Soft Cell | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Best known for their smash 1981 cover of Gloria Jones "Tainted Love," which turned the pop-soul tune into a haunting electronic torch song, synth pop duo Soft Cell formed in England in the late 70s. Also remembered as the first project of singer/songwriter Marc Almond, he and producer/multi-instrumentalist Dave Ball released four U.K. Top 20 albums together between 1981 and 1984 before pursuing separate music careers. Soft Cell eventually reunited in the early 2000s, releasing Cruelty Without Beauty in 2002, which produced a Top 40 U.K. hit in "The Night." The duo performed a farewell show at Londons O2 Arena in 2018. Soft Cell was founded in 1977 by Almond and Ball, who met as art students at Leeds Polytechnic. They quickly recorded an EP on a two-track recorder. Originally funded by family members, Mutant Moments was eventually released by the Big Frock label in 1980. That led to a record deal with Some Bizarre Records, which would release all of their forthcoming studio albums. The duo had a Top 40 dance hit in the U.S. with stand-alone single "Memorabilia" in May of 1981. Two months later, Soft Cell released a 12" single version of the medley "Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go," which paired the Ed Cobb-penned tune originally sung by Gloria Jones in 1965 (a reworked club version produced by Marc Bolan followed in 1976) with a cover of the 1964 Holland-Dozier-Holland tune that was a hit single for the Supremes. The Soft Cell single became an iconic hit of the already thriving new wave era, reaching number one in countries including the U.K., Germany, Canada, and Australia. The song was included on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, that November. It reached the Top Five of the album charts in the U.K. and Canada. "Tainted Love" peaked at number eight on the Hot 100 when it was released in the U.S. in early 1982, and spent over 40 weeks on the chart. Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret also offered the singles "Bedsitter" and "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye," which were Top Five hits in the U.K. Though Soft Cell never again reached the U.S. singles chart, they landed in the Top Three in the U.K. with 1982s "Torch" (a stand-alone single) and "What!," the sole original song on the remix mini-album Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing, issued in 1982. That album charted at number six in the U.K. and peaked at number 57 in the U.S. They hit the Billboard 200 one more time, with 1983s The Art of Falling Apart. Containing the U.K. Top 30 singles "Where the Heart Is" and "Numbers," it reached number five at home. Released in 1984, This Last Night in Sodom peaked at number 12 behind two more U.K. Top 30 hits, "Soul Inside" and "Down in the Subway." In the meantime, Almond had formed Marc & the Mambas, a collaboration with Anni Hogan and The Thes Matt Johnson, and Ball issued his first solo LP, In Strict Tempo. Soft Cell soon disbanded as they both pursued other collaborations and their own solo careers. Almond released his first proper solo album, Mother Fist and Her Five Daughters, in 1987. His steady stream of solo material kept him in the limelight in the U.K., with his sole number one, the single "Somethings Gotten Hold of My Heart," a duet with the legendary Gene Pitney, arriving in 1989. By then, Ball had formed the electronic dance group the Grid, which found chart success well into the 90s with songs such as 1994s "Swamp Thing." Almond and Ball got back together in 2001 for a brief Soft Cell reunion tour and stayed together to record the 2002 album Cruelty Without Beauty. Their cover of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons "The Night" reached number 39 on the singles chart in the U.K. A compilation of rarities recorded between 1978 and 1980 titled The Bedsit Tapes followed in 2005. In 2007, Heat: The Remixes included new remixes of Soft Cell songs by over a dozen acts, including the Grid, Ladytron, and Richard X. As Almond continued to release solo material, Ball formed the post-punk-inspired group Nitewreckage, which issued their debut album in 2011. Almond made his highest solo appearance to date on the U.K. albums chart in 2017 with the covers LP Shadows and Reflections, which reached number 14. In 2018, Soft Cell reunited for a final time, releasing the original singles "Northern Lights" and "Guilty (Cos I Say You Are)" before performing a farewell show. The concert took place at the O2 Arena on September 30, 2018. That same month, Mercury/Universal issued the ten-disc compilation Keychains & Snowstorms: The Soft Cell Story, over half of which consisted of previously unreleased material. It was accompanied by the 20-track Keychains & Snowstorms: The Singles. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 24 Title: Non‐Stop Erotic Cabaret Released: 1981-11-23 Tracks: 29 Duration: 2:33:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Frustration (04:11) 2 Tainted Love (02:38) 3 Seedy Films (05:04) 4 Youth (03:15) 5 Sex Dwarf (05:16) 6 Entertain Me (03:34) 7 Chips on My Shoulder (04:06) 8 Bedsitter (03:35) 9 Secret Life (03:38) 10 Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (05:25) 11 Memorabilia (05:20) 12 Where Did Our Love Go (04:22) 13 What? (04:31) 14 A Man Could Get Lost (03:57) 15 Chips on My Shoulder (04:28) 16 Sex Dwarf (05:10) 17 Torch (04:08) 18 A Man Could Get Lost (03:18) 1 Memorabilia (extended) (07:45) 2 Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go (original 12″ version) (08:57) 3 Bedsitter (07:52) 4 Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (extended) (08:53) 5 Torch (extended) (08:27) 6 What? (extended) (06:06) 7 Persuasion (07:38) 8 Facility Girls (02:21) 9 Fun City (07:44) 10 Insecure Me (extended) (08:14) 11 ....So (03:49) |
