Soft Cell and Pet Shop Boys
As announced a few weeks ago, the reunited Soft Cell — singer Marc Almond and producer/instrumentalist Dave Ball — are teasing their first new album in 20 years with a version of one of the record’s songs newly reworked by the Pet Shop Boys.
“Purple Zone” is the first-ever collaboration between the two famed synthpop duos, and a will feature on Soft Cell’s forthcoming reunion album *Happiness Not Included, which is due out on May 6. The duo also performed the song at their U.K. shows last November.
Soft Cell’s new album is the group’s first since 2002’s Cruelty Without Beauty and its fifth overall. Almond and Ball reunited in 2018 to perform a concert in London called “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” that was meant to both celebrate the group’s 40th anniversary and say farewell.
Here’s the video for “Purple Zone”:
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Soft Cell waves goodbye with 30-song farewell performance in London — setlist + video
- Soft Cell debuts ‘Northern Lights’ — first new song in 15 years — off upcoming best-of
- Soft Cell reuniting for final ‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’ concert in London this year
- ‘120 Minutes’ Rewind: Soft Cell’s Marc Almond goes under the ‘120 X-Ray’ — 1988
- Soft Cell’s Marc Almond releasing ‘Variete,’ first original album in a decade, in June
I must admit I’ve never been a fan of PSBs and so it comes as no surprise that I find this very cringe.
The song is so and so and is something most other synth bands of that era would keep as a b-side and they don’t really mesh at all imo.
No not for me.
Love to hear something new by SC. Unfortunaly, the only thing that PSB can add to the song is the same recycled sampler of beat that they put in aaaallll their songs. Not ro mention the same old arregements with that synth that sound like horns. Thank you but no thanks.
Well I like it…. brings back a lot of memories of dancing my a$$ off into the wee hours of the morning at fire and ice in Miami beach!!!