Tears For Fears / Songs From The Big Chair 40th anniversary reissue

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Tears For Fears’ 1985 album Songs From The Big Chair is being reissued for its 40th anniversary across a number of formats, including as an SDE exclusive blu-ray with a brand new Dolby Atmos Mix by Steven Wilson.

The band’s second album became a global sensation, topping the US charts and spawning five hit singles, ‘Mothers Talk’, ‘Shout’, ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’, ‘Head Over Heels’, and ‘I Believe’. ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’ and ‘Shout’ both reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

I co-compiled the 4CD+2DVD box released in 2014 (a set often touted as a high point in pop reissues) and I’m therefore delighted to be involved again by offering fans an SDE-exclusive blu-ray edition of Songs From The Big Chair, the fourth Tears For Fears release to be part of the ongoing SDE Surround Series (after The Tipping Point in 2022, The Hurting in 2023 and last year’s Songs For A Nervous Planet).

For this release, as well as creating a new Dolby Atmos Mix, Steven Wilson has revisited his 5.1 Surround and Stereo Mixes that were created in 2014. While Wilson stresses that he’s still proud of those mixes, he says that “the intervening 11 years working in surround and immersive audio have given me a lot more experience, so I thought it would be interesting to revisit these mixes with fresh  ears. Both have consequently been revised for 2025, primarily in an attempt to be even more faithful to the 1985 album mix. This original mix for me is still definitive, but as a necessary step on the way to creating the 5.1 and Atmos mixes, the 2025 stereo remix is included here as an alternative”.

Fans might recall that multi-track tapes for both parts of ‘Broken’ were missing in 2014 and unfortunately they are still missing, presumed lost. A decade ago, a pseudo 5.1 surround version of this song was created using software called Penteo to upmix from the stereo. This worked pretty well, but this time around more recent advances in the technology allowed Steven Wilson to split the original 1985 mix of ‘Broken’ into several individual ‘stems’ (vocals, guitar, bass, drums etc.), and using these he was able achieve a greater degree of spatial separation. Still not comparable with a genuine remix from the multitrack tapes, but at least providing more consistency with the rest of the remixed album.

All three Steven Wilson audio streams (Atmos, 5.1 & Stereo) are also available in instrumental form on the SDE exclusive blu-ray. Below is a summary of the audio streams on the SDE exclusive blu-ray:

• 2025 Steven Wilson Atmos Mix (48/24)
• 2025 Steven Wilson 5.1 Mix (96/24)
• 2025 Steven Wilson Hi-Res Stereo Mix (96/24)
• 2025 Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix – Instrumental (48/24)
• 2025 Steven Wilson 5.1 Mix – Instrumental (96/24)
• 2025 Steven Wilson Hi-Res Stereo Mix – Instrumental(96/24) 
• 1985 Original Hi-Res Stereo Mix – non-limited 2022 Miles Showell remaster (96/24)

Additionally, this Songs From The Big Chair blu-ray features 12 bonus tracks (stereo only) comprised of all the extended remixes issued in the UK of the various singles, including original and remix 12-inches for many singles, as well as the Extended Mix of non-album single ‘The Way You Are’, which was issued in the UK 15 months before the release of the Songs From The Big Chair. This is CD 3 of the 2014 box in 48/24 hi-res stereo (see tracklisting below).

Other formats in this reissue campaign are as follows

• 3CD deluxe edition (CDs 1-3 from the 2014 box set)
• 2LP transparent red vinyl featuring original unused cover art and bonus LP of rare alternates
• Clear ‘coke bottle’ coloured vinyl
• Vinyl picture disc (D2C only)

The booklet in the blu-ray features track-by-track annotation from Roland Orzabal, Curt Smith, producer Chris Hughes and A&R man Dave Bates, taken from my interviews in 2014 as well as a note from Steven Wilson on his approach to remixing the album in Dolby Atmos.

This Songs From The Big Chair blu-ray audio is #52 in the ongoing SDE Surround Series and will be released on 14 November 2025. It will be packaged similarly to previous editions and ships with a free, collectible SDE Surround Series slipcase.

Do not miss out. This product is a limited edition and has a 14 day pre-order window, which closes on 7 October 2025. Availability cannot be guaranteed after that date.

Songs From The Big Chair SDE shop pre-order links (browse the shop)

• Pre-order Songs From The Big Chair SDE exclusive blu-ray
• Pre-order BUNDLE of SDE blu-ray and limited 2LP red vinyl
• Pre-order 2LP transparent red vinyl

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Tears for Fears

2LP red vinyl

Shop Price gbp Stock Amazon de   41.99 Order Amazon usa   36.17 Order Amazon fr   35.99 Order Amazon it   39.90 Order Amazon es   40.99 Order Amazon ca   57.63 Order JPC de   45.99 Order FNAC fr   35.99 Pre-Order the SDE shop uk   40.00 pre-order

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Tears For Fears

3CD deluxe

Shop Price gbp Stock Amazon de   19.50 Order Amazon usa   38.24 Order Amazon es   22.68 Order Amazon ca   56.83 Order JPC de   22.99 Order