| Non‐Stop Erotic Cabaret : Allmusic album Review : In the U.S., Soft Cell, the British duo of singer Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball, was a classic one-hit wonder, that hit being the remake of Gloria Jones "Tainted Love," which dominated dance clubs and eventually peaked in the pop Top Ten with its synth-pop sound and Almonds plaintive vocal in 1981-1982. In the U.K., the group not only had a longer career, but also influenced a raft of similar performers. Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, originally released in Britain in the fall of 1981, contained both the bands first hit and its follow-up, "Bedsitter," its title referring to what in America would be called a studio apartment. (A third U.K. Top Five hit, "Say Hello Wave Goodbye," emerged from the LP.) At full album length, lyricist Almonds primary preoccupation, only suggested in "Tainted Love," was spelled out; this was a theme album about aberrant sexuality, a tour of a red-light district. The point was well made on "Sex Dwarf," with its oft-repeated chorus "Isnt it nice/Sugar and spice/Luring disco dollies to a life of vice?" Songs like "Seedy Films," "Entertain Me," and "Secret Life" expanded upon the subject. The insistent beats taken at steady dance tempos and the chilling electronic sounds conjured by Ball emphasized Almonds fascination with deviance; it almost seemed as though the album had been designed to be played in topless bars. British listeners saw through Almonds pretense or were amused by him, or both; more puritanical Americans tended to disapprove, which probably limited the groups long-term success stateside. But the music was undeniably influential. The 2002 CD reissue added two lengthy 12" single mixes of "Tainted Love," one of them a medley with the old Supremes hit "Where Did Our Love Go," the other a dub version. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 24 Title: Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing Released: 1982-06-21 Tracks: 6 Duration: 31:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Memorabilia (05:22) 2 Where Did Our Love Go (04:22) 3 What (04:33) 4 A Man Could Get Lost (03:58) 5 Insecure… Me? (07:30) 6 Sex Dwarf (05:15) |
| Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing : Allmusic album Review : The U.S. release of Soft Cells Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing includes a version of "Memorabilia" notable for its energy, but the only other thing on the U.S. release that really catches listeners attention is "What." The U.K. edition of the mini-album included "Insecure Me," the B-side to the single version of "What," improving its odds a little. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 24 Title: The Art of Falling Apart Released: 1983-01 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:01:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Forever the Same (05:01) 2 Where the Heart Is (04:34) 3 Numbers (04:57) 4 Heat (06:14) 5 Kitchen Sink Drama (03:57) 6 Baby Doll (06:44) 7 Loving You, Hating Me (04:16) 8 The Art of Falling Apart (05:02) 1 Martin (10:16) 2 Hendrix Medley: Hey Joe / Purple Haze / Voodoo Chile (10:20) |
| The Art of Falling Apart : Allmusic album Review : While it has some mediocre moments, this tense, quirky release also has some magnificent outings, including the epic "Martin" (based on the obscure George Romero psycho/vampire movie), a cut that was originally included on a bonus 12", and the relentless title cut. Not as cheap or sleazy in its sound as Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, the album was still prone to melodramatic writing and performance. By all means, miss the "Hendrix Medley," another bonus cut. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 24 Title: This Last Night in Sodom Released: 1984-03 Tracks: 10 Duration: 45:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mr. Self Destruct (03:13) 2 Slave to This (05:04) 3 Little Rough Rhinestone (04:32) 4 Meet Murder My Angel (04:38) 5 The Best Way to Kill (04:42) 6 L’esqualita (07:09) 7 Down in the Subway (02:51) 8 Surrender to a Stranger (03:37) 9 Soul Inside (04:27) 10 Where Was Your Heart (When You Needed It Most) (05:09) |
