Dave Ball, a key member of the pioneering 1980s electronic music band Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.
Together with singer Marc Almond, the team achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record their initial full-length release is considered a classic of electronic music.
He subsequently founded the pioneering techno group The Grid, who secured chart success with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.
Ball died calmly in his rest at his home in London on October 22, only a short time after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.
Recent Health Challenges
During that performance, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a spate of ill-health.
"I ended up damage myself significantly," he commented in 2023. "I broke lower vertebrae in my spine and cracked about multiple ribs and broke my arm."
After contracting a lung infection and developing blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for half a year.
However, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set for publication next year.
"He was concentrated and very pleased with the new album that we actually finished only a short time ago," stated the vocalist in a heartfelt message.
"It's so sad as next year was completely planned to be such an positive year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."
Tributes
Almond described his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.
"Many thanks Dave for being an significant part of my life and for the songs you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."
Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".
"Forming a partnership with someone is distinct from being in a band, the bond is incredibly close," he continued.
"That was the case with us. We went through so many remarkable, incredible, memorable moments together. Many thanks, Dave."
Early Life
Born into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.
He grew up in the seaside town with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his first name from Paul to David, alongside his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.
He met Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both learning fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an EP.
Musical Partnership
The duo were an unusual combination: Ball was the quiet musician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they achieved a rare musical alchemy.
Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on a television program a popular series, and started to marry moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.
Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, selling millions of copies worldwide. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the electronic music style of the 80s.
The track was also included on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two additional top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They continued the album up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at number two in the following year.
Professional Journey
Success had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago shared with a publication.
But it also presented challenges. "Newfound wealth meant we could purchase newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of media interviews and television shows, Ball said.
"I realize that's a common saying, but it's a truism for a good reason, because it works for so many bands."
During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also growing distant, but they managed to produce a follow-up memorable record - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.
They released another LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to concentrate on other projects.
Almond proceeded to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined dance music with melodic sounds over a long-lasting partnership.
Later Work and Comebacks
Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, producing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.
Following a further break, they reappeared in recent years, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on September 30, that year.
Yet, they stayed active, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.
Ball lately described the band's upcoming release as a tribute to the New York club scene they visited while making their first two albums.
He noted that his time in hospital had influenced the band's sound.
"I had strange recollections when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a publication.
"The new songs are a digital reflection of the noises in my mind from those days.
"In parallel, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 80s."
The last versions were completed only days before Ball passed away. It is due for launch in Spring 2026.
