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Tears For Fears Band Members Ages

By Sameen Shakya | On 19 October 2023 07:18 AM

Tears For Fears Band Members Ages are Roland Orzabal (61) and Curt Smith (61) . They are one of the most successful musical acts of the 1980s.

Formed in 1981, the band saw success early on with the immediate impact of their debut album, 1983's  The Hurting. Not only did it hit #1 on the UK Albums Chart, but also featured three hit singles, among which Mad World is still considered one of their most popular songs.

With their next album, 1985's Songs From the Big Chair the band increased their success and reached #1 across the pond in the Billboard 200. What set the group apart from their peers, and became their lasting influence, was their use of synths, which ended up defining the 80s.

Though they could never recapture the success of their first two albums, Orzabal and Smith are still releasing music, with their latest album coming out as recently as 2022.

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Who Are The Members Of Tears For Fears?

Currently, the members of Tears for Fears are Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith . Both are two of the four founding members of the band.

The band was once a quartet that also featured Manny Elias and Ian Stanley , both also founding members of the group.

Tears For Fears Lead Singer

Both Roland and Curt have sung lead vocals for various Tears for Fears songs. The only difference between them is that Roland also plays the guitar.

Roland Orzabal

Born on August 22, 1961, in Portsmouth, England, Roland is a multi-instrumentalist. He is the only member who has appeared on every album.

As stated above, he sings lead and also backing vocals. He is also a proficient keyboardist, guitarist, and bassist, with the guitar being his main instrument.

Due to his illness-filled childhood, Roland started writing songs when he was 7 years old to fill his loneliness, which would lead to immense success in his later years.

Curt was born two months earlier, on June 24, 1961, in Bath, Somerset, England. Aside from providing vocals, he is also the bassist of the group.

However, like Roland, he is a proficient keyboardist, and it is due to their duel skills on the keyboards, the two could dabble in synths and eventually perfect it.

To the general audience, Curt might seem the frontman as he was the lead singer on two of the band's most popular songs, Mad World and Everybody Wants to Rule the World.

Tears For Fears Drummer

Manny Elias played drums and percussions for the group from 1981 to 1986. He is the most short-lived member of the band.

Born on February 21, 1953, Manny is an Indian of British descent. He played with the group for their first two, and most successful albums.

After leaving the band in 1986, he has worked with various acts like Peter Hammill, Julian Lennon, and Peter Gabriel, to name a few.

Ian Stanley

Ian Stanley was the keyboardist and backing vocalist for the band from 1981 to 1987. He was a prominent member of the first three albums.

However, due to creative differences, he left the project during the creation of the third album. Since then, he has focused more on the production side of music.

His most prominent work in recent years is producing the 2006 album Superbi for The Beautiful South.

Where Are Tears For Fears From?

Tears For Fears was formed in Bath, Somerset, England . The duo came about from the friendship of Orzabal and Smith.

They first created a mod revival band called Graduate alongside their friends, John Baker, Steve Buck, and Andy Marsden. The band even released an album in 1980 called Acting My Age.

However, the band would only be a teenage affair, as it split soon after everyone graduated. Through working as session musicians, Orzabal and Smith met Manny Elias, and eventually added Ian Stanley who had offered up his home as their studio.

Thus, Tears for Fears was born.

Tears For Fears Albums

Tears For Fears have released 7 albums in total. Their discography starts with 1983's The Hurting , and their most recent, The Tipping Point , came out in 2022.

Of their 7 albums, 5 have peaked within the Top 5 in the UK Albums chart. Their first album has been certified Platinum, the second Triple Platinum, and their third Platinum in the UK alone.

Similarly, their second album was certified 5x Platinum, and their third album was Platinum in the US. Although official sales have not been released, their most recent project peaked at #2 and #8 on the UK and US album charts respectively, a full 39 years after their debut.

Classic Albums Tears for Fears

When it comes to classic albums by Tears for Fears, their first two are thought to be untouchable. The two are also undoubtedly their most successful.

The Hurting

The Hurting is the group's debut album. It was released on March 7, 1983, via Mercury/Phonogram.

An instant success, it is one of two of their albums to reach #1 in the UK, where it also became Platinum. The record achieved the same status in Canada, and Gold in France and US.

It is a concept album that deals with childhood trauma, which was perfectly surmised in the three singles: Mad World, Change, and Pale Shelter.

Songs from the Big Chair

Songs from the Big Chair is the group's sophomore album. It was released on February 25, 1985, via the aforementioned label.

Despite being the band's best-selling album it only peaked at #2 in the UK. However, it ended up topping the charts in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and most importantly, the US.

To many, this is the quintessential Tears for Fears album, which also contains their three singles that charted in the Top 3 on the Hot 100. Among them, two even topped the charts.

Tears For Fears Albums Ranked

Tears for Fears albums ranked will always feature Songs from the Big Chair at the top. According to Rate Your Music , here is how their albums are ranked:

• Songs from the Big Chair - 3.91/5
• The Hurting - 3.79/5
• The Seeds of Love - 3.55/5
• Elemental - 3.34/5
• Raoul and the Kings of Spain - 3.34/5
• Everybody Loves a Happy Ending - 3.31/5
• The Tipping Point - 3.13/5

The fan appreciation for albums seems to have decreased with each subsequent record from 1985 onwards. However, if one looks at the charts, The Tipping Point would be fourth as it is their fourth-best charting album.

Tears For Fears New Album

Tears For Fears released their latest album, The Tipping Point, back on February 25, 2022. It was released via Concord Records.

The album was a huge success and peaked at #2 on the UK album charts. This would be the first time they'd entered the Top 5 since 1993 and the Top 3 since 1989.

Similarly, the album entered the Top 10 of 6 different countries and even managed to make it to #8 on the Billboard 200. Critically, the album received fairly positive reviews, with a 83/100 in Metacritic, which means universal acclaim.

Tears For Fears Top Songs

Tears For Fears Top Songs are 1. Everybody Wants to Rule the World 2. Head Over Heels 3. Shout and more. Here are their top songs on Spotify with streams:

Tears For Fears Tour Dates

Tears For Fears Tour Dates so far start on June 23 and go until September 16, 2023. The dates, venue, and tickets can be found on their website .

However, here is a list of the dates and venues:

• June 23 - Hard Rock, Atlantic City, NJ
• June 24 - Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT
• June 26 - Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
• June 27 - CMAC, Canandaigua, NY
• June 29 - Budweiser Stage, Toronto, Ontario
• June 30 - Place Bell, Laval, Quebec
• July 2 - Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
• July 5 - Bethel Woods Center For The Arts, Bethel, NY
• July 7 - Coastal Credit Union Music Park At Walnut Creek, Raleigh, NC
• July 11 - Firstbank Amptitheatre, Franklin, TN
• July 13 - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, St. Louis, MO
• July 14 - Starlight Theatre, Kansas City, MO
• July 16 - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX
• July 17 - Moody Center, Austin, TX
• July 20 - Ball Arena, Denver, CO
• July 22 - RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater, Ridgefield, WA
• July 24 - Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia
• July 26 - Hayden Homes Amphitheater, Bend OR
• July 27 - Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
• July 29 - Toyota Amphitheatre, Sacramento, CA
• August 1 - Agrisure Arena, Palm Springs, CA 
• August 2 - Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA
• September - Pryzm Kingston, London, UK
• September - BBCR2 Live In The Park, Leicester, UK

Tears For Fears Setlist

The average Tears for Fears tour setlist lasts 1 hour and 49 minutes . The complete performances are 2 hours 37 minutes after doors close.

