Bedsit land by Patrick Clarke

Bedsit land by Patrick Clarke

This is the first in-depth account of the band Soft Cell. Written by a leading music journalist and based on extensive interviews, it traces the bands remarkably varied roots, from British seaside entertainments and Northern Soul nights to art school experimentation and New York glamour.

‘A fascinating psychogeographic exploration of Soft Cell and the worlds that spawned them: Leeds, Soho, New York and the northwest seaside resorts where Almond and Ball grew upClarke’s expert sifting of witness testimony captures the soul inside the eighties’ most brilliantly subversive duo.’
Cathi Unsworth, author of Season of the Witch: The Book of Goth

‘They used seaside melancholy and art school freedom as base camps, in an age when there was room for unimaginable experimentalism in the charts and, in turn, mainstream TV. For those who only know “Tainted Love”, Patrick Clarke’s thorough and exciting book repositions Soft Cell as key counter-culturalists, at the very heart of a musical and artistic revolution.’
Bob Stanley, author of Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop

'A fascinating and energetic dive into the seedy chaos of Soft Cell's short early life, with fresh interviews and insight emphasising how the duo connected the avant-garde and mainstream of both early 1980s England and New York.'
Luke Turner, author of Out of the Woods: Nature, Sexuality, and Faith in the Forest

‘This book is a wonderful web of all the sticky threads that give Soft Cell their proper context. Clarke’s writing is full of empathy for what it’s like to be at the mercy of an audience. It positions Soft Cell, rightly in my opinion, as one of the most fearless duos in pop music.’
Florence Shaw, Dry Cleaning

‘Patrick Clarke’s book explores how, more than any other act, Soft Cell came to encapsulate the spirit of eighties libertinism, dirt-smeared glamour and joyous amorality. And, more importantly, how they made artful future pop music and dancefloor classics – music that provided a primer for Pulp, Brit Pop, synth takeover and house music yet to emerge. Detailing a world in transition, Soft Cell were observant and caustic. A perfect combination of British sleaze and exotic cosmopolitanism. A story of muck and glitter in equal measure.’
Dr Stephen Mallinder, Cabaret Voltaire, Creep Show, Wrangler

‘Patrick Clarke paints a vivid picture of the careening brilliance of Soft Cell, showing how from the beginning the band's mainstream pop success was rooted in a career-threatening embrace of all things unpalatable and underground. Read this book as an antidote to the gentrified music industry of today!’
Dr Gavin Butt, author of No Machos or Pop Stars: When the Leeds Art Experiment Went Punk

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Patrick Clarke is a music journalist and live DJ. He is the deputy editor of the Quietus and a freelance contributor to the Guardian, NME, DIY Magazine and many more.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781526173560
Title	Bedsit land
Author	Patrick Clarke
Series	The British Pop Archive
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Manchester University Press
Year published	2024-09-03
Number of pages	256
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.