Sex Dwarf (song)

“Sex Dwarf” is a song by Soft Cell, from their debut 1981 album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret.

Origin
The song was inspired by a headline in British tabloid newspaper , which was spotted by Marc Almond: “Sex dwarf lures a hundred disco dollies to a life of vice.” It instantly gave duo an idea for a ‘bizarre pervy dance track.’

Record and release
Like most of the tracks on Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, “Sex Dwarf” was recorded in Mediasound studio, New York, in 1981, and produced by Mike Thorne. Vicious Pink Phenomena provided additional vocals and sounds. According to Dave Ball, the work on album was coming to an end and it was an opportunity for everyone to have fun while recording the song.

The album with the song was released in late 1981. Years later, it received a self titled single release for Record Store Day 2016.

Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing
“Sex Dwarf” was one of the songs to be re-recorded for Soft Cell's first ‘dance remix’ release, Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing mini album. Almond recorded new, more sinister and raw vocals, with shortened lyrics, while the music got more aggressive, borderline industrial percussion and sounds and harsher synth and bass lines. Vocal parts by Vicious Pink Phenomena undergo various distortions. It later also would appear on 2016 Sex Dwarf single.

Remixes
Beside of Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing version, the most recognized remix was made by The Grid for Heat: The Remixes compilation in 2008. It incorporates elements of both ‘Original’ and ‘Ecstatic’ versions. It later was included on the same Record Store Day single in 2016.

The remixer duo Razormaid released their mix of the song in 1989 on their Class-X - Volume Eleven album, which was available to purchase exclusively for registered members of their service. This mix is essentially a fusion of two first versions without original elements, like in case of The Grid remix.

Live versions
The earliest and officially released live version of “Sex Dwarf” would be from Soft Cell's performance on BBC TV music show , on 4 February 1982: it appears as video on At The BBC CD compilation, and later as both video and audio in Keychains And Snowstorms box set.

Not counting bootlegs, the next live recording is from band's 2000s reunion tour and was released on 2003 album Live. A video recording from the same time, during a show in Rolling Stone, Milan, Italy was released on 2002 video album Live In Milan.

The last time “Sex Dwarf” was performed by the band is during their final 2018 show in O2, London, which was released as both audio and video with Say Hello Wave Goodbye: The O2 London.

Original video
The music video for “Sex Dwarf” was filmed as part of Soft Cell's video album Non-Stop Exotic Video Show, which accompanied Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret and Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing albums. It wasn't really planned to be used as promotional video, like Bedsitter, but video album's content was broadcasted on US cable channels such as newly launched MTV. Like most of the videos on the album it was directed by Tim Pope and filmed in St. John's Wood Studios, London.

Legacy
As noted by producer Mike Thorne, “Sex Dwarf” has become ‘one of the first pop songs to laugh with funny sexual areas rather than just at them.’

Listen

 * Official uploads on YouTube
 * – original version