In Strict Tempo, vol. 92: Dave Ball Tribute

I wasn’t going to write an In Strict Tempo this week, as I’m away in Amsterdam for ADE (an event that marks the second anniversary of In Strict Tempo, but more on that another time), but after seeing that Dave Ball had sadly passed away yesterday, it would be remiss of me not to mention it, given the name of this newsletter.

Long-time readers will know I chose the name from the sales notes of a Regis cassette put out by Blackest Ever Black, which led me to Dave Ball’s album of the same name, and it soon became a firm favourite.

Ball was best known for his work with Marc Almond in Soft Cell, having a number of hits including Tainted Love, What and Memorabilia. Shortly before parting ways with Almond he recorded In Strict Tempo in 1983, before finding more chart success in the 1990’s with Richard Norris as The Grid. This post isn’t meant to be a comprehensive tribute to Ball, many others will be able to do that much better than I can, but I didn’t want to let the sad occasion pass without mention.

There’s no new music this week, but if you’re unfamiliar with In Strict Tempo (the album) I implore you to give it a listen below.

David Ball: 1959 - 2025