| This Last Night in Sodom : Allmusic album Review : For those whose exposure to Soft Cell has been limited to the glorious and inescapable "Tainted Love," the duos 1984 swan song This Last Night in Sodom should feature a warning sticker. Singer Marc Almond and keyboardist Dave Ball dont attempt to recapture the Top 40 magic of that hit here. Instead, Almond completes his transformation into an electro-pop Scott Walker, operatically singing self-conscious and jaded songs like "Mr. Self-Destruct," "Little Rough Rhinestone," and "Meet Murder My Angel," while Balls keyboards explore an icy, nearly Germanic abstraction (in the Kraftwerk/Neu! sense). Anyone intrigued by the prospect of faux-decadent torch songs in the Piaf/Brel tradition should be interested in this electronic hybrid of the style, but if youre looking for "Tainted Love, Pt. 2," it isnt here. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 24 Title: The Singles Released: 1986 Tracks: 11 Duration: 47:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Memorabilia (04:52) 2 Tainted Love (02:38) 3 Bedsitter (03:38) 4 Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (05:25) 5 Torch (04:10) 6 Loving You, Hating Me (04:21) 7 What (04:36) 8 Where the Heart Is (04:34) 9 Numbers (04:58) 10 Soul Inside (04:32) 11 Down in the Subway (03:27) |
| The Singles : Allmusic album Review : The original and still the best single-disc Soft Cell compilation (at least up through the bands long-awaited reactivation in 2001), The Singles 1981-1985 is just what it says it is, and what a collection it is. Along with other genre- and era-defining compilations such as Depeche Modes similarly titled singles disc and Visages best-of, The Singles 1981-1985 captures the sheer luxuriant thrill and shock of Englands early-80s electro-pop boom. Even more to the point, though, it also stands up perfectly in later years, instantly catchy as well as shockingly surprising and exciting pop that managed to be both rooted in the past and perfectly of the moment and beyond. That so many of these songs were big hits in England testifies to the bands accidental but spot-on appeal; that most didnt repeat such success in America is a downright shame. "Tainted Love," unsurprisingly, remains the eternal defining moment of the duos career and appears here in its short edit, but the collection in fact begins with the equally impressive, frenetic electro-disco fusion "Memorabilia" and takes things from there. Only a couple of the singles were actual misfires -- Almond himself later said the cover of "What!" was suggested by a record company hoping for another fluke remake hit -- while the majority bear perfect testimony to both Almonds passionate singing and impressive lyrics and Balls ear for great arrangements and melodies. The absolutely dead-on slice-of-life "Bedsitter," the astonishing, spotlight-grabbing romantic angst of "Say Hello Wave Goodbye," the slow burn of the spectacularly underrated "Torch," the sheer frenetic collapse of "Soul Inside" -- just four highlights among many. An appreciative essay from English critic Tony Mitchell makes for a nice overall touch. All three original albums remain fascinating collections for even casual fans to explore, while the hardcore need to have The Twelve-Inch Singles compilation, but if theres one record thats absolutely hands-down necessary, The Singles 1981-1985 is it. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 24 Title: Memorabilia: The Singles Released: 1991 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:11:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Memorabillia 91 (03:57) 2 Tainted Love (02:58) 3 Bedsitter (03:38) 4 Torch (04:08) 5 What (03:10) 6 Say Hello Wave Goodbye (05:20) 7 Soul Inside (04:39) 8 Where the Heart Is ’91 (04:35) 9 I Feel Love (05:49) 10 Tears Run Rings (05:43) 11 A Lover Spurned (05:39) 12 Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart (04:40) 13 Waifs and Strays (04:35) 14 Memorabillia 91 (12" version) (06:49) 15 Tainted Love 91 (12" version) (05:51) |
 | Album: 7 of 24 Title: The Twelve Inch Singles Released: 1992 Tracks: 28 Duration: 3:28:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Memorablia (07:39) 2 Persuasion (07:35) 3 Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go (original 12″ version) (08:57) 4 Tainted Dub (09:14) 5 Bedsitter (07:52) 6 Facility Girls (07:18) 7 Say Hello Wave Goodbye (08:55) 8 Fun City (07:31) 1 Torch (08:29) 2 Insecure Me (08:17) 3 What! (06:10) 4 ....So (08:51) 5 Where the Heart Is (extended) (09:45) 6 It’s a Mugs Game (08:11) 7 Numbers (10:26) 8 Barriers (07:06) 1 Soul Inside (11:59) 2 Loving You, Hating Me (06:37) 3 You Only Live Twice (06:58) 4 007 Theme (03:35) 5 Her Imagination (05:21) 6 Down in the Subway (07:51) 7 Disease and Desire (04:04) 8 Born to Lose (02:55) 9 Memorabilia ’91 (extended grid remix) (06:51) 10 Tainted Love ’91 (05:52) 11 Say Hello Wave Goodbye ’91 (the long goodbye ‐ extended mendelsohn remix) (05:03) 12 Where the Heart Is ’91 (08:43) |
| The Twelve Inch Singles : Allmusic album Review : Although a vinyl box set appeared during the early 1980s, and several of the mixes therein were subsequently appended to CD reissues of Soft Cells regular albums, 1999s three-CD The Twelve Inch Singles represented the first ever corralling of the duos entire extended remix output, and with it, undying evidence for Soft Cells claim to immortality. Great 45s and terrific albums told only part of the story, after all. Across their earliest 12" singles, the sequence that led from "Memorabilia" to "Torch," Soft Cell utterly rejuvenated a format that had been growing increasingly stale and uninspired, not only offering purchasers more music for their money, but ensuring that it was music theyd actually want, as opposed to an extra few minutes of beat nailed onto the outro. And so "Tainted Love" segued into a breathless lament through "Where Did Our Love Go?"; "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye," commenced with