Ed Cobb

Ed Cobb (Edward C. Cobb; 1938 – 19 October 1999) was a musician, songwriter and record producer, most notably during the 1950s and 1960s.

Career

Cobb was a member of the pop group, The Four Preps, from its discovery in 1956 until he left the group in 1966, three years before it disbanded.

His greatest claim to fame was that he wrote the northern soul hit, "Tainted Love," which Soft Cell substantially reworked into a synthpop classic and one of the biggest pop hits of the 1980s.

After his performing career ended, Cobb became a music producer and sound engineer, becoming involved with acts such as The Standells, The Lettermen, The Chocolate Watchband, The Piltdown Men, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, and Pink Floyd. Cobb also wrote songs for many of his acts, most famously "Dirty Water" for The Standells, "Every Little Bit Hurts", originally for Brenda Holloway, and "Tainted Love" for Gloria Jones (which was later covered by Soft Cell, among others).

Through his producing and engineering career, Cobb earned thirty two Gold and Platinum records, and three Grammy Award nominations.

In his private life, Cobb was a champion horse breeder, and, for a short while, served as president of the Idaho Racing Commission.

Cobb died of leukemia, on 19 September 1999, in Honolulu, Hawaii, at the age of 61. [http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/1998.html]

ongs

Cobb wrote, or co-wrote the following songs, most notably recorded by the artists noted:
*"Barracuda" – The Standells
*"Brontosaurus Stomp" – The Piltdown Men
*"Dirty Water" – The Standells
*"Every Little Bit Hurts" – Brenda Holloway, The Small Faces, George Clinton, The Spencer Davis Group, The Clash
*"I'll Always Love You" – Brenda Holloway
*"No Way Out" – The Chocolate Watchband
*"Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White" – The Standells, later covered by Minor Threat
*"Tainted Love" – notably Soft Cell, but also Marilyn Manson and Gloria Jones [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:avfwxqr5ldje~T3]

External links

* [http://uk.imdb.com/name/nm0167759/bio Ed Cobb mini biography] at the IMDb website