Tainted Love Impact on EDM
Tainted Love impact on EDM is profound. I honestly doubt there is anyone in the modern world who doesn’t recognize “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell! The song certainly has a powerful impact from my youth, and I love it still. Truly, it is a timeless classic. It represents a major milestone and turning point in synthesizer dance music. Also, it did enormous things to popularize the electronic sound, similar to how New Order’s “Blue Monday” does a few years later, but “Tainted Love” is on even a larger scale.
I remember the feeling I had when I first heard, “Tainted Love”, and it was a game changer for me. I was not alone in this as the song swept the airwaves and dancefloors across the United States and Europe, and eventually the whole world. Tainted Love impact on EDM has been so fundamental, I’m surprised we haven’t done an episode about the song earlier! Let’s jump in!
Who Is Soft Cell?
Soft Cell were formed in 1978, after vocalist, Mark Almond, and instrumentalist, David Ball had met at Leeds Polytechnic, while studying in the previous year. Their initial efforts at recording resulted in an EP titled “Mutant Moments”, released in 1980. It was funded by a loan of £2,000 from Dave Ball’s mother and made with a simple two-track recorder.
They shoot to prominence in 1981 with their single, “Tainted Love” from the platinum selling “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret”. “Tainted Love” becomes a song that reaches every segment of musical taste. The duo have sales in excess of ten million records world-wide. In the United Kingdom, Soft Cell had twelve top 40 hits. They also had four top 20 albums between 1981 and 1984. The duo split in 1984 but reformed in 2001 to tour and release a new album. They held a reunion concert in London on 30 September 2018.
After the chart failure of “Memorabilia”, Polygram Records allowed Soft Cell to record a second and final single in an attempt to score a chart success. The band opted to record a cover version of “Tainted Love”, an obscure 1965 Northern Soul track originally released by Gloria Jones. Released in 1981, Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” was a No. 1 hit in 17 countries.
Tainted Love Impact on EDM
In 1982, “Tainted Love” became a No. 8 single in the United States and went on to set a Guinness World Record at the time for the longest consecutive stay (43 weeks) on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song’s popularity developed slowly, needing 19 weeks to enter the US Top 40. The A-side of the 12″ single of “Tainted Love” actually featured a two-song medley, with “Tainted Love” blending into the Motown classic “Where Did Our Love Go”, (originally recorded by The Supremes in 1964).
The song has samples in 42 songs, has covers by 85 songs, and there are 12 remixes. That’s A LOT!! It is so popular due to the fact it is a nearly perfect Synth Pop song that is groundbreaking when the release happens! It has an infectious, bouncing groove and you have got to love the laser stabs! Mark Almond’s voice pushes it straight over the top withy quirky, whining vocals and lyrics we can all relate to.
There’s a great breakdown of the song in the video link below. It explains the song in depth and is definitely worth checking out!!
https://www.facebook.com/reel/443424984752546
To get a vinyl copy of the original “Tainted Love 12” single on Discogs, use the link below!
https://www.discogs.com/master/568274-Soft-Cell-Tainted-Love-Memorabilia
Tainted Love Impact on EDM Through Samples
Bob Sinclair takes the most memorable part of the music, the laser stabs, to use in his chunky House tune! He uses completely new programming and sounds, so the only recognizable pattern or sound is the double laser stab. With that being said, his use is a fun summer time pool party or slick nightclub tune. It has clean 4/4 beats that are nice and round and uses some great singing elements that almost conjure up the visage of a beat poetry slam. Take a listen!
The song is available on his album, “Disco Crash” on CD or album at Discogs.
https://www.discogs.com/release/11992713-Bob-Sinclar-Disco-Crash
Tainted Love impact on EDM Through Covers
“Tainted Love”, is itself a cover of an earlier song from 1965 that is kind of a mix of soul and funk by Gloria Jones with the same title. There are 85 songs that create covers of “Tainted Love”. It is a popular song to take a crack at! The styles run the gambit from EDM to Jazz to Rock to even Hip Hop.
For us, the song we are looking at is a juicy Electro Breaks ditty from 1998. It is by B-Boy Electric, and as a cover is titled, “Tainted Love”. It’s a beast of a cover with thick, rolling Electro Breaks that make heavy use of the driving elements from the original. It uses the iconic double laser stabs as well as the original melody. They use the vocals that in an abbreviated manner, but the voice is sung rather than a sample and is often sung through a vocoder. It is a serious piece of dancefloor destruction! Check it out!!
You can pick up a copy of the 12″ single on Discogs using the link below!
https://www.discogs.com/release/123679-B-Boy-Electric-Tainted-Love
Tainted Love Impact on EDM Through Remixes
The impact of Tainted Love on EDM is well represented in the remixers who have taken a crack at it. There are 12 remixes of it and most of them are EDM. In fact, in 2010 there is a remix album that has a host of remixes by respected EDM artists!
I thought it would be fun to look at a remix that is even more current to show the song is still making an impact! I’m talking about the 2021 remix by veteran House producer, DJ Hell. He makes a rolling House diddy. It has an infectious groove that comes in incrementally and builds to when the original vocals come in. The long instrumental intro makes it nice for mixing for all you House jocks! After highlighting the vocal in the middle of the song, DJ Hell pulls it back to instrumental and adds a new beat pattern similar to “Chase” by Giorgio Moroder. It’s a good track. Take a listen!
It is available on a 12″ single with several remixers and an acapella at Discogs using the link below!
https://www.discogs.com/master/2029165-Soft-Cell-Tainted-Love
Conclusion
The release of “Tainted Love” is a transformational moment in modern music history that goes on to introduce many future ravers to the sound of Electronic Music. It really is a masterpiece of early Synth Pop. It has all the elements to make a perfect example of what works on the dancefloor! Soft Cell make a major impact on the future of EDM. If you ever have a chance, check out some of their other songs, like “Sex Dwarf” or “Hendrix Medley”, which is a personal favorite! “tainted Love” is an all-time favorite dance song of mine!
I hope you enjoyed the stories and music in this episode! Definitely, check out the link to the Facebook post that dissects the song! It’s pretty cool! We have seen that the impact of Tainted Love on EDM has been varied and extensive! I love the musical examples in this episode. Now go on out and flex your knowledge to your friends and when talking shit at parties!
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