This Last Night In Sodom
Encyclopedia
This Last Night in Sodom is the name of a 1984 album released by seminal electro-synth pop duo Soft Cell
for Phonogram
records. It was released about a month after its two members Marc Almond
and David Ball announced their breakup in a letter to various music magazines, including Melody Maker
and NME
, in the UK
. The album represents a shift in style from the delicate, erotic, dancefloor-friendly pop of their earlier records.
The album contains a more eclectic mix of styles as well, from the Spanish-influenced "L'Esqualita" (inspired by the drag
bar in New York City
of the same name- the actual real name being "La Escuelita") to the rockabilly
-tinged "Down in the Subway". The thematic elements of the songs are also noticeably darker, even for Soft Cell, and centre around self-destruction and the breakdown of innocence. "Meet Murder My Angel", according to Almond, is about the mind of a murderer before he slaughters his victim, while "Where Was Your Heart (When You Needed It Most)" centres on a girl who loses all self-esteem after being rape
d while intoxicated. The main single extracted from the albun was the brilliant "Soul Inside",a song that feels as if it was fueled by speed (which goes well with the content of the song itself)- sadly it only reached number 18 in the UK charts in September 1983.
The record was originally printed entirely in red and gold ink, down to the liner notes
, lyrics, LP
labels, and serial number. The album was largely a critical success, but ultimately received little commercial attention, and has since gone out of print. A remastered version with bonus tracks, which included a 12" single mix of "Soul Inside", a cover version of the theme from the James Bond
film You Only Live Twice
, and "Her Imagination", cut during a session at the BBC
, was also released, although this too has since stopped circulation and copies are quite rare.
Extra tracks on remastered CD: Some Bizzare / Mercury (558 267-2, June 1998)
Soft Cell
Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They consist of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The duo is most widely known for their 1981 worldwide hit version of "Tainted Love" and platinum debut Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret...
for Phonogram
Phonogram Records
Phonogram Records was started in 1962 as a joint venture between Philips Records and Deutsche Grammophon. In 1972, Phonogram was merged with Polydor Records into PolyGram....
records. It was released about a month after its two members Marc Almond
Marc Almond
Marc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell...
and David Ball announced their breakup in a letter to various music magazines, including Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
and NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The album represents a shift in style from the delicate, erotic, dancefloor-friendly pop of their earlier records.
The album contains a more eclectic mix of styles as well, from the Spanish-influenced "L'Esqualita" (inspired by the drag
Drag (clothing)
Drag is used for any clothing carrying symbolic significance but usually referring to the clothing associated with one gender role when worn by a person of another gender. The origin of the term "drag" is unknown, but it may have originated in Polari, a gay street argot in England in the early...
bar in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
of the same name- the actual real name being "La Escuelita") to the rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
-tinged "Down in the Subway". The thematic elements of the songs are also noticeably darker, even for Soft Cell, and centre around self-destruction and the breakdown of innocence. "Meet Murder My Angel", according to Almond, is about the mind of a murderer before he slaughters his victim, while "Where Was Your Heart (When You Needed It Most)" centres on a girl who loses all self-esteem after being rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d while intoxicated. The main single extracted from the albun was the brilliant "Soul Inside",a song that feels as if it was fueled by speed (which goes well with the content of the song itself)- sadly it only reached number 18 in the UK charts in September 1983.
The record was originally printed entirely in red and gold ink, down to the liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
, lyrics, LP
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
labels, and serial number. The album was largely a critical success, but ultimately received little commercial attention, and has since gone out of print. A remastered version with bonus tracks, which included a 12" single mix of "Soul Inside", a cover version of the theme from the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film You Only Live Twice
You Only Live Twice (film)
You Only Live Twice is the fifth spy film in the James Bond series, and the fifth to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's screenplay was written by Roald Dahl, and loosely based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel of the same name...
, and "Her Imagination", cut during a session at the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, was also released, although this too has since stopped circulation and copies are quite rare.
Track listing
- "Mr. Self Destruct" – 3:12
- "Slave to This" – 5:04
- "Little Rough Rhinestone" – 4:33
- "Meet Murder My Angel" – 4:39
- "The Best Way to Kill" – 4:43
- "L'Esqualita" – 7:03
- "Down in the Subway" – 2:51
- "Surrender to a Stranger" – 3:38
- "Soul Inside" – 4:25
- "Where Was Your Heart (When You Needed It Most)" – 5:09
Extra tracks on remastered CD: Some Bizzare / Mercury (558 267-2, June 1998)
- "Disease and Desire" – 4:02 [B-side of "Down in the Subway"]
- "Born to Lose" – 2:52 [B-side of "Down in the Subway" 12"]
- "You Only Live Twice" – 4:30 [B-side of "Soul Inside"]
- "007 Theme" – 3:34 [B-side of "Soul Inside" 12"]
- "Soul Inside" (12" mix) – 11:57
- "Her Imagination" – 5:21 [B-side of "Soul Inside" double 7"]
Personnel
- Marc Almond – Vocals, percussion, guitar (on "The Best Way to Kill")
- David Ball – Keyboards, instruments, bass, guitar, percussion, "very complicated things"
- Gary Barnacle – Saxophone
- Gini Ball – Vocals