Soft Cell

Soft Cell is the name of a British electronic pop music duo formed in Leeds in the late 1970s. After gaining a reputation as a live act and after issuing various independent recordings, they came to prominencein pop culture thanks to the success of their single Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go? which became the UK's best selling single of 1981.

The two band members Marc Almond (vocals) and Dave Ball (synthesisers, electronic percussion) met at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977. They developed a cult following with their performances which routinely included bizarre sexual imagery and visuals representing sexual themes, often explicitly depicted by singer Almond. A debut independent release, a 4-track EP entitled Mutant Moments, caught the attention of alternative music impresario Stevo who signed them to his Some Bizarre label. The legendary Some Bizarre Album released in early 1981 featured a new Soft Cell track The Girl With the Patent Leather Face (as well as tracks by future pop successes such as Depeche Mode, Blancmange and The The). Their next single A Man Could Get Lost b/w Memorabilia produced by Daniel Miller was released in early 1981 with the latter track achieving some radio play and becoming a club hit, although failed to chart.

Later in the year the group's label Phonogram allowed Soft Cell a final attempt to achieve chart success and it was decided to release a single with two cover versions: Tainted Love, a little-known Northern Soul song, originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964 (released in 1965) and the more well-known Where Did Our Love Go? originally recorded and released by The Supremes in 1964. Soft Cell's versions of both were stripped back minimalist interpretations using electronic instruments only but coupled with Almond's soulful vocals proved a winning formula at a time when "synth-pop" was beginning to become popular. Contemporaneous singles include Depeche Mode's New Life, Love Action (I Believe In Love) by The Human League and Souvenir by OMD. The single, issued as both 7" and 12" featuring an extended dance version seguing the twa songs and a 'dub' version of the same (a