How are you doing?
It is March 31st which is of course the last Tuesday in March and today's ttt is perhaps tainted!
Tainted You say!
ead on I say!
! I also see that my ttt was the only post I published on Hive last week, let's see what I can do this week. It just shows the power of music!
We are going back to my Silver Chronicles post of a few weeks ago My Soundtrack for the 80s my favourite decade
Quite a self-explanatory title and it is my inspiration for the next few posts on ttt!
The year is now 1981 and these three tunes are from a northern synth duo, one of whom who sadly passed away a few months ago!
It is Tuesday and that of course means that it's #ttt or #threetunetuesday and so it's time to share some tunes with you!
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He has just released some winners posts, so go support those posts, he gets no support from any whales or even curation trails for these posts that he does. 251 weeks is an incredible amount of time, and I for one love that he runs this, and I appreciate the time and dedication that he puts in, when he could be doing something else.
Soft Cell were formed in Leeds by Marc Almond and Dave Ball and were pioneers of the "synth-pop" movement. Unlike many of their more polished peers, they brought a sense of "kitchen-sink drama" and grit to electronic music. They managed to make synthesizers feel human, vulnerable, and just a little bit dangerous.
All three of these tunes were released in 1981 and taken from their debut album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
There was only one song that I could kick off with. Not only did it make them household names at least in the UK, and it was the best-selling UK single of 1981.
It’s actually a cover of a 1964 Northern Soul track by Gloria Jones.
Marc Almond and Dave Ball stripped away the horns and replaced them with "icy" synths and that iconic "beep-beep" rhythm.
Released in October 1981, this was the follow-up to "Tainted Love." It’s an anthem for the lonely and the late-night clubbers. It tells the story of the "bedsitter" lifestyle—living in a small rented room during the week and only coming alive under the disco lights at the weekend. It’s widely considered one of the most honest songs about 80s youth culture.
While it was released as a single in early '82, it first appeared on the album in November 1981. It’s the grand, emotional finale of their debut record. With its haunting melody and Marc Almond's soaring vocals, it’s a song about a messy breakup in a "shabby" town. It’s a bit of a "pearl of wisdom" in song form: knowing when a relationship has run its course and it's time to walk away.
Their final studio album, Danceteria was finished just days before Dave died in October 2025. Marc Almond has dedicated the album and the upcoming 2026 "Generations" tour to Dave’s memory, noting that "recording without Dave just wouldn't be Soft Cell."
The lead single, "Out Come The Freaks" (a Was (Not Was) cover featuring Nona Hendryx), was released just last week (March 24, 2026). It has that classic Dave Ball "dirty" synth growl that sounds just as fresh as it did in 1981.
Which was your favourite tune? Or have you never heard of them?
Note: The 4 YouTube videos that I have shared are not owned by me, I am simply spreading great music on Hive.
I wish that you all have a brilliant happy fun and terrific Tuesday until we meet again enjoy your tunes 🎶🎵🎶
The images and ramblings are from me, with some assistance from gemini on the verbage, the mad Scotsman TengoLoTodo unless otherwise stated.