The songs they performed in their last concert, which took place at Ringelstecherwiese, Landshut, Germany on September 10, 2022, were:

• No Small Thing
• The Tipping Point
• Everybody Wants to Rule the World
• Sowing the Seeds of Love
• Break the Man
• Rivers of Mercy
• Pale Shelter
• Head Over Heels / Broken
• Break It Down Again

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Tears for Fears at Madison Square Garden / June 26, 2023

Tears for Fears’ two biggest hits from the mid-1980s, “Shout” and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” have enjoyed a lifespan that has spanned decades. They are still being played at sporting events, on newscasts featuring political commentary, and in advertisements. These two songs refuse to disappear from the mainstream, being constantly rediscovered by generations that were not yet born at the time of the original recordings. Ironically, even when its records topped the sales charts, Tears for Fears never headlined larger venues; 42 years after forming in Bath, England, Tears for Fears’ Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith profited from an unusual legacy and headlined Madison Square Garden for the first time on June 26.

Curiously, a British pop band best known for its role in the 1980s synth-pop movement hardly relied on its synthesizers at its concert at Madison Square Garden. Orzabal and Smith leaned on guitars and vocal melodies for much of the evening, performing old songs while also introducing songs from Tears for Fears’ seventh and most recent album,  The Tipping Point , released on February 25, 2022. With guitarist/vocalist Orzabel and bassist/vocalist Smith front and center as the faces of the band, the touring unit also consisted of vocalist Lauren Evans, guitarist Charlton Pettus, keyboardist Doug Petty, and drummer Jamey Wallum – all of whom collaborated extensively on the  The Tipping Point  sessions. The backing musicians did the heavy lifting and supported Orzabel and Smith by giving the music a full sound.

The concert featured songs from six of Tears for Fears’ seven albums, predictably weighing in heaviest on its 1980s success (10 songs) and its most recent album (six songs). Opening with “No Small Thing,” Orzabal, now 61 and sporting long white hair, played acoustic guitar before switching to electric guitar for the second song, “The Tipping Point.” Smith, now 62 with short cropped hair, then took lead vocals. Sorry to the late arrivals – he sang “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” quite early on in the set. Both sang well, although Orzabal has always had the more compelling voice. Evans’ lead vocals were the most powerful of all, however, as demonstrated on “Suffer the Children” and “Woman In Chains.” The encore began with a rocking version of “Change” and ended with an elongated version of “Shout,” in which the band and the audience chanted the chorus seemingly endlessly.

As could be expected, “Shout” and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” were the anchors of the performance. Despite some fine instrumentation and vocals from the band, the rest of the set was pleasant but comparatively unremarkable. In all fairness, Tears for Fears should not be considered a legacy band, and the overall performance was nothing to shout about. The duo will need a stronger catalog to rule the music world like it did in the 1980s.

• No Small Thing
• The Tipping Point
• Everybody Wants to Rule the World
• Secret World (with a snippet of “Let ‘Em In” by Wings)
• Sowing the Seeds of Love
• Long, Long, Long Time
• Break the Man
• Rivers of Mercy
• Suffer the Children
• Woman in Chains
• Badman’s Song
• Pale Shelter
• Break It Down Again
• Head Over Heels / Broken

I was at the concert I don’t know what concert the person who wrote the review was at but the set list was a great mix of all their albums and hit’s which is not just the two mentioned do your homework and they are by far one of the best live bands out there and they won an Ivor Novello for their back catalog and critically acclaim for tipping point you really need to do your homework or get another job

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Music database

Tears for fears, tears for fears.

Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith . Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the new wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into mainstream rock and pop, which led to international chart success. They were part of the MTV-driven Second British Invasion of the US. [8]

Their debut album, The Hurting , released in 1983, reached number one on the UK Albums Chart, while their second album, Songs from the Big Chair , released in 1985, reached number one on the US Billboard 200, achieving multi-platinum status in both the UK and the US. [9] [10] Their second album contained two Billboard Hot 100 number ones: "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"', the latter winning the Brit Award for Best British Single in 1986. [11]

After the release of their third platinum-selling album, The Seeds of Love (1989), Smith and Orzabal parted company in 1991. Orzabal retained the Tears for Fears name, releasing the albums Elemental (1993) and Raoul and the Kings of Spain (1995) before he and Smith re-formed as Tears for Fears in 2000 and released an album of new material, Everybody Loves a Happy Ending , in 2004. Since 2013, the duo have been working on their seventh album. [12] Tears for Fears have sold over 30 million albums worldwide. [13]

Orzabal and Smith met as teenagers in Bath, Somerset, England. The duo became session musicians for the band Neon, [14] where they first met future Tears For Fears drummer Manny Elias . Neon also featured Pete Byrne and Rob Fisher who went on to become Naked Eyes. [15] Smith and Orzabal's professional debut came with the band Graduate, a mod revival/new wave act. In 1980, Graduate released an album, Acting My Age , and a single "Elvis Should Play Ska" (referring to Elvis Costello , not Presley ). The single just missed the top 100 in the UK, though it performed well in Spain and in Switzerland.

By 1981, Orzabal and Smith had become more influenced by artists such as Talking Heads , Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno . They departed from Graduate and formed a band called History of Headaches, which they soon changed to Tears for Fears. The band's name was inspired by primal therapy, developed by the American psychologist Arthur Janov, which gained tremendous publicity after John Lennon became Janov's patient in 1970. [16] In a 2004 interview with VH1 UK, Orzabal and Smith said that when they finally met Janov in the mid-1980s, they were disillusioned to find that he had become quite "Hollywood" and wanted the band to write a musical for him.

As Tears for Fears, Orzabal and Smith intended to form the nucleus of the group and bring in surrounding musicians to help them complete the picture. Around this time they met local musician Ian Stanley who offered them free use of his home 8-track studio. Stanley began working with the duo as their keyboard player and, after recording two demos, Tears for Fears were signed to Phonogram Records, UK in 1981 by A&R manager Dave Bates. Their first single, "Suffer the Children" (produced by David Lord), was released on that label in November 1981, followed by the first edition of "Pale Shelter" (produced by Mike Howlett ) in March 1982, though neither of these releases were successful.

The Hurting and first international successes (1982–1983)

The band achieved their first taste of success with their third single, "Mad World", which reached no. 3 in the UK in November 1982. [17] Their first album, The Hurting , was released in March 1983. For this album (and the next), keyboardist and composer Ian Stanley and drummer Manny Elias were considered full bandmembers, though Smith and Orzabal were still essentially the frontmen and public face[s] of the band.

The album, produced by Chris Hughes and Ross Cullum, showcased guitar and synthesiser-based songs with lyrics reflecting Orzabal's bitter childhood and his interest in primal therapy. [18] The album was a big success and had a lengthy chart run (65 weeks) in the UK, where it reached no. 1 and platinum status. It also reached the top 20 in several other countries and yielded the international hit singles "Mad World" (top 5 hit in the Philippines and South Africa), "Change" (top 40 hit in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland and South Africa. It also became their first single to reach the US Billboard Hot 100), and a re-recorded version of "Pale Shelter" (top 10 hit in the Philippines). All three of these singles reached the Top 5 in the UK.

