Songs from the Big Chair is the second album

Album

An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

 by the British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 rock

Rock music

Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 band Tears for Fears

Tears for Fears

Tears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...

. It was released in 1985 on Phonogram Records

Phonogram Records

Phonogram Records was started in 1962 as a joint venture between Philips Records and Deutsche Grammophon. In 1972, Phonogram was merged with Polydor Records into PolyGram....

, and remains their highest selling album to date. The album peaked at no.2 in the UK (where it remained in the Top 10 for over six months and in the Top 40 for over a year) and reached no.1 (for five weeks) in the US. It contained a string of international hit singles, including: "Mothers Talk

Mothers Talk

"Mothers Talk" is a song by the British band Tears for Fears.Written by Roland Orzabal and Ian Stanley and sung by Orzabal, it was the band's seventh single release and fifth UK Top 40 chart hit...

", "Shout

Shout (Tears for Fears song)

"Shout" is a song by the British band Tears for Fears.Written by Roland Orzabal and Ian Stanley and sung by Orzabal , it was the band's eighth single release and sixth UK Top 40 hit, peaking at #4 in January 1985...

", "Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Everybody Wants to Rule the World

"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is a song by the British New Wave band Tears for Fears.It was the band's ninth single release in the United Kingdom and seventh UK Top 40 chart hit, peaking at number two in April 1985...

" and "Head Over Heels

Head over Heels (Tears for Fears song)

"Head over Heels" is a song by the British New Wave band Tears for Fears.It was the band's tenth single release in the United Kingdom and eighth UK Top 40 hit, peaking at #12 in July 1985...

".

Background and reception

The album title was derived from the 1976 television film Sybil

Sybil (film)

Sybil is a 1976 drama film that originally aired as a made-for-television miniseries. It was based on the book of the same name.-Production:...

 about a woman with multiple personality disorder who only feels safe when she is sitting in her analyst's "big chair".

The record remains highly regarded:

In the loping, percolating "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", Tears for Fears perfectly captured the zeitgeist of the mid-'80s while impossibly managing to also create a dreamy, timeless pop classic. Songs From the Big Chair is one of the finest statements of the decade.

Once the band had finished a lengthy touring and promotion schedule for the album, they took an extended hiatus from the music industry. In 1989, their third album, The Seeds of Love

The Seeds of Love

-Bonus tracks:Note: A remix of "Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams" was also released as a separate single in the UK and reached #70 on the charts.-Personnel:* Drums - Manu Katché, Chris Hughes, Phil Collins, Simon Phillips* Bass - Pino Palladino, Curt Smith...

, marked their return. A companion video documentary entitled "Scenes from the Big Chair

Scenes from the Big Chair

Scenes from the Big Chair is a documentary film about the British pop band Tears For Fears. Released on home video in 1985, the 75 minute documentary was made at the height of the band's global success following the release of their multi-platinum selling album Songs from the Big Chair.The...

" was released in late 1985.

The album has been included in the book compilation 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a musical reference book edited by Robert Dimery, first published in 2005. The most recent edition consists of a list of albums released between 1955 and 2010, part of a series from Quintessence Editions Ltd...

.

Re-issues

In 1998, MFSL

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab is a company known as an innovator in the production of audiophile-quality sound recordings. All releases are advertised as being produced from the first-generation analog master recordings, and using proprietary technology, which MFSL claims allows for improved sound...

 remastered and re-issued the album with two bonus tracks ("Shout" [Extended Mix] and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" [Extended Mix]).

The album was remaster

Remaster

Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...

ed and re-issued on CD in 1999 with bonus tracks, including b-sides and remixes. Three of the tracks ("The Conflict", "The Marauders" and "Broken Revisited") are actually from the The Hurting

The Hurting

The Hurting is the debut album by the British pop band Tears for Fears. It was released on 7 March 1983, and peaked at no. 1 on the UK Album Chart...

 period.

The album was re-released again in a Deluxe Edition 2-disc format in 2006 with the full collection of B-sides and many alternate versions and remixes of the album's tracks.

Original release

1. "Shout
   Shout (Tears for Fears song)
   "Shout" is a song by the British band Tears for Fears.Written by Roland Orzabal and Ian Stanley and sung by Orzabal , it was the band's eighth single release and sixth UK Top 40 hit, peaking at #4 in January 1985...
   
