“Kraftwerk Are the Innovators of This Electonic Dance Music”
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1981 ER JULY – SEPTEMB Meanwhile a bunch of office boys have strayed onto the set – oh my God, up against Spandau svengali Steve Dagger, or even Blue Rondo’s Chris it’s OMD after a colour supplement primer in American preppiness. Sullivan, Stevo appeared as little more than a court jester. Sitting in the middle of this fanciful costume ball, this week’s No 1 unit However, as Spandau and Blue Rondo’s attempts to stay ahead have Soft Cell appear to be cinderellas – and that’s despite singer Marc resulted in increasingly absurd fads, the unforced emergence of one- Almond’s wristloads of bracelets and studs and the brassy gold necklaces time bizzaro groups Depeche Mode and Soft Cell sets the whole dangled around his neck. Bemused by their chart bedfellows, Soft Cell operation in a far better light. Compare, for instance, Spandau Ballet’s scan this evening’s roll call. degeneration from kitschy visionaries into hack funk plagiarists with “John Foxx, Gary Numan, Teardrop Explodes, Orchestral Manoeuvres, Soft Cell’s rise from the rather trashy aesthetes behind the Bizzare song us – it’ll be dry ice a-go-go tonight,” predicts Marc with a giggle and a groan. “The Girl With The Patent Leather Face” to dancehall favourites and Actually, Numan couldn’t make it, but he has sent his video. So, apart decide for yourselves who’s created the New Soul Version. And suddenly from The Human League, who weren’t invited although “Love Action” it becomes apparent that Stevo was closer to the pulse than the rest. had yo-yoed up to No 3, tonight’s TOTP is a valuable survey of the ever- “Stevo has been knocked an awful lot,” states Marc. “He’s been called evolving electro-disco beat – from pioneer John (Ultra) Foxx, through all sorts of things. Paul Morley said, which was really untrue, that Some popularisers Numan and OMD to former pupils Soft Cell. Bizzare was a nice sort of home for all these little groups that nobody Soft Cell have absorbed their lessons well. “Tainted Love” – once a wanted. Well, nobody knew whether to want them or not then because Northern disco hit for Marc Bolan’s partner Gloria Jones – is one of the they were unknown. I admire Stevo for going out to be untrendy, for most assured and stunning syn-ful dance turning down groups who were prepared to be singles released this year. In its combination on the album, accepting the futurist tag and all.” of streamline software simplicity and sensual “Kraftwerk Whatever, Some Bizzare Album just wasn’t throb it reinforces NY heroes Suicide’s very good. Groups like themselves and Depeche experiments in emotion-tugging electronics Mode have improved upon the original without repeating them directly, as they had are the premise, and B-Movie promise to do the same. done previously with the earlier “Memorabilia”. Otherwise Some Bizzare was a plainly They’ve taken the whole thing a step further uninspired collection of groups grappling on the 12-inch version, which effortlessly innovators of gamely with the blueprints of originals like merges with the B-side version of The Kraftwerk and Suicide. Being something of Supremes’ “Where Did Our Love Go” via an this electonic a purist, David is less tolerant than his partner extremely inventive, cool melodic burndown. of the electro-boppers who’ve slavishly Natural little touches like that contribute to followed the patterns of the masters. “Tainted Love”’s transcendence of genre dance music” “All the originals get left behind,” he mutters prejudices. They elevate it, and by ruefully. “Kraftwerk should have got much implication the whole electro-bop, higher in the charts. They’re the above the fickle clutches of the fad innovators of this electronic dance fiends and place it in the public arena music and they’re so much where it belongs. better than all these shitty Nobody should be surprised, hurt or little things…” disappointed that Soft Cell are sitting Marc collapses into shrill, pretty at the top of the BBC charts. slightly embarrassed giggles, but David continues undeterred. LONE, LATIN-TINGED “…that get into the charts. It’s true,” Atrumpet sounds through he asserts. “I’m just saying what I the corridors and seeps all think, you know. It makes me sick to askew and off-key into Soft Cell’s see all these stupid little kids with dressing room. The duo make an scarves tied around their heads odd couple – “It wasn’t planned that playing what Kraftwerk were doing way,” they assure me. four years ago. It just irritates me.” Singer Marc Almond, from David is painfully aware of the fact that Southport, is small, effervescent and detractors – like myself – once used to giggly; and musician David Ball, from dismiss Soft Cell with similar disdain. Blackpool, is tall, laconic, almost morose “I don’t consider ourselves as part of and more conscientiously artisan than that,” he baldly states. “We don’t artist. Unsurprisingly, Marc dominates emphasise that we’re an electronic the conversation. or synthesizer group. It’s just an “There,” he sighs, “I’ve gone and hogged instrument that we use – it’s versatile the interview again.” and we like it.” Marc plays frontman with relish – all Soft Cell have gone beyond the stage of Liberace gestures and varying voice infatuation with all things mechanical. pitches – while David is the natural “We like people They’ve soaked up ideas and forms, straight man who is still wondering what to think there’s which they’ve since subordinated to something seedy in all the fuss is about. What with the our backgrounds”: their own needs, as opposed to lapsing former’s flutterings and the latter’s Dave Ball (left) and into the dumb, cliched worshipping of refusal to participate in the creation of Marc Almond machinery. Because they don’t wear the Soft Cell myth, the duo were at first their art like a badge they’ve comfortably dismissed as vague and sometimes been considered flighty futurists prepared to ride superficial dilettantes. whatever bandwagon was available. “We’re not dilettante at all,” The first one to happen along was the responds Marc reasonably. “If we Some Bizzare Album compilation put were like that, we could have made together by East End futurist DJ and easy, safe moves all along. But we lovable pest Stevo. When it came out, the wanted to put emotion into Some Bizzare boys were seen as poor electronic music. We were sick relations to the more stylish publicists of of people saying that electronic FIN COSTELLO GETTY/ the Spandau Ballet/Rusty Egan set. Stood music was to suck your cheeks in 108 | HISTORY OF ROCK 1981.