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Many years after the single had almost faded away, I went to an outdoor concert in London, by Jools Holland and his big band. The park was packed out and everyone was having a great time, then Jools “mystery guest” came on. It was Mark Almond, who did 3 songs, the last of which was “Tainted Love”. To say it stopped the show was an understatement, with thousands of 30-somethings singing along and suddenly getting up and dancing. You could see that Mark was pleased, and perhaps a bit teary, over the thunderous applause from the audience, and even the orchestra got up to applaud as well.
Marc is mates with Jools holland and has worked with him on his tours as a guest singer a number of times over the years. He's going out on tour with him later in 2024. He's also recorded two or three songs on various Jools Holland albums. I think it helps Marc reach a different audience to his own and people who wouldn't ordinarily buy tickets to one of his shows get to see and hear how great a performer and singer he is.
Have you never heard the "rumour", going around at the height of their fame??...its fxxking ridiculous and I've heard it repeated many times over the years but it just about sums up the stupidity of the general public..
Gloria Jones was driving the car the night Marc Bolan died. She later received the harshest review I've ever read, "she sings like she drives". She actually had a decent voice, but I guess whoever wrote that review didn't like her.
He stole Gloria Jone's 'Tainted Love'. Didn't ask her permission, gave her no recognition and no money for her creativity that gave him a whole career. He is known for her record.
I'm surprised that Gloria Jones' version didn't chart. It's such a masterpiece, it gets me hype everytime I hear it! Probably her rough kind of voice didn't fit the canon of that time.
@anthonyr.1568 outstriped it entirely. We've seen this a few times. The hit, "will always love you," etcetera. That's why you saw the superior one shoot up into global culture
@@ericmuir3356 Yeah, but they did their own stuff too. All the likes of Rihanna do is come along and warble a few lines into a computer and the producers fix the rest. Utterly talentless garbage.
We're still extending the influence of "synth pop" today. Its alive and well as an art form. Truly amazing what people achieved in a few short years with a brand new technology in the 70s and 80s. So many iconic bands and timeless tracks
My Dad was a Drayman in Leeds delivering beer to pubs and clubs and he met Mark Almond who was living at a club in Leeds (The Gallery i think but i could be wrong) and he said that he was a really nice guy, very polite and always gave them a free drink!
Lol, a different time . . . In the Seventies and Eighties you could be a Queen camp-follower, yet for all you knew or cared, Freddie Mercury was the butchest MF alive. It was the music that mattered. I became a fan of Yaz in the Eighties (you Brits call them Yazoo) listening to my sisters down the hall playing _You_ _and_ _Me_ _Both_ over and over again. I knew nothing; didn't follow music; didn't even know what group it was; never heard of Vince Clarke; thought Alison Moyet's vocal was a breathy guy with an incredibly effeminate voice. (Seriously.) Judging solely from "his" lyrics, I decided this breathy MF had to be gay. And after another couple of run-throughs, I decided: these "gays" can really do music! SMH . . . One may discover the truth even following a crooked path.
He's still active, and has released some 20 or so albums since "The Stars We Are"... His career stalled basically due to his loyalty to a bad manager... I last saw him live in October 2019, and he can still captivate an audience, and his energy level is probably higher than it was in 1989, when I first saw him live...
Man I hope you cover Throbbing Gristle on this show at some point. In addition to being industrial music pioneers, they’ve had a wild band history that branches off into separate projects and then reconvenes years later.
Marc Almond is so cute and adorable! Why do i love Soft Cell? - Art, elegance, paranoia, styling and sofistification... With decadence, hedonism, synth and dark side. That´s why! 🖤🖤🖤
i would like to express my enthusiasm at the RUclips Algorithm once again bringing me to this lovely video. This is one of my favourite songs and one of the first songs I ever listened to. In kindergarten circa 2002 my class had to choreograph a dance number to this song and my mother-a teenager of the 80s-was super excited to help me out. This was my introduction to 80s music and my mother's youth culture.
In 1990, I mistakenly bought Marc Almond's "Enchanted", thinking it had the single "Tears Run Rings". It didn't, but the purchase was a happy accident - that CD was sooooo good.
Ummmm, I'm pretty sure that all it took was one listen or look and I'm pretty sure we knew. We didn't care, that song was universal. I was 13 or 14. I was shocked when TT said it was 81/82, because I remember thinking I was so "old" because I thought I could relate to the song. Haha. I have the 12" to this very day. The 12" version was loved by most everyone I knew: my gay friends, my mom because of the "Where Did Our Love Go", my straight friend because it sounded so good on the good car stereos that my friends were investing in at that time. We had teen clubs here, and it must have played for 2 years in those places. This song made me dig into my Dad's crates a little bit. Marc Almond's solo was one of the first CD that i ever bought.
To be fair, the cliche identifying a gay male was limited to the lisping, limp-wristed femme boy back then. We have a bit more of a nuanced understanding now. Hell, Ellen coming out in the 90's was major in softening the stereotypes.
@@xamyx2205 the men you state were not effeminate. Almond was an obvious effeminate guy. There's a huge difference even though these men were thought to be androgynous
This is what I love most about this channel, something easily passed over as a one-hit-wonder requires context: influences, inception, and follow-ups. This all makes for an amazing story and a better understanding of how music is where it's at.
Marc Almond appeared on two Psychic TV tracks from 1982's Force the Hand of Chance, and was good friends with Peter Christopherson and Jhon Balance of Coil, and appeared on various Coil tracks. They all shared similar interests, across the board. Christopherson was also 1/4 of Throbbing Gristle, who influenced pretty much everybody in the electronic music scene in the early 80's. He directed an alternate version of Soft Cell's Tainted Love video. He also directed many other more popular music videos, such as Erasure's A Little Respect, Chains of Love and Stop!, Yes' Owner of a Lonely Heart, and Van Halen's Can't Stop Lovin' You. He appears as a prisoner in the Marcy Playground video It's Saturday, which he also directed.
