Soft Cell is a British synth-pop duo consisting of Mark Almond (vocals) and David Ball (keyboards). The group was very popular in the early 80s and largely influenced subsequent generations of musicians ( Antony and the Johnsons , The Dresden Dolls , Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails recognize the influence of Soft Cell). At the same time, the popularity of the duo in the USA is determined by only one song - “Tainted Love”, which lasted 43 weeks on the Billboard chart. In the UK, the group has ten singles in the Top 40 (among them are “Bedsitter” (# 4), “ Say Hello, Wave Goodbye ” (# 3), “Torch” (# 2), “What” (# 3), etc. .), as well as four albums that reached the top twenty chart between 1981 and 1984. Soft Cell split up in 1984, but reunited 17 years later, recording a new album.
| Soft cell | |
|---|---|
| Genres | Postpunk New wave Synty pop electropop Techno |
| Years | 1980 - 1984 , 2001 - 2004 , 2018 - |
| A country |  Great Britain |
| Where from | Leeds |
| Label | Some bizzare Sire records Cooking vinyl Mute records Vertigo records |
| Composition | Mark Almond David ball |
Content
History
The early years
Soft Cells arose in 1978 when Almond and Ball met at the Leeds Polytechnic University. Their first work was the Mutant Moments mini-album, released the same year; It is a rarity, since only 2 thousand copies of it were issued. The duo's early performances attracted the attention of some record labels - “Mute Records” and “Some Bizzare Records”, who promoted synth-pop artists (one of them was Depeche Mode ). The next Soft Cell entry, “The Girl With The Patent Leather Face,” was included in Some Bizzare Album, which also included Depeche Mode, The The, and Blancmange . The duo's first singles, “A Man Can Get Lost” and “Memorabilia,” were produced by Daniel Miller , founder of Mute Records . Although Memorabilia was a success at nightclubs, Soft Cells were not popular.
Tainted Love
After the failure of the single “Memorabilia” on the charts, “Phonogram Records” allowed Soft Cell to release their second single. The group decided to record a cover version of the 1964 song " Tainted Love ", which was originally performed by Gloria Jones, and the authorship of which belongs to Ed Cobb.
Released in 1981, the single "Tainted Love" reached number one in 17 countries, including the UK, and number eight in the United States, where it set a record for the length of stay on the Billboard Hot 100 (43 weeks). The twelve-inch version of the single also included the song “Where Did Our Love Go” (original by The Supremes )
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Soft Cell 's debut album , Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret , was released in December 1981. He recorded in New York , where at that time gay clubs and ecstasy were becoming increasingly popular. The sound of the record reflects the atmosphere of those years, and the lyrics tell the audience about pornographic cinemas ("Seedy Films"), boring life ("Frustration", "Secret Life") and nightclubs ("Bedsitter"). Thanks to the success of Tainted Love, the album received great popularity and critical acclaim.
The simultaneously released collection of video clips “Non-Stop Exotic Video Shows” caused a scandal in England over the video for the song “Sex Dwarf”, in which Almond and Ball, in the role of bloody butchers, together with naked actors and a dwarf, made a real mess. The clip was confiscated by the police and censored. In a revised version, a tuxedo-dressed Almond conducted a dwarf symphony orchestra.
In 1982, the non-stop album Non-Stop Estatic Dancing was released , containing only 6 tracks - these were remixes of old songs, as well as the new single “What!”. Almond later admitted that the album was recorded under the influence of drugs.
Decay
Fame and drug use had a bad effect on the group. Marc Almond created his own project, Marc And The Mambas, which was attended by Matt Johnson of The The and Annie Hogan. In 1983, Soft Cell recorded their second studio album , The Art Of Falling Apart ; he reached the top five of the UK chart, but the success of the singles released from him was much more modest. In addition, the duo took part in another scandal - their single “Numbers” was banned by the BBC due to the mention in the text of drugs.
In 1984, the last Soft Cell record, “This Last Night In Sodom,” was released , sounding different from previous ones with live drums and guitars. However, the theme of the songs remained as scandalous as before (for example, the song “L'Esqualita” praised transvestites).
In the same year, Soft Cell broke up. In 1986, The Singles was released .
Solo career
Despite the breakup of the group, Almond and Ball continued to collaborate. In 1990, David remixed Almond’s song “Waifs And Strays” and co-authored and arranged songs for Mark’s album “Tenement Symphony”.
Reunion
Soft Cell reunited in 2001 to give several concerts. They performed at the opening of one of the nightclubs in London in March of that year, followed by a short tour. The new song "God Shaped Hole" was released on the collection "Some Bizzare", and at the end of 2002 the album Cruelty Without Beauty was released . Interestingly, one of the album’s compositions - “The Night” - was written in 1981 and could be released as a single instead of “Tainted Love”. In an interview with Top Of The Pops, David Ball said: "History has shown that our choice was the right one."
In 2008, Heat was released as a collection of remixes.
Discography
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1981 | Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret |
| 1983 | The art of falling apart |
| 1984 | This Last Night In Sodom |
| 2002 | Cruelty without beauty |
Literature
- Almond M. Vicious Life: (Autobiography) = Tainted Life / Mark Almond; Per. from English Katya Strelnitsky. - M .: Lying. music, 2002. - 446 p., [12] p. silt : ill.