Marc Almond revealed in a statement honoring his Soft Cell band mate Dave Ball, who died Tuesday at the age of 66, that the group had just completed work on a new album shortly before Ball’s death.
As Almond wrote, Hill had “been ill for a long while and his health had been in slow decline over recent years.” However, the singer noted that Hill “always came back with a determined spirit to continue his work in the studio and, although he has been unable to travel abroad, he has still been able to perform with me as Soft Cell on occasions in the UK. His last appearance was at the Rewind festival a few weeks ago, where we headlined to over 20,000 people, after which he was elated and given an enormous boost.”
Despite the health issues, Hill managed to continue recording with Soft Cell, and as Almond revealed, just recently finished work on their “next (and now the last) album together,” Danceteria, the group’s follow-up to 2022’s Happiness Not Included.
“It is most heartbreaking, particularly at this time, that Dave was in a great place emotionally, feeling focused and happy with the new album, Danceteria, that we literally had only just completed days ago,” Almond wrote.
“I listened to the complete album for the first time yesterday. It makes me so sad as this would have been a great uplifting year for him and I can take solace that he heard this finished record and felt it was a great piece of work. Dave’s music is better than ever – his tunes, his hooks unmistakably Soft Cell. Yet he always took it to a different level.”
The singer added that the album’s title, a reference to the legendary New York City dance club, and theme “takes us for a visit back to almost the start of it all, back to New York in the early 80’s, the place and time that really shaped us. We always felt we were an honorary American band as well as quintessentially British. We have always been self referential to the Soft Cell story and myths and this album in many ways will close that circle for us.”
Almond and Ball performed together for nearly 50 years, as the duo formed in 1978. “I wish he could have stayed on to celebrate 50 years in a couple of years time. He will always be loved by fans who loved his music,” Almond said of his longtime bandmate.
“It’s a cliche to say but it lives on and somewhere at any given time around the world someone listens to, plays, dances, and get’s pleasure from a Soft Cell song – even if it’s just that particular two and half minute epic.”
