Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing

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Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing
Soft Cell - Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing album cover.jpg
EP by
Soft Cell
ReleasedJune 1982
Recorded1982
Genre
Length27:53
LabelSome Bizzare
ProducerMike Thorne
Soft Cell chronology
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
(1981) 		Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing
(1982) 		The Art of Falling Apart
(1983)
Singles from Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing
  1. "What"
    Released: August 1982

Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing is an extended play (EP) by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell, released in the United Kingdom in June 1982 as a mini-album by Some Bizzare Records. In addition to remixes of the group's older material, it also included a brand-new track, a cover of Judy Street's 1966 song "What", which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart.

As the name implies, Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing was conceived, by the band's own admission, under the influence of MDMA (commonly referred to as ecstasy). Vocalist Marc Almond later said in an interview with journalist Simon Tebbutt that the album's sound, as well as the sound of the band, was influenced by a short stint working at The Warehouse, a popular nightclub in Leeds.[citation needed] The album is more dance-oriented than the group's first album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, with remixes and instrumental versions of various songs from its predecessor as well as the new track "What". In the United Kingdom, this mini LP format was just becoming prominent. Subsequent reissues would see the original mini-album length track listing bolstered with several extended versions of other Soft Cell material of the period.

Originally, the album was set to be produced by Donald Fagen of Steely Dan, and several tracks co-written by him were recorded, but those songs were shelved due to label disputes with MCA Records. The whole album had to be scrapped due to songwriting liabilities and Soft Cell famously had to write and record the album in the span of one week.

The band went on hiatus for a small period of time after the album's release, with David Ball taking time to reconcile with his girlfriend and Almond performing with Marc and the Mambas. This fuelled rumours that the band was splitting up, though they would release two more albums, The Art of Falling Apart (1983) and This Last Night in Sodom (1984).

Reception[]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic4/5 stars[1]
The Philadelphia Inquirer1/5 stars[2]
Smash Hits6/10 stars[3]

In a contemporary review, Ken Tucker of The Philadelphia Inquirer gave the release a one star rating out of five, declaring it "more sterile English dance music" and that the release was "more of the same junk. And I do mean same: Two of the cuts here are simply re-recorded versions of previously released material."[2]

Track listing[]

All tracks are written by David Ball and Marc Almond, except where noted.

UK and European edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Memorabilia" 5:22
2."Where Did Our Love Go"
4:12
3."What"H. B. Barnum4:33
4."A Man Could Get Lost" 4:05
5."Chips on My Shoulder" 4:26
6."Sex Dwarf" 5:15
Total length:27:53
1998 UK remastered CD bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go" (extended)
8:57
8."Memorabilia" (extended) 7:45
9."What!" (extended)Barnum6:11
10."So" (extended)Ball8:50
11."Torch" (extended) 8:30
12."Insecure Me" (extended) 8:15
Total length:76:21
North American edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Memorabilia" 5:22
2."Where Did Our Love Go"
  • B. Holland
  • Dozier
  • E. Holland
4:24
3."What"Barnum4:33
4."A Man Could Get Lost" 3:58
5."Insecure...Me?" 7:30
6."Sex Dwarf" 5:15
Total length:31:02

Notes[]

  • "Memorabilia" appears here as a brand-new version of the B-side of "A Man Can Get Lost", performed in duet with Cindy Ecstasy.
  • "Where Did Our Love Go" is a remix of the B-side of "Tainted Love".
  • "A Man Could Get Lost" and "Chips On My Shoulder" are heavily remixed instrumental versions of the original songs.
  • "Sex Dwarf" is also remixed, but is closer to the structure of the original song.
  • The original North American vinyl release replaced "Chips on My Shoulder" with an edit of the extended version of "Insecure...Me?", while the 1999 remastered CD reissue contained both tracks.

Personnel[]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing.[4]

Soft Cell[]

Additional musicians[]

Technical[]

  • Mike Thorne – production
  • Don Wershba – engineering
  • Nicky Kalliongis – engineering assistance
  • Harvey Goldberg – mixing
  • Jack Skinner – cutting engineer

Artwork[]

  • Peter Ashworth – front photo
  • Josh – back photo
  • Huw Feather – design
  • M.T. 9 – artwork

Charts[]

Chart (1982) Peak
position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[5] 42
UK Albums (OCC)[6] 6
US Billboard 200[7] 57

Certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[8] Gold 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[]

  1. ^ McDonald, Steven. "Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing – Soft Cell". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Tucker, Ken (1 August 1982). "New Albums". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 8-H. ISSN 0885-6613 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Silverton, Peter (24 June 1982). "Album Reviews". Smash Hits. Vol. 4 no. 13. p. 17. ISSN 0260-3004.
  4. ^ Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing (liner notes). Soft Cell. Some Bizzare Records. 1982. BZX 1012.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Soft Cell – Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  6. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Soft Cell Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  8. ^ "British album certifications – Soft Cell – Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing". British Phonographic Industry. 15 November 1982. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
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