Wednesday, July 8, 2009

ROCK Sex: "Tainted Love" - Gloria Jones > Soft Cell


Gloria Jones and Marc Bolan unveil Rolan.


ROCK Sex "gives you all a boy can give you".

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The original "Tainted Love" was a Northern Soul song performed by Gloria Jones in 1964, responding to the Motown stomp of songs like The Supremes' "You Can't Hurry Love". Later, she became the partner and muse of T-Rex's Marc Bolan.

GLORIA JONES -"Tainted Love" (1964)



The song was remade in a pretty similar but more Disco fashion in 1975:

RUTH SWANN -"Tainted Love" (1975)



Shortly afterward Gloria Jones and Marc Bolan remade the song:

GLORIA JONES, w/ Marc Bolan -"Tainted Love" (1976)



Marc Almond of Soft Cell heard the original played in a dance club and made it into the Synthpop anthem of all time:

SOFT CELL -"Tainted Love" (1981)



The rhythm of the song (and the intro of James Brown's "I Feel Good") was refashioned into this song.

FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS -"Good Thing" (1988)



From there it has been covered/exhalted/ruined (depending on your bias) by Coil, Inspiral Carpets, My Ruin, Marilyn Manson, The Pussycat Dolls, Rihanna, Danny Noriega, and Imelda May.



© Tym Stevens



See Also:

"You Can't Hurry Love" - The Supremes > Iggy Pop > The Jam > David Bowie

LADIES FIRST: "Out In the Streets" - The Shangri-Las > Blondie


The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist


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