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Tracklisting

Songs From The Big Chair Tears For Fears / SDE Exclusive blu-ray

• • SONGS FROM THE BIG CHAIR

    – 2025 Steven Wilson Atmos Mix (48/24)
    – 2025 Steven Wilson 5.1 Mix (96/24)
    – 2025 Steven Wilson Hi-Res Stereo Mix (96/24)
    – 2025 Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix – Instrumental (48/24)
    – 2025 Steven Wilson 5.1 Mix – Instrumental (96/24)
    – 2025 Steven Wilson Hi-Res Stereo Mix – Instrumental (96/24)
    – 1985 Original Hi-Res Stereo Mix (96/24)

    1. Shout 6:32
    2. The Working Hour 6:31
    3. Everybody Wants To Rule The World 4:11
    4. Mothers Talk 5:06
    5. I Believe 4:55
    6. Broken 2:38
    7. Head Over Heels 5:02
    8. Listen 6:53

    BONUS 12 MIXES (STEREO 48/24  ONLY)

    1. The Way You Are (Extended Version) 7.42
    2. Mothers Talk (Extended Version) 6.18
    3. Shout (Extended Remix Version) 7.42
    4. Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Extended Version) 5.39
    5. Broken / Head Over Heels / Broken (Preacher Mix) 8.01
    6. Mothers Talk (Beat Of The Drum Mix) 8.56
    7. Shout (US Remix) 8.01
    8. Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Urban Mix) 6.01
    9. Mothers Talk (US Remix) 4.12
    10. Shout (Dub) 6.49
    11. Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Instrumental) 4.21
    12. Shout (Acapella) 5.02
• 2LP transparent red vinyl With bonus LP of rare alternates
  • LP 1: Songs From The Big Chair

    Side One

    1. Shout 6:32
    2. The Working Hour 6:31
    3. Everybody Wants To Rule The World 4:11
    4. Mothers Talk 5:06

    Side Two

    1. I Believe 4:55
    2. Broken 2:38
    3. Head Over Heels 5:02
    4. Listen 6:53
  • LP 2

    Side Three

    1. Shout (Alternative Mix) 5:08 (First time on vinyl)
    2. The Working Hour (Piano Version) 2:08 (First time on vinyl)
    3. Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Alternative Single Version) 4:21 (First time on vinyl)
    4. Mothers Talk (Early Mix) 4:39 (First time on vinyl)

    Side Four

    1. I Believe (A Soulful Re- Recording) 4:42
    2. Broken (Demo) 5:39 (First time On vinyl)
    3. Head Over Heels (Chris Hughes 7″ Edit) 4:16
    4. Listen (Clean Intro) (First time on vinyl)
• 3CD deluxe
  • CD 1: Original Album + B-sides
    1. Shout 6:32
    2. The Working Hour 6:31
    3. Everybody Wants To Rule The World 4:11
    4. Mothers Talk 5:06
    5. I Believe 4:55
    6. Broken 2:38
    7. Head Over Heels 5:02
    8. 8 Listen 6:53
    9. The Big Chair 3:21 (B-side to Shout)
    10. Empire Building 2:52 (B-side to Mothers Talk)
    11. The Marauders 4:15 (B-side to The Way You Are)
    12. Broken Revisited 5:16 (Bonus track on the ltd ed of Songs From The Big Chair)
    13. The Conflict 4:04 (B-side to Change)
    14. The Working Hour (Piano Version) 2:08
    15. 15 Pharaohs 3:41 (B-side to Everybody Wants To Rule The World)
    16. When In Love With A Blind Man 2:23 (B-side to Head Over Heels)
    17. Sea Song 3:53 (B-side to I Believe (A Soulful Re-Recording) in the UK and to the re-recorded version of Mothers Talk in the US)
  • CD 2: Edited Songs From The Big Chair
    1. The Way You Are 4:55
    2. Mothers Talk (Short Version) 3:54
    3. Shout (Alternative Version) 6:00
    4. Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Single Version) 4:12
    5. Head Over Heels (Dave Bascombe 7″ N.Mix)
    6. I Believe (A Soulful Re- Recording) 4:42
    7. Everybody Wants To Run The World 4:34
    8. The Way You Are (Edit) 4:21
    9. Mothers Talk (U.S. Remix) 4:14
    10. Shout (U.S. Single Edit) 4:06
    11. Everybody Wants To Run The World (Running Version) 4:33
    12. Head Over Heels (Chris Hughes 7″ Edit)
    13. Mothers Talk (Video Version) 4:47
    14. Shout (7″ Edit) 4:47
    15. Listen (Clean Intro) 6:52
    16. Interview With Curt & Roland 7:36
  • CD 3: Remixed Songs From The Big Chair
    1. The Way You Are (Extended Version) 7.42
    2. Mothers Talk (Extended Version) 6.18
    3. Shout (Extended Remix Version) 7.42
    4. Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Extended Version) 5.39
    5. Broken / Head Over Heels / Broken (Preacher Mix) 8.01
    6. Mothers Talk (Beat Of The Drum Mix) 8.56
    7. Shout (US Remix) 8.01
    8. Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Urban Mix) 6.01
    9. Mothers Talk (US Remix) 4.12
    10. Shout (Dub) 6.49
    11. Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Instrumental) 4.21
    12. Shout (Acapella) 5.02