Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing

Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing
Remix album 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 a 'mini' or 'remix' album by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell, released in the United Kingdom in June 1982, by Some Bizzare Records.[3] In addition to remixes of the group's older material, it included a brand-new track, a cover of Judy Street's 1966 song "What", which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart. In some territories the album was released as an EP.

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.[4] The album is more dance-oriented than the group's first album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, with remixes and instrumental versions of two songs from its predecessor, and both sides of the Memorabilia single, 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.[3][5]

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.[6]

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).[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Tucker was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Evans, Richard (6 August 2024). "1982.1". Listening to the Music the Machines Make: Inventing Electronic Pop 1978-1983. Omnibus Press. p. 337. ISBN 978-1-915841-45-2.
  3. ^ a b c "Marc Almond Discography".
  4. ^ "Leeds Warehouse – the Superclub Started by a Spy". 19 October 2020.
  5. ^ "Soft Cell – Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing". Discogs.
  6. ^ "Soft Cell – Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing".