soft cell “say hello, wave goodbye”

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by reg slade, Jan 12, 2021.

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  1. reg slade

    reg slade Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I’d never heard this song before. I can’t decide if it’s supposed to be good or even serious?
    “tainted love” was absolutely brilliant but this stab at “singing” is awful, wow!
     
  2. Chemguy

    Chemguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Western Canada
    The worst singing by any group. I’d rather listen to the vocal stylings of The Shaggs.
     
  3. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    Great song. Maybe their best single

    There's also a fine version by David Gray on his White Ladder record.
     
    Cledwyn, realmdemagic, scobb and 23 others like this.
  4. Dandelion1967

    Dandelion1967 My Favourite Parks Are Car Parks

    "Bedsitter" is their best song, IMO.
     
  5. Pampered Menial

    Pampered Menial Forum Resident

    Location:
    Huntsville, AL
    Love this song. Coincidentally, I was just listening to it yesterday.

    I love my flamboyant and dramatic artists: Marc Almond, Marc Bolan, Klaus Nomi, Virgin Prunes, etc.
     
  6. Joseph.McClure

    Joseph.McClure Forum Resident

    Location:
    Memphis, TN
  7. Devin

    Devin Time's Up

    I actually like the song but Marc sings it too flat, which is something that he tends to do quite a lot. Sort of the opposite of Anthony Keidis who generally sings too sharp. A duet between the two would be interesting to say the least.
     
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2021
  8. jimjim

    jimjim Forum Resident

    Obviously you didn't get punk or post-punk (which this kind of falls into)....best not mention 'Seedy Films' to you then...:laugh:

    Love it...a great song with a great vocal. Soft Cell were pretty special between 1981-2 - a great pop band with an adult sensibility.
     
    Cledwyn, JackDVD78, Remy and 13 others like this.
  9. ChoonyFish

    ChoonyFish Forum Resident

    Location:
    Manchester, UK
    Correct.

    I do love SHWG, though. Sure, the vocal is badly sung but it's so heartfelt. "Take a look at my face for the last time... I never knew you, you never knew me..."

    As for Tainted Love, blimey it's so played to death I'm bored of it. It's brilliant, but overplayed on the radio, family parties and weddings.... Not that we've had any of those in recent times.
     
    Zerox, Squad 701, acetboy and 2 others like this.
  10. Pampered Menial

    Pampered Menial Forum Resident

    Location:
    Huntsville, AL
    Mh, yeah. I am not a singer, nor a vocal coach, nor a theatre director, but I have to defend Marc Almond here by saying people who think his singing is "awful" are largely missing the point. Marc Almond drew his inspiration from a lot of sources, from sleazy Wiemar cabaret to grim-and-grotty, post-war Britain kitchen sink dramas to post-punk, rip-it-up-and-start-over, anything-goes nihilism.

    Without trying to assert that he's a technically "great" singer, I have to say his stylistic approach is very true to his vision, and that's what a lot of fans find so appealing about the music, particularly the early stuff and his work in Marc and the Mambas. Soft Cell were great because they made music that was slightly rough around the edges, and illuminated (or in some cases, exploited and exaggerated) some of the darker aspects of everyday existence in an extravagant, theatrical way that fans really engage with. His singing is usually a form of character acting. It's frequently almost like spoken dialog, akin to, say, Phil Lynott's storytelling style.
     
    myker, Cledwyn, Tom Wabe and 15 others like this.
  11. elgoodo

    elgoodo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Jersey City, NJ
    I think it's beautiful.
     
    Cledwyn, myles, StormSignal and 10 others like this.
  12. dance_hall_keeper

    dance_hall_keeper Forum Resident

    It’s a great song, with one minor caveat.

    It has to be the extended version.
     
  13. Man at C&A

    Man at C&A Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    Fantastic song, great vocal. There's sometimes more to putting a song and atmosphere across than perfect singing and pitch. This song wouldn't work without the flaws and over the top melodrama.
     
    myles, Zerox, Squad 701 and 10 others like this.
  14. boyjohn

    boyjohn Senior Member

    It's an amazing song, just brilliant.
     
    Remy, Nick Dunning, Squad 701 and 5 others like this.
  15. Man at C&A

    Man at C&A Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    All the Soft Cell 12"s are excellent. One of the few acts who used the format creatively early on after disco. For anyone into this kind of thing the 3 CD set of their 12"s is a bargain. It can be had for around £6 and the mastering is fine too.
     
  16. classicrockguy

    classicrockguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Livingston NJ
    interesting song topic, that one doesn't come up for discussion often! :D

    I think that's just the post-punk rock style, slightly off key. Same for Joe Strummer , etc. A brilliantly chilling end to a dark and fascinating album
     
  17. newelectricmuse

    newelectricmuse charm, strangeness and quark

    Location:
    London
    It's full of emotion and character. It's a great song from a great album.
     
  18. boyjohn

    boyjohn Senior Member

    Exactly. I still remember the first time I heard the album (and the song), and the chills that ran down my spine when that glorious chorus kicked in for the first time. There is literally nothing like it.
     
  19. Roger Thornhill

    Roger Thornhill Senior Member

    Location:
    Ilford, Essex, UK
    I've had the first two Soft Cell album since they came out and SHWG is one of my favourites - just a brilliant song.

    And the vocal...it's not just what he's singing - the way he sings it is simply amazing.

    "Take...a look...at my face...for the last time..." - genius piece of phrasing.



    Can't believe that some people think this is awful!
     
  20. Jamsterdammer

    Jamsterdammer The Great CD in the Sky

    Location:
    Málaga, Spain
    Great song! As long as you don't hear Marc singing live, it's all good. My favorite Soft Cell song is Torch. Stunning!
     
  21. dance_hall_keeper

    dance_hall_keeper Forum Resident


    “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (12” Version) - Soft Cell.
     
  22. Dandelion1967

    Dandelion1967 My Favourite Parks Are Car Parks

    Yep, that horn! so soulful.
     
  23. classicrockguy

    classicrockguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Livingston NJ
    Never realized how much he looks like the younger Phil Spector in that cover pic. Either way, a great dark moody album
     
  24. OneStepBeyond

    OneStepBeyond Senior Member

    Location:
    North Wales, UK
    I just let a mate know about this as I know he's been a fan since day 1 and he's just ordered it - thank you! :edthumbs:
     
    Squad 701, florandia, carlwm and 2 others like this.
  25. jimmydean

    jimmydean Senior Member

    Location:
    Vienna, Austria
    one of their best

    loving you, hating me is in a similar vein

     
    Cledwyn, Squad 701, carlwm and 2 others like this.
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