They’re so original and different, real classic! They started something and Marc is an icon for a reason in many ways, they’re both naturals at what they do I mean Marc is a poetic genius, he can tell a story to a T that u can visualise it, feel that situation and still make it a song and Dave’s tunes are always so unique and hold/give off the exact vibe the lyrics are about that makes u feel their music. Also I don’t know who they were kidding trying to perceive Marc as anything but himself and a gay man and so what, he’s always been unapologetically himself and done what he wanted and that’s what makes his work and him so great and unique. They’re both very interesting and I’d definitely say trailblazers and spoke to a lot of people and for bands after them who seemed to be inspired to have a phase that resembled a lot of what soft cell were critiqued for lol. True greats and definitely a huge main part of the early 80’s synth movement, they started the first soulful singer with synth electronic sound anyway! thanks for the vid! :)
Great video. I'm glad you mentioned the issue of putting "Where Did Our Love Go" on the b side at 12.28. They could have put any throwaway self penned track on there. 2 million singles sold in the US would have made them a fortune.
No one called it "IDM" in the nineties though. That's just a lazy term for people who can't tell the difference between Jungle; Drum & Bass; Drill & Bass; Breakcore; 2-Step; etc
@@neilsun2521 I think calling IDM a lazy term is unfair. As with artists like Aphex Twin, Autechre, Squarepusher, Boards of Canada I wouldn't put them singularly into any of those categories, instead they borrow elements from many places. Although calling it "intelligent" sounds pretentious i think it captures the freedom and creativeness of the genre without sticking to a specific style.
His solo work was way above Soft Cell. In particular his album dedicated to 'Jacques' Brel, as well as 'Enchanted', 'Absinthe' & 'Mother fist & her 5 daughters'. Artistically, Marc Almond, is one of Britain's brightest ⭐ of Pop Music history!!!
beautiful video the Coil version is soul crushing. Coil is probably the most enduring, the deepest band of my teen years. I can't seem to stop hearing new things in their tracks.
@@Chief_Brody I bet you felt really good about yourself when you left your little comment. I really love the cute way you decided to call me an idiot. Super cool bro. Ya know I really don't know what I was thinking when I called an actual underrated band... Underrated! I deserve your scorn obviously. You must be a really good person and not a total piece of shit at all. Go you "Chief Brody"!
Marc continued to work with Coil. He sings on their albums in the songs: "Titan Arch", "The Dark Age Of Love", "Who by Fire" (a cover of a Leonard Cohen song) and plays guitar on "Restless Day". In addition, he and Dave Ball have collaborated with various other industrial and post-industrial artists, including Pychic TV, Jim Thirwell, Current 93, Scanner, and X-TG.
*LOVE* Marc Almond, a wonderful prolific artist! *LOVE* "Memorabilia", but most touching "Youth". This was a great presentation of Soft Cell, thanks! ❣
As a naive American I always assumed two things incorrectly. First, I didnt know Soft Cell covered this song. Second, because I thought Soft Cell wrote the song and because the lead singer sounded and looked so feminine I thought Tainted Love was a song about AIDS. Amazing how each artists version can give off such different feelings from the same song.
It is fascinating the way people will talk such huge circles around the S-word and the M-word (Sparks/Moroder) when dealing with the evolution of synth pop. It's just way cooler to say you got it from Numan or Kraftwerk, when you really bought your first synth after seeing Sparks on TOTP.
Thank you for the amazing documentary !!! I first met the song in 1982 by an international hit parade compilation in Brazil. I was 8 yo. Loved it since !!
I remember being in junior high around around 83. A friend gave me the cassette Non Stop Erotic Cabaret. I loved the sleazy ness of the album. Sex Dwarf was hilarious. The dance/synth vibe was a welcomed break from the angry/fast noise of punk I was use to with The Dead Kennedy’s and Black Flag. I remember hearing It’s A Mugs Game around that time too and became a permanent fan of Soft Cell. Years later in my high school record collecting phase, I found a US print single for Mugs Game and lost my mind when I noticed it was made in Torrance, CA, my home town!
I am so happy to see this, I've been such a big fan for almost 20 years, I'm going to go watch a bunch of their videos for the millionth time in my life
I am only 28, so I heard this song when I was 5 on the radio once, we had recently immigrated to the US. When I first heard the song, I immediately felt the emotion even if I didn't understand the lyrics due to not knowing English at the time. And it ended up being one of the first songs I could sing from start to finish. At times it had this angst-y feel to it. I still really love this song.
My band cover bedsitter. It's become a mainstay and we play it at every show. I love it! We're going to record it and release it as a single this year.
Tainted Love is one of those songs that's hidden at a faster pace, and really comes out slowed down. Such a brilliant cover but whoever wrote that song was a genius. OMG. You just reacquainted me with Sex Dwarf. I was a DJ in a radio station and I think I recorded that song onto a mix tape and had totally forgotten it. It's prob my second favorite track of theirs.
Every single song on Non-Stop is great, there's no filler! I still play Memorabilia all the time, I love the NIN version too. Sex Dwarf is in all my friend's collections, it still gets played at clubs over here.
Appreciate the well-researched, considered and objective commentary. Nice to hear the B-side misjudgment mentioned; I think this is something many fans don't realise. Always use an original B-side! If Soft Cell didn't want to be seen as pop stars, they should've avoided Smash Hits and the like.
@@charly6066 I think you can find videos of it on youtube, but it's only in bad quality because it's from 88 when NIN wasn't known yet. So there were no professional recordings, just self filmed stuff. But there is also a clip of Trent and the others working on the cover of sex dwarf during 95 or 96 in the studio (it's from the Closure VHS/DVD). But sadly no full studio version was ever released.
I like Soft Cell, but Marc's inability to hit a note was typical of the reason autotune was invented. On balance, unless autotune is being used for deliberate effect, I think the wobbly version can sound better.
I would love to see that personally, thats one of my favourite songs, but this channel tends to do stuff that would be at least a bit better known, like wuld have at least charted. Anne Clarke was very mch underground, brilliant though she was. Still the man could be persuaded, he has a patreon. If you want that sort of chat with him you should join.
I love Marc and the Mambas and Soft Cell! I still have a bunch of their obscure vinyl, but my Mambas cassette wore out with overplay. I was delighted to find the music on RUclips…it had been decades since I heard my favorite tracks, but they still hold up over time. other bands that I found that came close to scratching my dark electronic itch was the Legendary Pink Dots and Gelatinous Citizen to name a couple stand outs. Thanks for these videos, great to hear the history behind my old obsessions
Good video. However, suggesting Ultravox and Human League had emotionless vocals was jarring to say the least. That is, to put it mildly, inaccurate. Thanks again for an interesting video.
