Soft Cell - Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret [6CD]

UMR/EMI

£58.14

Format: 6 x CD
Catalogue No.: 5543820
Barcode: 0602455438201
Release Date: 01 Dec 2023
Genre: Coldwave/Synth

The debut album from Marc Almond and Dave Ball AKA Soft is truly an icon of electronic music. Not only did ‘Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret’ introduce the world to classic singles ‘Tainted Love’ (one of the biggest global hits of all time) ‘Bedsitter’ and ‘Say Hello Wave Goodbye’, it also shocked and delighted in equal measure with a 10-track song cycle straight outta the seedier, sleazier, darker side of life. ‘Sex Dwarf’, ‘Frustration’, ‘My Secret Life’, ‘Seedy Films’… four decades on, it still has the power to thrill, shock and swoon.

In 2023, Mercury-EMI / UMR present the ultimate celebration of ‘Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret’ in a series of exciting new formats, all with a host of supplementary extras and rarities from the ‘Cabaret’ era.

The final word – a 98-track 6CD super deluxe box set, this ultimate version of the album tells its full story. Containing many rarities previously deleted there is also a staggering 40 tracks previously unreleased.

***
CD1: ‘Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret’. Disc one features the album, newly remastered in 2023 by Barry Grint plus all of its attendant single 7” versions of the A and B sides from the era, including ‘Torch’ and ‘What!’, the band’s first ever Phonogram single ‘A Man Could Get Lost’ / ‘Memorabilia’ (produced by Mute’s Daniel Miller) and contemporary edits of ‘Fun City’ and ‘Persuasion’, only released on 12” at the time.

CD2: ‘Non-Stop Extended Cabaret’ contains the entire album in extended 12” form, made up from Dave Ball’s studio reworkings of the album created only using the original studio parts. These include contemporary full-length versons only previously available on the 2018 ‘Keychains & Snowstorms’ box set, on 2021’s ‘Tainted Love’ anniversary vinyl 10” plus new and unreleased 2023 extendeds of ‘Seedy Films’, ‘Sex Dwarf’, and ‘Entertain Me’. Here, ‘Bedsitter’ is represented in its original 12” extended version as all concerned agreed it just could not be improved upon! Also on CD2 are brand new previously unreleased remixes of ‘Memorabilia’ by The Hacker and Daniel Miller and a new Dave Ball extended of ‘A Man Could Get Lost’.

CD3: ‘Non-Stop Eclectic Cabaret’ is a treasure trove of rarities. Alongside a new 2023 Tainted Love’ rework are BBC session highlights, choice remixes from 2005’s ‘Heat: The Remixes”, including Richard X’s legendary take of ‘Seedy Films’, and a selection of demos, outtakes and audio from BBC TV and radio appearances on The Richard Skinner Show’, ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’, ‘Top Of The Pops / Top Of The Pops 2’ and ‘The Oxford Road Show’.

CD4: ‘Non-Stop Instrumental Cabaret’ presents the album in its full instrumental glory for the first time plus 6 original ‘Non-Stop’ demos, 5 of which are previously unreleased. These demos include an 11th hour archive unearthing of the first version of ‘Sex Dwarf’ set down on tape.

CD5: ‘Non-Stop Original Cabaret’ brings together the original iconic 12” single A and B-sides of 1981 – 1982 ‘Cabaret’-era Soft Cell including ‘Memorabilia’, ‘Tainted Love’, ‘Say Hello Wave Goodbye’, and the standalone smashes ‘Torch’ and ‘What!’

Finally, CD6: ‘Non-Stop Intimate Cabaret’ includes the album played in full, plus ‘Torch’ and ‘Memorabilia’, live at Soft Cell’s triumphant ‘Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret… And Other Stories’ shows in November 2021 recorded at Hammersmith’s Eventim Apollo. The disc – and collection – are rounded off with ‘Insecure Me’, ‘What!’ and ‘Tainted Love’ from London’s O2 Arena, recorded in September 2018.

Also included in the beautifully presented package are an extensive essay on the story of the album by Adrian Thrills, including new interviews with Marc and Dave. There are full song lyrics, contemporary photography, album and single sleeve scans and compiler’s credits from Chris Smith.

CD1 - Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret: 2023 Remaster + Singles, B-Sides & Edits
Frustration 04:12
Tainted Love 02:35
Seedy Films 05:05
Youth 03:21
Sex Dwarf 05:47
Entertain Me 03:00
Chips On My Shoulder 04:06
Bedsitter 03:36
Secret Life 03:37
Say Hello, Wave Goodbye 05:34
Memorabilia (Single Version) 04:49
A Man Could Get Lost (Single Version) 03:17
Persuasion (Edit of 12” Single B-Side) 03:36 *
Where Did Our Love Go? (Single B-Side) 03:14
Facility Girls (Single B-Side) 02:23
Fun City (Edit of 12” Single B-Side) 04:24
Torch (Single Version) 04:08
Insecure Me (Single B-Side) 03:10
What! (Single Version) 02:51
…So (Single B-Side) 03:49