Towards the end of 1983, the band released a new, slightly more experimental single, "The Way You Are", intended as a stopgap while they worked on their second album. The single was a top 30 hit in the UK, but did not come close to matching the success of their three previous hits, despite a national concert tour in December of that year (captured on the In My Mind's Eye live video release). The single, which heavily featured sampling and programmed rhythms, was a departure from Tears for Fears' previous musical approach. In the liner notes to their 1996 B-sides compilation album Saturnine Martial & Lunatic they wrote that "this was the point we realised we had to change direction", although the somewhat experimental style of the single continued to be reflected in their forthcoming B-sides.

Songs from the Big Chair and worldwide fame (1984–1986)

In early 1984, they began working with a new producer, Jeremy Green, on their new single "Mothers Talk". However, the band were ultimately unhappy with the results and so producer Chris Hughes was brought back into the fold and the "Mothers Talk" single re-produced for release in August 1984. A departure from their earlier works, the single became a top 20 hit in the UK, but it was the follow-up single "Shout" (released in the UK in November 1984) that was the real beginning of the band's international fame.

"Shout", a top 5 UK hit, paved the way for their second album, Songs from the Big Chair (released in February 1985), which entered the UK album chart at no. 2 and remained in the upper reaches of the chart for the next 12 months. They did away with the predominantly synthpop feel of the first album, instead expanding into a more sophisticated sound that would become the band's stylistic hallmark. Anchored around the creative hub of Orzabal, Stanley, and producer Hughes, the new Tears for Fears sound helped to propel Songs from the Big Chair into becoming one of the year's biggest sellers worldwide, eventually being certified triple-platinum in the UK and quintuple-platinum in the US (where it remained the no. 1 album for five weeks in the summer of 1985). [19]

The album's title was inspired by the book and television miniseries Sybil , the chronicle of a woman with multiple personality disorder who sought refuge in her analyst's "big chair", Orzabal and Smith stating that they felt each of the album's songs had a distinctive personality of its own. The band had also recorded a track titled "The Big Chair", which was released as the B-side to "Shout" but was not included on the album.

The album's success came in conjunction with the array of hit singles it yielded: "Mothers Talk" (re-recorded yet again for its US release in 1986), "Shout" (no. 4 UK, no. 1 in the US, Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and a huge hit in other territories, in fact one of the biggest hit songs of the 1980s), "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (their highest-charting UK and Irish hit at no. 2 and another no. 1 in the US and in Canada), "Head over Heels" (UK no. 12, US no. 3, Ireland no. 5, Canada no. 8), and "I Believe (A Soulful Re-Recording)" (UK no. 23 and Ireland no. 10). [20] Some territories even saw the release of limited edition 10" singles for these hits, and a variety of double packs and picture discs in addition to the regular 7" and 12" formats.

Following the album's release, the band went on a world tour that lasted most of the year, playing notably at the Montreux Golden Rose Rock and Pop Festival in May 1985. [21] [22] In September 1985, the band performed "Shout" at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards at the Radio City Music Hall in New York. [23] Also during the tour, Orzabal and Smith discovered an American female singer/pianist, Oleta Adams , who was performing in a Kansas City hotel bar, and whom they invited to collaborate on their next album. Towards the end of the year, the band released a video collection/documentary entitled Scenes from the Big Chair .

In February 1986, having completed the lengthy and exhausting Big Chair world tour, Tears for Fears were honoured at the 1986 Brit Awards in London where they won the Best British Single award for "Everybody Wants To Rule The World". [24] The band was also nominated for Best British Group and Best British Album, and Chris Hughes was nominated for Best Producer. [24] The band performed the song at the ceremony, which became the final public performance of drummer Manny Elias who left the group shortly afterwards.

The same year, Orzabal and Stanley worked together on a side project named Mancrab and released a single, "Fish for Life", which was written for the soundtrack of the film The Karate Kid, Part II . The track was written and produced by Orzabal and Stanley, and featured vocals by US singer/dancer Eddie Thomas, who was one of the dancers in the video for "Everybody Wants To Rule The World".

On 13 July 1985, Tears for Fears were scheduled to perform at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia for the Live Aid charity event. However, on the morning of the historic event, it was announced that the band (who had actually been billed to appear at the event before they had even agreed to do so) had pulled out of the show. They were replaced by blues rock group George Thorogood and the Destroyers, which has a strong Philadelphia-area following. The official reason given for their non-appearance was that two of their backing musicians, guitarist Andrew Saunders and saxophonist Will Gregory , had quit due to the expiration of their contract; they were replaced by Alan Griffiths on guitar and Josephine Wells on saxophone for the remaining bulk of the 1985 world tour. In place of appearing, the band pledged to donate proceeds from their concerts played in Tokyo, Sydney, London and New York. [25]

As a further donation, the band also recorded a slightly rewritten version of one of their biggest hits and released it for the British fundraising initiative Sport Aid, a sister project of Band Aid in which people took part in running races of varying length and seriousness to raise more money for African famine relief projects. Sport Aid's slogan was "I Ran the World", therefore Tears for Fears released "Everybody Wants to Run the World" (no. 5 in the UK and no. 4 in Ireland). Indirectly, the band were involved in the earlier Band Aid single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" from 1984, which featured a slowed down sample from their song "The Hurting" in the introduction.

The Seeds of Love (1987–1990)

It was 1989 before the group released their third album, The Seeds of Love (on which Ian Stanley appeared for the last time as a member of Tears for Fears), at a reported production cost of over a million pounds. [26] [27] The album was written largely by Orzabal along with keyboardist Nicky Holland, who had toured with the band on their "Big Chair" world tour in 1985. Moving from various studios and using various sets of producers over many months, the band ultimately decided to scrap the recordings and take the reins themselves with assistance from engineer Dave Bascombe. Much of the material was recorded in jam sessions and later edited down. The length of the production impacted on the band's management company, who had financially over-extended themselves in other business matters and were hoping for an earlier release date to pay off their debts. [28] [29]

The album retained the band's epic sound while showing increasing influences ranging from jazz and blues to the Beatles , the latter being evident on the hit single "Sowing the Seeds of Love" (the first record ever played on the Irish-based longwave radio station Atlantic 252). [30] [31] The second single from the album was "Woman in Chains" (a top 40 hit in the UK, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden and the US), on which Phil Collins played drums and Oleta Adams —whom Orzabal would later guide to a successful solo career—shared vocals.

The album was a worldwide success, entering the UK Albums Chart at no. 1, making the top 10 in the US and in numerous other countries, eventually going on to sell millions of copies internationally. The band set out on an extensive "Seeds of Love" world tour sponsored by Philips to start recovering the debt incurred. The band's show in Santa Barbara, California, in May 1990 would be captured on the Going to California live video as the singles "Advice for the Young at Heart" and "Famous Last Words" delivered modest chart success. [32]

A 64-page companion book, simply titled Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love , was released by Virgin Books in 1990 and offered extensive insight from Orzabal, Holland and Adams into the songwriting and production process for the album, as well as the musical scores for each track and rare promotional photographs from the era.

