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* 1995: [[Shades Apart]], on the album ''Save It''
* 1995: [[Shades Apart]], on the album ''Save It''
* 1997: [[Atrocity (band)|Atrocity]], on the album ''[[Werk 80]]''
* 1997: [[Atrocity (band)|Atrocity]], on the album ''[[Werk 80]]''
* 1997: [[The Hi-Fives]], on the album ''[[And a Whole Lotta You!]]''
* 1998: [[Country Teasers]], on the album ''[[Back to the Future, or Brideshead Revisited Revisited]]''
* 1998: [[Country Teasers]], on the album ''[[Back to the Future, or Brideshead Revisited Revisited]]''
* 1998: [[The Living End]], as a B-side to the single "[[All Torn Down]]"
* 1998: [[The Living End]], as a B-side to the single "[[All Torn Down]]"

Revision as of 09:55, 23 August 2011

"Tainted Love" is a song composed by Ed Cobb, formerly of The Four Preps, which was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1965. It attained worldwide fame after being covered by Soft Cell in 1981, reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart,[1] and has since been covered by numerous other groups and artists.

Gloria Jones version (1965)

"Tainted Love"
Song
B-side"Tainted Love"

Gloria Jones recorded the original version of "Tainted Love", which was written and produced by Ed Cobb. It was the B-side to the 1965 single "My Bad Boy's Comin' Home",[2] which was a commercial flop, failing to chart in either the US or the UK.

However, in 1973, British club DJ Richard Searling purchased a copy of the almost decade-old single while on a trip to the United States. The track's Motown-influenced sound (featuring a fast tempo, horns, electric rhythm guitar and female backing vocals) fit in perfectly with the music favoured by those involved in the UK's Northern Soul club scene of the early 1970s, and Searling popularised the song at the Northern Soul club Va Va’s in Bolton, and later, at Wigan Casino.[3]

Due to the newfound underground popularity of the song, Jones re-recorded "Tainted Love" in 1976 and released it as a single, but this version also failed to chart.

Soft Cell version (1981)

"Tainted Love"
Song
A-side"Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go"
B-side"Memorabilia" "Tainted Dub"

The vocal-and-synth duo Soft Cell became aware of the song through its status as a UK "Northern Soul" hit, and recorded a drastically different arrangement in 1981. Produced by Mike Thorne, the Soft Cell track featured a slower tempo than Jones' version, and was in the key of G rather than the original C to match Almond's lower voice. Synthesizers and rhythm machines replaced the original's guitars, bass, drums and horns. Soft Cell's version was recorded in a day and a half with singer Marc Almond's first vocal take being used on the record.

The band's record label chose to release "Tainted Love" on July 7, 1981 as Soft Cell's second single (their first was "Memorabilia", which did not chart). The label implied that this single would be Soft Cell's final release if the single did not sell. The 12" single version (extended dance version) was a medley, transitioning to a cover of The Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go" half-way through the song. Buoyed by the then-dominant Synthpop sound of the time and a memorable performance on Top of the Pops, "Tainted Love" rapidly reached number one on the UK singles chart, eventually repeating the feat in 17 territories.

On the US chart dated January 16, 1982, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #90. It appeared to peak at #64 and fell to #100 on Feb. 27. After spending a second week at #100, it started climbing again. It took 19 weeks to crack the US Top 40. The song reached #8 and spent a then record-breaking 43 weeks on the Hot 100.

A video was recorded specially for Soft Cell's video album 'Non Stop Exotic Video' and features band members Marc Almond and David Ball in togas on Mount Olympus.

Soft Cell issued a remixed version of the song in 1991. Another video was made for this release. It features a man pacing at night, dancing with starry apparitions, while Almond sings amongst the stars. This version of the music video was directed by Peter Christopherson of Hipgnosis.

In 2001, "Tainted Love" provided both the title and the theme song for a 13-week vampire-based story arc on the ABC daytime soap opera Port Charles.

In 2006, Soft Cell's version of "Tainted Love" was sampled on "SOS", a song by Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna, which hit number 1 in the US and number 2 in the UK.

Soft Cell's version of "Tainted Love" ranked #2 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders and #5 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s.

Marilyn Manson cover (2001)

"Tainted Love"
Song

Marilyn Manson covered "Tainted Love" and released it as a single from the Not Another Teen Movie soundtrack. It was released in 2001. It was later included on his following album The Golden Age of Grotesque as a bonus track.

Released in the UK in May 2002, it is Manson's biggest hit to date in that country, reaching a position of #5 in the UK Top 75 charts.

The video for Manson's cover shows Manson bringing several goth friends to a high school party. It features several characters from the film Not Another Teen Movie. It also features Joey Jordison, the drummer from Slipknot, and Tim Skold, who was not a member of the band at the time.

The song was featured in a trailer for the 2010 video game Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

Track listing

CD 1

  1. "Tainted Love"
  2. "I Melt with You" (Mest)
  3. "Suicide Is Painless"
  4. "Bizarre Love Triangle" (Stabbing Westward)

CD 2

  1. "Tainted Love"
  2. "Suicide Is Painless"
  3. "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" (The Smiths)

Accolades

In 2002, Kerrang! ranked Marilyn Manson's rendition of "Tainted Love" 40th in their 100 Greatest Singles of All Time.[5]

Selective list of recorded versions

References

  1. ^ Black, Johnny (2008-01-16). "The Greatest Songs Ever: Soft Cell, "Tainted Love"". Blender. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
  2. ^ Finnis, Rob (2008). You Heard It Here First! (Media notes). London: Ace Records Ltd. p. 2. {{cite AV media notes}}: |format= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |publisherid= ignored (help)
  3. ^ Haslam, Dave, Manchester, England, chapter six, p172
  4. ^ AUT certification
  5. ^ "Kerrang! 100 Greatest Singles of All Time". Kerrang!. Retrieved 2011-03-06. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ "Soft Cell Biography". MusicianGuide.com.
Preceded by UK number-one single (Soft Cell version)
5 September 1981 - 18 September 1981 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Australian Kent Music Report number-one single (Soft Cell version)
22 February 1982 - 8 March 1982 		Succeeded by
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