CD2 - Non-Stop Extended Cabaret: Full-Length Versions & New Remixes
Frustration (Extended Version) 06:02 *
Tainted Love (2021 10" Extended Version) 05:05
Seedy Films (2023 Extended Version) 05:16 *
Youth (2018 ‘Wasted On The Young’ Extended Version) 05:41
Sex Dwarf (2023 Extended Version) 05:45 *
Entertain Me (2023 Extended Version) 06:05 *
Chips On My Shoulder (2018 Extended Version) 06:16
Bedsitter (1981 Original 12” Mix) 07:52
Secret Life (2018 Extended Version) 05:20
Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (2018 Dave Ball ‘Lateral Mix’) 07:07
A Man Could Get Lost (2023 Extended Version) 05:08 *
Memorabilia (Daniel Miller 2023 Remix) 05:16
Memorabilia (The Hacker 2023 Remix) 06:37

CD3 - Non-Stop Exotic Cabaret: Curios, Rarities, Sessions & Alternate Mixes
Frustration (Original ‘Mutant Moments’ Version) 03:32
Tainted Love (New 2023 Version) 03:01 *
Seedy Films (Richard X Remix) 05:20
Youth (Dave Ball ‘Warhol Funeral’ Mix) 03:05 *
Sex Dwarf (Live On BBC ‘Old Grey Whistle Test’ 4th February 1982) 05:16
Entertain Me (Richard Skinner Session, Radio 1, 26th July 1981) 03:45
Chips On My Shoulder (Live From ‘The Oxford Road Show’ 22nd January 1982) 03:28 *
Bedsitter ((Richard Skinner Session, Radio 1, 26th July 1981) 03:34
Secret Life (George Demure Remix) 05:10
Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (Live From ‘The Oxford Road Show’ 22nd January 1982) 04:33 *
A Man Could Get Lost (Live at Leeds Warehouse, 16th July 2018) 03:30 *
Torch (Live from ‘Top Of The Pops 2’, 28th January 2002) 04:05 *
Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go (US Radio Edit) 04:01 *
Seedy Films (Richard Skinner Session, Radio 1, 26th July 1981) 03:58
Youth (Live On BBC ‘Old Grey Whistle Test’ 4th February 1982) 03:15 *
Chips On My Shoulder (Richard Skinner Session, Radio 1, 26th July 1981) 04:20
Tainted Love (Live from ‘Top Of The Pops’ 1981 Reunion, 2001) 03:14 *
Bedsitter (‘Flexipop’ Version) 03:45 *
Memorabilia (2023 Dub Mix) 5:44 *
Tainted Love (Aborted 1981 Studio Take) 1:07 *

CD4 - Non-Stop Instrumental Cabaret: Instrumentals & Bonus Demos
Frustration (Instrumental) 04:15 *
Tainted Love (Instrumental) 03:01 *
Seedy Films (Instrumental) 05:10 *
Youth (Instrumental) 03:25 *
Sex Dwarf (Instrumental) 05:15 *
Entertain Me (Instrumental) 02:57 *
Chips On My Shoulder (Instrumental) 04:09 *
Bedsitter (Instrumental) 03:39 *
Secret Life (Instrumental) 04:03 *
Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (Single B-Side Instrumental) 03:54
A Man Could Get Lost (Original Daniel Miller Instrumental Version) 03:30 *
Torch (Instrumental) 04:12 *
What! (Instrumental) 03:11 *
Insecure Me (Instrumental) 03:12 *
Tainted Love (Original 1981 Daniel Miller Demo) 02:47
Seedy Films (Original 1981 Demo) 04:02 *
Sex Dwarf (Original 1981 Demo) 06:53 *
Chips On My Shoulder (Original Demo) 03:50 *
Secret Life (Original 1981 Demo) 03:39 *
Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (Original 1981 Demo) 04:39 *

CD5 - Non-Stop Original Cabaret: The 1981 / 1982 12” Mixes & B Sides
Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go? (Original 12" Version) 08:57
Memorabilia (Original 12" Version) 07:47
Torch (Original 12" Version) 08:28
What! (Original 12" Version) 06:09
Tainted Dub (Original Version) 09:14
Persuasion (Original 12" Version) 07:35
Facility Girls (Original 12" Version) 07:16
Fun City (Original Version) 07:33
Insecure Me (Original 12" Version) 08:16
…So (Original 12" Version) 08:29

CD6 - Non-Stop Intimate Cabaret: Live In Concert, London 2021 & 2018

Frustration (Live at Eventim Apollo London, November 2021)
Tainted Love (Live at Eventim Apollo London, November 2021)
Seedy Films (Live at Eventim Apollo London, November 2021)
Youth (Live at Eventim Apollo London, November 2021)
Sex Dwarf (Live at Eventim Apollo London, November 2021)
Entertain Me (Live at Eventim Apollo London, November 2021)
Chips On My Shoulder (Live at Eventim Apollo London, November 2021)
Bedsitter (Live at Eventim Apollo London, November 2021)
Secret Life (Live at Eventim Apollo London, November 2021)
Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (Live at Eventim Apollo London, November 2021)
Torch (Live at Eventim Apollo London, November 2021)
Memorabilia (Live at Eventim Apollo London, November 2021)
Insecure Me (Live at 02 Arena London, 30 September 2018
What! (Live at 02 Arena London, 30 September 2018
Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go? (Live at 02 Arena London, 30 September 2018