News 29 Sep 2014

Tears For Fears / MASSIVE “Songs From The Big Chair” box set coming

By Paul Sinclair

Universal team up with SuperDeluxeEdition.com to create stunning 6-disc super deluxe editon box set.

Roland Orzabal: (speaking to Paul Sinclair in 2014)

“We had let go of any Tears For Fears ideology, because it all came out in The Hurting. We were getting older, we had a bit of money, so life wasn’t that bad [laughs]. I mean, I bought my first house at 21. There wasn’t the ‘difficult second album syndrome’. It was an easy second album syndrome. You know, instead of being so het up by ‘the message’ we started to relax.”

Universal Music will reissue Tears For Fears‘ second album Songs From The Big Chair in November as a six-disc super deluxe edition box set that, amongst all the bonus material, delivers every commercially issued b-side and remix of the era, previously unreleased radio sessions and early mixes and a high-resolution 5.1 surround sound mix courtesy or highly respected remixer and engineer Steven Wilson.

As with last year’s The Hurting reissue, Universal brought SuperDeluxeEdition editor Paul Sinclair on board to assist with the reissue project. He has not only had access to the archives to help with the track selection, but has also interviewed the key players from the era, including band members Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, producer Chris Hughes and A&R man Dave Bates. The result of this work is an extensive “In their own words” track-by-track guide to Songs From The Big Chair within the 32-page booklet. Additionally, Paul has written a guide to every bonus track within the box set, so as well as knowing what has been included, fans will understand why each extra track has been included.

Disc one within the box set contains the remastered album and includes all the original Songs B-sides. In fact, the first 14 tracks deliberately replicate the original running order of the limited edition UK cassette version of Songs From The Big Chair that added six bonus songs to the eight-track album.

The second CD – Edited Songs From The Big Chair – largely contains various single versions/edits released around the world, including the U.S. Remix (actually a re-recording) of Mothers Talk (a song that was both the first and last single from the album), and I Believe (A Soulful Re-recording). Previously unissued on any audio format – but included on this disc – is the ‘Video Version’ of the American remix of Mothers Talk which contains a unique intro, as well as a promo-only ‘Radio Version’ of Head Over Heels that has never been commercially released. Charity single Everybody Wants To Run The World finally makes it onto a Tears For Fears deluxe edition (along with the semi-instrumental B-side ‘Running Version’ of the same song) and stunning album closer Listen is included with a clean intro so it can be enjoyed without the normal cross-fade. A Curt and Roland interview with short audio clips (originally included on the UK seven-inch double-pack of Everybody Wants To Rule The World) completes disc two.

Songs From The Big Chair / 6-disc super deluxe

Remixed Songs From The Big Chair is an appropriate title for the third CD which is packed full of twelve-inch remixes. The UK extended versions of The Way You Are (a non-album single), Mothers Talk and Shout are all included (having all been omitted from the 2005 deluxe edition) along with the ‘Acappella’ Mix of Shout and the instrumental version of Everybody Wants To Rule The World – both previously unreleased on CD. The alternate US Remix of Mothers Talk which (apparently inadvertently) appeared on the 2005 deluxe in place of the standard US Remix is also repeated here.

A fourth and final CD contains 14 tracks that have never been commercially available. Unreleased Songs From The Big Chair treats listeners to 1984 BBC radio sessions, the three tracks included on the Canadian promo-only Live At Massey Hall twelve-inch, along with three further tracks from Massey Hall (Shout, Mothers Talk and The Working Hour) newly mixed from the multi-track tapes. For the first time the band have authorised lifting the lid on some of their work-in-progress. To that end, early mixes of Mothers Talk, The Way You Are, Broken and Shout are included on disc four along with an unheard, rejected seven-inch edit of Everybody Wants To Rule The World.

surround_tff — Hi-res 5.1 surround mix / Cover to disc 5

A fifth disc is a DVD that contains a brand new 2014 5.1 surround sound mix of Songs From The Big Chair created by Steven Wilson and personally approved by Roland Orzabal. A new 2014 stereo mix is also included. Both mixes are flat transfers with no additional mastering EQ or compression applied. Paul Sinclair encouraged Universal to issue this as
a DVD-A (DVD Audio) to allow fans with the appropriate hardware (DVD-A compatible DVD player) to enjoy a lossless hi-res surround version of Songs From The Big Chair. The disc remains fully compatible with standard DVD players which will still be able to deliver the surround mix in Dolby 5.1 and DTS. A hi-res stereo mix can be enjoyed by all. This DVD is region free.

A standalone Pure Audio blu-ray audio is also being released that includes the 5.1 and stereo mixes in hi-res as well as the original album mix.

A sixth and final disc is another DVD that delivers the classic Scenes From The Big Chair documentary, along with the 2005 interview with producer Chris Hughes that was added to the standalone DVD reissue). Additionally, all the promo videos from the album are featured separately, including the rare early UK promo and US versions of Mothers Talk and non-album single The Way You Are). The icing on the cake is a selection of eight performances on BBC TV including six appearances on Top Of The Pops and a couple of spots on eighties chat show Wogan.

Songs From The Big Chair super deluxe box set and other formats are released on 10 November 2014. This BIG box is currently available for a relatively SMALL price from Amazon UK. See links below along with the full track listing.

