Songs from the Big Chair

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Songs from the Big Chair
Studio album by Tears for Fears
Released	27 February 1985
Recorded	1983-1984
Genre	Rock
Length	41:19
Label	Mercury Records
Producer	Tears for Fears, Chris Hughes, Ian Stanley
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau (B) link Rolling Stone (favorable) link
Tears for Fears chronology
The Hurting (1983) Songs from the Big Chair (1985) The Seeds of Love (1989)
Singles from Songs from the Big Chair
"Mothers Talk" Released: August 1984 "Shout" Released: November 1984 "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" Released: March 1985 "Head Over Heels" Released: June 1985 "I Believe (A Soulful Re-Recording)" Released: September 1985

Songs from the Big Chair was the second album released by the British pop band Tears for Fears, and remains their highest selling album to date. It is their only #1 album in the US. Released in 1985, the concept album, inspired in part by the 1976 television film Sybil, included the hit singles: "Mothers Talk", "Shout", "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and "Head Over Heels".

The record remains highly regarded:

In the loping, percolating "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," Tears for Fears perfectly captured the zeitgeist of the mid-'80s while impossibly managing to also create a dreamy, timeless pop classic. Songs From the Big Chair is one of the finest statements of the decade. [1]

Once the band had finished a lengthy touring and promotion schedule for the album, they took an extended hiatus from the music industry. In 1989, their third album, The Seeds of Love, marked their return.

Contents 1 Re-issues 2 Track listing 2.1 Original Release 2.2 1999 Remaster 2.3 2006 Deluxe edition 2.3.1 Disc one 2.3.2 Disc two 3 Singles (released during this period) 4 Personnel 4.1 Additional personnel 5 Charts 6 Certifications

[edit] Re-issues

The album was remastered and re-issued on CD in 1999 with bonus tracks, including b-sides and remixes. Three of the tracks ("The Conflict", "The Marauders" and "Broken Revisited") are actually from the The Hurting period.

The album was re-released again in Deluxe Edition 2-disc format in 2006 with the full collection of b-sides and many alternate versions and remixes of the album's tracks.

[edit] Track listing

All tracks written by Roland Orzabal and Ian Stanley except as noted.

[edit] Original Release

1. "Shout" – 6:33
2. "The Working Hour" (Orzabal, Stanley, Manny Elias) – 6:31
3. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (Orzabal, Stanley, Chris Hughes) – 4:11
4. "Mothers Talk" – 5:06
5. "I Believe" (Orzabal) – 4:54
6. "Broken" (Orzabal) – 2:38
7. "Head Over Heels/Broken (Live)" (Orzabal, Curt Smith) – 4:32
8. "Listen" – 6:54

[edit] 1999 Remaster

1. "Shout" – 6:33
2. "The Working Hour" (Orzabal, Stanley, Elias) – 6:31
3. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (Orzabal, Stanley, Hughes) – 4:11
4. "Mothers Talk" – 5:06
5. "I Believe" (Orzabal) – 4:54
6. "Broken" (Orzabal) – 2:38
7. "Head Over Heels/Broken (Live)" (Orzabal) – 5:02
8. "Listen" – 6:54
9. "The Big Chair" (Orzabal, Smith, Stanley, Hughes) – 3:21
10. "Empire Building" (Smith, Orzabal, Stanley) – 2:52
11. "The Marauders" – 4:16
12. "Broken Revisited" (Orzabal) – 5:16
13. "The Conflict" (Orzabal, Smith, Stanley) – 4:05
14. "Mothers Talk" (US Remix) – 4:13
15. "Shout" (US Remix) – 8:02

• "Head Over Heels/Broken (Live)" is erroneously listed as "Head Over Heals/Broken (Live)" on this release.

[edit] 2006 Deluxe edition

[edit] Disc one

1. "Shout" (Orzabal, Stanley) – 6:33
2. "The Working Hour" (Orzabal, Stanley, Elias) – 6:31
3. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (Orzabal, Stanley, Hughes) – 4:11
4. "Mothers Talk" (Orzabal, Stanley) – 5:06
5. "I Believe" (Orzabal) – 4:54
6. "Broken" (Orzabal) – 2:38
7. "Head Over Heels/Broken [Live]" (Orzabal, Smith) – 5:02
8. "Listen" (Orzabal, Stanley) – 6:54
9. "The Working Hour (Piano version)" (Orzabal, Stanley, Elias) – 2:08
10. "The Marauders" (Orzabal, Stanley) – 4:16
11. "Empire Building" (Smith, Orzabal, Stanley) – 2:52
12. "The Big Chair" (Orzabal, Smith, Stanley, Hughes) – 3:21
13. "Pharaohs (Single version)" (Orzabal, Smith, Stanley, Hughes) – 3:43
14. "When in Love with a Blind Man" (Orzabal, Stanley) – 2:22
15. "Sea Song" (Robert Wyatt) – 3:51
16. "Broken Revisited" (Orzabal) – 5:16