Far from being emotionless i agree!! But it was a peculiar way of singing, I've read it described also as "detached". For SC you hear it in early masterpieces like Metro Mrx and all those mind-blowing demos and early tracks that you find on The Bedsit Tapes and Demo non stop. Other examples of detached / unemotional are The Future or early Human League ( Being Boiled fast version), J. Foxx's Metamatic and many others.
@@kb9072 Emotionless? Gary Numan? So what? True or not depends on whom you ask. It's clear that neither you nor this vidiot should be asked. Gary had his style and it carried over to the band. Soft Cell had 1 outstanding track. Gary Numan has a couple dozen at least. To hear the video say that crap bout made me want to stop and quit right there.
@@xenuno It was many years ago so my memory of him isn't fresh. I do remember he had a style where he didn't display much emotion. Mostly expressionless. This isn't a criticism just thought that's the way he was or I remember him. Terry Hall (The Specials/Fun Boy Three) had a similar style. The video suggested The Human League and Ultravox was like this also but I'd have to disagree somewhat.
Glad someone else said it; ever since I realized just how long they have been around I felt embarrassed that I did not realize their influence on my beloved "charismatic pop vocalist and brooding synth wizard" genre
Also Yello predates Soft Cell, and could have even been an influence, but admittedly Deiter Meier's vocals are generally not described as too terribly traditional pop (some exceptions like "Lost Again" and "Vicious Games" notwithstanding, but those came later)
The Some Bizarre album also has a hidden gem track from a band called Jell, with a chill, jazzy song called I Dare Say It Will Hurt A Little. Reminds me of Massive Attack
I have to say this could have been written exclusively for me. This narrator is so knowledgeable. I would if he is solely New British Canon or is there a team? When these come up on my feed I always watch. thank you sooooooo much. Soft Cell - Tainted Love is top ten soundtrack to my life. always has. Always will. the "radar sounds" will always be in my childhood head
there are so many cool goth-adjacent synthpop duos these days. Korine, Boy Harsher, Body Of Light. and you gotta figure they owe a ton to Soft Cell and The Pet Shop Boys
Growing up in New York in the 60s, Tainted Love got plenty of airplay, maybe not as obscure as you think. I guess it depends on where you lived. When Soft Cell released its version, most people my age knew it was a cover, but the young 'uns didn't.
You missed the Vicious Pink connection. (Or Vicious Pink Phenomena as they were then known). They are listed on the Non Stop... album as backing singers and Dave wrote some parts at Brian & Josies (VP) house. Some of the video used here is from the legendary Warehouse club in Leeds, where Brian used to DJ. Brian & Josie went on to release their own material, later cutting Phenomena from the name and having hits of their own. They were with the boys and Stevo in New York and were in fact the people who brought MDMA back to the UK and to the attention of underground clubs of the time, before raves.... Speaking of rave connections... Brian/ Vicious Pink was one of the 1st to make use of the Roland303 in a club record and parts of Vicious Pinks Ccccan't You See was later sampled by another Leeds fella and next generation Warehouse attendee that helped give birth to the Bass & Bleep sound and helping launch Warp Records, Nightmares On Wax. You also managed not to mention that Dave had his own success later in the Techno/ Rave scene as The Grid.....everyone always talks about/mention what else Marc did but never Dave, who is more directly involved in the birth of acid house with his direct connections to the...insights into MDMA and early Acid House group M.E.S.H and then later Techno. ....The more you know.... Vicious Pink. Ccccan't You See. 1984. ruclips.net/video/bh6LpM2Hw2I/видео.html Sampled in Nightmares on Wax "I'm for real" on the Aftermath 12" which also samples Newcleus Jam on It. 1990. ruclips.net/video/BLV22eGiqCc/видео.html Dave Ball / The Grid. gentle Rave classic Floatation. 1990. (If you like The Orb, this is for you) ruclips.net/video/uHPlZSXI060/видео.html Dave with Grid partner Richard Norris and Acid House legend Jackmaster Tab as M.E.S.H. 1988. ruclips.net/video/AK3dSxRqGBg/видео.html
Soft cell were instrumental in co writing some of the Beatles biggest hits as well as teaching Hendrix how to play the guitar. After headlining both Woodstock and the very first Glastonbury they would then go on to inspire mod revival, punk and ska music. John Holt once said that without Almond’s contribution, ska music wouldn’t even exist. After inventing grunge, death metal, house, drum and base and grime, Soft Cell got bored and went on to rearrange and rewrite some of Beethoven’s work to wit notable professors of classical music gushed, “Under Almond’s more masterly control, Beethoven has never sounded so good, classically composed music will never be the same again” Although officially in retirement, the duo has since gone on to invent five new instruments and a music streaming platform that was the front runner to Spotify and iTunes. And are currently advising Elon Musk on his upcoming trip to Mars with the titular inventor stating that without Soft Cell space travel might never have happened! Look, I get it, you really, really like Soft Cell. But trying to pretend that they influence every music genre under the sun is just horse crap. No self respecting DJ would’ve gone near them during the rave scene, I know coz I was there.
At 1.12 it states that Soft Cell were often painted as a one hit wonder. Since when? Anybody who was around at the time know that they were anything but!!! Many years later i went to a Marc Almond gig because my pals girlfriend's younger sister wanted to go and she needed a gig buddy. I went out of curiosity and so she would not get herself into trouble whilst being at a gig on her own. She should not have worried. The vibe was totally relaxed and laid back and friendly. I also came away totally impressed at the band but more so by Marc and his performance and became a fan and started buying his solo albums as a result. The guy is a one off and so talented
SO GRATEFUL for Lethal Amounts consistency with Mark Almond. I'd of never been able to see him live in my adult life otherwise. I love him SO much. So SO soo so much.