Break-up and solo careers (1991–1992)

After The Seeds of Love , Orzabal and Smith had an acrimonious falling out and parted company in 1991. The split was blamed on Orzabal's intricate but frustrating approach to production and Smith's desire to slow down the pace of their work (prior to the release of The Seeds of Love , Smith's marriage had also broken down).

Another factor in the break-up was the band's manager, Paul King, who declared bankruptcy in 1990 and was later convicted of fraud. The duo had signed to King's Outlaw Management Agency in 1982 and remained clients throughout the remainder of the decade (the agency also operated the band's fan club, the Tears For Fears World Service, between 1983 and 1986). By the late 1980s, the agency had run into serious debt and, after discrepancies were discovered in King's financial management, Orzabal became increasingly concerned that Smith was unwilling to drop King as their manager. [28] Outlaw folded in 1990 with debts of almost £1 million as King declared bankruptcy. In 2004, following fraudulent activities with his other businesses, King was prosecuted for fraud and imprisoned for three and a half years, as well as being disqualified from being a company director again for ten years. [33]

Following Smith's departure, Orzabal kept the band name alive by releasing the 1992 hit single "Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down)". The single was released to promote the band's greatest hits collection Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82–92) , which featured every single to reach the Top 20, either in the UK or internationally, apart from the Sport Aid fundraiser. The album peaked at no. 2 in the UK, where it was certified double platinum, and also reached the Top 10 in France and Italy.

Smith relocated to New York City, and in 1993 he released his first solo album, Soul on Board . The album was a commercial failure and Smith himself has said on numerous occasions that he despised it, alleging that he only made it to fulfill his recording contract. In 1995, he met local songwriter and producer Charlton Pettus. The two formed a self-described "organic" partnership, writing simple, melody-based songs and recording them at home on vintage analogue equipment. The result was released in 1997 under the name Mayfield and a short US tour followed.

Second line-up: Elemental and Raoul and the Kings of Spain (1993–1996)

In 1993, Orzabal (still under the name Tears for Fears) released the album Elemental together with longtime collaborator Alan Griffiths. Co-produced by Tim Palmer, it yielded the international hit "Break It Down Again" (top 20 in the UK, Canada, France, and Italy) and was supported with another successful world tour, including a college tour of the US where "Break It Down Again" reached no. 25.

The album was a top 10 hit in the UK, France and Italy, and top 30 in several other countries. Although it charted considerably lower in the US than the previous two studio albums (no. 45), it still earned a Gold disc there for sales of over half a million copies. The singles "Cold", "Elemental" and "Goodnight Song" met with minor chart success in certain territories. The lyrics to "Cold" contained a scathing reference to the band's former manager, Paul King, in which Orzabal sings "King got caught with his fingers in the till. Where's your calculator – did you leave it in your will?"

Orzabal, still working with Griffiths and Palmer, released another Tears for Fears album, Raoul and the Kings of Spain , in 1995. This was a more contemplative work that delved into his own Spanish heritage and showcased a new Latin musical influence (Raoul was originally the name Orzabal's parents wanted to give him, and is also the name of his own first son). Orzabal stated that it was not a concept album but that there was a theme, namely that of familial relationships. The album also included a reunion with Oleta Adams who duetted with Orzabal on the track "Me and My Big Ideas".

The album was not a commercial success by Tears for Fears standards, though minor chart success came via the single release of the title track (top 40 in the UK) and (to a lesser extent) the single "God's Mistake". The release of the album had been delayed for nearly a year due to a last-minute label switch from Mercury to Epic (part of Sony Music ), and the ensuing confusion (Mercury had already begun promotion) did not help the album's chances either. Although the track listing for the album had been changed at the record company's request, Sony did not extend Tears for Fears' contract following the album's release. A worldwide tour followed, including dates in Latin America, though Orzabal declined to tour his native UK this time except for a single show in London.

In 1996 a B-sides collection, Saturnine Martial & Lunatic , was released on Mercury, which included B-sides and some rare tracks from the successful 1982–93 period. The liner notes, written by Orzabal and Chris Hughes , gave fans an insight into the songwriting process as well as a rare glimpse of self-deprecating humour regarding the tracks they would rather forget.

Remasters and other projects

In 1999, Mercury Records released remastered editions of Tears for Fears' first three albums, including B-sides, remixes, and extended versions. Supervised by producer Chris Hughes, the remasters also included new liner notes for each album providing details and new insights into the music.

Due to record company mergers and acquisitions in the late 1990s, Tears for Fears' back catalogue was eventually placed into the Universal Music fold.

After undertaking production work and some songwriting for the Icelandic singer-songwriter Emilíana Torrini on her 1999 album Love in the Time of Science , Orzabal re-teamed with Alan Griffiths and released the album Tomcats Screaming Outside , released on Eagle Records as a solo project under his own name. Whereas Tears for Fears' work had become guitar-based, Tomcats Screaming Outside showcased a predominantly electronic style.

Reunion: Everybody Loves a Happy Ending

In 2000, routine paperwork obligations led the duo to re-establish contact with each other after Orzabal signed a business document on Smith's behalf. [34] Smith flew back to England (where Orzabal still lived) and they had dinner and decided to work on a new album together. [35] [36] [37]

The songwriting sessions included Charlton Pettus (Smith's collaborator since the mid-1990s), and fourteen songs were written and recorded in less than six months. The ensuing album, Everybody Loves a Happy Ending , was scheduled for release on Arista Records in late 2003, but a change in management at Arista prompted the band to opt out of their contract and switch to the New Door label (a new offshoot of Universal Music), and delayed the release until September 2004. Two US tours followed, and the 2004 tour included an unrehearsed guest appearance by Oleta Adams at the Kansas City show for a performance of "Woman in Chains". The song "Who Killed Tangerine?" was used in the movie Fever Pitch .

Everybody Loves a Happy Ending was released in the UK and Europe in March 2005 on Gut Records, shortly after the comeback single "Closest Thing to Heaven" became the first Tears for Fears UK Top 40 hit in a decade. The promo video for the single was a colourful fantasy that featured Hollywood actress Brittany Murphy riding in a hot air balloon. The European releases of the album contained all fourteen tracks recorded during the ELAHE sessions (the US version only contained twelve), and a brief tour of larger UK venues followed in April.

In 2005, the band began discussions with Universal Music for the release of a new comprehensive anthology of their work to date, including a new track entitled "Floating Down the River". However, the subsequent release (at least in the US) was a compilation issued as part of Hip-O Records ' generic "Gold" series, a Universal subsidiary that specialises in budget-priced back catalogue compilations.

A live performance at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, recorded in June 2005, was released on CD and DVD in France and Benelux. Entitled Secret World – Live in Paris , it was released on the XIII Bis label in early 2006 and became a best-seller, with over 70,000 physical copies sold in addition to downloads. The CD contained the aforementioned new studio song, "Floating Down the River", and a remastered Curt Smith/Mayfield track, "What Are We Fighting For?". The relationship with XIII Bis proved so successful that Smith chose the comparatively small French label to release his 2007 solo album, Halfway, Pleased .

