Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing

Non-stop Ecstatic Dancing is a short album released in 1981 by Soft Cell, a pioneering synthpop/new wave duo which featured Marc Almond singing and David Ball playing synthesizers. Considered to be the first ever remix album, Non-stop Ecstatic Dancing is also widely recognized as being one of the first house records in the UK, as well as the first record in the UK to feature turntable scratches. The album also produced a hit single, "What?," as well as remixes of both sides of the band's first single, "Memorabilia" and "A Man Could Get Lost."

As the name implies, Non-stop Ecstatic Dancing was recorded, by the band's own admission, under the influence of MDMA (commonly referred to as ecstasy). The album and its inspiration, Non-stop Erotic Cabaret, were both recorded in New York City at a time when its gay club scene was just beginning to emerge. Almond later admitted in an interview with journalist Simon Tebbutt that the album's sound, and indeed, the sound of the band, was influence by a short stint working at the Leeds Warehouse, a popular nightclub. The album is much more dance-oriented than Non-stop Erotic Cabaret, with extended versions and instrumental cuts of various songs from Erotic Cabaret as well as several new tracks.

The album caused some controversy as well with the music video for the song "Sex Dwarf," which included whips, raw meat, chainsaws, transvestites, and even a so-called "sex dwarf." An unedited version of the video was seized by police and provided fuel for major scandal, largely fueled by tabloid newspapers, that eventually resulted in violence and unrest at many concerts during a small club tour to promote their video collection, Non-stop Exotic Video Show. The band went on hiatus for a small period of time after the album's release, with Ball taking time to reconcile with his girlfriend and Almond performing with Marc and the Mambas. This fueled rumours that the band was splitting up; although they would release two more albums (1982's The Art of Falling Apart and 1983's This Last Night In Sodom), tensions were already beginning to tear the band apart.

Track Listing

1. Memorabilia
2. Where Did Our Love Go?
3. What?
4. A Man Could Get Lost
5. Chips On My Shoulder
6. Insecure Me
7. Sex Dwarf