Okay so, new to this channel and been binge watching everything bc one absolutely must!! But as you mentioned Erasure, I need to add a plus to a video to erasure because as an 8 year old Norwegian kid who just got access to MTV in the late 80's, there were a lot of stuff to dig into (Neneh Cherry, U2, Soft Cell - tbh this song I loved for a trillion decades and I was so happy when I saw there was a video about it) but somehow Erasure always fascinated me because they seemed so... odd?? But their sound were like... 80's optimism with some weird nu 90's sound. idk I just always liked it. Just wanted to say. Love LOVE your videos!!
FUCK YES!!! Thank you for covering. The coil version of "Tainted Love" the best version in my opinion. That track can move me to tears. Please! please! do a video on "coil".🙏 There's ever a group that deserves it, It's them!🎹🎧💫💀😵 rest in peace John & Peter. the world sucks that much more without coil in it.😔🙏✋✌
Did a job for marc almond back in 2001 installing digital when i was on BT ,live dby tower bridge at the time,strange guy,his ground floor was full of those troll dolls of all sizes,and the wall by the spiral staircase was full of nude paintings of him,he is so small!
I'm not a huge fan of a lot of these 80s New Wave Bands, but I can't deny this song is iconic. I'd love to see you do a video on Gary Newman's Cars next
Another fantastic video! I’d love to see what your take on The JAMMS/Timelords/KLF would be. From their early Big In Japan/Zoo Records/Brilliant days to Jimmy Cauty forming The Orb with Alex Patterson.
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Um, might want to check the subtitles for that ad read
P
Many years after the single had almost faded away, I went to an outdoor concert in London, by Jools Holland and his big band. The park was packed out and everyone was having a great time, then Jools “mystery guest” came on. It was Mark Almond, who did 3 songs, the last of which was “Tainted Love”. To say it stopped the show was an understatement, with thousands of 30-somethings singing along and suddenly getting up and dancing. You could see that Mark was pleased, and perhaps a bit teary, over the thunderous applause from the audience, and even the orchestra got up to applaud as well.
Do you remember what year exactly it was? In the 1990s? Earlier?
Marc is mates with Jools holland and has worked with him on his tours as a guest singer a number of times over the years. He's going out on tour with him later in 2024. He's also recorded two or three songs on various Jools Holland albums. I think it helps Marc reach a different audience to his own and people who wouldn't ordinarily buy tickets to one of his shows get to see and hear how great a performer and singer he is.
"Almonds sexuality was kept under wraps."
Okay, I'm having dinner, and I just snorted Bolognese sauce out of my nose.
They're going to need an awful lot of wrapping to do that 😆
@@johndaarteest under wraps is clearly slang for "at toga parties"
Have you never heard the "rumour", going around at the height of their fame??...its fxxking ridiculous and I've heard it repeated many times over the years but it just about sums up the stupidity of the general public..
Was it though? A blind man could see Marc is gay. Dave, not so much.
Gloria Jones was driving the car the night Marc Bolan died. She later received the harshest review I've ever read, "she sings like she drives". She actually had a decent voice, but I guess whoever wrote that review didn't like her.
It's ironic that he's the reason Marc Almond spells his name like that too
Holy hell that's nasty. Do you recall who wrote that, or which Gloria Jones recording it was for? Just idly curious. Cheers 👍
He stole Gloria Jone's 'Tainted Love'. Didn't ask her permission, gave her no recognition and no money for her creativity that gave him a whole career. He is known for her record.
@@ollyf5088 Rachel bolan of Skid Row named himself after him too
@@NickyM_0 She didn't write the song.
I'm surprised that Gloria Jones' version didn't chart. It's such a masterpiece, it gets me hype everytime I hear it! Probably her rough kind of voice didn't fit the canon of that time.
No this is one of those examples when the Remake exceeded the original
@@Vibeagain No, it did not.
@anthonyr.1568 outstriped it entirely. We've seen this a few times. The hit, "will always love you," etcetera. That's why you saw the superior one shoot up into global culture
You forgot to mention "Tainted Love's" biggest use in Rihanna's first American #1 "SOS" which is built entirely on Soft Cell's cover
Good point. That is a brilliant sample.
Not a single original idea have these artists, everything is done by sampling, copying, and stealing from other artists.
@@djgaryowens isn't that exactly what soft cell did with tainted love?
@@ericmuir3356 Yeah, but they did their own stuff too. All the likes of Rihanna do is come along and warble a few lines into a computer and the producers fix the rest. Utterly talentless garbage.
That’s one annoying song lol
We're still extending the influence of "synth pop" today. Its alive and well as an art form. Truly amazing what people achieved in a few short years with a brand new technology in the 70s and 80s. So many iconic bands and timeless tracks
19:20 I want a playlist all of songs which are staples at both wedding receptions and goth clubs.
Thank you. I heard "golf clubs" and didn't get it.
I want a playlist of songs which are staples at both weddings and golf clubs
We had Temple Of Love at our wedding reception. I wouldn't say it's a staple though
Who tf thinks playing a song called "Tainted Love" at a wedding reception is a good idea 😂
@@5d512 I'm down for that playlist
Say Hello, Wave Goodbye is one of my favorite songs from this decade. That synth is so magnetic
My Dad was a Drayman in Leeds delivering beer to pubs and clubs and he met Mark Almond who was living at a club in Leeds (The Gallery i think but i could be wrong) and he said that he was a really nice guy, very polite and always gave them a free drink!
14:55 - Ummm... Those record companies must be in some pretty serious denial if they thought he would pass as straight.
This was going to be my comment.
It was a bit different back then, with alot of androgyny... Prince, Martin Gore...
Lol, a different time . . . In the Seventies and Eighties you could be a Queen camp-follower, yet for all you knew or cared, Freddie Mercury was the butchest MF alive. It was the music that mattered.
I became a fan of Yaz in the Eighties (you Brits call them Yazoo) listening to my sisters down the hall playing _You_ _and_ _Me_ _Both_ over and over again. I knew nothing; didn't follow music; didn't even know what group it was; never heard of Vince Clarke; thought Alison Moyet's vocal was a breathy guy with an incredibly effeminate voice. (Seriously.) Judging solely from "his" lyrics, I decided this breathy MF had to be gay. And after another couple of run-throughs, I decided: these "gays" can really do music! SMH . . . One may discover the truth even following a crooked path.
Exactly my thoughts. Very obviously effeminate.
Freddie was butch??!??
His solo album, "The Stars We Are" is pretty brilliant. He could have had whatever career he wanted.
