Three versions of Tainted Love today, starting with Hannah Peel, performing live (with music box) at No Alibis bookshop in Belfast in December 2010. First time I've heard Hannah's version and it's mesmerising.
Like most of my age, I was first introduced to the song via Soft Cell's smash hit version, which spent 2 weeks as UK #1 in September 1981 and an impressive 30 weeks in the Top 100 between August 1981 and August 1982. I didn't see the video for the song until 1989, when Non-Stop Exotic Video Show was re-released on budget priced VHS and I bought a copy from my local Woolworths.
It would be remiss of me not to include Gloria Jones' original version of Tainted Love from 1964. I couldn't find a contemporary TV performance on YouTube, so here's a fan-made video by Vitalijs Neudahins, using footage of Gloria singing another song (Heartbeat) on Hollywood A Go Go.
Incredible to believe now that this version, written and produced by Ed Cobb was originally a B-side and a flop single in the UK. In fact, even when re-recorded (produced by Marc Bolan) and re-released in 1976 due to it's popularity in Northern Soul clubs, it still failed to chart.
How the original wasn't a huge hit is beyond me. Excellent stuff Khayem
ReplyDeleteCriminal, CC. I blame my parents' generation.
DeleteThe Hannah Peel version, wow.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Hannah hand punched the roll for the music box makes me love her even more, if possible. I haven't got lots of Hannah Peel's music in my collection but I still can't believe it's taken me over a decade to stumble across this version. Wow, indeed.
DeleteAll marvellous and the Hannah Peel version is a revelation, thanks. Like you, I heard Soft Cell before I heard the original. Proof that you (hopefully, most of the time anyway!) you can't keep a good song down.
ReplyDeleteThanks, C. I have skipped over some of the, shall we say, less memorable versions of Tainted Love but if any of them lead the listener back to Soft Cell or Gloria Jones, then they've served a purpose!
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