soft cell “say hello, wave goodbye”

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!

 

The worst singing by any group. I’d rather listen to the vocal stylings of The Shaggs.

 

Great song. Maybe their best single

There's also a fine version by David Gray on his White Ladder record.

 

"Bedsitter" is their best song, IMO.

 

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.

 

Love it.

 

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.

 

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

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

I think it's beautiful.

 

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

It has to be the extended version.

 

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.

 

It's an amazing song, just brilliant.

 

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.

 

interesting song topic, that one doesn't come up for discussion often!

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

 

It's full of emotion and character. It's a great song from a great album.

 

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.

 

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!

 

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

 

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

 

Yep, that horn! so soulful.

 

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

 

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!

 

one of their best

loving you, hating me is in a similar vein