| Untitled | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 1982 | |||
| Recorded | May–July 1982 | |||
| Studio | Trident Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, new wave | |||
| Length | 60:35 | |||
| Label | Some Bizzare | |||
| Producer | Marc and the Mambas | |||
| Marc and the Mambas chronology | ||||
| ||||
Untitled is the first studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond's band Marc and the Mambas. It was released by Some Bizzare in September 1982.
Untitled was Almond's first album away from Soft Cell and was made in collaboration with a number of artists, including Matt Johnson of The The and Anni Hogan. [1] The album was produced by the band, with assistance from Stephen Short (credited as Steeve Short) and Flood. [2]
Jeremy Reed writes in his biography of Almond, The Last Star, that Untitled was "cheap and starkly recorded". [3] He states that Almond received "little support from Phonogram for the Mambas project, the corporate viewing it as non-commercial and a disquieting pointer to the inevitable split that would occur within Soft Cell". [4] An article in Mojo noted that "from the beginning, Almond and Ball had nurtured sideline projects, though only the former's – the 1982 double 12-inch set Untitled – attracted much attention, most of it disapproving." The article mentions that Almond "who preferred to nail a song in one or two takes" stated that it was all "about feel and spontaneity, otherwise it gets too contrived" when accused of singing flat. [5]
Simon Price of The Independent quotes Almond as calling the album "the deluded ramblings of self-indulgence fuelled by too much acid". [6]
The album was released on gatefold double vinyl with the first record playing at 33rpm and the second at 45rpm. The album reached number 42 in the UK Albums Chart. [7]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Smash Hits | 6/10 [8] |
| Sounds |  [9] |
Neil Tennant, then a journalist at Smash Hits , reviewed the album saying that the band "have obviously enjoyed producing some intriguing, if self-indulgent, new music and their own versions of some old favourites". [8] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic also calls the album "intriguing" but states that Untitled "doesn't ever add up to anything cohesive", whilst acknowledging that Almond has "made a conscious departure from Soft Cell". [1]
| No. | Title | Written by | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Untitled" | Marc Almond, Matt Johnson | 4:54 |
| 2. | "Empty Eyes" | Almond, Annie Hogan | 5:03 |
| 3. | "Angels" | Almond, Johnson | 8:34 |
| No. | Title | Written by | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Big Louise" | Scott Walker, from Scott 3 | 5:05 |
| 2. | "Caroline Says" | Lou Reed, from Berlin | 3:39 |
| 3. | "Margaret" | Hogan | 3:45 |
| 4. | "If You Go Away" | Jacques Brel, originally "Ne me quitte pas" | 6:28 |
| No. | Title | Written by | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Terrapin" | Syd Barrett | 4:18 |
| 2. | "Twilights & Lowlifes" | Marc and the Mambas | 11:29 |
| No. | Title | Written by | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Twilights & Lowlifes (Street Walking Soundtrack)" | Marc and the Mambas | 11:08 |
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums (OCC) [7] | 42 |
Soft Cell are an English synth-pop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo consists of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The band are primarily known for their 1981 hit version of "Tainted Love" and their platinum-selling debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret.
Peter Mark "Marc" Almond is an English singer best known from the synth-pop/new wave duo Soft Cell and for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. He has also had a diverse career as a solo artist. His collaborations include a duet with Gene Pitney on the 1989 UK number one single "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart". Almond's career spanning over four decades has enjoyed critical and commercial acclaim, and he has sold over 30 million records worldwide. He spent a month in a coma after a near-fatal motorcycle accident in 2004 and later became a patron of the brain trauma charity Headway.
Marc and the Mambas was a new wave group, formed by Marc Almond in 1982 as an offshoot project from Soft Cell. The band's line-up changed frequently, and included Matt Johnson from The The and Annie Hogan, with whom Almond worked later in his solo career.
David James Ball is an English producer and electronic musician, who has played in bands such as Soft Cell and the Grid, and collaborated with other producers including Ingo Vauk and Chris Braide. He is usually called Dave Ball on record sleeves.
