Soft Cell is an electronic music duo that came to prominence in the early 8… Read Full Bio ↴Soft Cell is 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.
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.
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Keychains & Snowstorms – The Soft Cell Story
Soft Cell Lyrics
Baby Doll Baby doll is on her trapeze Wearing the smile that she…
Barriers Searching through the memory books Of photographs your lover…
Bedsitter Sunday morning going slow I'm talking to the radio Clothes a…
Born To Lose I've failed in love again Will I ever win? All the…
Caligula Syndrome I want to see you crawl As I drive by in…
Chips On My Shoulder Chips on my shoulder More as I grow older Feel I owe…
Darker Times These darker times Where do we go from here? Living for tr…
Desperate I'll do anything Anything at all Just throw a little cash …
Disease And Desire Today I awoke With a scream in my throat The reminders of…
Divided Soul Got my preacher in the kitchen Got my dealer in the…
Down In The Subway Rain keeps on falling Sun refuse to shine Baby quit your sta…
Entertain Me Trying to please All these people around me Is trying to rea…
Facility Girls She's a secretary in the daytime A modern Venus On the eight…
Forever The Same He's in a world of his own He's in a world…
Frustration Fr..fr...fr...frustration! Frustration Frustration I have l…
Fun City I left my home With a pain in my heart Not a…
Heat It was the heat of the night I think Or it…
Hendrix Medley Hey Joe Where you going With that gun in your hand I'm going…
Her Imagination She slips in and out of her dull imagination That floats…
Insecure Me It was the morning after the month before And I'm looking…
It's A Mug's Game Oh god its another night And your head is feeling Like a…
Kitchen Sink Drama Passing time in the afternoon Cleaning the bathroom floor Re…
L'Esqualita Oh I would believe that she's a real diva As she…
Last Chance In a city lost in time Somewhere sordid and sublime We met…
Little Rough Rhinestone Little rough rhinestone Where will your love go today? Somet…
Martin Martin is talking to you Martin is a boy with problems Mart…
Memorabilia Everywhere I go I take a little piece of you I collect,…
Metro Mr X Metro MRX arriving in his car Metro MRX is wanted on…
Monoculture Why don't I just give up And do myself a favor? My…
Mr. Self Destruct This next song is a bit of a tongue twister But…
Numbers Numbers Who´s the person that you woke up next to today If…
Paranoid Finished with my woman 'Cause she couldn't help me with my…
Persuasion My supermarket trolley Glides around the shelves Of frozen f…
Potential Potential Potential Potential A child in the playground…
Say Hello, Wave Goodbye Standing in the door of the Pink Flamingo, crying in…
Secret Life In your little black book You've got the names And the favou…
Seedy Films Sleazy city Seedy films Breathing so heavy Next to my neighb…
Sex Dwarf Isn't it nice Sugar and spice Luring disco dollies To a life…
Slave To This Oh, another day, another way Another life, another day, anot…
Somebody, Somewhere, Sometime I hear a calling that's hard to resist Love is a…
Soul Inside The wind in my hair And the black in my eyes I…
Tainted Love Sometimes I feel I've got to Run away, I've got to Get…
Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go Baby, baby, baby don't leave me. Ooh, please don't leave me…
The Art Of Falling Apart The Art Of Falling Apart Falling through at the seams Living…
The Best Way To Kill Dishonesty breeds like poison in an unhealed wound Multiply …
The Girl With the Patent Leather Face Look, she's here again The girl with the patent leather fac…
The Night Beware Of his promise Believe What I say Before I go forever…
Together Alone Another day melts into the evening I sit alone and watch…
Torch I'm lost again And I'm on the run Looking for love In a…
What? Do you want me to Get down on my knees Beg you…
Where The Heart Is Atmospheres are tense today Mother and father are rowing aga…
Where Was Your Heart (When You Needed It Most) You're time-wasting again Biting your nails like you were si…
You Only Live Twice You only live twice Oh, so it seems One life for yourself An…
Youth Youth has gone I heard you say It doesn't matter Anyway Don…