“Tainted Love” by Soft Cell isn’t just a synthpop anthem—it’s a neon-lit emotional confession buried inside a pulsating electronic heartbeat. It is a track that turns yearning into something danceable, pain into a kind of icy ecstasy. With its stabbing synthesizers, minimalist arrangement, and Marc Almond’s unmistakably expressive vocal, it became one of the most instantly recognizable songs of the 1980s and a high-water mark for the New Wave movement. But this track’s power comes not just from its catchy melody or production style; it comes from its emotional intensity, the contradiction at the heart of its lyrics, and its unlikely journey from a forgotten 1960s soul B-side to a global pop phenomenon.
Originally recorded in 1964 by Gloria Jones as the B-side to “My Bad Boy’s Comin’ Home,” “Tainted Love” was written by Ed Cobb, a songwriter and producer who had no idea he was penning a future global smash. Jones’ version was loud, brassy, and full of the energetic soul fire that typified many minor hits of the era. The song languished in relative obscurity for years, enjoying a cult following in Northern England where it became a favorite in the Northern Soul scene—a British subculture that obsessed over obscure American soul records with uptempo beats, perfect for late-night dancing in cavernous halls. That’s where Marc Almond and David Ball first encountered the track, falling under the spell of its lovelorn energy, but also seeing something in it that others hadn’t: it could be reinvented.