Tears run rings is timeless.
Also his album Tenement Symphony is brilliant as well.
He's still active, and has released some 20 or so albums since "The Stars We Are"... His career stalled basically due to his loyalty to a bad manager... I last saw him live in October 2019, and he can still captivate an audience, and his energy level is probably higher than it was in 1989, when I first saw him live...
One of the greatest albums EVER.
Yo, Colville's here :U
Trent Reznor is also a HUGE fan. There’s a bootleg of NIN covering ‘Sex Dwarf’ and he’s been quoted as saying he wished he’d been in the band.
Sex Dwarf my fav💓
I don't know how to imagine Trent Reznor in Soft Cell. My brain can't wrap around it.
@@katherynemero4118basically exactly like Trent Reznor has always been.
he also covered Memoribilia on his Closer To God maxi single
nevermind it's also included in the video. oops.
Mark Almond's autobiography is well worth a read. He is surprisingly erudite.
We need a Talk Talk It's My Life episode please
Good lord, yes. I’m actually surprised there isn’t a Mark Hollis movie given his life in music
Yes!!!
Life's what you make it....
Yes! Or their musical transformation and the birth of post-rock.
Absolutely. I was gutted, when I heard he’d passed. Spirit of Eden is still one of my top five albums.
The idea of mixing genres in his head is always what innovative artists in history have done. Very inspiring.
this is not the video I deserved but definitely the video I needed
Man I hope you cover Throbbing Gristle on this show at some point. In addition to being industrial music pioneers, they’ve had a wild band history that branches off into separate projects and then reconvenes years later.
I feel you on that. I would definitely love to have them cover them. But even more so coil!
thy suck
@@astroboirap To be fair, industrial music wouldn't be what it is without their vision, but I kinda agree their ''music'' isn't that good.
I love sticking "Hamburger Lady" in the middle of random playlists just to traumatize the unsuspecting.
The 11 inch of this was unreal too, pure proto Techno.
Lol, i think that I still have it in my basement. Wore that thing out.
Coil definitely deserves their own video at some point, they have so much great stuff!
Shoutout to that inevitable but brilliantly executed dad joke at 19:30
It was amazing
Soft Cell is my favorite band and very underrated. My soul wept tears of joys seeing this review!
No, they were not underated. They were a very average synth pop group.
I guess I'm the only one who remembers or like "It's a Mug's Game." Great song, real departure in terms of the jazzy brass.
Love Soft Cell❤️. Say Hello, Wave Goodbye is an absolute classic.
Marc Almond is so cute and adorable! Why do i love Soft Cell? - Art, elegance, paranoia, styling and sofistification... With decadence, hedonism, synth and dark side. That´s why! 🖤🖤🖤
i would like to express my enthusiasm at the RUclips Algorithm once again bringing me to this lovely video. This is one of my favourite songs and one of the first songs I ever listened to. In kindergarten circa 2002 my class had to choreograph a dance number to this song and my mother-a teenager of the 80s-was super excited to help me out. This was my introduction to 80s music and my mother's youth culture.
In 1990, I mistakenly bought Marc Almond's "Enchanted", thinking it had the single "Tears Run Rings". It didn't, but the purchase was a happy accident - that CD was sooooo good.
"Lest his fanbase find out he was gay"... People in the 80's were a special kind of dense.
Ummmm, I'm pretty sure that all it took was one listen or look and I'm pretty sure we knew. We didn't care, that song was universal. I was 13 or 14. I was shocked when TT said it was 81/82, because I remember thinking I was so "old" because I thought I could relate to the song. Haha. I have the 12" to this very day. The 12" version was loved by most everyone I knew: my gay friends, my mom because of the "Where Did Our Love Go", my straight friend because it sounded so good on the good car stereos that my friends were investing in at that time. We had teen clubs here, and it must have played for 2 years in those places. This song made me dig into my Dad's crates a little bit.
Marc Almond's solo was one of the first CD that i ever bought.
To be fair, the cliche identifying a gay male was limited to the lisping, limp-wristed femme boy back then. We have a bit more of a nuanced understanding now. Hell, Ellen coming out in the 90's was major in softening the stereotypes.
There were alot of androgynous men back then, even effeminate, that weren't gay... Martin Gore, Prince, David Bowie...
@@xamyx2205 the men you state were not effeminate. Almond was an obvious effeminate guy. There's a huge difference even though these men were thought to be androgynous
I laughed out loud at that part. That kinda of thing wasn’t discussed as much back then. I didn’t even know what it meant until I was about 12 or 13
This is what I love most about this channel, something easily passed over as a one-hit-wonder requires context: influences, inception, and follow-ups. This all makes for an amazing story and a better understanding of how music is where it's at.
Marc Almond appeared on two Psychic TV tracks from 1982's Force the Hand of Chance, and was good friends with Peter Christopherson and Jhon Balance of Coil, and appeared on various Coil tracks. They all shared similar interests, across the board.
Christopherson was also 1/4 of Throbbing Gristle, who influenced pretty much everybody in the electronic music scene in the early 80's. He directed an alternate version of Soft Cell's Tainted Love video. He also directed many other more popular music videos, such as Erasure's A Little Respect, Chains of Love and Stop!, Yes' Owner of a Lonely Heart, and Van Halen's Can't Stop Lovin' You. He appears as a prisoner in the Marcy Playground video It's Saturday, which he also directed.
Knowledge ! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
They’re so original and different, real classic! They started something and Marc is an icon for a reason in many ways, they’re both naturals at what they do I mean Marc is a poetic genius, he can tell a story to a T that u can visualise it, feel that situation and still make it a song and Dave’s tunes are always so unique and hold/give off the exact vibe the lyrics are about that makes u feel their music. Also I don’t know who they were kidding trying to perceive Marc as anything but himself and a gay man and so what, he’s always been unapologetically himself and done what he wanted and that’s what makes his work and him so great and unique. They’re both very interesting and I’d definitely say trailblazers and spoke to a lot of people and for bands after them who seemed to be inspired to have a phase that resembled a lot of what soft cell were critiqued for lol. True greats and definitely a huge main part of the early 80’s synth movement, they started the first soulful singer with synth electronic sound anyway! thanks for the vid! :)
“Marc Almond a one hit wonder”
*Europe has entered the chat*
I'm American, and even I know better...