In 2006, Songs from the Big Chair was re-issued again by Universal Music, this time as a 2-disc Deluxe Edition with additional B-sides and rarities added, expanding further than the 1999 remastered version. The release did not include the lyrics as the band had intended with the original release, but came with a 24-page booklet including rare photographs and newly written liner notes. The 28-track set contained four sections, with the first disc containing the original album and various B-sides taken from the earlier 1999 remastered edition. It also included the rare piano version of "The Working Hour", which had previously only been available as a limited edition item. The second disc contained various 7" versions of the singles (including the aforementioned "The Way You Are", the re-recording of "I Believe" and the 1986 US remix of "Mothers Talk"), followed by various 12" remixes from the era.

In August 2009, the Raoul and the Kings of Spain album was also re-issued by Cherry Red Records, featuring seven bonus B-side tracks from the time of its original release. [38]

2010–present

In April 2010, Tears for Fears joined the reformed 1980s group Spandau Ballet on their seven-date tour of Australia and New Zealand, before a four-date headlining tour of their own in Southeast Asia (Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan) and a 17-date tour of the United States. [39] [40]

In 2011 and 2012, they played dates in the US, Japan, South Korea, Manila and South America. [41]

In May 2013, Smith confirmed that he was writing and recording new Tears for Fears material with Orzabal and Charlton Pettus. Several songs were worked on in the UK at Orzabal's home studio, Neptune's Kitchen, in April 2013, and continued in Los Angeles in July 2013. According to Orzabal, they have been producing more dark, dramatic pieces of music. "There's one track that's a combination of Portishead and Queen. It's just crazy," Orzabal stated. [42] In August 2013, Tears For Fears released their first newly recorded material in nearly a decade, with a cover of Arcade Fire 's "Ready to Start" made available on SoundCloud. [43] In 2014, the track was included on a limited edition 3-track 10" vinyl EP from the band called Ready Boy & Girls?, released exclusively for Record Store Day, which also featured covers of Hot Chip 's "Boy From School" and Animal Collective's "My Girls". All three songs were recorded as "kick-start" projects as the band commenced work on their seventh studio album. In an interview on BBC Radio Devon in October 2014, Orzabal stated that the band had now signed to Warner Music Group and that around five or six songs had so far been completed for the new album. [44] [45]

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the band's debut album The Hurting , Universal Music reissued it in October 2013 in two Deluxe Editions (one a 2-disc set and the other a 4-disc set with a DVD of the 1983 In My Mind's Eye concert). Deluxe Editions of the band's second album, Songs From The Big Chair , were released on 10 November 2014 including a 6-disc set that features various rarities and two DVDs (one audio, one video). On 12 November 2014, Tears for Fears performed "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! TV programme. [2] In mid 2015, the band began a series of live dates in the US and Canada. [46] [47]

In July 2016, the band played their first live dates in the UK in over ten years: the Newmarket Nights festival at Newmarket Racecourse on 29 July, [48] ; and a closing night headlining appearance at Camp Bestival at Lulworth Castle in Dorset on 31 July. The gigs marked the band's first UK festival appearances since Knebworth in 1990. [49] The band again toured the US and Canada in September and October 2016. [50]

In 2017, the band toured North America with co-headliners Hall & Oates , [51] and also played in Israel, at the British Summer Time Festival in London's Hyde Park on 8 July, and at the Rock in Rio festival in Brazil on 22 September. [52] In a July 2017 interview, Orzabal stated that the band had collaborated with songwriter/producer Sacha Skarbek on their new album tentatively entitled The Tipping Point , and divulged several song titles from it including "My Demons", "I Love You But I'm Lost", "End of Night" and "Up Above the World". [53] In an interview with SiriusXM Canada the same month, Orzabal divulged that although the band had signed with Warner Music to release their new album (which had been scheduled for October 2017), Universal Music had then approached Warner Music about buying the rights to the album so that they could release it (Universal being the rights holders of the vast majority of the band's back catalogue). [54]

On 26 October 2017, the band performed a 65-minute live set at the BBC Radio Theatre in London for the Radio 2 In Concert series, which was broadcast on both radio and television (via the BBC Red Button service). The following night, the band played their first full-length UK concert since 2005, at London's Royal Albert Hall. Prior to this, on 12 October, "I Love You But I'm Lost" was released as a single from a new 16-track Tears For Fears compilation album entitled Rule The World - The Greatest Hits . The compilation was released by Universal Music on 10 November 2017, and includes fourteen Top 40 hits from all six previous Tears For Fears albums along with two new tracks. In October 2017, the band announced an 11-date UK arena tour for April–May 2018, which was to feature Alison Moyet as the support act. However, the tour was postponed to early 2019 due to unspecified health reasons. [55]