a three minute-plus clarinet solo, and "Torch" descended into a spoken word passage in which guest vocalist Cindi Ecstacy reduces Almonds attempts at fawning fan worship to ashes. Later in life, with the duo now bucking against the European Top 40 fame that had so unexpectedly embraced them, Soft Cells 12"s stretched even further. Routinely doubling the length of the familiar 45s, the hysterical angst of the B-side "Its a Mugs Game," the haunting dismissiveness of "Numbers," and the percussive self-destruction of "Soul Inside" transformed songs that werent that friendly to begin with into veritable fire storms of assaultive dynamics. By the time one reaches the final salvo of releases -- a pair of James Bond covers, a forgotten BBC radio session, and the electric "Down in the Subway" -- Soft Cell were all but unrecognizable as the sweet young things who sang "Tainted Love" just three years before. Their final single closed with a brittle cover of the Heartbreakers "Born to Lose," and so, it seemed, it had turned out. Soft Cell broke up not because they wanted to, but because it was the only way they could ever achieve what they really needed. Completing and concluding the saga, the The Twelve Inch Singles package closes with four 1991 remixes. The initial 1999 release, however, also packed a "Club 69 Future Mix" of "Tainted Love," a track whose inclusion apparently so dismayed Marc Almond that he requested the release be withdrawn before issue (around 4,000 copies escaped to the stores). It finally returned to stores in 2001 with a revised version omitting the offending mix and, quite honestly, it isnt really missed. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 24 Title: Down in the Subway Released: 1994 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:05:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Where Did Our Love Go (04:22) 2 Memorabilia (05:23) 3 Torch (04:09) 4 Entertain Me (03:39) 5 Fun City (07:40) 6 Secret Life (03:39) 7 Kitchen Sink Drama (03:59) 8 Down in the Subway (02:52) 9 Baby Doll (06:47) 10 Where the Heart Is (04:34) 11 Insecure Me (04:40) 12 Seedy Films (05:07) 13 Loving You, Hating Me (04:21) 14 Soul Inside (04:27) |
 | Album: 9 of 24 Title: Say Hello to Soft Cell Released: 1999 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:08:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Say Hello Wave Goodbye ’91 (05:23) 2 Torch (04:08) 3 Bedsitter (03:38) 4 You Only Live Twice (04:33) 5 Heat (06:13) 6 The Art of Falling Apart (05:03) 7 Facility Girls (02:24) 8 Born to Lose (02:57) 9 Sex Dwarf (05:22) 10 Disease and Desire (04:04) 11 Chips on My Shoulder (04:09) 12 Frustration (04:11) 13 Mr. Self Destruct (03:13) 14 Numbers (04:58) 15 Where Was Your Heart (When You Needed It Most) (05:09) 16 A Man Could Get Lost (03:18) |
| Say Hello to Soft Cell : Allmusic album Review : Among the various Soft Cell compilations on the market, Say Hello To... merits some attention as a "best of" that might not fulfill that descriptions commercial criteria, but certainly lives up to it in musical terms. The likes of "Heat", "The Art Of Falling Apart", "Sex Dwarf" and the b-side-only embrace of John Barrys "You Only Live Twice" all reflect the lividly subversive ambition that was Soft Cell at their most naked, lyrically and musically illustrating arenas that were a million miles from the glossy pop tones of the groups best known hits - which themselves are here restricted to just the opening three tracks. Elsewhere, further b-sides "Facility Girls" and "Disease And Desire", plus the rare "A Man Could Get Lost" (previously available only on a Some Bizzare label sampler) will certainly appeal to collectors - and anyone else who doesnt care if they never hear "Tainted Love" again. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 24 Title: The Very Best of Soft Cell Released: 2002-04-01 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:19:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Memorabilia (04:52) 2 Tainted Love (02:38) 3 Where Did Our Love Go? (03:13) 4 Bedsitter (03:38) 5 Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (05:25) 6 Sex Dwarf (05:16) 7 Torch (04:08) 8 Insecure Me (03:13) 9 What (04:36) 10 Where the Heart Is (04:34) 11 Its a Mugs Game (05:27) 12 Numbers (03:34) 13 Loving You Hating Me (04:31) 14 Soul Inside (04:32) 15 Down in the Subway (03:27) 16 Somebody, Somewhere, Sometime (04:11) 17 Divided Soul (04:05) 18 Tainted Love (2XS remix) (03:19) 19 Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (Almighty radio edit) (04:33) |
