Dave Ball, one half of the innovative 1980s electronic music band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.
Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the duo achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.
He later formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with 1994's Swamp Thing.
Ball died calmly in his rest at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.
Recent Health Challenges
During that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a spate of health issues.
"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about five ribs and fractured my wrist."
After catching pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and remained in the hospital for seven months.
However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for release next year.
"He was concentrated and very pleased with the new album that we actually completed only a short time ago," said the singer in a tribute.
"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was completely planned to be such an positive year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."
Tributes
Almond referred to his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.
"Many thanks Dave for being an immense aspect of my life and for the music you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."
His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".
"Forming a partnership with someone is distinct from being in a band, the connection is incredibly close," he added.
"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, incredible, memorable moments as a team. Thank you, Dave."
Early Life
Brought into the world into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in 1959, 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 altered his first name from his birth name to David, alongside his younger sister Susan, who was also adopted.
He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying art. Inspired by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an extended play.
Creative Collaboration
The pair were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the quiet musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they achieved a rare creative synergy.
Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show a popular series, and began to marry moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.
Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling single of 1981, shifting millions of units worldwide. Together with hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.
The track was also featured on their full-length debut, 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 peaked at number two in 1982.
Career Highlights
Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago told with a music magazine.
But it also presented challenges. "Newfound wealth allowed we could purchase newfound drugs to alleviate the boredom" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball explained.
"I realize that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it applies for so many musicians."
During the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to produce a second classic album - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.
They released another LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to focus on individual endeavors.
Almond proceeded to have a successful individual path, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined acid house with melodic sounds over a long-lasting partnership.
Reunions and Final Projects
Soft Cell reunited in 2001, producing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.
After a further hiatus, they returned in recent years, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.
Yet, they stayed active, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.
Ball lately described the band's new album as a homage to the NYC nightlife they frequented while recording their initial records.
He added that his time in medical care had shaped the band's sound.
"I had unusual memories when I was in and out of hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a music magazine.
"The new songs are a digital reflection of the noises in my mind from those days.
"In parallel, it's about the times me and Marc got up to in the 1980s."
The last versions were completed only days before Ball died. It is due for launch in the spring of 2026.
