The One-Hit Wonder File: “Tainted Love”

When you talk about songs that defined the sound of New Wave, “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell should definitely be part of the discussion. This iconic synth pop track dominated the pop charts, as well as dance floors, when it was released as a single back at the beginning of the 1980s. But did you know the success of this unforgettable tune was a case of “third time’s the charm”? The song had been released twice before, but never achieved the kind of fame it found with Soft Cell’s version, which rose to number eight on the Billboard charts, and hit number one in the UK.

The tale of “Tainted Love” features a couple of twists and turns. The song was originally composed by Ed Cobb. During the 1950s and 1960s, Cobb (a former member of the vocal group The Four Preps) was a producer and songwriter whose prolific output included hits for Motown artist Brenda Holloway and garage rockers The Standells.

Soul singer Gloria Jones originally recorded “Tainted Love” in 1964. Fun fact: Glen Campbell played guitar on the song during his days as a session musician. The song was released as the B-side of Jones’ single “My Bad Boy’s Coming Home,” but neither the A or B-side made much of a dent on the US charts.

“Tainted Love” gained new life as part of England’s “Northern Soul” music scene of the late 1960s and 1970s, in which British DJs began playing obscure soul and R&B songs by American artists in clubs. The 1964 version of the song became a dance floor favorite. The track’s newfound popularity inspired Jones and her boyfriend Marc Bolan (of T. Rex) to record a new version of “Tainted Love” for her 1976 album, Vixen, which was produced by Bolan and Jones. The remake updated the original’s energetic soul/R&B sound with more of a disco era vibe. The 1970’s iteration of “Tainted Love” failed to capture much attention when Vixen was released. However, that’s not the end of the story.

Among those who became aware of “Tainted Love” via its popularity in the English club scene were Marc Almond and David Ball, the founding members of the synth-pop duo Soft Cell. They had met as students at Leeds Polytechnic, and began making music together in 1978. Their first single “Memorabilia” found some success at clubs in both the UK and the US but didn’t really generate much fire on the charts. For their next single, Almond and Ball recorded a cover of “Tainted Love.” They re-fashioned the song into a dark, techno-infused tale of love gone wrong, featuring brash synthesizers, insistent drums and Almond’s haunting vocals. It was a unique, striking and memorable departure from the soulful original.

Soft Cell’s atmospheric version of “Tainted Love” was a worldwide smash hit, spending 43 weeks on the Billboard Top 100 in the US. The song was also included on their debut album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret. An extended 12” version, which featured a medley with The Supremes’ “Where Did Our Love Go,” was a staple on club playlists during the 1980s.

While “Tainted Love” was Soft Cell’s only significant US hit, the band is hardly a one-hit wonder in the UK, where they had a number of Top 40 hit singles and several best-selling albums. Almond and Ball went their separate ways in 1984, but reunited in 2000, performing live together and creating new music in the ensuing years.

Soft Cell’s final album, Danceteria, will be released this fall. The disc features recordings which were made by Almond and Ball before Ball’s untimely death in 2025. Almond is on tour this summer with Alison Moyet and The Human League, and of course, “Tainted Love” gets one of the biggest crowd reactions of the night.

The song has been covered by Marilyn Manson, Paul Young, and The Pussycat Dolls, and has been featured in films like Not Another Teen Movie, 13 Going on 30, and Coneheads. There are some songs that truly define an era and a genre, and Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” certainly fits the bill. Now where did I put my synthesizer and Roland drum kit?

-John Visconti

-Photo: Soft Cell, 1983 (public domain)