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Soft Cell

English synthpop duo

Soft Cell are an English synth-pop band who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They consisted of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball until the latter's death in 2025.

The band are primarily known for their 1981 hit version of "Tainted Love" and their platinum-selling debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret.

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Soft Cell
Soft Cell
photo and its licence on Wikimedia Commons
Admit one
Soft Cell
what
a band
from
Leeds
since
1980
until
2025
on the air here
0 songs
still after
4 songs

File card: Soft Cell

members: Marc Almond

formed in: Leeds

labels: Some Bizzare

genres: synth-pop, new wave, minimal wave, electronic music, dark wave, pop music, minimal synth, dance music

Facts from Wikidata and Discogs, free to use.

synth-popsynthpopelectroniciswcs pendingminimal synthnew wave
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Influences and legacy

The group cited David Bowie, Marc Bolan and Suicide as primary influences. Almond also named Siouxsie Sioux as a major influence for his early performance style, as well as Peter Hammill of Van der Graaf Generator.

From Wikipedia, shared under CC BY-SA. Read the whole page
English synthesizer duo, who came to prominence in the early 1980s. 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), which they followed up with more charting singles and one of the first remix albums (Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing). Their self-penned non-album single 4349 missed the No.1 spot of the UK charts by a hairbreadth. The Art Of Falling Apart followed in 1982, produced with Mike Thorne with Dave Ball using the then new CMI Fairlight synthesizer. It spawned 2 singles chosen against the will of the record companies; Where The Heart Is and Numbers ; neither sold too well. The commercial pressure finally collided with their artistic ambitions which led to solo and side projects and two farewell shows in January 1984 even before their 3rd album This Last Night... In Sodom was released. (Their lyrics often focused on love and romance as well as the darker side of life, with subjects such as the nightlife, sex, transvestism, drugs, murder or youthful frustration.) Almond & Ball reunited in the early 2000's and toured, with a 4th studio album Cruelty Without Beauty following in 2002. Once again th Also known as: Sofet Cell, Soft Cell Featuring Marc Almond, Soft Cell*, Soft Sell, Softcell From Discogs (free to use). Their entry

Liner notes

Soft Cell, the records, oldest first
  1. Mutant Moments EP
    1980 ep
  2. Non‐Stop Erotic Cabaret
    1981 album
    wanted
  3. Loving You, Hating Me
    1983 ep
  4. The Art of Falling Apart
    1983 album
  5. This Last Night in Sodom
    1984 album
  6. Pink Culture
    1987 album
  7. Cruelty Without Beauty
    2002 album
  8. Magick Mutants EP
    2019 ep
  9. Tainted Love
    2021 ep
  10. *Happiness Not Included
    2022 album
  11. *Happiness Now Completed
    2023 album
  12. Memorabilia / A Man Could Get Lost E.P.
    2024 ep
  13. *Happiness Now Digital
    2024 album
  14. First Hand Experience In Second Hand Love
    2025 ep
  15. The Rainbow Room
    2026 ep
  16. Danceteria
    2026 album
  17. In Heaven (When I Dance With You)
    2026 ep
  18. The Space Inside
    2026 ep
  19. Futurama II 1980
    year unknown album
Records from MusicBrainz; covers from the Cover Art Archive.

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Radio Free Elsewhere Bulletin1981

Tainted Love

1964 song written by Ed Cobb

"Tainted Love" is a song composed by Ed Cobb, formerly of American group the Four Preps, which was originally recorded by soul musician Gloria Jones in 1964. In 1981, the song attained worldwide fame after being covered and reworked by British synth-pop duo Soft Cell for their album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret.

The song has since been covered by numerous groups and artists.

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