In 1981, Soft Cell, an unlikely duo hailing from Leeds, achieved a number one hit with their distinctive, synth-driven cover of a relatively obscure 1960s soul track.
With “Tainted Love,” Soft Cell established a blueprint for 1980s synth-pop duos: A flamboyant frontman paired with an unassuming keyboardist.
Dave Ball, who has died at the age of 66, was the instrumental force behind the band’s sound, crafting ominous, polyphonic soundscapes that complemented Marc Almond’s lyrics exploring themes of X-rated cinema and sado-masochism.
“Tainted Love” sold over 21 million copies worldwide, paving the way for subsequent hits such as “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” and “Torch,” before the band’s initial split in 1984. After reuniting in the 2000s, they had recently completed a new album prior to Ball’s passing.
In a statement, the musician’s family confirmed that he passed away peacefully in his sleep at his London home on Wednesday, October 22nd.
This news arrives less than two months after Soft Cell headlined for 20,000 fans at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.
During that performance, Ball was seated in a wheelchair, as he had been for the previous two years, following a period of declining health.
“I managed to damage myself quite a bit,” he told the Yorkshire Post in 2023. “I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and cracked about five ribs and broke my wrist.”
Following a bout of pneumonia and subsequent sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and spent seven months in hospital.
However, he had reportedly been in “a great place emotionally” over the summer, while working on Soft Cell’s upcoming album, “Danceteria,” slated for release next year.
“He was focused and so happy with the new album that we literally completed only a few days ago,” Almond shared in a heartfelt tribute.
“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.”
Almond expressed his gratitude to his bandmate for “being an immense part of my life and for the music you gave me,” adding, “I wouldn’t be where I am without you.”
Ball was also a member of the influential techno duo The Grid, who achieved a UK top 10 hit in 1994 with the banjo-infused track “Swamp Thing.”
Richard Norris, his collaborator from The Grid, also offered a tribute, recalling Ball’s “endless laughter” and “unwavering friendship.”
“Being in a duo with someone is different from being in a band, the bond is very tight,” he added.
“That’s how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, life-affirming experiences together. Thank you, Dave.”
Born in Chester in 1959 into a single-parent family, Ball was given up for adoption at 18 months old.
He was raised in Blackpool by his adoptive parents, Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his first name from Paul to David, alongside his younger sister Susan, who was also adopted.
He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they both studied art. Sharing a passion for Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell that same year, quickly recording an EP that received early exposure on Radio 1’s John Peel show.
They were an unconventional pairing: Ball, quietly focused on his keyboard, and Almond, a flamboyant performer adorned with glitter and eyeliner; however, their collaboration resulted in a rare musical synergy.
Ball developed a fascination with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk on the BBC science program “Tomorrow’s World,” and began blending dark electronica with Almond’s soaring melodies.
“Tainted Love” became the UK’s second best-selling single of 1981, selling 21 million copies globally. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, Human League, and Ultravox, it helped pave the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.
The song was also featured on their debut album, “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret,” which spawned two additional top-five singles: “Bedsitter” and “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.”
The album was followed by the standalone single “Torch,” which reached number two in 1982.
Fame had its perks. “I loved being able to afford my first home, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a Miss World,” Ball recently told Classic Pop Magazine.
However, it also presented challenges. “Newfound wealth meant we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the boredom” of media interviews and TV performances, Ball explained.
“I know that’s a cliché, but it’s a cliché for a good reason, because it works for so many bands.”
Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo began to drift apart, but they managed to create a second classic album – the wayward, tense, and aptly-titled “The Art Of Falling Apart.”
They released one more album, 1984’s “This Last Night In Sodom,” before disbanding to pursue individual projects.
Almond embarked on a successful solo career, scoring a top 10 hit with “Something’s Got A Hold Of My Heart,” while Ball formed The Grid, who blended acid house with ambient pop over a lasting collaboration.
Soft Cell reunited in 2001, releasing the Top 40 album “Cruelty Without Beauty.”
After another hiatus, they returned in 2018, releasing the original singles “Northern Lights” and “Guilty (Cos I Say You Are)” before performing what was intended to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on September 30, 2018.
However, they remained together, recording their fifth album, “Happiness Not Included,” during the 2020 Covid lockdown.
Ball recently described the band’s new music as a tribute to the New York club scene they frequented while recording their first two albums.
He also noted that his time in hospital had influenced the band’s sound.
“I had strange recollections when I was in and out of hospital because I was on morphine,” he told Classic Pop.
“The new songs are a digital reflection of the sounds in my head from that time.
“In parallel, it’s about the times me and Marc got up to in the 80s.”
The final mixes were completed just days before Ball’s death. It is scheduled for release in Spring 2026.