[edit] Disc two

1. "The Way You Are (7" version)" (Orzabal, Smith, Stanley ,Elias) – 4:49
2. "Mothers Talk (Short version)" (Orzabal, Stanley) – 3:53
3. "Shout (Edit)" (Orzabal, Stanley) – 4:03
4. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World (7" version)" (Orzabal , Stanley ,Hughes) – 4:08
5. "Head Over Heels (Dave Bascombe 7" Mix)" (Orzabal) – 4:15
6. "I Believe (Soulful Re-recording)" (Orzabal) – 4:41
7. "Mothers Talk (US Remix)" (Orzabal, Stanley) – 4:13
8. "Shout (US Remix)" (Orzabal, Stanley) – 8:02
9. "Shout (Dub Remix)" (Orzabal, Stanley) – 6:49
10. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Urban Mix)" (Orzabal, Stanley, Hughes) – 6:06
11. "Mothers Talk (Beat of the Drum Mix)" (Orzabal, Stanley) – 8:54
12. "Broken/Head Over Heels/Broken (Preacher Mix)" (Orzabal, Smith) – 8:00

[edit] Singles (released during this period)

1. "Mothers Talk" 1984 (IDEA7)
2. "Shout" 1984 (IDEA8)
3. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" 1985 (IDEA9)
4. "Head Over Heels" 1985 (IDEA10)
5. "I Believe (A Soulful Re-Recording)" 1985 (IDEA11)
6. "Mothers Talk (US Remixed Single)" 1986
7. "Everybody Wants to Run the World (Theme for Sport-Aid Week)" 1986 (RACE1)

[edit] Personnel

• Roland Orzabal – guitar, keyboards, vocals, grand piano on 5, vocal styling on 8
• Curt Smith – bass guitar, vocals
• Ian Stanley – keyboards, vocal arrangements on 8
• Manny Elias – drums

[edit] Additional personnel

Dave Bascombe - Engineer

• Shout : Sandy McLelland – backing vocals, Chris Hughes - drums

• The Working Hour: Jerry Marotta – drums, William Gregory – saxophone solos, Mel Collins – saxophone, Andy Davis – grand piano

• Everybody Wants to Rule the World : Neil Taylor – 2nd guitar solo

• Mother's Talk : Stevie Lange – backing vocals

• I Believe : William Gregory - saxophone

• Broken : Neil Taylor - guitar solo

• Head over Heels : Sandy McLelland - backing vocals, Andy Davis - grand piano, Annie McCaig – backing vocals, Marilyn Davis – backing vocals

• Listen : Marilyn Davis – operatic vocal

[edit] Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1985	UK	2
1985	U.S.	1
1985	AUT	22
1985	CAN	1
1985	FRA	12
1985	GER	1
1985	NL	2
1985	SWI	5

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	"Everybody Wants to Rule the World"	Billboard Adult Contemporary	2
1985	"Everybody Wants to Rule the World"	Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	1
1985	"Everybody Wants to Rule the World"	Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Single Singles	1
1985	"Everybody Wants to Rule the World"	Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	2
1985	"Everybody Wants to Rule the World"	The Billboard Hot 100	1
1985	"Head Over Heels"	Billboard Adult Contemporary	5
1985	"Head Over Heels"	Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Single Singles	49
1985	"Head Over Heels"	Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	7
1985	"Head Over Heels"	The Billboard Hot 100	3
1985	"Shout"	Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	1
1985	"Shout"	Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Single Singles	1
1985	"Shout"	Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	56
1985	"Shout"	Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	6
1985	"Shout"	The Billboard Hot 100	1
1986	"Mothers Talk"	The Billboard Hot 100	27

[edit] Certifications

Organization	Level	Date
BPI – UK	Gold	March 4, 1985
BPI – UK	Platinum	April 24, 1985
CRIA – Canada	Gold	May 1, 1985
CRIA – Canada	Platinum	May 1, 1985
CRIA – Canada	Double Platinum	May 1, 1985
CRIA – Canada	Triple Platinum	May 1, 1985
RIAA – United States	Gold	May 16, 1985
RIAA – United States	Platinum	June 25, 1985
CRIA – Canada	4X Platinum	July 1, 1985
BPI – UK	Double Platinum	July 29, 1985
CRIA – Canada	5X Platinum	August 19, 1985
RIAA – United States	Double Platinum	August 29, 1985
RIAA – United States	Triple Platinum	October 24, 1985
CRIA – Canada	6X Platinum	November 12, 1985
RIAA – United States	4X Platinum	January 27, 1986
BPI – UK	Triple Platinum	February 18, 1986
CRIA – Canada	7X Platinum	March 29, 1990
RIAA – United States	5X Platinum	March 15, 1995

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Preceded by Beverly Hills Cop (soundtrack) by Various artists

Billboard 200 number-one album July 13, 1985 - August 9, 1985 August 24 - August 30, 1985

Succeeded by Reckless by Bryan Adams

v • d • e Tears for Fears Roland Orzabal · Curt Smith Former members Ian Stanley · Manny Elias Studio albums The Hurting · Songs from the Big Chair · The Seeds of Love · Elemental · Raoul and the Kings of Spain · Everybody Loves a Happy Ending Compilations Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82-92) · Saturnine Martial & Lunatic Live albums Secret World Singles "Suffer the Children" · "Pale Shelter" · "Mad World" · "Change" · "The Way You Are" · "Mothers Talk" · "Shout" · "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" · "Head Over Heels" · "I Believe (A Soulful Re-Recording)" · "Everybody Wants to Run the World" · "Sowing the Seeds of Love" · "Woman in Chains" · "Advice for the Young at Heart" · "Famous Last Words" · "Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams" · "Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down)" · "Break It Down Again" · "Cold" · "Goodnight Song" · "Elemental" · "Raoul and the Kings of Spain" · "God's Mistake" · "Secrets" · "Falling Down" · "Closest Thing to Heaven" · "Everybody Loves a Happy Ending / Call Me Mellow" · "Secret World"