Hand Experience In Second Hand Love

First Hand Experience In Second Hand Love

Jun/2025

Insecure Me (Hifi Sean Remix)

Insecure Me (Hifi Sean Remix)

May/2025

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