| The Very Best of Soft Cell : Allmusic album Review : "Out in clubland, having fun, now Im hiding from the sun." No lyrics could have ever wrapped up the duel nature of Soft Cells music better, these lines (from "Bedsitter") tells of their fun new wave club hits and their intimate electronic dirges, and the effect they both have on listeners. The true magic of the band is when they could combine the two, like on their signature song "Tainted Love." But there are plenty of excellent songs by the duo that were never praised as highly, and most of them make it to this collection of their best material. "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" is a touching ballad that floats its lush and heavenly melodies on a bed of throbbing synthesizers and minimalist percussion. "Sex Dwarf" is a sleazy anthem that features plodding keyboards, aggressive drums, and one of the ugliest vocal performances committed to record. It isnt that Marc Almond has a death metal throat, but instead its the way he creeps and crawls over the track like a perverted lounge singer. The sweet gloss of "Where the Heart Is" reveals a bright and energetic group using their quirky approach to shape a thoughtful pop nugget, while "Numbers" predates the Pet Shop Boys sarcastic-yet-touching synth pop with like-minded lyrics and equally lush keyboards. There isnt a wasted moment on the album, and the documentation of a brilliant pop group deconstructing their own genre to fit their needs is quite refreshing when so much music from this time period comes off as so dated. A good song overcomes any wacky 80s keyboard work ("Soul Inside") or high-concept production techniques ("Memorabilia"), and thats the lesson to learn from this excellent collection of hidden gems. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 24 Title: Cruelty Without Beauty Released: 2002-09-30 Tracks: 12 Duration: 54:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Darker Times (04:25) 2 Monoculture (03:55) 3 Le Grand Guignol (04:14) 4 The Night (04:17) 5 Last Chance (04:30) 6 Together Alone (05:46) 7 Desperate (04:45) 8 Whatever It Takes (04:37) 9 All Out of Love (04:59) 10 Sensation Nation (04:05) 11 Caligula Syndrome (04:51) 12 On an Up (04:26) |
| Cruelty Without Beauty : Allmusic album Review : Soft Cells fourth studio album was released a full 18 years after the duos third, This Last Night in Sodom (1984). During those 18 years, both Marc Almond and Dave Ball pursued solo careers to huge success, and occasionally worked together on albums (Marc Almonds wonderful 1990 album, Enchanted) and remix singles. But here, the two are together in full force. Almonds lyrics are among the best he has ever written, especially on the tragic "Whatever It Takes," which seems to be the sequel to their debut single, "Fun City," revisiting the same character 25 years later. It all comes together with brilliant writing and Balls atmospheric and swelling arrangement of the eerie music. And the music has grown; sure, it sounds like an updated Soft Cell, but the 80s are nowhere in sight. Wisely, this is not a "retro" album with re-recordings of the duos big hits, but rather a more mature Soft Cell. Overall, the album has a dark, semi-political tone reflecting the late 90s and early 00s. While it is dark, it is also captivating and accessible. Almonds voice is strong and emotive, living and breathing his stories and observations. Autobiographical? Perhaps, but in the end it does not matter. The stories are vivid, and the music incredible. The only real shame is that Almond and Ball were not creating music for 18 years, because this album shows the talent and ability of these two writers, and how the times have adapted to them. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 24 Title: Soft Cell: Live Released: 2003 Tracks: 26 Duration: 2:08:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Memorabilia (05:56) 2 Monoculture (03:56) 3 Le Grand Guignol (04:18) 4 Heat (05:04) 5 Caligula Syndrome (04:51) 6 Divided Soul (04:22) 7 Last Chance (04:34) 8 Barriers (05:28) 9 Youth (03:23) 10 Loving You, Hating Me (03:57) 11 Mr. Self Destruct (03:32) 12 Best Way to Kill (05:23) 13 The Art of Falling Apart (07:17) 1 Together Alone (05:35) 2 Somebody, Somewhere, Sometime (04:25) 3 Baby Doll (07:07) 4 The Night (04:25) 5 Soul Inside (04:31) 6 Torch (04:22) 7 Bedsitter (03:43) 8 Tainted Love (03:39) 9 Where Did Our Love Go (05:33) 10 Martin (05:47) 11 Insecure Me (04:34) 12 Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (06:13) 13 Sex Dwarf (06:16) |
 | Album: 13 of 24 Title: Say Hello, Wave Goodbye: Live Released: 2003-10-07 Tracks: 26 Duration: 2:08:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Memorabilia (05:56) 2 Monoculture (03:56) 3 Le Grand Guignol (04:18) 4 Heat (05:04) 5 Caligula Syndrome (04:51) 6 Divided Soul (04:22) 7 Last Chance (04:34) 8 Barriers (05:28) 9 Youth (03:23) 10 Loving You, Hating Me (03:57) 11 Mr. Self Destruct (03:32) 12 Best Way to Kill (05:23) 13 The Art of Falling Apart (07:17) 1 Together Alone (05:35) 2 Somebody, Somewhere, Sometime (04:25) 3 Baby Doll (07:07) 4 The Night (04:25) 5 Soul Inside (04:31) 6 Torch (04:22) 7 Bedsitter (03:43) 8 Tainted Love (03:39) 9 Where Did Our Love Go (05:33) 10 Martin (05:47) 11 Insecure Me (04:34) 12 Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (06:13) 13 Sex Dwarf (06:16) |
 | Album: 14 of 24 Title: At the BBC Released: 2003-10-14 Tracks: 8 Duration: 34:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Bedsitter (03:36) 2 Chips on My Shoulder (04:20) 3 Seedy Films (03:58) 4 Youth (03:08) 5 Entertain Me (03:48) 6 Soul Inside (05:14) 7 Her Imagination (05:22) 8 Where Was Your Heart When You Needed It Most? (04:35) |
