"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, and has since been covered by numerous other groups and artists. There are also covers in other languages, including the Spanish version called "Falso Amor" performed by La Unión.
Gloria Jones version (1965)
| Name | My Bad Boy's Comin' Home |
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| Artist | Gloria Jones |
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| B-side | "Tainted Love" |
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| Released | May 1965| Format =7", 45 rpm |
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| Recorded | 1964 |
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| Genre | Soul |
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| Label | Champion (distributed by Vee-Jay) |
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| Writer | Ed Cobb |
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| Producer | Ed Cobb |
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| This single | "My Bad Boy's Comin' Home"(1965) |
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| Next single | "Come Go With Me"(1966) |
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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", 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.
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)
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 fall 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)
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 2010 video game
Track listing
CD 1
#"Tainted Love"
#"
I Melt with You" (
Mest)
#"
Suicide Is Painless"
#"
Bizarre Love Triangle" (
Stabbing Westward)
CD 2
#"Tainted Love"
#"Suicide Is Painless"
#"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.
== Selective list of recorded versions ==
1965: Gloria Jones, original version
1975: Ruth Swan
1976: Gloria Jones, on the album Vixen (produced by Marc Bolan)
1981: Soft Cell, on the album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
1982: Dave Phillips & the Hot Rod Gang, on the single "Tainted Love / Wild Youth"
1985: Coil, on the 12" single Panic/Tainted Love
1992: The Flying Pickets, on the album The Warning
1992: Inspiral Carpets, on the album Ruby Trax
1994:
David Benoit, on the album
Lost and Found
1995: Shades Apart, on the album Save It
1996: Bluekilla, on the album Ska-a-gogo
1997: Atrocity, on the album Werk 80
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"
1999: Johnny Clueless, on the album What's Your Flavour?
1999: My Ruin, on the album Speak and Destroy
2000: Wild Strawberries, on the album Twist as an unnumbered track
2001: Marilyn Manson, on the album Not Another Teen Movie Soundtrack
2001: Max Raabe, on the album Superhits Nummer 2
2002: Prozac+, on the album Miodio
2002: Night Shift, on the album Undercovers
2005: The Pussycat Dolls, on the album PCD
2006: Rihanna sampled Soft Cell's version for her third single "SOS"
2006: Milk Inc., on the album Supersized
2006: Alejandra Guzmán, on the soundtrack of the Mexican film "Cansada De Besar Sapos"
2007:
Killwhitneydead, on the album
Nothing Less Nothing More
2007: Hyro Da Hero, Sampled Marilyn Manson's Version on the Mixtape Gangsta Rock
2008: Danny Noriega performed the song on American Idol
2008: The Lost Fingers, on the album Lost in the 80s
2009: David Guetta and Akon use a melody inspired by "Tainted Love" in their song "Sexy Bitch"
2009: My Brightest Diamond, on the album Guilt by Association Vol. 2
2009: The Pigeon Detectives, as a one-off single for the charity "Cash for Kids"
2009: Blackmailers, on the album Contrafact
2010: Flo Rida sampled Soft Cell's version for "Zoosk Girl" (featuring T-Pain)
2010: Imelda May on the album Mayhem
References
External links
Producer Mike Thorne discusses Soft Cell's cover of "Tainted Love"
Danny Noriega sings "Tainted Love" on American Idol (season 7)
Category:1965 songs
Category:1981 singles
Category:1982 singles
Category:2001 singles
Category:Marilyn Manson songs
Category:UK Singles Chart number-one singles
Category:European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles
Category:Number-one singles in Australia
Category:Number-one singles in Germany
Category:The Living End songs
Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles
Category:Songs written by Ed Cobb
Category:Soft Cell songs
Category:Coil (band) songs