   " (Roland Orzabal
   Roland Orzabal
   Roland Jaime Orzabal de la Quintana is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He is known mainly as a co-founding member of Tears for Fears, of which he is the main songwriter and joint vocalist, but he has also achieved success as a producer of other artists.- Early career :Orzabal...
   
   , Ian Stanley
   Ian Stanley
   Ian Stanley is an English musician, songwriter and record producer...
   
   ) – 6:33
2. "The Working Hour" (Orzabal, Stanley, Manny Elias
   Manny Elias
   Manny Elias is an English drummer, notable for being the original drummer with Tears for Fears during the 1980s.Originally a member of the rock band Interview from Bath, Somerset. Elias began working with Tears For Fears in 1982 and drummed on the albums The Hurting and Songs From The Big Chair,...
   
   ) – 6:31
3. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World
   Everybody Wants to Rule the World
   "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is a song by the British New Wave band Tears for Fears.It was the band's ninth single release in the United Kingdom and seventh UK Top 40 chart hit, peaking at number two in April 1985...
   
   " (Orzabal, Stanley, Chris Hughes
   Chris Hughes (record producer)
   Chris Hughes is a music producer and a former drummer for Adam and the Ants....
   
   ) – 4:11
4. "Mothers Talk
   Mothers Talk
   "Mothers Talk" is a song by the British band Tears for Fears.Written by Roland Orzabal and Ian Stanley and sung by Orzabal, it was the band's seventh single release and fifth UK Top 40 chart hit...
   
   " (Orzabal, Stanley) – 5:06
5. "I Believe
   I Believe (A Soulful Re-Recording)
   "I Believe " is a single by the British band Tears for Fears. It was the band's eleventh single release and ninth UK Top 40 hit...
   
   " (Orzabal) – 4:54
6. "Broken" (Orzabal) – 2:38
7. "Head over Heels
   Head over Heels (Tears for Fears song)
   "Head over Heels" is a song by the British New Wave band Tears for Fears.It was the band's tenth single release in the United Kingdom and eighth UK Top 40 hit, peaking at #12 in July 1985...
   
   /Broken (live)" (Orzabal, Curt Smith
   Curt Smith
   Curt Smith is an English musician. He is best known for forming the band Tears for Fears, along with childhood friend Roland Orzabal. Also a solo artist, he released his third album Halfway, Pleased in May 2008....
   
   ) – 4:32
8. "Listen" (Orzabal, Stanley) – 6:54

1999 remastered CD bonus tracks:

9. "The Big Chair" (Orzabal, Smith, Stanley, Hughes) – 3:21
   
10. "Empire Building" (Smith, Orzabal, Stanley) – 2:52
    
11. "The Marauders" (Orzabal, Stanley) – 4:16
    
12. "Broken Revisited" (Orzabal) – 5:16
    
13. "The Conflict" (Orzabal, Smith, Stanley) – 4:05
    
14. "Mothers Talk" (U.S.
    United States
    The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
    
     remix) – 4:13
    
15. "Shout" (U.S. remix)" – 8:02
    

• "Head over Heels/Broken (live)" is erroneously listed as "Head over Heals/Broken (Live)" on the remastered CD.
• "Mothers Talk" (U.S. remix) on the remastered CD is the correct version of this remix, but has had additional reverb applied to it. The 1999 remaster is the only CD on which this "extra reverb" version can be found.

Disc one

1. "Shout" – 6:33
2. "The Working Hour" – 6:31
3. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" – 4:11
4. "Mothers Talk" – 5:06
5. "I Believe" – 4:54
6. "Broken" – 2:38
7. "Head over Heels/Broken (live)" – 5:02
8. "Listen" – 6:54
9. "The Working Hour" (piano version) – 2:08
10. "The Marauders" – 4:16
11. "Empire Building" – 2:52
12. "The Big Chair" – 3:21
13. "Pharaohs" (single version) (Orzabal, Smith, Stanley, Hughes) – 3:43
14. "When in Love with a Blind Man" (Orzabal, Stanley) – 2:22
15. "Sea Song" (Robert Wyatt
    Robert Wyatt
    Robert Wyatt is an English musician, and founding member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, with a long and distinguished solo career...
    