| At the BBC : Allmusic album Review : Among the few recordings that havent been reissued and repackaged nearly constantly since Soft Cells original breakup are the duos two sessions for BBC Radio -- not for John Peel, as almost seemed to be required for just about any other British group of the time, but for Richard Skinner in 1981 and David "Kid" Jensen in 1983. At the BBC fills this gap along with including two CD-ROM video tracks as a bonus, taken from their appearance on a 1982 edition of The Old Grey Whistle Test, along with appreciative, context-placing liner notes from critic David Stubbs. The Skinner session, at five songs, captures the band right when "Tainted Love" was a few weeks away from going number one -- but perhaps already weary and wary of the song that essentially grew to overshadow the band, Marc Almond and David Ball concentrate on originals from Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret instead. Though the more straightforward one-take production often lacks the sense of space and careful arrangements from Mike Thorne, on the flip side these takes probably capture what a live set would have sounded like, Almonds voice rushed but clear, Ball throwing in unexpected touches and different sounds as the mood seizes him. "Chips on My Shoulder" is a frenetic standout, while the version of "Youth," though far less murky than the album take, is still entrancingly unsettling, Balls keyboards sounding downright creepy. The three-song Jensen session, in contrast, covers This Last Night in Sodom material, a snapshot of a band soon to call it quits for reasons of mutual sanity. "Soul Inside" is strong but not quite as harrowing as the 12" mix, but "Where Was Your Heart When You Needed It Most?" is excellent. As for the TV performances, featuring Almond in (apparently) full leather and playing up the drama, "Youth" is a strong slow burn while "Sex Dwarf," hyperactive TV lighting aside, is hysterical, evil genius, vocal samples and drop-ins adding even more crazed atmosphere. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 24 Title: The Bedsit Tapes Released: 2005-07-25 Tracks: 16 Duration: 45:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Potential (03:28) 2 L.O.V.E. Feeling (03:26) 3 Metro Mr X (02:08) 4 Bleak is my Favourite Cliché (02:15) 5 Occupational Hazard (03:32) 6 Mix (04:19) 7 Factory Fun (03:20) 8 Science Fiction Stories (03:15) 9 Purely Functional (02:10) 10 A Cut Above the Rest (02:09) 11 Paranoid (02:25) 12 Excretory Eat Anorexia Nervosa (04:37) 13 Cleansing Fanatic (02:34) 14 Walking Make-Up Counter (02:54) 15 Pyrex My Cuisine (01:07) 16 Tupperware Party (02:04) |
| The Bedsit Tapes : Allmusic album Review : Soft Cells first demo tapes have frequently been bootlegged, most famously as Science Fiction Stories. They had never seen more than the most cursory commercial release, however -- four songs spread across a rare EP and a mid-80s flexidisc. Yet they are, in many ways, the purest of all the bands recordings -- the sound of two art students who want to make music and couldnt give a hoot for commercial considerations. Certainly theres no "Tainted Love" or "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" in sight, as Marc Almond and Dave Ball take as their starting point a clash between the first Suicide album and the Normals "Warm Leatherette," and just get weirder from there. "Potential," the opening cut, is so heavily in thrall to that archetype that its easy to think youve put on the wrong record -- indeed, when the group self-released its first EP, drawing from this same stockpile of songs, that was one of the most common complaints. But dig deeper and a firm identity does begin to take shape -- arguably, "L.O.V.E. Feelings" remained the template for the duos balladic tendencies until their second album, at least, while future B-sides "Fun City" and "Facility Girls" both draw from the same D.I.Y. document as the best of this set. Occasionally, the relentless primitivism of the electronics does get a little wearing; there was only so much you could do with the machines on the market at the time, and none of it sounds especially impressive today. But thats the fate of almost all the artists who were dancing on the frontiers of musical technology in the 1980s, including most of those who were actually releasing records then (Gary Numan and Ultravox among them). At the time, and for all their obvious precedents, Soft Cell were so far out on the edge that the odd false step isnt simply forgivable, it was unavoidable. Besides, they quickly make amends by delivering something so absolutely outrageous (Black Sabbaths "Paranoid," set to a soundtrack of very angry bees) that its impossible to stop listening. Bedsit Tapes is not the Soft Cell collection that the casual listener has been waiting for. But anyone seeking a snapshot of a band on the brink of early-80s greatness, but with none of the baggage that fame would demand, will fall in love with the group all over again. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 24 Title: Demo Non Stop Released: 2006 Tracks: 11 Duration: 31:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Frustration (03:30) 2 Facility Girl (01:34) 3 Secret Life (03:37) 4 A Man Can Get Lost (02:52) 5 Persuasion (03:08) 6 Cleansing Fanatic (02:37) 7 Tupperware Party (02:13) 8 Babes in Consumerland (02:00) 9 As Advertised (02:30) 10 When We Go Marching (02:33) 11 Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (04:50) |
 | Album: 17 of 24 Title: The Best of Soft Cell Released: 2006-03-21 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:04:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Tainted Love (02:38) 2 Bedsitter (03:38) 3 Down in the Subway (03:27) 4 Where the Heart Is (04:34) 5 Loving You, Hating Me (04:21) 6 Memorabilia (04:52) 7 Numbers (04:58) 8 Soul Inside (04:32) 9 Sex Dwarf (05:16) 10 Where Did Our Love Go? (03:13) 11 What (04:36) 12 Torch (04:10) 13 Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (05:25) 14 Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go (original 12″ version) (08:57) |
