403 Hello Soft Cell- Tainted Love

Chart  entered : 1  August  1981

Chart  peak : 1  ( 43  and  50  in  separate  runs  in  1982, 43  in  1985, 5  in  1991

Number  of  hits  :  11

I celebrated  this  one  as  the  first  "futurist"  number  one  even  though  its  creators  were  quite  keen  to  eschew  any  association  with  the  New  Romantics.

Peter  Almond  ( born  1957 )  and  David  Ball  ( born  1959 )  met  as  Art  students  at  Leeds  Polytechnic  in  1978. Both  were  from  seaside  towns ( Southport  and  Blackpool  respectively  )  and  shared  a  love  of  Northern  Soul  and  electronic  music  particularly  the  pioneering,  if  often  unlistenable,  New  York  synth  duo  Suicide. Additionally  Peter  was  a  big  fan  of  Marc  Bolan  and  re-christened  himself  "Marc"  as  a  tribute.

They  called  their  group  Soft  Cell  and  soon  built  up  a  reputation  for  their  live  shows  which  mixed  synth-pop  with  sleazy  performance  art. In  October  1980  they  used  a  loan  from  David's  mother  to  record  the  EP  "Mutant  Moments" for  a  small  Yorkshire  label. Only  2,000  copies  were  pressed  which  unsurprisingly  are  now  very  collectible.  Though  roughly  recorded  it's  a  good  start  with  all  four  tracks  worth  a  listen. "Potential"  is  a  John  Foxx -like  drone  announcing  their  arrival  with  a fluctuating  tempo, "L.O.V.E  Feelings "  is  a  warmer  ditty  about  mirror-hugging  narcissism, "Metro  Mr X"  is  a  possibly  Perrin-influenced  poke  at  commuterdom  that  sounds  very  Human  League  Mk 1  and  "Frustration"  is  an  Everyman  howl of  pain  at  being  stuck  in  a  banal  life   where  a  treated  Marc  attempts  to  sound  like  Lydon  over  a  minimalist  rhythm  and  electronic  squeals  , the  most  Suicide-like  of  the  tracks.

Shortly  afterwards  the  duo  contributed  "The  girl  With  The  Patent  Leather  Face"  to  the  Some  Bizarre  album. It's  not  clear  whether  the  song   is  a    Ballardian   sci-fi  fantasy  or  a  sympathetic  look  at  a  girl  suffering  from  facial  deformity. Though  still  fairly  minimal   it  benefits  from  a  better  production  and  has  a  strong  chorus  demonstrating  Marc's  affinity  with  the  freaks  and  ghouls.

Unlike  Depeche  Mode  , Soft  Cell  did  sign  with  Some  Bizarre  which  was  backed   by  Phonogram. Their  first  single  was  "A  Man  Can  Get  Lost " produced  by  Daniel  Miller , a  fairly  uncompromising and  unmelodic   electro-throb  number  about  a  walk  around  Soho .  The  B-side  "Memorabilia"   attracted   club  attention   when  extended  in  a  dance  mix  on  the  12inch  single  and  is  much  better  remembered.

Phonogram  were  not  particularly  impressed  and  gave  them  another  single  to  save  themselves  leading  to  the  decision  to  cover  a  Northern  Soul  favourite  originally  recorded  by  Gloria  Jones  in  1965.  The  Popular  take  is  here : Soft Cell