"Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret" is the debut studio album by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell, released on 27 November 1981 by Some Bizarre Records. The album’s critical and commercial success was largely driven by the global hit of its lead single, a cover of Gloria Jones's "Tainted Love," which topped the charts worldwide and became the second best-selling British single of 1981. In the United States, the success of the single led to advance orders of over 200,000 copies for the album. Additionally, the album produced two more top-five singles in the UK: "Bedsitter" and "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye."
The album was recorded on a limited budget, using basic equipment. It was supposedly recorded almost entirely with a ReVox tape recorder, a borrowed Roland drum machine (owned by Kit Hain), a Korg SB-100 Synthe Bass, and an NED Synclavier, which was owned by the producer Mike Thorne. David Ball of Soft Cell later remarked that the Synclavier, which would typically have been out of the band’s financial reach (costing £120,000), provided them with a distinct technological edge. In fact, Ball recalled receiving calls from other producers, like Don Was, inquiring about how they achieved certain sounds on the album. The group also stirred controversy in the UK with the song "Sex Dwarf," the music video for which was banned due to its explicit, S&M-related content.
