Phillip Larsen: Celebs Rumors

Soft Cell and Pet Shop Boys have teamed up for a joint single, ‘Purple Zone’, which appears on the former’s new album ‘*Happiness Not Included‘.It unites the synthpop stalwarts for a dazzling new song that will now appear on Soft Cell’s first album in 20 years, after fans responded well to its airing at recent live shows.The song was originally intended to be remixed by Pet Shop Boys until it morphed into a full collaboration, which Soft Cell’s David Ball has labelled as “probably our finest pop moment since the early 1980s”.“Working with the Pet Shop Boys was a pleasure, and this track is the perfect combination of us and them,” Soft Cell’s Marc Almond added, while Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe said: “We are thrilled to collaborate with such an inspirational duo as Soft Cell on this gorgeous song.”‘Purple Zone’ is released on CD and 12” formats as well as digitally (pre-order here). The CD also features Soft Cell’s take on the X-Ray Spex cult classic ‘The Day The World Turned Day-Glo’, and the Manhattan Clique remix of ‘Purple Zone’, while the 12” boasts a full selection of mixes by Pet Shop Boys.It follows Soft Cell sharing ‘Bruises On All My Illusions’ and the album title track.

Soft Cell have announced the release of their first new album in 20 years, ‘*Happiness Not Included’.It comes after the synth-pop duo, comprised of Marc Almond and Dave Ball, revealed in April that they were busy at work on what will be the follow-up to 2002’s ‘Cruelty Without Beauty’.The idea for the group’s fifth album – which sees them work with Grammy-winning Phillip Larsen – emerged from their final show at London’s O2 Arena in 2018, at which Almond and Ball realised they hadn’t seen each other “in about 15 years”.Speaking on the direction of the new record, Almond said: “In this album I wanted to look at us as a society: a place where we have chosen to put profits before people, money before morality and decency, food before the