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

The talented musician, a key member of the innovative 1980s synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Together with singer Marc Almond, the pair achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album their initial full-length release is considered a seminal work of synth-pop.

He subsequently formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who secured chart success with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away peacefully in his rest at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Recent Health Challenges

At that show, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a spate of health issues.

"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he stated in a recent interview. "I broke spinal bones in my spine and fractured about five ribs and broke my wrist."

Following catching pneumonia and developing sepsis, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and remained in hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is set for publication in the coming year.

"He was focused and so happy with the new album that we literally finished only a few days ago," stated the singer in a tribute.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an positive time for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he heard the completed album and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

Almond described his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

"Thank you Dave for being an significant aspect of my existence and for the songs you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

"Being in a partnership with someone is distinct from being in a group, the connection is very tight," he added.

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many remarkable, incredible, memorable moments as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a single-parent household in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

He was raised in Blackpool with adoptive parents his caregivers, who altered his given name from his birth name to David, together with his younger sister his sister, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both studying art. Inspired by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved technician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they achieved a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk perform on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, shifting 21 million units worldwide. Alongside hits by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it helped paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The song was also featured on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two further top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at number two in the following year.

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to purchase my first home, having financial security and travelling, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches meant we could afford substances to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, Ball said.

"I know that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a good reason, because it works for so many musicians."

During the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond went on 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 combined acid house with ambient pop over a enduring partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, producing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.

After another break, they reappeared in 2018, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on 30 September, 2018.

Yet, they stayed active, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.

Ball lately characterized the band's upcoming release as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they visited while making their first two albums.

He added that his time in hospital had shaped the band's sound.

"I had strange recollections when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a music magazine.

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

"In parallel, it's about the experiences we got up to in the 1980s."

The final mixes were completed only days before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026.