Discography

• The Hurting (1983)
• Songs from the Big Chair (1985)
• The Seeds of Love (1989)
• Elemental (1993)
• Raoul and the Kings of Spain (1995)
• Everybody Loves a Happy Ending (2004)
• List of artists who reached number one in the United States
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance chart
• List of Billboard number-one dance hits
• List of Billboard number-one singles
• ^ Rayner, Ben. "Tears for Fears, Wings, Ella Fitzgerald: Reasons to Live" . The Star . Retrieved 18 March 2014 .  
• ^ a b Kaye, Ben (13 November 2014). "Tears For Fears perform the hits on Jimmy Kimmel Live — watch" . Consequence of Sound . Retrieved 15 December 2014 .  
• ^ Whitmire, Margo (11 September 2004). "Tears For Fears Try New Door" . Billboard . 116 (37): 5. ISSN  0006-2510 .  
• ^ Adams, Gregory (2 August 2013). "Tears for Fears Treat 'The Hurting' to 30th Anniversary Reissue" . Exclaim! . Retrieved 4 November 2014 .  
• ^ Pryweller, Joseph (13 February 1990). "Music: New Model Tears Hits The Road" . Daily Press . Retrieved 4 November 2014 .  
• ^ Reynolds, Simon (2009). Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984 . Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-5712-5227-5.  
• ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Tears for Fears – Artist Biography" . AllMusic. All Media Network . Retrieved 19 January 2014 .  
• ^ Sujansky, Joanne; Ferri-Reed, Jan (2009). Keeping The Millennials: Why Companies Are Losing Billions in Turnover to This Generation- and What to Do About It . John Wiley & Sons. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-4704-3851-0.  
• ^ "RIAA – Gold & Platinum Searchable Database – Songs from the Big Chair" . RIAA . Retrieved 19 January 2014 .  
• ^ "Certified Awards" . British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 19 January 2014 .  
• ^ "Tears For Fears" . Archived from the original on 3 November 2013.   . Brit Awards.
• ^ Tuffrey, Laurie (17 December 2013). "Tears For Fears Announce New Album" . The Quietus . Retrieved 23 February 2014 .  
• ^ "Tears For Fears – 'Songs From The Big Chairs ' " . Classic Pop magazine . 6 October 2014 . Retrieved 9 November 2016 .  
• ^ Wårstad, Jonas. "Naked Eyes – The Story" . Discog.info . Retrieved 17 August 2011 .  
• ^ Burlage, Brian (23 February 2015). "Revisiting Tears for Fears for the Anniversary of 'Songs from the Big Chair ' ". The Michigan Daily .  
• ^ Hunt, Dennis (4 August 1985). "Primal Scream Is Behind Tears for Fears". The Seattle Times . p. L2.  
• ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 75: 31 October 1982 – 06 November 1982" . Official Charts Company . Retrieved 11 May 2015 .  
• ^ "How We Wrote Our First Record: Tears For Fears revisit 'The Hurting ' " . Noisey . Retrieved 12 April 2017 .  
• ^ "Tears for Fears – Awards" . AllMusic. All Media Network . Retrieved 19 January 2014 .  
• ^ Emerson, Bo. (9 February 1990). "Tears for Fears: Dynamic Duo Keeps Lucky Streak Alive". Ottawa Citizen . p. D3.  
• ^ Johnson, Heather (8 January 2007). "Classic Tracks: Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World " ". Mix .  
• ^ "Montreux Pop Festival (1985) Tears for Fears Everybody wants" . YouTube. 30 June 2007 . Retrieved 26 March 2012 .  
• ^ "MTV Video Music Awards – Performers" . MTV. Viacom . Retrieved 4 December 2011 .  
• ^ a b "Brit Awards 1986 Winners" . Brit Awards . Retrieved 15 May 2011 .  
• ^ Corless, Damian (12 July 2015). "Calling out around the world... Remembering Live Aid" . Irish Independent . Retrieved 20 July 2015 .  
• ^ Humphries, Stephen (9 November 2001). "Singer sheds Tears for Fears". The Christian Science Monitor .  
• ^ Shuster, Fred (8 December 1995). "Tears Leader has no Fears Exploring the Past" . Los Angeles Daily News . HighBeam Research.  
• ^ a b Doward, Jamie (4 August 2002). "Nursing a King-size hangover" . The Guardian . Retrieved 26 August 2012 .  
• ^ Snyder, Michael (1 September 1993). "Tears for Fears Rehashes the '60s". San Francisco Chronicle . p. E1.  
• ^ Niesel, Jeff (28 May 1990). "Tears for Fears Tries Smiling Now". Orange County Register . p. B03.  
• ^ Jae-Ha, Kim (5 February 1990). "Tears for Fears Partners Plant New Pop 'Seeds ' " . Chicago Sun-Times . HighBeam Research.  
• ^ Wenner, Cheryl (7 June 1985). "Tears for Fears: Emotion, Rhythm and Meaning". The Morning Call .  
• ^ "Ex-Tears For Fears Manager Jailed" . Music News. 10 May 2004 . Retrieved 26 August 2012 .  
• ^ Vaziri, Aidin (19 September 2004). "Pop Quiz: Roland Orzabal Of Tears For Fears" . San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved 15 August 2010 .  
• ^ Morse, Steve (20 August 1993). "Tears for Fears' New Disc is Back on the Right Track" . The Boston Globe . HighBeam Research.  
• ^ de Yampert, Rick (1 October 2004). "Tears for Fears Brings Tears of Joy". The Daytona Beach News-Journal . p. 10E.  
• ^ "The KPCS Archive » 08 (1) – Curt Smith" . Kevinpollakschatshow.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011 . Retrieved 15 May 2011 .  
• ^ "Raoul and the Kings of Spain – Tears for Fears" . Cherry Red Records. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014 . Retrieved 19 January 2014 .  
• ^ "Tears for Fears Concert – Perth, Australia" . Archived from the original on 2 January 2010.   . 22 March 2010.
• ^ "Tears for Fears 'Songs from the Big Chair' Released November 11, 2014, via Universal Music Enterprises" (Press release). Business Wire. 29 September 2014 . Retrieved 20 July 2015 .  
• ^ "Curt Smith – Official Site (2012 tour dates)" . Curtsmithofficial.com . Archived from the original on 18 June 2013 . Retrieved 19 January 2014 .  
• ^ Flanary, Patrick (22 August 2013). "Tears for Fears' Arcade Fire Cover 'Kick-Started' New Recording" . Rolling Stone . Retrieved 9 September 2013 .  
• ^ "TearsForFears" . SoundCloud . Retrieved 19 January 2014 .  
• ^ Green, Richard (18 October 2014). "Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears". The Richard Green Show, BBC Radio Devon (Interview). Roland Orzabal. Plymouth, England.  
• ^ "Tears For Fears" . Warner Bros. Records . Retrieved 15 January 2016 .  
• ^ Paul, George A. (3 August 2012). "Just Like Old Times for Tears for Fears". Orange County Register .  
• ^ Whitmire, Margo (2004). "Tears for Fears Try New Door". Billboard . 116 (37): 5, 60.  
• ^ Monks, Rebecca (18 December 2015). "Tears for Fears to play at Newmarket Racecourse" . The List . Retrieved 6 January 2016 .  
• ^ Biggane, Dan (9 December 2015). "Bath's Tears for Fears to headline Camp Bestival 2016" . Bath Chronicle . Retrieved 6 January 2016 .  
• ^ Robinson, Will (16 June 2016). "Tears for Fears working on first new album since 2004" . Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 26 June 2016 .  
• ^ Reed, Ryan (2 March 2017). "Daryl Hall & John Oates, Tears for Fears Plot Joint North American Tour" . Rolling Stone . Retrieved 5 March 2017 .  
• ^ Begum, Selina (9 July 2017). "The Killers and Tears for Fears amaze the British Summer Time festival crowd in Hyde Park" . The Up Coming . Retrieved 18 July 2017 .  
• ^ Callaway, Chris (10 July 2017). "Tears for Fears Could Be Nostalgic, But the Band's Future Is Bright" . Westword . Retrieved 18 July 2017 .  
• ^ Alper, Eric (14 July 2017). "Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears Interview with SiriusXM" . That Eric Alper Show, SiriusXM (Interview). Canada.  
• ^ "News" . Tearsforfears.com . 18 April 2018 . Retrieved 18 April 2018 .  

External links

• Official website

This article uses material from the article Tears for Fears from the free encyclopedia Wikipedia and it is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License .

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Tears For Fears Schedule 2023 Dates for ‘the Tipping Point Tour Part II’

By Larisha Paul

Larisha Paul

Tears For Fears are returning for another slate of shows in support of their latest album, The Turning Point , released last year as their first full-length record in 17 years. The Tipping Point Tour wrapped in New York on June 25, but the newly-announced The Tipping Point Tour Part II will pick up more or less where they left off, in New Jersey on June 23.

Cold War Kids will join Tears For Fears on the new set of North American tour dates. The tour’s second leg is scheduled to begin on June 23 and conclude on Aug. 2 in Los Angeles. In between, the band will make stops in New York, Toronto, Virginia Beach, Franklin, Houston, Denver, Portland, Seattle, Palm Springs, and more.

General sale for the Tipping Point Tour Part II begins Friday, April 7 at 10 a.m. local time via the official Tears For Fears website .

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Roland Orzabal added, “The Tipping Point has been a long time in the making and we are looking forward to playing our favorites from the new album as well as our classics from throughout the years.”

