Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret

Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Studio album by Soft Cell
Released	23 November 1981 (1981-11-23)
Recorded	1981; Advision Studios, Camden Cell Studios (London, England)
Genre	Synthpop, New Wave
Length	40:32
Label	Some Bizzare Sire Vertigo (original release) Mercury (various reissues)
Producer	Dave Ball, Daniel Miller, Mike Thorne
Soft Cell chronology
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret (1981) Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing (1982)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Rolling Stone	[2]
Rolling Stone Russia	[3]
World of Music	[4]

Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is the debut album by English synthpop duo Soft Cell, released in the United Kingdom on 23 November 1981 by Some Bizzare Records. The album's critical and commercial success was bolstered by the worldwide success of its single "Tainted Love", a cover version of a soul song by Gloria Jones, which topped charts worldwide and became the best-selling British single of 1981 in the United States. The album produced two more top five singles in the UK with "Bedsitter" and "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye".

Despite the reputation of many New Wave bands as being on the cutting edge of technology, the album was created on a very low budget; it was supposedly recorded almost entirely with a Revox tape recorder, a borrowed Roland drum machine belonging to Kit Hain, a small, preset Roland bass synthesizer, and an NED Synclavier, belonging to producer Mike Thorne. The album was recorded in New York City at the height of its gay club scene, at a time when the drug MDMA (also known as ecstasy) was just beginning to become popular. The sound and club beats of the album reflect this atmosphere, with songs about pornographic cinemas and infidelity, although the album's themes sprang not from New York but the seedy underworld of early '80s London. The group caused some controversy in the UK over the single "Sex Dwarf", the music video of which was banned for explicit, S&M-related content. The duo would delve deeper into its fascination with decadence on its subsequent works, including the 1982 remix album Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing, which features an alternate cut of "Sex Dwarf" on which singer Marc Almond appears to simulate a female orgasm with his voice.

CMJ New Music Report included Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret on a list of The Top 25 College Radio Albums of All Time.^[5] American magazine Out placed the album at number sixty-six on their list of The 100 Greatest, Gayest Albums (of All Time).^[6] It was also included in Robert Dimery's book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.^[7]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Dave Ball and Marc Almond, except where noted. 

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Frustration"		4:12
2.	"Tainted Love"	Ed Cobb	2:34
3.	"Seedy Films"		5:05
4.	"Youth"		3:15
5.	"Sex Dwarf"		5:15
6.	"Entertain Me"		3:35
7.	"Chips on My Shoulder"		4:05
8.	"Bedsitter"		3:36
9.	"Secret Life"		3:37
10.	"Say Hello, Wave Goodbye"		5:24

1996 remastered CD bonus tracks[8]
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"Where Did Our Love Go?" (B-side of "Tainted Love")	Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland, Jr.	3:14
12.	"Memorabilia" (B-side of "A Man Can Get Lost" in the UK and "Tainted Love" in the US)		4:49
13.	"Facility Girls" (B-side of "Bedsitter")		2:25
14.	"Fun City" (B-side of "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye")		7:45
15.	"Torch" (non-album single)		4:08
16.	"Insecure Me" (B-side of "Torch")		4:39
17.	"What?" (non-album single)	H. B. Barnum	2:50
18.	"....So" (B-side of "What?")		3:47

2002 remastered CD bonus tracks[9]
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go" (12" Mix)	Cobb, Holland, Dozier, Holland	8:59
12.	"Tainted Dub" (12" Mix)	Cobb	9:14

2008 deluxe edition

Disc 1: Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing[10]
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"Memorabilia"		5:20
12.	"Where Did Our Love Go?"	Holland, Dozier, Holland	4:22
13.	"What?"	Barnum	4:31
14.	"A Man Could Get Lost"		3:57
15.	"Chips on My Shoulder"		4:28
16.	"Sex Dwarf"		5:10
17.	"Torch" (bonus track)		4:08
18.	"A Man Could Get Lost" (bonus track)		3:18

Disc 2[10]
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Memorabilia" (Extended)		7:45
2.	"Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go?" (12" Mix)	Cobb, Holland, Dozier, Holland	9:02
3.	"Bedsitter" (Extended)		7:52
4.	"Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" (Extended)		8:53
5.	"Torch" (Extended)		8:27
6.	"What?" (Extended)	Barnum	6:06
7.	"Persuasion"		7:38
8.	"Facility Girls"		2:21
9.	"Fun City"		7:44
10.	"Insecure Me" (Extended)		8:14
11.	"So"		3:49

