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Dave Ball

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Dave Ball was an English producer and electronic musician, born in 1959 in Chester. He was adopted and grew up in Blackpool. He studied art at Leeds Polytechnic, where he met the singer Marc Almond. In 1978 they began the synth-pop duo Soft Cell together. In that partnership Ball took care of the synthesizers and the music, and Almond the voice and the show.

Music and breakthrough

In 1981 Soft Cell made a version of Tainted Love, a soul song originally sung by Gloria Jones. Ball turned it into a bare, cool electronic version, with a ticking rhythm and a few sharp synthesizer sounds. It became the duo's big hit. Soft Cell lasted until 1984 and reunited a few times later. In 1983 Ball also made a solo album, In Strict Tempo, with, among others, Gavin Friday and Genesis P-Orridge.

Influence

After Soft Cell, Ball continued to experiment. He worked with Psychic TV and, with Richard Norris, founded The Grid, a group that made electronic dance music with singles such as Floatation and Swamp Thing. He also produced and remixed for, among others, Kylie Minogue, David Bowie and Erasure. In 2001 he made another album with Almond as Soft Cell. Ball died in October 2025. He is one of the makers who brought the synthesizer from the experimental fringe to the charts.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Tainted Love by Soft Cell. Notice how little Dave Ball needs: a ticking rhythm, a few short synthesizer notes and a bass line, above which Marc Almond's voice has all the space it needs.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Categories: Artists