Indeed!
Always assumed Tainted Love was an original. It sounds so of the time. Great song. Great insight into its creation.
Great video. I'm glad you mentioned the issue of putting "Where Did Our Love Go" on the b side at 12.28. They could have put any throwaway self penned track on there. 2 million singles sold in the US would have made them a fortune.
The B-side of "Tainted Love" in America was "Memorabilia", an Almond/Ball original, so they made out ok in the end.
You would think after almost 40 years of this song I would be tired of it, and yet
To my grave this will be one of the top songs of my life. Never gets old.
Thank you for doing a video about Soft Cell! A very important band for me!
Cool playlists btw!
Almost 40 years ago. Never mind love, where did our time go?
If you covering British electronic music, the "idm" scene of the 90s (aphex twin, squarepusher) would be a good place to go.
Yes!!
Aphex Twin would be nice
A new British Canon on 808 state - Pacific State (Or Pacific 707) would be epic
No one called it "IDM" in the nineties though. That's just a lazy term for people who can't tell the difference between Jungle; Drum & Bass; Drill & Bass; Breakcore; 2-Step; etc
@@neilsun2521 I think calling IDM a lazy term is unfair. As with artists like Aphex Twin, Autechre, Squarepusher, Boards of Canada I wouldn't put them singularly into any of those categories, instead they borrow elements from many places. Although calling it "intelligent" sounds pretentious i think it captures the freedom and creativeness of the genre without sticking to a specific style.
His solo work was way above Soft Cell. In particular his album dedicated to 'Jacques' Brel, as well as 'Enchanted', 'Absinthe' & 'Mother fist & her 5 daughters'.
Artistically, Marc Almond, is one of Britain's brightest ⭐ of Pop Music history!!!
beautiful video
the Coil version is soul crushing. Coil is probably the most enduring, the deepest band of my teen years. I can't seem to stop hearing new things in their tracks.
One of the best and most underrated band’s. I absolutely adore Soft Cell!
Ahhh the old ubiquitous "underrated" comment on RUclips. You're so original. Prat
@@Chief_Brody I bet you felt really good about yourself when you left your little comment. I really love the cute way you decided to call me an idiot. Super cool bro. Ya know I really don't know what I was thinking when I called an actual underrated band... Underrated! I deserve your scorn obviously. You must be a really good person and not a total piece of shit at all. Go you "Chief Brody"!
Marc continued to work with Coil. He sings on their albums in the songs: "Titan Arch", "The Dark Age Of Love", "Who by Fire" (a cover of a Leonard Cohen song) and plays guitar on "Restless Day". In addition, he and Dave Ball have collaborated with various other industrial and post-industrial artists, including Pychic TV, Jim Thirwell, Current 93, Scanner, and X-TG.
Soft Cell are criminally underrated.
Sex Dwarf is such a great song.
Totally. Tainted love is nice but Sex Dwarf is electrifying!!
For whatever reason.. the lead synth line from Sex Dwarf will pop in my head when I'm doing chores or something. No clue why.
When I felt dirty and driving my car I used to to play that song .... even in my mind..... don more than three decades....
Now I'm very curious. I don't think I've heard that one. I'm not sure what of Soft Cell I have heard besides Tainted Love, so I'll have to look.
I have to say Bedsitter/say hello...
*LOVE* Marc Almond, a wonderful prolific artist!
*LOVE* "Memorabilia", but most touching "Youth".
This was a great presentation of Soft Cell, thanks!
❣
As a naive American I always assumed two things incorrectly. First, I didnt know Soft Cell covered this song. Second, because I thought Soft Cell wrote the song and because the lead singer sounded and looked so feminine I thought Tainted Love was a song about AIDS. Amazing how each artists version can give off such different feelings from the same song.
I'm sorry but that's actually so funny
Ohhhhh don’t forget the crazy spoken word album Marc Almond did with COIL. Was sorta the thing that made me reconsider Soft Cell.
And Marc’s project with Lydia Lunch, Nick Cave and JG Thirlwell, the Immaculate Conceptions
Every time you release one of these I gain an appreciation for a band or artist that I didn’t have before watching.
It is fascinating the way people will talk such huge circles around the S-word and the M-word (Sparks/Moroder) when dealing with the evolution of synth pop. It's just way cooler to say you got it from Numan or Kraftwerk, when you really bought your first synth after seeing Sparks on TOTP.
This band and their version of Tainted Love have had so much impact on my life, thank you for this 😍❤😍
I think it would be interesting to see a video about Vince Clarke, Yazoo and "Only You".
Thanks for the fantastic vids and keep up the good work!
Pleaseeeee
My all time favorite pop song!
I never knew anything about Soft Cell and I freaking love the story behind these guys. Excellent video.
Thank you for the amazing documentary !!! I first met the song in 1982 by an international hit parade compilation in Brazil. I was 8 yo. Loved it since !!
I remember being in junior high around around 83.
A friend gave
me the cassette Non Stop Erotic Cabaret. I loved the sleazy ness of the album. Sex Dwarf was hilarious.
The dance/synth vibe was a welcomed break from the angry/fast noise of punk I was use to with The Dead Kennedy’s and Black Flag.
I remember hearing It’s A Mugs Game around that time too and became a permanent fan of Soft Cell.
Years later in my high school record collecting phase, I found a US print single for Mugs Game and lost my mind when I noticed it was made in Torrance, CA, my home town!
Bedsitter is actually my favorite softcell song. I found out this year that this version of tainted love is by them lol.
3:01 Not only was Soft Cell low on the bill but their first show was at like 1pm in bright daylight playing to a mostly empty festival.
That's usually when up and coming bands perform at festivals though
I am so happy to see this, I've been such a big fan for almost 20 years, I'm going to go watch a bunch of their videos for the millionth time in my life
I am only 28, so I heard this song when I was 5 on the radio once, we had recently immigrated to the US.
When I first heard the song, I immediately felt the emotion even if I didn't understand the lyrics due to not knowing English at the time.
And it ended up being one of the first songs I could sing from start to finish. At times it had this angst-y feel to it. I still really love this song.
