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

Dave Ball, one half of the groundbreaking 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the duo achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album their initial full-length release is considered a seminal work of electronic music.

He subsequently formed the pioneering techno group The Grid, who achieved chart success with 1994's Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on October 22, only a short time after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

At that performance, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, after a spate of health issues.

"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he stated in a recent interview. "I broke lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about five ribs and broke my wrist."

After catching a lung infection and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and remained in hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the summer, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for publication next year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the latest project that we actually finished only a few days ago," stated the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

Almond referred to his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.

"Many thanks Dave for being an immense part of my life and for the songs you created with me. I couldn't be where I am without you."

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

"Forming a partnership with someone is distinct from joining a group, the bond is very tight," he continued.

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, incredible, life-affirming experiences as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.

He was raised in Blackpool with adoptive parents his caregivers, who altered his given name from his birth name to David, alongside his sibling Susan, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet musician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a rare creative synergy.

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC program Tomorrow's World, and started to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second most popular single of 1981, shifting millions of copies globally. Together with hits by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it helped paved the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The track was also included on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which spawned two additional top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at number two in 1982.

Career Highlights

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could purchase newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball said.

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

During the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a second classic album - the unconventional, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to concentrate on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a successful solo career, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed dance music with ambient pop over a enduring partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, producing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following another break, they reappeared in recent years, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a final performance at the large venue on 30 September, that year.

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

Ball lately characterized the band's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while recording their first two albums.

He noted that his time in medical care had influenced the group's music.

"I experienced strange recollections when I was in and out of hospital because I was on morphine," he told a music magazine.

"The new songs are a electronic representation of the noises in my head from that time.

"In parallel, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 1980s."

The last versions were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026.