David Ball of Soft Cell, author of the 1980s hit “Tainted Love,” has died

The musician and producer, who also collaborated with the band acid house The Griddied yesterday, Wednesday, October 22, at his London home. The cause of his death is still unknown.

Ball last performed live as part of the synth-pop duo when they headlined the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames in August, following a string of dates across North America.

Marc Almondleader of Soft Cell and Ball’s musical collaborator for 46 years, paid tribute to his late bandmate, describing him as a “wonderfully brilliant musical genius.” He also revealed that they had both just finished working on a new album, “Danceteria”which will now be their “last album together.”

“It’s hard to write this, let alone process it, as Dave was in a great emotional state. He was focused and very happy with the new album we finished just a few days ago,” Almond wrote.

“It’s very sad, as 2026 was shaping up to be such an encouraging year for him, and I take comfort in knowing that he heard the finished album and thought it was a masterpiece. Dave’s music is better than ever. His melodies and choruses are still unmistakably Soft Cell, but he always took them to the next level. “He was a brilliant and wonderful musical genius, and we have both been traveling together for almost 50 years.”

“At first we were unpleasant and difficult, two belligerent art students who wanted to do things our way, even if it was bad. We were naive and made mistakes, although we never saw them as such. It was all part of the adventure. Dave and I were always a little superficial, but maybe that’s why the chemistry between us worked so well.”

Whenever we met again after long periods apart, we felt that warmth and chemistry. There was a deep mutual respect that gave our joint composition a unique strength. We laughed a lot, we shared a sense of humor and a passion for movies, books and music. Dave had shelves full of books and a variety of wonderful and surprising musical references. He was the soul of Soft Cell and I am very proud of our legacy“.

He continued: “It’s very appropriate that our next (and now last) album together is called ‘Danceteria’, as that theme takes us back to New York in the early ’80s, where many of our musical ideas were formed. That was a time and place that really shaped us. In addition to being quintessentially British, we always felt like an honorary American band.”

“We’ve become invested in the myths and stories of Soft Cell, and ‘Danceteria’ will now become an album that brings us full circle. I wish Dave had stuck around long enough to celebrate our 50 years together in a couple of years. Soft Cell fans who love his music will always love him, and his music and his memory will live on. At any given moment, someone somewhere in the world will enjoy a Soft song Cell.”

Almond concluded: “Thank you, Dave, for being such an important part of my life and for the music you gave me. I wouldn’t be where I am without you.”.

Soft Cell and the success of “Tainted Love”

Formed in 1979, when Ball and singer Almond were studying art in Leeds, Soft Cell helped define the sound of British music in the 80s and beyond. Their 1981 debut album, “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret”changed the course of pop and laid the foundation for numerous synth-based duos, such as Pet Shop Boys, Eurythmics, Yazoo and Erasure.

His second single, “Tainted Love”topped the charts in the UK and 17 countries around the world. It was also certified as Britain’s best-selling single of 1981 and entered the Guinness Book of Records as the longest-standing single on the US Billboard chart.

Between 1982 and 2021, Soft Cell released four more studio albums: “The Art Of Falling Apart”, “This Last Night In Sodom”, “Cruelty Without Beauty” and “*Happiness not included”in addition to what is considered one of the first remix albums, “Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing”.