Dave Ball, a key member of the innovative 1980s synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.
Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the team scored a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album their initial full-length release is considered a classic of electronic music.
He later formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.
Ball died calmly in his rest at his residence in London on October 22, just weeks after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.
Recent Health Challenges
At that show, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, following a period of health issues.
"I ended up injure myself significantly," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my wrist."
After catching a lung infection and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an induced coma and remained in the hospital for half a year.
However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is scheduled for release in the coming year.
"He was focused and so happy with the new album that we actually finished only a few days ago," stated the vocalist in a tribute.
"It's so sad as next year was completely planned to be such an uplifting time for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he heard the completed album and felt that it was a masterpiece."
Tributes
Almond referred to his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.
"Many thanks Dave for being an significant aspect of my existence and for the music you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without you."
Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".
"Being in a duo with someone is distinct from being in a band, the bond is incredibly close," he added.
"That was the case with us. We went through so many extraordinary, extraordinary, life-affirming experiences together. Thank you, Dave."
Early Life
Brought into the world into a one-parent family in Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.
He was raised in Blackpool with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from his birth name to his adopted name, together with his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.
He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying 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 distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.
Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show a popular series, and began to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.
Their signature song became the UK's second biggest-selling song of 1981, selling 21 million copies globally. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.
The track was also included on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two additional top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They followed the record up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at number two in the following year.
Career Highlights
Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.
But it also caused challenges. "Sudden riches meant we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and television shows, Ball said.
"I know that's a common saying, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it applies for so many bands."
Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also growing distant, but they managed to produce a follow-up classic album - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.
They put out one more LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to focus on other projects.
Almond went on to have a prosperous individual path, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.
Later Work and Comebacks
Soft Cell reunited in 2001, releasing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.
Following a further hiatus, they reappeared in 2018, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.
However, they stayed active, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.
Ball recently described the duo's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they frequented while recording their initial records.
He added that his period in hospital had influenced the band's sound.
"I experienced unusual memories when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on morphine," he told a music magazine.
"The new songs are a digital reflection of the noises in my mind from that time.
"In parallel, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 1980s."
The final mixes were finished only a short time before Ball passed away. It is due for release in Spring 2026.
