Linx Alvin Stardust Bucks Fizz Meat Loaf & Cher Randy Crawford The Pointer Sisters Modern Romance Ottawan Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark The Rolling Stones Cliff Richard Adam and the Ants Soft Cell Formed in 1978, after Almond and Ball had met at Leeds Polytechnic in the previous year. Their initial efforts at recording resulted in an EP titled Mutant Moments, released in 1980 and which was funded by a loan of £2,000 from Dave Ball's mother and made with a simple two-track recorder. Soft Cell's next recording, "The Girl with the Patent Leather Face", appeared as a contribution to the Some Bizzare Album, which featured bands such as Depeche Mode, The The, and Blancmange. The duo ultimately signed to the Some Bizzare label, backed by Phonogram Records.
