Just last weekend I picked up the 1999 RM of Tears For Fears‘ “Songs From The Big Chair.” I had the LP when it was released and bought the 1st CD pressing a few years later. Incidentally, that album was a milestone for the then burgeoning CD format in that it was the first album released on LP and CD format on the same day. That was a big deal in 1985, when there were only a handful of pressing plants in the world and there was normally a backlog of at least 6 weeks for a CD of a new album to come out.
This song of the day was also a buried treasure. The 1999 RM features seven bonus tracks, including “Mother’s Talk (US Remix).” I had bought the 1st UK 12″ of “Mother’s Talk” that came out in advance of the album in late 1984. The album appeared in early 1985 and after a string of hit singles in the US, “Mother’s Talk” was released as single #4 from the hit album in 1986. What I had no idea of at the time, was that the US was treated to a 1986 re-recording of the track, produced again by Chris Hughes, that was mixed this time by the great Bob Clearmountain.
The first time I became aware of this was when I bought the 1999 “Big Chair” RM CD last weekend! Furthermore, my research reveals that there is only a 7″ version of this 1986 version of the song. Highly irregular in the post-FGTH world of 1986. Further scrutiny reveals a US-only video clip featuring the US Remix (a misnomer but we’ll go with it since Mercury called it that). I vaguely recall seeing the clip a few times on MTV after reviewing the visuals here, but any memory of the audio track being different is lost to the mists of time. Obviously, they didn’t have this release in quite the same heavy rotation as the first three hits off of that slab o’wax! Suffice to say the mix as encountered on the 1999 RM CD was a shock to my ears, but a pleasing one nonetheless. There’s nothing quite like encountering a completely different take of an old, familiar song some 26 years later, eh?
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Post-Punk Monk 
Tears For Fears are playing a free show in downtown Orlando this Saturday. Kenna managed to snag free tickets for the small VIP section so at least we’ll have seats up front while everyone else stands. I’ll report next week.
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That’s amazing! WMMO is putting them on?!! Expect a good show. The only time I saw the classic lineup was on the Big Chair tour at the USF Scumdome, so it was not enjoyable (as usual). But when I saw the Roland only lineup at The Edge in 1993 it was great. It’s kind of hard to see the tour dates since there seems to be no official TFF web presence, and Curt Smith’s site has a clunky way to list the concerts:
http://www.curtsmithofficial.com/event/2010/august/27/tears-for-fears-concert-charlotte-nc
But it looks like they will be nearby this Friday. Can’t make it, though. We just spent a weekend with friends in Chapel Hill and have another trip to NashVegas scheduled in two weeks.
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I believe (slight pun for those in know!) the first time the US 7″ of “Mother’s Talk” appeared on CD was one of the volumes of “Living In Oblivion”. Why would I know that? Hmmm…
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Sonnuva…!!! I should known you’d be on the case, Vero! But wait! I just reviewed the series, and the only TFF on the 5 volume series is the 7″ version of “The Way You Are” on vol. 3. Now that was the first time that orphaned cut appeared on CD. But I could not find any instance of “Mother’s Talk.” As I only have vol. 1, I had to rely on possibly false web data to research the other 4. Can you elaborate on your thesis, sir?
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I’m really enjoying both of the new tracks off of their most recent hits album regurgitation.
And now I am considering the only album that is missing from my TFF collection, “Everybody Loves A Happy Ending.” Opinions from the inhabitants and pilgrims to the monestary?
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Tim – I’m not too much of a TFF fan. I have a copy of “The Hurting,” which I maintain is the only TFF album anyone needs. It’s a rock solid piece of work that really stands up. They followed it up with “Songs From The Big Chair,” a very successful album. And pretty good for an album that sold in such numbers. I have a copy of that, too. One with bonus tracks. I saw the band on that tour in the USF Sundome; the worst venue in Florida. The Adventures opened up. Not a great concert, but it was in the Sundome. That was my first experience with the awfulness of that venue. I bought the singles from their third album but never bothered getting that. I saw the band after the schism with the Orzabal-led TFF playing a large club in Orlando on the “Elemental” tour in 1993. That was pretty good. I enjoyed it more than the 1985 show. They covered Radiohead’s then current hit “Creep” to much surprise. I later bought “Saturnine, Martial, + Lunatic,” their B-side collection in 2001. I’ve not heard a note from the band other than that. It’s just not a priority though I have contemplated collecting rarities from the first three albums as being of sufficient interest.
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I agree that if anything is essential by them it is The Hurting. To my ears SFTBC has aged very well, I think that I enjoy listening to it now more than I did decades ago and it has held up better that a lot of contemporary albums have aged. The Seeds of Love I have a real love-hate relationship with. Post breakup work I really like the Raoul and the Kings of Spain disc.
Do you recall which album The Adventures were promoting? I suspect it wasn’t ‘The Sea of Love” which has the DNA of TFF all over it as well as some seven degrees of separation, I think one of the guys produced a track or two. It’s not a bad album per se, just not an 80’s album I revisit a lot. It has that veeeeerrrrry earnest mid/late 80’s Simple Minds/Deacon Blue vibe to it and I revisit it just enough that it has never fallen prey to a collection purge to the gulags of the used bookstore.
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Hi Mr. Monk,
It might be interesting to note that Tears for Fears is returning after a 17 year wait with a new album.
The Tipping point. Several versions are available, some with bonus tracks. check it out if you want to see what they’re up to, a single of the title track is out now.
later
-1
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negative1ne – Yeah, it’s all over the news. Literally. As The Guardian had a big feature on them. I especially loved the story of how Curt was in a karaoke bar after a day’s work with a film crew and for grins got up and sang “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” to no reaction whatsoever! Not a huge fan, but basically respect the guys and truly love the debut album. We’ll see.
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