THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

848-Soft Cell-Tainted Love.

1981-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 0.02. Everyone knows about the fun you can have with an air guitar, but what about air percussion, clicking fingers, and space age noises.

Soft Cell were formed in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, in 1977, by Marc Almond, who was born Peter Mark Almond, on July 9th, 1957, in Southport, Merseyside, England, and David James Ball, who was born on May 3rd, 1959, in Chester, Cheshire, England. Almond, who is the duo’s vocalist, and Ball who is a multi instrumentalist, first met while studying at Leeds Polytechnic, their first recording was an EP titled ‘Mutant Moments,’ which was released in 1980, and which was funded by a loan of £2,000 from Dave Ball’s mother. Soft Cell remained active through until 1984, but did reform again between 2000-2005, and then again in 2018, and at the time of writing they remain active.

Soft Cell have sold in excess of 10 million records, having released five studio Albums between 1981-2022, and 22 singles in the same time period, there are also 15 official compilation Albums, and five live Albums available. In the UK, 12 of their singles have made the top 40, with ‘Tainted Love’ reaching Number 1, while in America on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, ‘Tainted Love’ remains their only chart entry, peaking at Number 4 in 1982. On Billboard ‘Tainted Love’ was a slow burner, spending 43 weeks on the Hot 100, which at that time broke a new record for longevity on that chart.

Both Marc Almond, and David Ball have both worked on numerous projects without each other. David Ball has released two studio Albums,’In Strict Tempo,’ in 1983, and ‘Photosynthesis,’ with Jon Savage, in 2016, Ball has also worked as a remixer for many different artists, as well as working with Richard Norris as ‘The Grid,’ since 1988. As ‘The Grid’ they achieved six UK top 40 singles between 1990-1995, including ‘Swamp Thing,’ which made Number 3 in 1994, and has sold in excess of one million copies worldwide. Marc Almond, who took his stage name, and its spelling, from his boyhood idol Marc Bolan, (1947-1977) (see also best songs 848 and 67) has sold in excess of 30 million records worldwide, having released 25 studio Albums between 1984-2020, and 50 singles between 1984-2017, he has also released two studio Albums, and three singles as part of the group ‘Marc and the Mambas,’ between 1982-1983. As a solo artist Marc Almond has had nine UK top 40 hits, with his 1989 cover of ‘Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart,’ featuring Gene Pitney, (1940-2006) making the Number 1 spot.

‘Tainted Love’ was originally written in 1964 by Ed Cobb, (1938-1999) Cobb had been a member of the American Pop group ‘The Four Preps,’ between 1956-1966. The first recording of ‘Tainted Love’ was by Gloria Jones, which appeared as the ‘B’ side to her 1965 single ‘My Bad Boy’s Comin’ Home,’ which failed to chart. Jones who is affectionately known as ‘The Queen of Northern Soul,’ was the girlfriend of Marc Bolan, and it was she who was driving the car that crashed killing Bolan on September 16th, 1977. In 1973 the British club ‘Northern Soul’ (see also best songs 969) DJ Richard Searling while on a trip to America, purchased a copy of that Gloria Jones single, and started playing it in the Northern Soul clubs in England. Marc Almond and David Ball on hearing the song took an instant liking to it, and they recorded a drastically different arrangement with synthesizers, which were very much the latest thing at the time.

‘Tainted Love’ was the first of three singles released from ‘Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret,’ the debut studio Album from Soft Cell from November 1981, with the production being by Mike Thorne, who is probably best remembered for his work with the ‘Punk Rock’ group ‘Wire,’ working on their first three Albums between 1977-1979. Soft Cell issued ‘Tainted Love’ as a single lasting 2.41 seconds, but it was the 12 inch recording at 8.58 seconds that will always be a wonderful memory for those of us working as DJ’s at the time, as the extended mix seamlessly transitioned in to a cover version of ‘Where Did Our Love Go,’ originally recorded by the ‘Supremes’ ((see also best songs 1001-411-212 and 148) in 1964. The mix may sound very tame by today’s modern day technology, but back in 1981, it sounded like it had just arrived from another planet.

Marc Almond has spoken about ‘Tainted Love,’ Dave Ball introduced me to the record, and I loved it so much, and we wanted an interesting song for a encore number in our show. Dave loved Northern Soul, and it was a novelty to have an Electronic synthesizer band doing a Soul song. When we signed with our record company, they wanted to record it. They told us to put bass, guitar and drums on it as they said it was too odd. They put it out anyway, and the next thing it was gathering radio play and then it was Number 1. I was fascinated that it was originally by Gloria Jones, the girlfriend of Marc Bolan, and I’d always been a T-Rex fan.’

‘Sometimes I feel I’ve got to run away, I’ve got to get away from the pain you drive into the heart of me. The love we share seems to go nowhere, and I’ve lost my light, for I toss and turn, I can’t sleep at night.’