Tears For Fears 2023 North America Tour Dates: June 23 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena June 24 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Arena June 26 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden June 29 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage June 30 – Montreal, QC @ Place Bell July 2 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center July 5 – Bethel, NY @ Bethel Woods Center for the Arts July 7 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre July 8 – Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek July 11 – Franklin, TN @ FirstBank Amphitheater July 13 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre STL July 14 – Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre July 16 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion July 17 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center July 20 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena July 22 – Portland, OR @ RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater July 24 – Vancouver, BC @ Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena July 26 – Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater July 27 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena July 29 – Sacramento, CA @ Toyota Amphitheater Aug. 1 – Palm Springs, CA @ Acrisure Arena Aug. 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl

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Tears for Fears ‘The Tipping Point’ Tour 2022

• By: Steve Jennings (Photos & Text)
• July 2022 , Production Profile
• July 9, 2022

Formed in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, Tears for Fears is an English pop band known for their infectious hits like “Shout,” “Head Over Heels” and “Everybody Wants To Rule The World.” Supported by Eighth Day Sound, the band’s 20-city North American 2022 in support of the band’s Feb. 25, 2022 album release, The Tipping Point, tour wrapped up June 25 in Wantagh, NY, before kicking off a U.K. leg on July 1. We spoke with the audio tour crew about mixing this iconic band.

FOH engineer Joe Harling. Photo by Steve Jennings

The FOH Position

FOH engineer Joe Harling is mixing on a DiGiCo SD5. DiGiCo makes it very easy to set up complex audio routing within your show file, he notes, so Harling never feels constrained by the console’s design. “I do a lot of ‘nested groups’ and aux sends from groups, which on some other consoles is still not possible — and DiGiCo’s snapshot system is second to none. The SD5 in particular has just the right number of faders and screens for my workflow, without feeling too ostentatious. Overall, it provides a clean and neutral sound palette, and I can add color with outboard where needed. I’m not using any plug-ins — I travel with some nice outboard gear, so that is enough for me. I mixed the band’s 2019 tour, and was very happy to be asked back.”

Tears for Fears co-founder /vocalist /bassist Curt Smith. Photo by Steve Jennings

Harling loves outboard gear, and his racks are filled with ones he’s used extensively before. “I have a Kush Audio Fatso compressor on the drum bus, with an A Designs ATTY [volume attenuator] inserted in its sidechain to control the compressor’s threshold. This unit gives magical, tape-like saturation and glue to the drums. The bass DI insert goes through a Reamp into a Darkglass Vintage Ultra bass preamp pedal (for some grit and amp simulation) and into an Empirical Labs Distressor. Both guitars have Empirical Labs Fatsos inserted on them for some gentle compression and high-frequency limiting.”

Currently on the U.K. leg of the tour, the band wrapped up its North American dates in late June. Photo by Steve Jennings

In terms of other processing, Harling applies a classic dbx 160a to acoustic guitar and on the main background vocal. “Roland and Curt’s vocals go through Empirical Labs DerrEssers — the best de-esser on the planet — and into the truly magical Rupert Neve Shelford channels. All vocals also have Rupert Neve Primary Source Enhancers on them to control spill and ambience in the vocal mics. My master bus goes through an API 2500 compressor and a Kush Audio Clariphonic EQ. Vocal reverbs are handled by two Bricasti M7s, and of course I have an Eventide H3000 for vocal doubling FX,” he explains, adding that “the most quirky pieces of outboard are the OTO Machines’ Bim and Bam, which are great little 1980s-inspired 12-bit delay and reverb boxes made in France. All my drum reverbs come from the Bam, and the Bim does all the vocal delays.”

Band co-founder /vocalist /guitarist Roland Orzabal. Photo by Steve Jennings

Harling says these songs mean so much to a lot of people, so he sees his job as making sure the ‘emotional arc’ of the show is right. “For example, the first four bass guitar notes of ‘Woman in Chains’ will absolutely make you cry if presented in the right way. The audiences tend to be fairly mixed in terms of age groups, so the audio needs to have clarity and impact without being excessively loud. In terms of challenges, most of the keyboards are submixed on stage and a lot of the older tracks just have a stereo mix for backing-track content, so finding ways to ensure separation in the mid-range can be a little tricky. My VCA faders are constantly moving on this gig, but that is the most fun kind of mixing.”

Detail of the stage left P.A. hang. Photo by Steve Jennings

The Systems Approach

Systems tech Sean Tingle’s day typically starts out with taking measurements of the venue and recreating it using d&b audiotechnik’s ArrayCalc. Tingle will then have discussions with the head rigger about whether or not they can get the ideal rig deployed and figure out any solutions or options if they can’t. “Once my points are locked in, I’ll start working on the angles/trim heights and decide how many boxes I actually need to achieve the job. When it comes to tuning the P.A., I’m using an Earthworks M30 mic to take measurements in SMAART 8 and then EQ and set delay times for the different subsystems from that information. I owe a lot of what I know to Ville Kauhanen, who is an amazing system engineer and mentor. Once everything’s optimized on my end, Joe and I listen together and make any system changes we might need to achieve that goal.”

Tingle typically spends the first two songs at FOH, just in case anything’s obviously wrong, and then starts walking around the venue to check for even coverage and make sure everyone is getting the best audio experience. “I’m also making sure Joe’s mix is being accurately translated throughout the venue, listening to how each subsystem interacts with each other, and with the room overall.”

Monitor engineer Ricky Fernandez. Photo by Steve Jennings

Monitorworld

Monitor engineer Ricky Fernandez mixes on an Allen & Heath dLive S5000 series console. He had been a Midas Pro user until last year. “I felt the A&H fit more my style and workflow. A&H set me up with a CTI 1500 desk to use at home for a few weeks to feel comfortable and build a show file for the band I was working for at the time. I love many things about this desk, and I could go on forever about it. The ability to scale console size up or down seamlessly is amazing for festivals, TV performances or just general availability. I also have my laptop connected to the stage rack as a backup console using their dLive Director software. I love how easy it is to drag and drop whatever channels you want to the surface to build it out to work best with your workflow. And it’s easy to switch between recording from the desk and running a virtual sound check. Virtual checks are vital when working with a new band, and it really helped with Tears for Fears. During the week of rehearsals before the tour, it was useful for me to have members of the band come next to me and listen to their mixes while we made tweaks in real time.”

Fernandez had previously used the Waves SuperRack when doing FOH work but had never used them with monitors. “But honestly, the dLive console has everything I need so plug-ins aren’t needed. My favorite thing about the Allen & Heath is having a dynamic EQ and compressor on any channels. Roland doesn’t want any compression on his vocal. I thought that would be a struggle, but he has incredible vocal technique. By pairing that with a dynamic EQ, he’s been very happy with the sound of his vocals. Curt has a much lower-toned vocal, and without a dynamic EQ, I’d be scooping a lot of 500 Hz out of his mic.”

Fernandez uses Peak Limiter 76 compressors on drum channels, which emulates UREI 1176 compressors. On bass, he uses the OptTronik Compressor’s LA-2A emulation. “Curt plays multiple basses on this tour; some very vintage and some more modern. They all output slightly differently, so I use this compressor not only to control the overall sound but also to help normalize the overall volume. On all vocals — except Roland’s — I use the desk’s 16T compressor, which emulates a dbx 160A. An A&H Transient Controller insert provides a little more attack out from the kick and snare channels, and I use Allen & Heath’s SMR Live modeled reverbs for anything that needs it. I have reverb for drums and separate reverbs for every vocalist.”

In terms of vocal mics, “we’re using Shure UR2 transmitters with DPA d:facto II capsules, and they sound absolutely incredible. The band prefers to be set closer together, which could be an audio engineer’s nightmare, but they have great rejection.”

