Soft Cell's Musical Force Dave Ball Dies, Aged 66

Dave Ball, a key member of the innovative 1980s electronic music band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the team achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record their initial full-length release is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

He later formed the innovative techno group The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his rest at his residence in London on October 22, just weeks after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

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

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

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

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for release in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the new album that we actually finished only a short time ago," said the vocalist in a tribute.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an uplifting time for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he listened to the finished record and believed that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

Almond described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

"Thank you Dave for being an immense part of my existence and for the songs you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".

"Being in a duo with someone is different from being in a band, the bond is incredibly close," he added.

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

Early Life

Born into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put 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 first name from Paul to his adopted name, alongside his sibling Susan, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an distinctive combination: Ball was the quiet technician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a unique creative synergy.

Ball had developed a interest with electronic instruments after watching Kraftwerk appear on a television program Tomorrow's World, and started to marry moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of 1981, shifting 21 million units worldwide. Together with hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

The song was also included on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two further top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the record up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at the second position in 1982.

Career Highlights

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my initial property, having money and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford substances to alleviate the boredom" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball said.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also growing distant, but they succeeded to produce a follow-up classic album - the wayward, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond proceeded to have a successful individual path, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined dance music with melodic sounds over a long-lasting partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, producing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further hiatus, they reappeared in 2018, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a final performance at the large venue on September 30, that year.

Yet, they remained together, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball lately described the band's new album as a tribute to the New York club scene they visited while making their first two albums.

He added that his period in hospital had influenced the band's sound.

"I experienced strange recollections when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a publication.

"Our latest tracks are a digital reflection of the noises in my head from those days.

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences we had in the 1980s."

The final mixes were completed only a short time before Ball passed away. It is due for launch in the spring of 2026.