Tears for Fears

Tears for Fears are a British pop band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, which emerged after the dissolution of their first band the mod influenced Graduate. They were initially associated with new wave and the New Romantic movements, but quickly branched out into mainstream chart success.

Breaking It Down Again

In 1993, Orzabal recorded the album Elemental in collaboration with longtime co-collaborator Alan Griffiths, and released it under the Tears for Fears moniker. It yielded the radio hit "Break It Down Again" and was supported with a successful US college tour.

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Despite being regarded by some faithful as "an album without Smith," many found the album to be an enjoyable blend of good songwriting and creative sampling.

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Orzabal and Griffiths released another Tears for Fears album in 1995, Raoul and the Kings of Spain, a more quiet and contemplative work that showed a new Latin musical influence (Raoul was originally the name Orzabal's parents wanted to give him, and is also the name of one of his children). Although it continued Tears for Fears' legacy of outstanding songwriting, big production values, and varied influences, creating an album around the theme of an exotic Spanish heritage excluded all but its main single, "God's Mistake," from any chance of commercial success.

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A worldwide tour, which included a frenzied welcome in South and Latin America, had the effect of straining Orzabal's energies rather than supporting them. The release of Raoul was delayed for nearly a year due to a last-minute switch label from Mercury to Sony, and the ensuing confusion (Mercury had already begun promotion) did not help the album's chances either. Sony responded to the lack of commercial success by ending Tears for Fears' contract.

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In 1996 a collection of TFF's impressive b-sides, Saturnine Martial and Lunatic, was released on Mercury. The liner notes gave fans an insight into the songwriting process as well as a rare glimpse of self-deprecating humour from TFF regarding the tracks which they would rather forget.

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