Personnel

Marc Almond – vocals Dave Ball – backing vocals, producer, synthesizers, electronic instruments, acoustic instruments Peter Ashworth – photography Arun Chakraverti – mastering Michael Christopher – assistant engineer Cindy Ecstasy – backing vocals John Gatchell – trumpet, flugelhorn Harvey Goldberg – mixing Paul Hardiman – engineer

Andy Hoggman – assistant engineer Nicky Kalliongis – assistant engineer Daniel Miller – producer Vicious Pink Phenomena – backing vocals Andrew Prewett – design Jack Skinner – mastering Mike Thorne – producer David Tofani – saxophone, clarinet Don Wershba – engineer

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1981/1982) Peak position Canadian Albums Chart[11] 2 New Zealand Albums Chart[12] 7 Swedish Albums Chart[13] 25 UK Albums Chart[14] 5 US Top LPs[15] 22 US Soul LPs[15] 55

Certifications Country Certification Canada Platinum[16] United Kingdom Platinum[17]

References

1. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret – Soft Cell". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/non-stop-erotic-cabaret-r49694/review. Retrieved 2 December 2005. 
2. ^ Fricke, David. "Soft Cell: Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. http://web.archive.org/web/20090501222332/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/softcell/albums/album/118629/review/6068290/nonstop_erotic_cabaret. Retrieved 17 August 2007. 
3. ^ Bukharin, Andrew (June 2009). "Soft Cell «Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret»" (in Russian). Rolling Stone Russia. Izdatelskiy Dom SPN. http://www.rollingstone.ru/articles/7759. Retrieved 3 January 2011. 
4. ^ World of Music (November 08): 27. 
5. ^ "The Top 25 College Radio Albums of All Time". CMJ New Music Report (CMJ Network, Inc) 74 (5): 12. 6 January 2003. ISSN 0890-0795. http://books.google.com/books?id=xkzZ53I3Fx8C&lpg=PA1&pg=PA12#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 3 January 2011. 
6. ^ "Out's 100 Greatest, Gayest Albums (of All Time)". Out. Here Media Inc. http://out.com/gayestAlbumsPart1SS.asp?pagenumber=35. Retrieved 24 July 2011. 
7. ^ "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". Rocklist.net. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/steveparker/1001albums.htm. Retrieved 3 January 2011. 
8. ^ "Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret [UK Bonus Tracks] – Soft Cell". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/non-stop-erotic-cabaret-uk-bonus-tracks-r618161. Retrieved 24 July 2011. 
9. ^ "Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret [Bonus Tracks] – Soft Cell". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/non-stop-erotic-cabaret-bonus-tracks-r572463. Retrieved 24 July 2011. 
10. ^ ^{a b} "Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret [Deluxe Edition] – Soft Cell". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/non-stop-erotic-cabaret-deluxe-edition-r1364567. Retrieved 24 July 2011. 
11. ^ "50 Albums". RPM (Library and Archives Canada) 36 (2). 20 February 1982. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.0463&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=hthv24q653qn9udua0a2nf2p53. Retrieved 24 July 2011. 
12. ^ "Soft Cell – Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Hung Medien. http://charts.org.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Soft+Cell&titel=Non%2DStop+Erotic+Cabaret&cat=a. Retrieved 24 July 2011. 
13. ^ "Soft Cell – Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret". Swedish Recording Industry Association. Hung Medien. http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Soft+Cell&titel=Non-Stop+Erotic+Cabaret&cat=a. Retrieved 24 July 2011. 
14. ^ "Chart Stats – Soft Cell – Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret". The Official Charts Company. Chart Stats. http://www.chartstats.com/release.php?release=39849. Retrieved 24 July 2011. 
15. ^ ^{a b} "Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret – Soft Cell – Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/non-stop-erotic-cabaret-r49694/charts-awards/billboard-album. Retrieved 24 July 2011. 
16. ^ "Gold Platinum Database". Music Canada. 1 March 1982. http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=Non-Stop+Erotic+Cabaret&sa=Soft+Cell&smt=0. Retrieved 30 July 2011. 
17. ^ "Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry. 15 November 1982. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/Search.aspx. Retrieved 24 July 2011.