My band cover bedsitter. It's become a mainstay and we play it at every show. I love it! We're going to record it and release it as a single this year.
YES!!!! thank you 💜 this is the video I needed hahahah soft cell is such an awesome and unfortanetely underrated duo
Tainted Love is one of those songs that's hidden at a faster pace, and really comes out slowed down. Such a brilliant cover but whoever wrote that song was a genius.
OMG. You just reacquainted me with Sex Dwarf. I was a DJ in a radio station and I think I recorded that song onto a mix tape and had totally forgotten it. It's prob my second favorite track of theirs.
Every single song on Non-Stop is great, there's no filler! I still play Memorabilia all the time, I love the NIN version too. Sex Dwarf is in all my friend's collections, it still gets played at clubs over here.
Appreciate the well-researched, considered and objective commentary. Nice to hear the B-side misjudgment mentioned; I think this is something many fans don't realise. Always use an original B-side! If Soft Cell didn't want to be seen as pop stars, they should've avoided Smash Hits and the like.
This site is THE most informed on rock history. Extremely accurate analysis and great taste. My favourite page on here
Yep. Super underrated and very well researched
I always loved the smooth and dark transition between Tainted love and Where did our love go
NIN also covered “Sex Dwarf” at early shows
are there any videos? thats my favourite track off NSEC
@@charly6066 I think you can find videos of it on youtube, but it's only in bad quality because it's from 88 when NIN wasn't known yet. So there were no professional recordings, just self filmed stuff. But there is also a clip of Trent and the others working on the cover of sex dwarf during 95 or 96 in the studio (it's from the Closure VHS/DVD). But sadly no full studio version was ever released.
I like Soft Cell, but Marc's inability to hit a note was typical of the reason autotune was invented. On balance, unless autotune is being used for deliberate effect, I think the wobbly version can sound better.
I love Tainted Love and Torch, Soft Cell is epic amd very influential.
Next maybe Anne Clark?
I would love to see that personally, thats one of my favourite songs, but this channel tends to do stuff that would be at least a bit better known, like wuld have at least charted. Anne Clarke was very mch underground, brilliant though she was.
Still the man could be persuaded, he has a patreon. If you want that sort of chat with him you should join.
OMG, excellent mention!
Resounding YES to Anne Clark.
I love Marc and the Mambas and Soft Cell! I still have a bunch of their obscure vinyl, but my Mambas cassette wore out with overplay. I was delighted to find the music on RUclips…it had been decades since I heard my favorite tracks, but they still hold up over time.
other bands that I found that came close to scratching my dark electronic itch was the Legendary Pink Dots and Gelatinous Citizen to name a couple stand outs.
Thanks for these videos, great to hear the history behind my old obsessions
That Coil video was/is epic
Also whomever wrote Tainted Love can now put their Great Grandchildren through college.
14:58 yeah god forbid people find out
Well knock me down with a feather!
Good video. However, suggesting Ultravox and Human League had emotionless vocals was jarring to say the least. That is, to put it mildly, inaccurate. Thanks again for an interesting video.
Far from being emotionless i agree!! But it was a peculiar way of singing, I've read it described also as "detached". For SC you hear it in early masterpieces like Metro Mrx and all those mind-blowing demos and early tracks that you find on The Bedsit Tapes and Demo non stop. Other examples of detached / unemotional are The Future or early Human League ( Being Boiled fast version), J. Foxx's Metamatic and many others.
Gary Newman yes. The Human League and Ultravox definitely no.
@@kb9072 Emotionless? Gary Numan? So what? True or not depends on whom you ask. It's clear that neither you nor this vidiot should be asked. Gary had his style and it carried over to the band. Soft Cell had 1 outstanding track. Gary Numan has a couple dozen at least. To hear the video say that crap bout made me want to stop and quit right there.
@@xenuno
It was many years ago so my memory of him isn't fresh. I do remember he had a style where he didn't display much emotion. Mostly expressionless. This isn't a criticism just thought that's the way he was or I remember him. Terry Hall (The Specials/Fun Boy Three) had a similar style. The video suggested The Human League and Ultravox was like this also but I'd have to disagree somewhat.
I've only heard Vienna and even from that song I could tell that statement was untrue lol
Only a matter of time till we reach “tubthumping“
Fuck yes
Quite an interesting story. Check out Todd In The Shadows' video about them.
I can't wait
You missed out Sparks, the bnenchmark for all synth duos. But yeah, good documentary. Cheers!
Glad someone else said it; ever since I realized just how long they have been around I felt embarrassed that I did not realize their influence on my beloved "charismatic pop vocalist and brooding synth wizard" genre
Also Yello predates Soft Cell, and could have even been an influence, but admittedly Deiter Meier's vocals are generally not described as too terribly traditional pop (some exceptions like "Lost Again" and "Vicious Games" notwithstanding, but those came later)
Oh man that dance that guy did and his look!
they always miss out sparks!!
So pretty on brand for Sparks
The Some Bizarre album also has a hidden gem track from a band called Jell, with a chill, jazzy song called I Dare Say It Will Hurt A Little. Reminds me of Massive Attack
I have to say this could have been written exclusively for me.
This narrator is so knowledgeable. I would if he is solely New British Canon or is there a team?
When these come up on my feed I always watch. thank you sooooooo
much.
Soft Cell - Tainted Love is top ten soundtrack to my life. always has. Always will.
the "radar sounds" will always be in my childhood head
I first got into music around the time this came out. I was 9 years old! Loved it and the sound has influenced my taste ever since
Kraftwerk's "The Model" came out in 1978, not 1982.
It was a hit in 1982 though once synth pop had it's commercial breakthrough in the UK
@@Morphstock It was a hit in 1978 in Europe and the US Dance charts.
@@Morphstock Synthpop became massive in the UK in 1979. Gary Numan's "Are Friends Electric" was number 1 for 4 weeks.
@@OnlyGoodMusic_ Yes - but my point was The Model was a hit AFTER the synth pop breakthrough
18:20 Sparks with the No1 in Haven album really started that synth & soulful singer blueprint
Love the coil addition, so insightful
there are so many cool goth-adjacent synthpop duos these days. Korine, Boy Harsher, Body Of Light. and you gotta figure they owe a ton to Soft Cell and The Pet Shop Boys
Boy Harsher is one of the best working this vibe
Growing up in New York in the 60s, Tainted Love got plenty of airplay, maybe not as obscure as you think. I guess it depends on where you lived. When Soft Cell released its version, most people my age knew it was a cover, but the young 'uns didn't.
