Tainted Love

Gloria Jones recorded two versions of "Tainted Love": in 1964 (as a B-side of her single "My Bad Boy's Comin' Home") and in 1976 (released on her album "Vixen"). Both versions failed to chart in the UK and USA. Marc Almond of Soft Cell called this song "a mixture of cold electronics with an over-passionate, over-exuberant, slightly out of key vocal" according to the book "1000 UK #1 Hits" by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh. Almond recalled, "Dave introduced me to the record and I loved it so much and we wanted an interesting song for a encore number in our show. Dave loved northern soul and it was a novelty to have an electronic synthesizer band doing a soul song." Ed Cobb, who wrote this song, told Blender magazine, "I had a lover for whom you could say wasn't a good individual. I tried to go into her head and write a song from her standpoint. Once the word 'tainted' had popped into my head, the song was written very quickly, probably 15 minutes." "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell was number-one hit on the Singles Chart and the best-selling single of 1981 in the UK. In the USA, the song spent 43 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.

Soft Cell Lyrics "Tainted Love" (originally by Gloria Jones) From The Album "Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret" (1981) Sometimes I feel I've got to Run away, I've got to Get away from the pain you drive into the heart of me The love we share Seems to go nowhere And I've lost my light For I toss and turn, I can't sleep at night Once I ran to you (I ran) Now I'll run from you This tainted love you've given I give you all a boy could give you Take my tears and that's not nearly all Tainted love (oh) Tainted love Now I know I've got to Run away, I've got to Get away, you don't really want any more from me To make things right You need someone to hold you tight And you think love is to pray But I'm sorry, I don't pray that way Once I ran to you (I ran) Now I'll run from you This tainted love you've given I give you all a boy could give you Take my tears and that's not nearly all Tainted love (oh) Tainted love Don't touch me, please I cannot stand the way you tease I love you though you hurt me so Now I'm gonna pack my things and go Tainted love (oh) Tainted love (oh) Tainted love (oh) Tainted love (oh) Touch me, baby, tainted love Touch me, baby, tainted love Tainted love (oh) Tainted love (oh) Tainted love Tainted love Writer(s): Edward Cobb