Soft Cell

Soft Cell got their start in Leeds, England, in 1979. Marc Almond and Dave Ball, two guys studying at Leeds Polytechnic, got together to write music for theater. Something more came out of it, and they ended up forming a duo. Things started to get serious, and within a few years they were part of the synth-pop scene that was beginning to take off in the UK.

In 1981, they released “Tainted Love,” a song that put them on the map. It was a cover of a Gloria Jones song, but with a different twist—darker and edgier. The song became a global hit, and with it, the duo earned their place on the scene. The following year, their first album, Non-stop Erotic Cabaret, was released, which was also well-received, though it faced some issues in the United States due to its content.