Tainted Love

Recently, a friend was telling me about someone he knew who had done a rearrangement of the old Little Anthony/Frankie Valli chestnut, "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You". By simply changing the chord progression from major to minor, the lyric took on a whole new perspective. The narrative immediately switched from 'loving admirer' to 'creepy stalker' without changing a syllable of the lyric. I'm fairly sure something like that is what bothers me the most about Soft Cell.

"Tainted Love" is one of those songs that begs for redemption from being remembered only in Soft Cell's living dead incarnation. To me, this version was a signpost for everything that went wrong with pop music in the 1980's. I suppose then, that the neon signs on the cover of their sole album of note, 1981's "Non Stop Erotic Cabaret", were telling me something and that would be that the music contained therein was as cold and vampiric as the pale gents pictured on it. Listen if you must. About 10 seconds worth should suffice as a reminder.

Gloria Jones in 1965

"Tainted Love" was originally a hit for Gloria Jones in 1964. The song was written and produced by Ed Cobb. It was the B-side to the single "My Bad Boy's Comin' Home", which was a commercial flop, failing to chart in either the US or the UK. Before Jones recorded the song, Cobb had offered it to The Standells, who he managed and produced, but they rejected it. Cobb and The Standells eventually struck gold in 1966 with Cobb's song, "Dirty Water".

However, by 1973, the track's Motown-influenced uptempo sound, featuring horns and female backing vocals, fit in perfectly with the music favored by those in the UK's Northern Soul club scene of the early 1970's. Due to the new found underground popularity of the song, Jones re-recorded "Tainted Love" in 1976 and released it as a single, but this version also failed to chart. 

Unfortunately, Gloria Jones is also remembered as the girlfriend of glam rocker Marc Bolan of the band T. Rex. Jones was driving the car that crashed & killed Bolan in September 1977. After recovering in hospital from a broken jaw & other injuries, Jones & her son left England, never to return. After landing in Los Angeles, Jones stayed in the music industry for several years after, releasing an album in 1981 produced by Ed Cobb, entitled "Reunited". She has since worked as a musical supervisor for films.

I really like the groove on this version so much better. Maybe that's the main difference between it and the ice cold Soft Cell recording. I'll bet the Carolina beach shag clubs play this one to this day. Enjoy!

Imelda May

And, in the interest of burying Soft Cell even deeper in the dustbin of our collective memory, here's a smokin' hot rockabilly take by a new discovery, Irish vocalist Imelda May! This version, from her 2011 album "Mayhem", swings like mad. Crank it!

If nothing else, the one thing that's very apparent to me here is that when you have a good song to begin with, it will hold up under almost any interpretation. It may take on a different meaning or perspective, depending on the vocalist or the arrangement. But, like many things, if the foundation is solid, the house will stand.

I found the Gloria Jones version on a truly excellent, but out of print box set from Rhino called "Beg, Scream & Shout!". It's a 6 disc box of rare 60's soul; pricey but worth it. If that's your style, then this set is a must-own. Whatever you do, go check out Imelda May at Amazon. Your ears and feet will thank you. If you've just got to have the Soft Cell version for whatever reason, you know where to look.