Soft Cell's Musical Force Dave Ball Passes Away, at the Age of 66

Dave Ball, one half of the pioneering 1980s electronic music duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the team achieved a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of electronic music.

He later founded the innovative techno group The Grid, who secured chart success with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away calmly in his rest at his home in London on October 22, only a short time after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

At that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a period of ill-health.

"I managed to damage myself significantly," he commented in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my arm."

Following contracting a lung infection and suffering from blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and remained in the hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for release in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the new album that we literally completed only a few days ago," said the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was completely planned to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

Almond described his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.

"Thank you Dave for being an significant part of my existence and for the songs you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

"Forming a duo with someone is distinct from being in a group, the bond is incredibly close," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, incredible, memorable experiences together. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

Born into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from his birth name to David, alongside his younger sister Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the very year, and promptly produced an EP.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they achieved a unique creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk perform on BBC program a popular series, and started to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the UK's second most popular single of 1981, shifting 21 million units globally. Together with successful tracks by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it contributed to paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The song was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two additional high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the record up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at number two in 1982.

Career Highlights

Success had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having financial security and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago told with a music magazine.

But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could afford newfound drugs to alleviate the boredom" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball explained.

"I know that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a valid cause, because it applies for so many musicians."

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to concentrate on individual endeavors.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous solo career, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed acid house with melodic sounds over a long-lasting collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, releasing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further hiatus, they reappeared in recent years, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a farewell show at the large venue on September 30, that year.

Yet, they remained active, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball recently described the duo's upcoming release as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they visited while making their first two albums.

He noted that his period in hospital had shaped the band's sound.

"I had unusual memories when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a music magazine.

"Our latest tracks are a electronic representation of the sounds in my mind from that time.

"In parallel, it's about the times me and Marc got up to in the 80s."

The last versions were finished only days before Ball died. It is due for release in the spring of 2026.