 | Album: 18 of 24 Title: The Hits Released: 2006-07-11 Tracks: 28 Duration: 2:10:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tainted Love (02:38) 2 Say Hello Wave Goodbye (08:56) 3 Torch - Original (04:10) 4 What? (04:33) 5 Where Did Our Love Go? (03:13) 6 Bedsitter (03:38) 7 Sex Dwarf (05:14) 8 Insecure Me (04:42) 9 Memorabilia (04:51) 10 Where the Heart Is (04:34) 11 Its a Mugs Game (05:27) 12 Numbers (04:58) 13 Loving You Hating Me (04:20) 14 Soul Inside (04:28) 1 Down in the Subway (02:54) 2 Somebody, Somewhere, Sometime (04:12) 3 Divided Soul (04:07) 4 Persuasion (07:36) 5 Facility Girls (02:24) 6 Fun City (07:46) 7 So (03:46) 8 Barriers (07:07) 9 You Only Live Twice (04:33) 10 007 Theme (03:35) 11 Her Imagination (05:23) 12 Born to Lose (02:55) 13 Disease and Desire (04:06) 14 Chips on My Shoulder (04:09) |
 | Album: 19 of 24 Title: Heat: The Remixes Released: 2008-09-15 Tracks: 26 Duration: 2:22:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Memorabilia (Cicada remix) (06:31) 2 Bedsitter (Manhattan Clique remix) (07:58) 3 Tainted Love (Dakeyne Remix) (06:03) 4 Youth (The Memory Band remix) (04:24) 5 Torch (Manhattan Clique remix - edit) (05:26) 6 Where the Heart Is (Marcas Lancaster remix) (05:43) 7 Seedy Films (Richard X remix) (05:20) 8 Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (Marcas Lancaster remix) (05:06) 9 What (Simon Plastiq remix) (03:27) 10 Numbers (Spektrum remix) (04:40) 11 Insecure Me (Trevor Jackson / Playgroup remix - edit) (remix) (05:54) 12 Soul Inside (Readers Wifes remix) (05:27) 13 A Man Could Get Lost (Marcello Remix) (04:39) 1 Heat (Yer Man remix) (06:11) 2 Meet Murder My Angel (Marc Almond & Kinky Roland remix) (06:30) 3 Sex Dwarf (The Grid remix) (06:35) 4 Baby Doll (Nightwreckers remix) (04:59) 5 Secret Life (George Demure remix) (05:08) 6 Chips on My Shoulder (Mark Moore & Kinky Roland remix) (05:43) 7 Barriers (Dark Poets remix) (05:38) 8 Surrender to a Stranger (MHC remix - edit) (04:22) 9 Little Rough Rhinestone (Solvent remix) (04:03) 10 Frustration (Punx Soundcheck remix) (05:28) 11 The Art of Falling Apart (Atomizer remix) (06:14) 12 Her Imagination (Monkey Farm Frankenstein remix) (05:47) 13 Martin (Nightwreckers remix) (05:11) |
 | Album: 20 of 24 Title: Non‐Stop Erotic Cabaret / The Art of Falling Apart Released: 2010 Tracks: 30 Duration: 2:31:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Frustration (04:11) 2 Tainted Love (02:38) 3 Seedy Films (05:04) 4 Youth (03:15) 5 Sex Dwarf (05:16) 6 Entertain Me (03:34) 7 Chips on My Shoulder (04:06) 8 Bedsitter (03:35) 9 Secret Life (03:38) 10 Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (05:25) 11 Where Did Our Love Go? (03:13) 12 Memorabilia (04:48) 13 Facility Girls (02:21) 14 Fun City (07:44) 15 Torch (04:08) 16 Insecure Me (04:38) 17 What? (02:50) 18 ....So (03:49) 1 Forever the Same (05:02) 2 Where the Heart Is (04:34) 3 Numbers (04:57) 4 Heat (06:11) 5 Kitchen Sink Drama (03:54) 6 Baby Doll (06:44) 7 Loving You Hating Me (04:19) 8 The Art of Falling Apart (05:01) 9 Hendrix Medley: Hey Joe / Purple Haze / Voodoo Chile (10:22) 10 Martin (10:13) 11 Barriers (07:04) 12 It’s a Mug’s Game (08:15) |
 | Album: 21 of 24 Title: Tainted Love (Re-Recorded / Remastered) - The Remixes Released: 2010-01-01 Tracks: 6 Duration: 25:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Tainted Love (Re-Recorded / Remastered) (03:11) 2 Tainted Love (DJ Rad remix) (04:16) 3 Tainted Love (club Crasher remix) (04:21) 4 Tainted Love (Die Krupps remix) (05:03) 5 Tainted Love (Tommie Sunshine Brooklyn Re-Touch) (04:46) 6 Tainted Love (The Sweet Kill remix) (03:24) |
 | Album: 22 of 24 Title: Hits and Pieces - The Best of Marc Almond and Soft Cell Released: 2017-03-10 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:19:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tainted Love (02:40) 2 Bedsitter (03:34) 3 Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (05:26) 4 Torch (04:09) 5 What (Stereo version) (02:50) 6 I Feel Love (04:04) 7 Stories of Johnny (03:45) 8 Tears Run Rings (04:25) 9 Somethings Gotten Hold of My Heart (04:39) 10 A Lover Spurned (05:36) 11 Jacky (04:49) 12 My Hand Over My Heart (05:04) 13 The Days of Pearly Spencer (04:23) 14 What Makes a Man a Man (live) (05:26) 15 Adored and Explored (03:51) 16 The Idol (Part I) (03:41) 17 Child Star (04:00) 18 Scar (03:40) 19 A Kind of Love (radio edit) (03:28) |
 | Album: 23 of 24 Title: The Singles: Keychains & Snowstorms Released: 2018-09-07 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:21:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Memorabilia (single version) (04:48) 2 Tainted Love (02:38) 3 Where Did Our Love Go? (03:13) 4 Bedsitter (03:38) 5 Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (05:25) 6 Sex Dwarf (05:16) 7 Torch (7" single version) (04:07) 8 Insecure Me (04:39) 9 What? (02:50) 10 Where the Heart Is (04:33) 11 Numbers (03:34) 12 Barriers (05:23) 13 Loving You Hating Me (New Edit From The U.S. 12" version) (03:02) 14 Soul Inside (04:31) 15 Down in the Subway (02:51) 16 Divided Soul (04:05) 17 Monoculture (03:52) 18 The Night (04:16) 19 Northern Lights (04:22) 20 Guilty (‘Cos I Say You Are) (04:18) |