6-disc super deluxe edition box set

2CD Deluxe Edition

Blu-ray Audio

Vinyl Edition

2014 Stereo Mix on vinyl

Pre-order exclusively from Universal Music

Track listing

DISC ONE

01. SHOUT : 6:31
02. THE WORKING HOUR : 6:29
03. EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD : 4:09
04. MOTHERS TALK : 5:04
05. I BELIEVE : 4:54
06. BROKEN : 2:38
07. HEAD OVER HEELS : 5:02
08. LISTEN : 6:54

Bonus tracks

09. THE BIG CHAIR : 3:20
10. EMPIRE BUILDING : 2:41
11. THE MARAUDERS : 4:13
12. BROKEN REVISITED : 5:15
13. THE CONFLICT : 4:02
14. THE WORKING HOUR – Piano Version : 2:08
15. PHARAOHS : 03:42
16. WHEN IN LOVE WITH A BLIND MAN : 2:22
17. SEA SONG : 3:51

DISC TWO – Edited Songs From The Big Chair (this is second CD in the 2CD deluxe)

01. THE WAY YOU ARE : 4:49
02. MOTHERS TALK – Single Version : 3:53
03. SHOUT – Single Version : 5:58
04. EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD – Single Version : 4:14
05. HEAD OVER HEELS – Remix : 4:15
06. I BELIEVE (A Soulful Re-Recording) : 4:39
07. EVERYBODY WANTS TO RUN THE WORLD : 4:30
08. THE WAY YOU ARE – Short Version : 4:21
09. MOTHERS TALK – U.S. Remix : 4:14
10. SHOUT – U.S. Single Version : 4:51
11. EVERYBODY WANTS TO RUN THE WORLD – Running Version : 4:30
12. HEAD OVER HEELS – Radio Version : 4.20
13. MOTHERS TALK – Video Version : 4:14
14. SHOUT – Short Version : 4:03
15. LISTEN – Clean Intro : 6:52
15. INTERVIEW WITH CURT & ROLAND : 7:35

DISC THREE – Remixed Songs From The Big Chair (exclusive to box)

01. THE WAY YOU ARE – Extended Version : 7:37
02. MOTHERS TALK – Extended Version : 6:18
03. SHOUT – Extended Remix Version : 7:40
04. EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD – Extended Version : 5:40
05. BROKEN / HEAD OVER HEELS / BROKEN – Preacher Mix : 8:00
06. MOTHERS TALK – Beat Of The Drum Mix : 8:54
07. SHOUT – U.S. Remix : 8:02
08. EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD – Urban Mix : 6:06
09. MOTHERS TALK – U.S. Remix alternate : 4:12
10. SHOUT – Dub : 6:49
11. EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD – Instrumental : 4:21
12. SHOUT – Acappella : 5:02

DISC FOUR – Unreleased Songs From The Big Chair (exclusive to box)

01. HEAD OVER HEELS : 4:14 Richard Skinner Session
02. THE WORKING HOUR : 6:06 Richard Skinner Session
03. BROKEN : 3:19 Richard Skinner Session
04. MOTHERS TALK : 4:05 Live At Massey Hall
05. BROKEN / HEAD OVER HEELS : 5:01 Live At Massey Hall
06. MEMORIES FADE : 6:50 Live At Massey Hall
07. THE WORKING HOUR : 7:31 Live At Massey Hall
08. EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD : 4:19 Live At Massey Hall
09. SHOUT : 7:50 Live At Massey Hall
10. MOTHERS TALK – Early Mix / Instrumental : 4:39
11. THE WAY YOU ARE – Early Mix : 4:25
12. BROKEN – Early Mix : 5:38
13. SHOUT – Early Mix : 5:08
14. EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD – Alternate Single Version: 4.20

DISC FIVE (DVD-A)

5.1 and Stereo mix

SHOUT : 6:32
THE WORKING HOUR : 6:31
EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD : 4:11
MOTHERS TALK : 5:10
I BELIEVE : 4:54
BROKEN : 2:38
HEAD OVER HEELS : 5:20
LISTEN : 6:49

DISC SIX (DVD-V) (exclusive to box)

Documentary

01. SCENES FROM THE BIG CHAIR – Documentary : 1:14:43
02. INTERVIEW WITH PRODUCER CHRIS HUGHES : 35:00

Promos

03. THE WAY YOU ARE – Music Video : 3:57
04. MOTHERS TALK – Alternative UK Video : 4:00
05..MOTHERS TALK – Music Video : 4.49
06. SHOUT – Music Video : 6:31
07. EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD – Music Video : 4:52
08. HEAD OVER HEELS – Music Video : 4:26
09. I BELIEVE – Music Video : 4:45
10. MOTHERS TALK – US Mix – Music Video : 4:52
11. EVERYBODY WANTS TO RUN THE WORLD – Music Video : 4:52

BBC TV Appearances

03. THE WAY YOU ARE : 4:11 Top Of The Pops
04. MOTHERS TALK : 3:48 Top Of The Pops
05. MOTHERS TALK : 3:51 Top Of The Pops
06. SHOUT : 4:20 Top Of The Pops
07. EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD : 4:08 Wogan
08. EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD : 3.35 Top Of The Pops
09. EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD : 3.45 Top Of The Pops
10. THE WORKING HOUR : 4:28 Wogan

6-disc super deluxe edition box set

2CD Deluxe Edition

Blu-ray Audio

Vinyl Edition

2014 Stereo Mix on vinyl

Pre-order exclusively from Universal Music

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