History Music / TearsForFears

The core membership of TearsForFears is a British duo consisting of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, although plenty of other musicians have been involved in the project throughout the years, many as named members of the band. The band, which was named for a primal therapy technique, formed in 1981, and like a lot of 1980's pop bands, they haven't had much success since the 1990's; in fact, Smith left the band in 1992, making the band essentially [[IAmTheBand Orzabal's solo project]]. Smith rejoined in 2001 (contrary to certain reports in the media, the renewed attention to their music due to "Head Over Heels" and a cover of "Mad World" being used in ''{{Donnie Darko}}'' was not the cause of this) and TearsForFears put out a new album in 2004.

** WordOfGod admits that "Sowing the Seeds of Love" and "Schrödinger's Cat" are both pastiches of "[[TheBeatles I Am the Walrus]]" (Orzabal also notes that the piano break on "Schrödinger" is "reminiscent of [Thunderclap Newman's] 'Something in the Air'"). These were far from the only [[Music/TheBeatles Beatles]] pastiches the group recorded; large parts of ''The Seeds of Love'' and ''Everybody Loves a Happy Ending'' bear clear Beatles influence (although maybe not quite this clear).

The core membership of TearsForFears is a British duo consisting of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith that was apparently named for a primal therapy technique, although plenty of other musicians have been involved in the project throughout the years, many as named members of the band. They formed in 1981, and like a lot of 1980's pop bands, they haven't had much success since the 1990's; in fact, for all intents and purposes they broke up in 1992. They reformed in 2001 (contrary to certain reports in the media, the renewed attention to their music due to "Head Over Heels" and a cover of "Mad World" being used in ''{{Donnie Darko}}'' was not the cause of this) and put out a new album in 2004.

** Oleta Adams sings guest vocals on "Woman in Chains", "Badman's Song", and "Me and My Big Ideas". Orzabal and Smith are basically responsible for discovering her.

** ''The Seeds of Love'' took influence from '70s progressive rock and psychedelia, particularly Music/TheBeatles.

** WordOfGod admits that "Sowing the Seeds of Love" and "Schrödinger's Cat" are both pastiches of "TheBeatles I Am the Walrus" (Orzabal also notes that the piano break on "Schrödinger" is "reminiscent of [Thunderclap Newman's] 'Something in the Air'"). These were far from the only [[Music/TheBeatles Beatles]] pastiches the group recorded; large parts of ''The Seeds of Love'' and ''Everybody Loves a Happy Ending'' bear clear Beatles influence (although maybe not quite this clear).

TFF is a British duo consisting of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith that was apparently named for a primal therapy technique. They formed in 1981, and like a lot of 1980's pop bands, they haven't had much success since the 1990's; in fact, for all intents and purposes they broke up in 1992. They reformed in 2001 (contrary to certain reports in the media, the renewed attention to their music due to "Head Over Heels" and a cover of "Mad World" being used in ''{{Donnie Darko}}'' was not the cause of this) and put out a new album in 2004.

To be fair, the guys did release two other albums. First there was ''The Hurting'' in 1983, which sounds more like an angst-ridden DepecheMode album; this is where the single "Mad World" came from, which later got a [[CoveredUp more popular cover version]] by Gary Jules that was used on the ''DonnieDarko'' soundtrack. Second was ''The Seeds of Love'' in 1989, which was a lot more experimental and rockier than the previous albums, though it did spawn a couple of hits ("Sowing the Seeds of Love" and "Woman in Chains"). After their breakup, Roland Orzabal would release [[IAmTheBand two essentially solo albums]] under the band's name, before Smith rejoined the band and they released the reunion album ''Everybody Loves a Happy Ending''.

** WordOfGod admits that "Sowing the Seeds of Love" and "Schrödinger's Cat" are both pastiches of "TheBeatles I Am the Walrus" (Orzabal also notes that the piano break on "Schrödinger" is "reminiscent of [Thunderclap Newman's] 'Something in the Air'"). These were far from the only [[Music/TheBeatles Beatles]] pastiches the group recorded.

* Sampling:

** "Empire Building" is inspired by ''Film/BreakerMorant'', a film about the Boer War.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSong[=/=]{{Homage}}: WordOfGod admits that "Sowing the Seeds of Love" and "Schrödinger's Cat" are both pastiches of "TheBeatles I Am the Walrus". These were far from the only [[Music/TheBeatles Beatles]] pastiches the group recorded. Similarly, "Brian Wilson Said", as might be expected from the title, is a BeachBoys pastiche (it also alludes to Van Morrison's track "Jackie Wilson Said").

