This UNLIKELY 1981 Cover Song RULED the Charts for a Record 43 WEEKS in a Row! | Professor of Rock

It may just be the greatest cover song of all time..If not, it deserves that distinction for the 80s. Tainted Love by Soft Cell. Marc Almond's hypnotic and sinister vocal and Dave Ball's synth pop magic made Gloria Jones original into an 80s smash hit... and combined it with the Supreme's #Staying1 hit Where Did Our Love go! on the billboard hot 100 for 43 weeks in a row. A record that stood for decades. Soft Cell and Tainted Love was part of the 2nd British invasion that blew up radio in the early 80s with New Wave and post punk bands clamoring for the charts. Tainted Love has become one of the quint essential song of the neon decade. Up next the story of Professor of Rock and how I got my butt kicked for playing it as a teenager. With Exclusive interviews.

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The second that the Human ear hears the opening synths of today’s featured song;

It’s game over for sure. This is a song that sends an electric shock to the system and flings you to the dance floor: It’s undeniable. UNDENIABLE!!!
It all started in 1981 when The British synth pop duo, Soft Cell, stutter-stepped into the spotlight taking an obscure song, originally recorded in the 60s, re-recorded in the 70s, and re-creating it into a mesmerizing New Wave treasure, that should’ve been a no doubt about it #1 on the billboard hot 100 but alas it is #1 in our hearts.

The two met in ‘77 while they were students at Leeds Polytehnic, in Leeds, England.
They formed Soft Cell in ’79.Soft Cell did not garner long-term success in the U.S., But, they were more than just a flair in their native UK- with 5 singles that broke the Top 5, and 7 other releases that reached the Top 40.

At that moment, The 2nd British Invasion was on the verge of hitting America- as the impetus of New Wave, and Soft Cell was a big part of that movement with their captivating version of “Tainted Love.” Thank heavens that Marc Almond saw Gloria Jones in that club so many years ago

“Tainted Love” was actually written in the early 60s by Ed Cobb, who played bass in the original lineup for the LA group- The Four Preps. He was also a writer, producer, and artist manager.

Jones recorded a new version of “Tainted Love" in ’76, Like the original recording in ’64, the ’76 version did not chart.

However, its heavy beat & fast tempo made it a favorite in the dance clubs of the Northern Soul circuit that was popular in the 60s and 70s in Northern England.
Gloria Jones was also romantically involved with legendary T-Rex frontman Marc Bolan. The couple had a son together. Unfortunately, their love affair ended in tragedy.
But, he was intrigued by Marc Almond’s unique voice, and the “sinister" vibe that Soft Cell wanted to create in their interpretation of the tune.

“Tainted Love” was actually the 2nd single from Soft Cell’s highly-successful debut LP Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret.
The record label executives chose the song “Memorabilia” as the lead single from Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, and it stiffed.

Marc Almond extends his hypnotic vocals with a really cool rendition of the classic Motown song. Making the lyrics of the Supremes classic resonate even more, through his interpretation It’s was a stroke of genius to weave the two songs together.
Almond & Ball had the idea of blending Tainted Love and Where Did Our Love Go for the 12” version. Mike Thorne put the piano simulation, and the orchestral swells together on his Synclavier (sin-cluh-veer) digital synthesizer that precede Almond’s singing of “Where Did Our Love Go.” I talked about this with original Supreme Mary Wilson in an interview, here is her take on it.
“Tainted Love” shot to #1 in the UK, West Germany (before the wall was torn down), South Africa, Australia, Belgium, and Canada. Although "Tainted Love" was a Top 10 single in America, it stalled at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.