I love the extended version's organ solo. It is like a musical narrative of a jilted vampire, frantic with heartbreak, about to get their revenge.
You missed the Vicious Pink connection. (Or Vicious Pink Phenomena as they were then known).
They are listed on the Non Stop... album as backing singers and Dave wrote some parts at Brian & Josies (VP) house. Some of the video used here is from the legendary Warehouse club in Leeds, where Brian used to DJ. Brian & Josie went on to release their own material, later cutting Phenomena from the name and having hits of their own. They were with the boys and Stevo in New York and were in fact the people who brought MDMA back to the UK and to the attention of underground clubs of the time, before raves.... Speaking of rave connections... Brian/ Vicious Pink was one of the 1st to make use of the Roland303 in a club record and parts of Vicious Pinks Ccccan't You See was later sampled by another Leeds fella and next generation Warehouse attendee that helped give birth to the Bass & Bleep sound and helping launch Warp Records, Nightmares On Wax.
You also managed not to mention that Dave had his own success later in the Techno/ Rave scene as The Grid.....everyone always talks about/mention what else Marc did but never Dave, who is more directly involved in the birth of acid house with his direct connections to the...insights into MDMA and early Acid House group M.E.S.H and then later Techno.
....The more you know....
Vicious Pink. Ccccan't You See. 1984.
ruclips.net/video/bh6LpM2Hw2I/видео.html
Sampled in Nightmares on Wax "I'm for real" on the Aftermath 12" which also samples Newcleus Jam on It. 1990.
ruclips.net/video/BLV22eGiqCc/видео.html
Dave Ball / The Grid. gentle Rave classic Floatation. 1990. (If you like The Orb, this is for you)
ruclips.net/video/uHPlZSXI060/видео.html
Dave with Grid partner Richard Norris and Acid House legend Jackmaster Tab as M.E.S.H. 1988.
ruclips.net/video/AK3dSxRqGBg/видео.html
Soft cell were instrumental in co writing some of the Beatles biggest hits as well as teaching Hendrix how to play the guitar. After headlining both Woodstock and the very first Glastonbury they would then go on to inspire mod revival, punk and ska music. John Holt once said that without Almond’s contribution, ska music wouldn’t even exist.
After inventing grunge, death metal, house, drum and base and grime, Soft Cell got bored and went on to rearrange and rewrite some of Beethoven’s work to wit notable professors of classical music gushed, “Under Almond’s more masterly control, Beethoven has never sounded so good, classically composed music will never be the same again”
Although officially in retirement, the duo has since gone on to invent five new instruments and a music streaming platform that was the front runner to Spotify and iTunes. And are currently advising Elon Musk on his upcoming trip to Mars with the titular inventor stating that without Soft Cell space travel might never have happened!
Look, I get it, you really, really like Soft Cell. But trying to pretend that they influence every music genre under the sun is just horse crap. No self respecting DJ would’ve gone near them during the rave scene, I know coz I was there.
Got me into a lifetime of electronic dance music. Sheer excellence. Thankyou
At 1.12 it states that Soft Cell were often painted as a one hit wonder. Since when? Anybody who was around at the time know that they were anything but!!! Many years later i went to a Marc Almond gig because my pals girlfriend's younger sister wanted to go and she needed a gig buddy. I went out of curiosity and so she would not get herself into trouble whilst being at a gig on her own. She should not have worried. The vibe was totally relaxed and laid back and friendly. I also came away totally impressed at the band but more so by Marc and his performance and became a fan and started buying his solo albums as a result. The guy is a one off and so talented
SO GRATEFUL for Lethal Amounts consistency with Mark Almond. I'd of never been able to see him live in my adult life otherwise. I love him SO much. So SO soo so much.
Okay so, new to this channel and been binge watching everything bc one absolutely must!! But as you mentioned Erasure, I need to add a plus to a video to erasure because as an 8 year old Norwegian kid who just got access to MTV in the late 80's, there were a lot of stuff to dig into (Neneh Cherry, U2, Soft Cell - tbh this song I loved for a trillion decades and I was so happy when I saw there was a video about it) but somehow Erasure always fascinated me because they seemed so... odd?? But their sound were like... 80's optimism with some weird nu 90's sound. idk I just always liked it. Just wanted to say. Love LOVE your videos!!
FUCK YES!!! Thank you for covering. The coil version of "Tainted Love" the best version in my opinion. That track can move me to tears. Please! please! do a video on "coil".🙏 There's ever a group that deserves it, It's them!🎹🎧💫💀😵 rest in peace John & Peter. the world sucks that much more without coil in it.😔🙏✋✌
Thanks for another great episode, Marc Almond is actually my favourite male vocalist ever and Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is never far from my palylist.
Bowie called it "the European cannon" in Station to Station. My favorite song btw and a true gem.
Did a job for marc almond back in 2001 installing digital when i was on BT ,live dby tower bridge at the time,strange guy,his ground floor was full of those troll dolls of all sizes,and the wall by the spiral staircase was full of nude paintings of him,he is so small!
Coil's cover is very moving, indeed. Love it. Love both, of course.
The way they looked and their basic setup (guy behind a keyboard and a singer) they could easily be mistaken for Suicide, who predated them.
Also Sparks too.
Yazoo and Eurythmics come to mind as well.
@prokesuk They were influenced by Suicide
Getting educated while remembering great music, I effing love this channel!
I'm not a huge fan of a lot of these 80s New Wave Bands, but I can't deny this song is iconic. I'd love to see you do a video on Gary Newman's Cars next
Sex dwarf always was a favourite in my shared house of the 80s. I'm ashamed to say since we did have a neighbour who had dwarfism
Another fantastic video! I’d love to see what your take on The JAMMS/Timelords/KLF would be. From their early Big In Japan/Zoo Records/Brilliant days to Jimmy Cauty forming The Orb with Alex Patterson.
The KLF were truly oddball and rather wonderful.
Tainted Love was probably the soundtrack of my puberty years