 | Album: 24 of 24 Title: Keychains and Snowstorms: The Soft Cell Story Released: 2018-09-07 Tracks: 127 Duration: 11:51:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go (original 12″ version) (08:57) 2 Bedsitter (07:52) 3 Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (08:56) 4 Torch (08:29) 5 What (06:10) 6 Where the Heart Is (09:46) 7 Numbers (09:49) 8 Soul Inside (11:12) 9 Down in the Subway (07:50) 1 Tainted Dub / Where Did Our Love Go? (08:51) 2 Facility Girls (12” version) (07:17) 3 Fun City (07:33) 4 Insecure Me (12” version) (08:16) 5 So (12” version) (08:44) 6 It’s a Mug’s Game (08:11) 7 Barriers (12” version) (07:10) 8 You Only Live Twice (12” version) (06:58) 9 Her Imagination (05:20) 10 007 Theme (03:27) 11 Disease & Desire (04:04) 12 Born to Lose (02:55) 1 Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (Dave Ball Lateral mix) (07:08) 2 Youth (Dave Ball Wasted on the Young mix) (05:41) 3 Secret Life (extended mix) (05:17) 4 Chips on My Shoulder (extended mix) (06:14) 5 Facility Girls (2018 mix) (07:43) 6 Heat (alternative version) (06:04) 7 Kitchen Sink Drama (extended mix) (05:27) 8 The Art of Falling Apart (extended mix) (08:47) 9 Martin (Dave Ball Hallowe’En mix) (06:14) 10 Barriers (Dave Ball Broken Down Angels mix) (07:09) 11 Meet Murder, My Angel (extended mix) (06:00) 12 Slave to This (Life of Existence mix) (05:47) 1 The Girl With the Patent Leather Face (original version) (04:57) 2 A Man Could Get Lost (Daniel Miller vocal edit) (03:18) 3 Memorabilia (Non - Stop Ecstatic Dancing version) (05:27) 4 Forever the Same (Unreleased extended version) (10:57) 5 Heat (US 7" version) (04:02) 6 Loving You, Hating Me (Special USA mix) (07:45) 7 Martin (10:13) 8 Hendrix Medley (Hey Joe | Purple Haze | Voodoo Chile) (10:25) 9 Numbers (7" DJ version) (04:20) 10 Down in the Subway (7" remix version) (04:21) 11 LEsqualita (7" version) (04:21) 12 Soul Inside (demo) (05:23) 13 So (Dave Ball demo outtake) (03:16) 1 Memorabilia (original Daniel Miller mix) (07:47) 2 Persuasion (original Daniel Miller mix) (07:35) 3 Metro MRX (Flexipop version) (02:09) 4 A Man Could Get Lost (Daniel Miller demo) (03:51) 5 The Girl With the Patent Leather Face (demo) (04:27) 6 Tainted Love (demo) (02:47) 7 Bedsitter (demo) (03:47) 8 Potential (From Mutant Moments EP) (03:26) 9 L.O.V. E Feelings (From Mutant Moments EP) (03:25) 10 Metro MRX (From Mutant Moments EP) (02:09) 11 Frustration (From Mutant Moments EP) (03:32) 12 Red Tape, Sticky Tape (Previously Unavailable demo) (02:18) 13 Martin (original 1980 demo) (02:01) 14 Paranoid (Black Sabbath Cover) (02:31) 15 Science Fiction Stories (demo) (03:16) 16 Bleak Is My Favourite Cliché (demo) (02:08) 17 Cleaning Fanatic (demo) (02:39) 18 Mix (demo) (04:20) 19 A Man Could Get Lost (early version) (02:54) 20 Walking Make Up Counter (live at Leeds Polytechnic, December 1979) (02:52) 21 Occupational Hazard (live at Leeds Polytechnic, December 1979) (02:39) 22 Persuasion (live at Leeds Polytechnic, December 1979) (03:28) 23 Daves Theme (Previously Unreleased demo) (03:29) 1 Entertain Me (Richard Skinner session) (03:45) 2 Seedy Films (Richard Skinner session) (03:57) 3 Chips on My Shoulder (Richard Skinner session) (04:20) 4 Youth (BBC Whistle Test) (03:14) 5 Sex Dwarf (BBC Whistle Test) (05:16) 6 Soul Inside (David Jensen BBC radio 1 session) (05:11) 7 Where Was Your Heart (When You Needed It Most)? (David Jensen BBC radio 1 session) (04:30) 8 God Shaped Hole (remix) (05:02) 9 Divided Soul (Hooker mix) (05:17) 10 Somebody, Somewhere, Sometime (04:11) 11 Monoculture (Dave Ball extended version) (06:15) 12 The Night (04:18) 13 Darker Times (04:24) 14 Last Chance (04:31) 15 Together Alone (05:46) 16 Caligula Syndrome (04:52) 17 Desperate (04:49) 1 Barriers (Dave Ball Broken Down Angels dub) (04:25) 2 Numbers (extended dub) (05:26) 3 Youth (Dave Ball Wasted on the Youth dub) (04:32) 4 Where the Heart Is (Marcus Lancaster dub) (06:50) 5 Seedy Films (Richard X dub) (05:18) 6 L.O.V.E. Feelings (demo dub) (02:48) 7 LEsqualita (dub) (04:49) 8 Loving You, Hating Me (dub) (04:31) 9 Baby Doll (dub) (07:04) 10 Facility Girls (2018 mix dub) (03:55) 11 Little Rough Rhinestone (Solvent dub mix) (04:12) 12 Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (Dave Ball Lateral dub) (04:26) 13 Bedsitter (Erasure remix) (06:18) 14 Where the Heart Is (The Grid remix; 2018 Re-edit) (08:55) 15 So (The Grid remix) (07:07) 1 Mr. Self Destruct (03:43) 2 Soul Inside (05:23) 3 Forever the Same (06:33) 4 Insecure Me (08:22) 5 L’Esqualita (07:05) 6 Loving You, Hating Me (04:34) 7 Torch (08:23) 8 Youth (03:25) 9 Disease and Desire (04:15) 10 Where Was Your Heart (When You Needed It Most) (07:11) 11 Baby Doll (07:28) 12 Martin (05:30) 13 The Art of Falling Apart (05:46) 1 Hey Joe / Purple Haze (07:40) 2 Memorabilia (05:07) 3 Heat (07:14) 4 Ghost Rider (06:56) 5 Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (05:51) 6 Numbers (live) (05:25) 7 It’s a Mug’s Game (live) (08:10) 8 The Best Way to Kill (live) (05:13) 9 Down in the Subway (live) (04:03) 10 Barriers (live) (05:30) 11 Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go? (live) (09:12) 12 Sex Dwarf (live) (05:48) 13 Surrender (To a Stranger) (live) (03:48) |