Dave Ball, one half of the pioneering 1980s synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.
Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the team achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.
He later founded the pioneering techno group The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.
Ball passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on October 22, only a short time after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.
Recent Health Challenges
During that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a spate of health issues.
"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he commented in a recent interview. "I broke lower vertebrae in my spine and cracked about multiple ribs and fractured my wrist."
After catching a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and remained in the hospital for half a year.
However, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the warmer months, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set for publication next year.
"He was focused and so happy with the new album that we literally completed only a few days ago," stated the singer in a heartfelt message.
"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an positive time for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the completed album and felt that it was a great piece of work."
Tributes
Almond described his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.
"Many thanks Dave for being an immense part of my existence and for the music you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."
Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".
"Being in a duo with someone is distinct from being in a band, the bond is incredibly close," he added.
"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, incredible, life-affirming experiences as a team. Many thanks, Dave."
Formative Years
Born into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.
He grew up in Blackpool with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from Paul to David, together with his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.
He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an EP.
Musical Partnership
The pair were an unusual combination: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a rare creative synergy.
Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk appear on BBC program a popular series, and began to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.
Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, selling 21 million units worldwide. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped cleared the path for the electronic music style of the 1980s.
The song was also featured on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two further high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They continued the album up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at number two in the following year.
Career Highlights
Success had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having money and exploring, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a music magazine.
But it also caused problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could afford substances to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball said.
"I know that's a common saying, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it applies for so many musicians."
Amidst the party-filled existence, the duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a second classic album - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.
They put out another LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to concentrate on individual endeavors.
Almond proceeded to have a successful solo career, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined acid house with melodic sounds over a enduring collaboration.
Reunions and Final Projects
Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, releasing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.
Following a further break, they reappeared in 2018, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a final performance at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.
Yet, they stayed together, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.
Ball lately described the duo's upcoming release as a tribute to the New York club scene they frequented while recording their initial records.
He added that his time in medical care had influenced the group's music.
"I had unusual memories when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a publication.
"The new songs are a digital reflection of the noises in my head from those days.
"Simultaneously, it's about the times me and Marc had in the 1980s."
The last versions were completed only days before Ball passed away. It is due for launch in the spring of 2026.
