The Greatest Cover Songs of All-time: 9. Soft Cell - "Tainted Love"

Gloria Jones recorded "Tainted Love" in 1964 for Champion Records—classic soul with horns and power. It flopped. The single disappeared, except in Northern England's soul clubs where DJs played rare American imports. Seventeen years later, broke art school kids Marc Almond and Dave Ball needed a hit. They stripped Gloria's soul arrangement to bare melody, rebuilt it entirely on synthesizers—cold, mechanical, relentless. Marc sang it with wounded desperation instead of confident anger. Released July 1981, hit UK #1, stayed in top 40 for 43 weeks, sold 1.4M+ copies, became synth-pop icon. Most people don't know it's a cover. Garrett Fisher explores how the original remained obscure while the cover defined an era.Unlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media! Get all our shows on any player you love, hassle free! For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app. For Spotify or other players, visit caloroga.com/plus. No plug-ins needed!Subscribe now for exclusive shows like 'Palace Intrigue,' and get bonus content from Deep Crown (our exclusive Palace Insider!) Or get 'Daily Comedy News,' and '5 Good News Stories’ with no commercials! Plans start at $4.99 per month, or save 20% with a yearly plan at $49.99. Join today and help support the show!We now have Merch!  FREE SHIPPING! Check out all the products like T-shirts, mugs, bags, jackets and more with logos and slogans from your favorite shows! Did we mention there’s free shipping? Get 10% off with code NewMerch10 Go to Caloroga.comGet more info from Caloroga Shark Media and if you have any comments, suggestions, or just want to get in touch our email is info@caloroga.com