"Tainted Love" is a song composed by Ed Cobb, formerly of American group the Four Preps, which was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964. In 1981, the song attained worldwide fame after being covered and reworked by British synth-pop duo Soft Cell. The song has since been covered by numerous groups and artists.
This Last Night in Sodom is the third full-length album by the English synth-pop duo Soft Cell. It was released on 16 March 1984, about a month after the duo publicly announced they were dissolving the partnership. The album peaked at number 12 in the UK Album Chart, and would be Soft Cell's last album for 18 years.
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is the debut studio album by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell, released on 27 November 1981 by Some Bizzare Records. The album's critical and commercial success was bolstered by the success of its lead single, a cover version of Gloria Jones's song "Tainted Love", which topped the charts worldwide and became the second best-selling British single of 1981. In the United States, as a result of the single's success, the album had reported advance orders of more than 200,000 copies. The album spawned two additional top-five singles in the UK: "Bedsitter" and "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye".
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. 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.
Annie Hogan also known as Ann Margaret Hogan is a British musician, record producer, composer and club DJ, born in 1961. Originally known for her association with British musician Marc Almond, Hogan has since collaborated with a diverse variety of artists and released solo material with Downwards Records since 2020.
Peter Ashworth is an English photographer. Ashworth initially specialized in music photography, between 1979 and 2000. In the 1980s, he worked with many UK artists including The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, Soft Cell, Jimmy Page and The Associates.
Memorabilia – The Singles is a compilation album of songs by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond, both as a solo artist and with his partner Dave Ball as the synth-pop duo Soft Cell. It was released in 1991 and reached number eight in the UK Albums Chart. The album was promoted by the singles "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye '91" and "Tainted Love '91".
The Very Best of Soft Cell is a greatest hits album by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell. It was released on 16 April 2002 by Mercury Records, Universal Music TV and Some Bizzare Records. The album includes most of the duo's singles, as well as B-sides, such as "Insecure Me" and "It's a Mug's Game". The song "Numbers" was considerably shortened for this release, while its AA side "Barriers" was omitted. Two new songs, "Somebody, Somewhere, Sometime" and "Divided Soul", and two brand-new remixes of "Tainted Love" and "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" were also included. The album reached number 37 on the UK Albums Chart.
"Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" is a song from the album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell that was released as a single in January 1982 and reached number three on the UK Singles Chart.
Torment and Toreros is the second album to be released by Marc and the Mambas. The album reached #28 on the UK album charts in August 1983. The song "Torment" was written by Marc Almond, Steven Severin of Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Robert Smith of The Cure. It also is the last studio album to go under the name "Marc and the Mambas"; The next album Almond issued was credited to "Raoul and the Ruined". The Mambas' third album, Bite Black and Blues, is a live album and was initially only available via the Marc Almond fan club.
The following list details the discography of the British independent record label, Some Bizzare Records. The label is notable for hosting such artists as Soft Cell, The The and Marc Almond. The discography is broken down into different media type sections.
The Stars We Are is the fourth studio album by British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. It was released in September 1988, reaching number 41 on the UK Albums Chart, and 144 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. It is Almond's highest selling solo album in both countries and was certified silver by the BPI. The Stars We Are includes the singles "Tears Run Rings", "Bitter Sweet", "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" and "Only the Moment".
"Torch" is a song by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell. It was released as a single in 1982, and in mid-June peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, ranking 45 for the year. It also reached number 31 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, number 12 in the Netherlands and number 6 in the Flemish Ultratop 50.
Steve James Sherlock is a British composer, musician, saxophone player who was a founder member of Neu Electrikk, joined Matt Johnson in the Post punk band The The and notably Marc Almond in Marc and the Mambas.
Vermin in Ermine is the début solo studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. It was released in October 1984 and reached number 36 on the UK Albums Chart. Vermin in Ermine includes the singles "The Boy Who Came Back", "You Have" and "Tenderness is a Weakness".
Stories of Johnny is the second studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. It was released in September 1985 and reached number 22 on the UK Albums Chart. Stories of Johnny includes the singles "Stories of Johnny", "Love Letter" and "The House is Haunted".