Soft Cell - Non - Stop Erotic Cabaret 1981 ( Deluxe Edition 2018)

 

Soft Cell are an English synthesizer duo, consisting of Marc Almond (vocals) and David Ball (keyboards), who came to prominence in the early 1980s. Soft Cell was founded in 1977 by Almond

and Ball, who met as art students at Leeds Polytechnic. 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.
               

Their lyrics often focus on love and romance as well as the darker side of life, with subjects such as the

nightlife, kinky sex, transvestism, drugs and murder. They had a huge world-wide hit in 1981 with a cover version of "Tainted Love," a northern soul classic originally sung by Gloria Jones (the wife of Marc Bolan), that they followed up with more charting singles and one of the first remix Albums "Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing." Their self-penned non-album single "Torch," missed the No.1 spot of the UK charts by a hairbreadth.
                      

Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret 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.
                 

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 Almond's 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 band's

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 Almond's 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 Art Of Falling Apart'," produced with Mike Thorne and the then new CMI Fairlight at hand with

endless efforts by Dave Ball aiming at perfection followed in 1982. It spawned two singles chosen against the will of the record companies; "Where The Heart Is," and "Numbers," the first on youthful frustration, the later about frequently changing sexual partners and neither sold too well.
                     

The commercial pressure finally collided with their artistic ambitions which led to solo and side

projects and two farewell shows in January 1984 even before "This Last Night In Sodom," was released. They reunited in the early 2000's and toured with a 4th studio album "Cruelty Without Beauty," following in 2002. Once again they reunited for a final well documented "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye," live show in 2018 and the recording of a new single. Their new studio album "*Happiness Not Included," was released in spring of 2022.
                      

Soft Cell – Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Label: Mercury – 5303216
Series: Deluxe Edition
Format: 2 x CD, Album, Compilation, Deluxe Edition, Remastered Sep 15, 2008
Country: UK & Europe
Released: 1981
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop, New Wave

CD1. NON - STOP EROTIC CABARET

                       

01. Frustration  (Saxophone – Dave Tofani)   4:11
02. Tainted Love    2:34
03. Seedy Films  (Clarinet – Dave Tofani)   5:03
04. Youth    3:21
05. Sex Dwarf    5:09
06. Entertain Me    3:34
07. Chips On My Shoulder    4:06
08. Bedsitter    3:35
09. Secret Life    3:36
10. Say Hello, Wave Goodbye    5:24

NON - STOP ECSTATIC DANCING        

    
11. Memorabilia    5:20
12. Where Did Our Love Go?    4:22
13. What?    4:31
14. A Man Could Get Lost    3:57
15. Chips On My Shoulder    4:28
16. Sex Dwarf    5:10

BONUS TRACKS            

17. Torch    4:08
18. A Man Could Get Lost    3:18

CD2.

                

01. Memorabilia (Extended)    7:45
02. Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go? (12" Mix)    9:02
03. Bedsitter (Extended)    7:52
04. Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (Extended)    8:53
05. Torch (Extended)    8:27
06. What? (Extended)    6:06
07. Persuasion    7:38
08. Facility Girls    2:21
09. Fun City    7:44
10. Insecure Me (Extended)    8:14
11. So    3:49

LINE - UP

                

Vocals – Marc Almond
Instruments [Electronic And Acoustic Instruments] – David Ball
Backing Vocals – Vicious Pink Phenomena

NOTES

Written-By – David James Ball (tracks: 1-01, 1-03 to 1-11, 1-14 to 1-18, 2-01, 2-03 to 2-05, 2-07 to 2-11), Ed Cobb (tracks: 1-02, 2-02), H.B. Barnum (tracks: 1-13, 2-06), Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland, Jr. (tracks: 1-12, 2-02), Marc Almond (tracks: 1-01, 1-03 to 1-11, 1-14 to 1-18, 2-01, 2-03 to 2-05, 2-07 to 2-10)

MP3 @ 320 Size: 358 MB
Flac  Size: 1.00 GB