* NewSoundAlbum: Basically all of them. ''Songs from the Big Chair'' expanded the original album's synth-pop template with influence from jazz and electronica (as well as a Robert Wyatt-style ballad in "I Believe"). ''The Seeds of Love'' took influence from '70s progressive rock and psychedelia, particularly Music/TheBeatles. ''Elemental'' had a more slick modern sound with a more cinematic scope. ''Raoul and the Kings of Spain'' was a ConceptAlbum about Orzabal's Spanish heritage and incorporated a lot of influence from flamenco and other styles (although this was not present on every track). ''Everybody Loves a Happy Ending'' went back to the psychedelia-influenced sound of ''The Seeds of Love'', but was in general substantially brighter and more modern.
* ProtestSong: "Shout" is a bit of a meta example; the lyrics themselves don't actually protest anything in particular, but they encourage protest.

* ShoutOut: The band name is a reference to primal therapy. Also, in ''Shout'', they take this trope [[LiteralMinded literally]].

This band's three most famous songs come from their 1985 album ''Songs from the Big Chair''. At least, these are the three songs that you hear on the radio and in "best of the 80's" compilation albums as of February 19, 2010:

Of course, many fans over at their [[http://www.last.fm/music/Tears+for+Fears Last.FM page]] would have you believe otherwise.

To be fair, the guys did release two other albums. First there was ''The Hurting'' in 1983, which sounds more like an angst-ridden DepecheMode album; this is where the single "Mad World" came from, which later got a [[CoveredUp more popular cover version]] by Gary Jules that was used on the ''DonnieDarko'' soundtrack. Second was ''The Seeds of Love'' in 1989, which was a lot more experimental and rockier than the previous albums, though it did spawn a couple of hits ("Sowing the Seeds of Love" and "Woman in Chains"). After their breakup, Roland Orzabal would release much of his solo work under the band's name.

* MusicalPastiche: WordOfGod admits that "Sowing the Seeds of Love" and "Schrödinger's Cat" are both pastiches of "TheBeatles I Am the Walrus". These were far from the only [[Music/TheBeatles Beatles]] pastiches the group recorded. Similarly, "Brian Wilson Said", as might be expected from the title, is a BeachBoys pastiche (it also alludes to Van Morrison's track "Jackie Wilson Said").

* MusicalPastiche: WordOfGod admits that "Sowing the Seeds of Love" and "Schrödinger's Cat" are both pastiches of "[[TheBeatles I Am the Walrus]]".

* CreatorBacklash: The band really hated "The Way You Are". They only recorded it because the record company demanded a new song for a single, and they had performed it live.

* LastOfHisKind: Roland Orzabal, for whatever reason, wanted to keep the band alive so much that, during the 1990's, almost all of his solo work [[IAmTheBand would be released under the band's name]]. "Tomcats Screaming Outside", which he made in 2001, was his only album that he released under his name.

* NewSoundAlbum: Basically all of them. ''Songs from the Big Chair'' expanded the original album's synth-pop template with influence from jazz and electronica (as well as a Robert Wyatt-style ballad in "I Believe"). ''The Seeds of Love'' took influence from '70s progressive rock and psychedelia, particularly TheBeatles. ''Elemental'' had a more slick modern sound with a more cinematic scope. ''Raoul and the Kings of Spain'' was a ConceptAlbum about Orzabal's Spanish heritage and incorporated a lot of influence from flamenco and other styles (although this was not present on every track). ''Everybody Loves a Happy Ending'' went back to the psychedelia-influenced sound of ''The Seeds of Love'', but was in general substantially brighter and more modern.

* DownerEnding: ''The Seeds of Love'' ends with "Famous Last Words", which is pure TearJerker. (Considering that it's about a couple perishing in each others during nuclear holocaust, it'd pretty much have to be).

* NewSoundAlbum: Basically all of them. ''Songs from the Big Chair'' expanded the original album's synth-pop template with influence from jazz and electronica. ''The Seeds of Love'' took influence from '70s progressive rock and psychedelia, particularly TheBeatles. ''Elemental'' had a more slick modern sound with a more cinematic scope. ''Raoul and the Kings of Spain'' was a ConceptAlbum about Orzabal's Spanish heritage and incorporated a lot of influence from flamenco and other styles (although this was not present on every track). ''Everybody Loves a Happy Ending'' went back to the psychedelia-influenced sound of ''The Seeds of Love'', but was in general substantially brighter and more modern.

* CoveredUp: Mad WOrld was originally performed by them, but most people only know the GaryJules' version from Film/DonnieDarko

* ShoutOut: The band name is a reference to primal therapy. Also, in ''Shout'', they take this trope [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin literally]].

* RedundancyDepartmentOfRedundancy: "Ice cold as ice..."

* LastOfHisKind: Roland Orzabal, for whatever reason, wanted to keep the band alive so much that, during the 1990's, almost all of his solo work would be released under the band's name. "Tomcats Screaming Outside", which he made in 2001, was his only album that he released under his name.