Tears for Fears is completely on IEM’s, with no onstage wedges or sidefills. Roland, Curt and guitarist Charlton Pettus are on JH Audio 11’s. The other band members use JH Roxannes.

Fernandez uses seven Shure PSM1000 IEM transmitters for 14 total mixes. “There are IEM mixes for all the band, as well as crew, guest and spare mixes for Roland and Curt. We have two sets of Shure P9HW hardwired IEM packs that go to Jamie Wollam on drums and Doug Petty on keys. I’m also using a Shure AXT600 spectrum analyzer. All of this is networked together, with a Mac Mini set up with Shure’s Wireless Workbench for frequency coordination.”

The P.A. Tech

Bryce Marshall has been Eighth Day Sound’s Los Angeles speaker department head for the last three years, yet this is his first tour as a P.A. tech. “A typical configuration for the all-d&b audiotechnik tour rig is 16 J series for the mains, with eight J SUBs flown and 12 J’s for our side hang,” says Marshall. “We have 12 B22 subs in the pit stacked in six sets of two and eight Y10ps for our fills on the downstage edge.” Some 21 d&b D80 amps per side of the stage power the system, fed from six LM44s for R1 and Lake control via redundant fiber.

“It’s a very straightforward rig, and d&b and deployment with d&b ArrayCalc, R1 and the J series rigging is a breeze. Sean Tingle is an array processing and systems tech genius and dials the rig in every show. This modest size system packs a punch, and I couldn’t be happier with the results.”

Tears for Fears The Tipping Point Tour

Audio Crew (L-R): Joe Harling, Sean Tingle, Ricky Fernandez and Bryce Marshall; Photos: Steve Jennings

• Sound Company: Eighth Day Sound
• FOH Engineer: Joe Harling
• Monitor Engineer: Ricky Fernandez
• Systems Tech: Sean Tingle
• P.A. Tech: Bryce Marshall
• Mains: (16) d&b audiotechnik J Series/side
• Side Hangs: (12) d&b J Series/side
• Subs: (8) d&b J SUBS (flown), (12) B22 ground
• Front Fills: (8) d&b Y10ps
• Amps: (42) d&b D80

Joe Harling keeps his FOH rack well-stocked with non-virtual outboard goodies. Photo by Steve Jennings

• FOH Console: DiGiCo SD5
• Outboard: Kush Audio Fatso, Empirical Labs Distressor, (2) Empirical Labs Fatsos, (2) dbx 160a, (2) Rupert Neve Shelford Channels, (2) Empirical Labs Derressers, (2) Rupert Neve 5045 PSE, API 2500, Kush Audio Clariphonic EQ, Darkglass Vintage Ultra Preamp, OTO Machines Bam, OTO Machines Bim, (2) Bricasti M7, Eventide H3000
• Monitor Console: Allen and Heath dLive S5000
• Wireless Mics: Shure UR2 with DPA d:facto II heads
• IEM Hardware: (7) Shure PSM1000, (2) Shure P9HW
• IEMs: JH Audio 11s, JH Audio Roxannes

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Tears For Fears

• New Romantic
• New Wave Pop
• Permanent Wave

Tears for Fears, named after a phrase found in Arthur Janov’s book Prisoners of Pain, is a British pop/rock outfit formed in 1981 in Bath,…

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Tears for Fears, named after a phrase found in Arthur Janov’s book Prisoners of Pain, is a British pop/rock outfit formed in 1981 in Bath, England. Founder members Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith had been friends since their early teens and had already been in the shortlived ska band Graduate. Initially associated with the new wave and synthesiser bands of the early 1980s, Tears For Fears’ earlier work, as evidenced on their 1983 debut album The Hurting , was explicitly based around the emotional angst of adolescence. The album reached number one in the UK and contained three UK Top 5 singles. Orzabal and Smith made their major international breakthrough with their second album, Songs from the Big Chair (1985), which sold over 10 million copies worldwide and topped the US album charts for five weeks (it peaked at #2 in the UK and spent six months in the Top 10). Five singles from the album reached the UK Top 30, with Shout reaching #4, and their highest charting hit, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, reaching #2. Both singles reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

After a lengthy break from the music industry, the band’s third album was the jazz/blues/Beatles influenced The Seeds of Love, released in 1989. The album featured American soul singer/pianist Oleta Adams whom the duo had discovered playing in a Kansas hotel bar during their 1985 tour. The Seeds of Love became their second #1 album in the UK, after the title track Sowing the Seeds of Love, had given them another UK and US Top 5 hit. However, after another world tour, Orzabal and Smith had an extremely acrimonious falling out and went their separate ways. The split was ultimately blamed on Orzabal’s intricate but frustrating approach to production and Smith’s desire to lead the jetset lifestyle now afforded to him which lessened his involvement in the studio. The two spent the next decade working separately.

Orzabal retained the band name and, now working with longterm associate Alan Griffiths, released the 1992 single Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down), which appeared on that year’s compilation Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82-92). In 1993, Orzabal released the full-length album Elemental, also under the Tears for Fears name, though still effectively him and Griffiths. Another album, Raoul and the Kings of Spain, was released in 1995. Orzabal released Tomcats Screaming Outside, his first album under his own name, in 2001.

Smith also released a solo album, Soul on Board, in 1993, but this sank without trace in the UK and was not released elsewhere. Finding his own writing partner (Charlton Pettus) in the US where he now lived, he released another album in 1997 under the name Mayfield.

In 2000, routine paperwork obligations led to Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith’s first conversation in nearly a decade. The two patched up their differences and decided to work together again. Fourteen new songs were written and recorded, and the ensuing album, Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, was eventually released in September 2004.

By this time, the band’s earlier song Head Over Heels, as well as a cover of Mad World performed by Gary Jules and Michael Andrews, appeared in the 2001 film Donnie Darko, providing the band with some rejuvenation for newer generations. The Jules/Andrews version of “Mad World” was released as a single in 2003 and became a UK number 1.

Since the reunion, Tears For Fears has been touring internationally on a semi-regular basis. In April 2010, they joined the reformed 80s pop group Spandau Ballet on their 7-date tour of Australia and New Zealand, before a 4-date headlining tour of their own in South East Asia (Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan) and a 17-date tour of the USA.[14] The band, then, continued to perform small scale tours on an annual basis. In 2011 and 2012, they played dates in the US, Japan, South Korea, Manila and South America.

In May 2013, Smith confirmed that he was writing and recording new Tears for Fears material with Orzabal and Charlton Pettus. 3-4 songs were worked on in the UK at Orzabal’s home studio, Neptune’s Kitchen, in April of 2013. Further work on a new Tears For Fears album commenced in L.A. in July of 2013. According to Orzabal, they have been producing of more dark, dramatic pieces of music, which gave the pending album the tongue-in-cheek working title of Tears for Fears: The Musical. “There’s one track that’s a combination of Portishead and Queen. It’s just crazy,” Orzabal stated.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the band’s debut album The Hurting, Universal Music are re-releasing it in two Deluxe Editions (one a 2-disc set and the other a 4-disc set with a DVD of the 1983 In My Mind’s Eye concert) in October 2013.

In August 2013, Tears For Fears released their first newly recorded material in nearly decade, with a cover of Arcade Fire’s “Ready to Start” made available on SoundCloud. Read more on Last.fm . User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

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