Dave Ball, the instrumentalist in the synth-pop duo Soft Cell, who enjoyed a massive worldwide hit with their 1981 cover of Gloria Jones’ song “Tainted Love,” has died, according to the BBC. No specific cause of death was cited, although he suffered serious health complications after a back injury; he was 66.
While fronted by flamboyant singer Marc Almond, Ball — pictured above, left, in the early 1980s — created virtually all of the duo’s music, which included hits with original songs like “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” and “Bedsitter” and their debut album, “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret.” Soft Cell were among the first widely popular synth-pop groups, creating music nearly entirely with electronics — a relative rarity in the early ‘80s that, powered by the rise of MTV, quickly became common.
The BBC reports that Ball died peacefully in his sleep at his London home on Wednesday, just a few weeks after playing a concert with Soft Cell at England’s Rewind Festival. During that show and often in recent years, he performed in a wheelchair, due to a serious back injury. However, he largely recovered and completed an album with Almond called “Danceteria” — the name of which was inspired by a popular and influential 1980s-era New York City nightclub — slated for release next year.
“He was focused and so happy with the new album that we literally completed only a few days ago,” said the singer in a tribute, according to the BBC. “It’s so sad as 2026 was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work.”
Ball grew up in Blackpool, England and developed an interest in synthesizers after seeing electronic music Kraftwerk on a BBC science show on television. He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where both studied art. They formed Soft Cell that year and soon recorded an EP. The group’s label, the indie Some Bizarre, signed a deal with Phonogram in the U.K. and released a later single, “Memorabilia,” which created a buzz in new wave circles.
But the release of “Tainted Love” — the extended version of which is a medley with the Supremes’ Motown-era hit “Where Did Our Love Go?” — in July 1981 created one of the biggest hits of the decade, one whose popularity has resonated over the decades. It sold an estimated 21 million copies worldwide.
The group had several U.K. chart singles in the early ‘80s but did not maintain their early level of success and split in 1984. Ball formed a group called the Grid before reuniting with Almond for a Soft Cell album in 2001 and again in 2018.
“He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I’m very proud of our legacy,” Almond wrote in his tribute. “Thank you Dave for being an immense part of my life and for the music you gave me. I wouldn’t be where I am without you.”
Source link