    ) – 3:51
16. "Broken Revisited" – 5:16

Disc two

1. "The Way You Are" (7" version) (Orzabal, Smith, Stanley ,Elias) – 4:49
2. "Mothers Talk" (short version) – 3:53
3. "Shout" (edit) – 4:03
4. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (7" version) – 4:08
5. "Head over Heels" (Dave Bascombe
   David Bascombe
   David Bascombe is an English music producer and mix engineer. He has worked with many bands and musicians, such as Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode and Suede.-Selected engineering, production, mixing and remixing:*Tears for Fears - Songs From the Big Chair...
   
    7" Mix) – 4:15
6. "I Believe (A Soulful Re-Recording)" – 4:41
7. "Mothers Talk" (remix) – 4:13
8. "Shout" (U.S. remix) – 8:02
9. "Shout" (Dub remix) – 6:49
10. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (Urban Mix) – 6:06
11. "Mothers Talk" (Beat of the Drum Mix) – 8:54
12. "Broken/Head over Heels/Broken" (Preacher Mix) – 8:00

• Track 4 was intended to be "Everybody Wants to Run the World
  Everybody Wants to Run the World
  "Everybody Wants to Run the World" is a re-recording of the song "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", originally written by Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley and Chris Hughes of the British band Tears for Fears and featured on the band's 1985 second LP Songs from the Big Chair.The re-jigged single was...
  
  " but was mistakenly replaced by a repetition of the album version (incorrectly labeled as the '7" version', but such a version does not exist); the album's liner notes confirm this.
• Track 7 is labeled "U.S. remix" on the packaging but is in fact a different version from the real "Mothers Talk" (U.S. remix) on the original vinyl singles. On CD, the real "U.S. remix" can be found on the compilations The Millennium Collection: The Best of Tears for Fears and Shout: The Very Best of Tears for Fears.

Personnel

• Roland Orzabal
  Roland Orzabal
  Roland Jaime Orzabal de la Quintana is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He is known mainly as a co-founding member of Tears for Fears, of which he is the main songwriter and joint vocalist, but he has also achieved success as a producer of other artists.- Early career :Orzabal...
  
   – guitar
  Guitar
  The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
  
  , keyboards
  Keyboard instrument
  A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
  
  , vocals, grand piano on 5, vocal styling on 8
• Curt Smith
  Curt Smith
  Curt Smith is an English musician. He is best known for forming the band Tears for Fears, along with childhood friend Roland Orzabal. Also a solo artist, he released his third album Halfway, Pleased in May 2008....
  
   – bass guitar
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
  , vocals
  Singing
  Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
  
  , lead vocals on 3 and 8
• Ian Stanley
  Ian Stanley
  Ian Stanley is an English musician, songwriter and record producer...
  
   – keyboards, vocal arrangements on 8
• Manny Elias
  Manny Elias
  Manny Elias is an English drummer, notable for being the original drummer with Tears for Fears during the 1980s.Originally a member of the rock band Interview from Bath, Somerset. Elias began working with Tears For Fears in 1982 and drummed on the albums The Hurting and Songs From The Big Chair,...
  
   – drums
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
  
  

Additional personnel

• Dave Bascombe – engineer

• "Shout": Sandy McLelland – backing vocals, Chris Hughes
  Chris Hughes (record producer)
  Chris Hughes is a music producer and a former drummer for Adam and the Ants....
  
   – drums
• "The Working Hour": Jerry Marotta
  Jerry Marotta
  Jerry Marotta is a drummer currently residing in Woodstock, New York. He is the brother of Rick Marotta, who is also a well-known drummer and composer....
  
   – percussion, William Gregory
  Will Gregory
  William Owen Gregory is best known as a songwriter, and the lead keyboards/synthesizer player & producer of the electronic music group Goldfrapp. Originally a classical music student at the University of York, Gregory is the son of an actress and an opera chorus-line singer...
  
   – saxophone solos, Mel Collins
  Mel Collins
  Mel Collins is a British saxophonist and flautist and session musician.He has worked in a wide variety of contexts ranging from R&B and blues rock to jazz, but is perhaps known for his work in progressive rock, as with King Crimson, Camel and the Alan Parsons Project.-Career:Collins has worked...
  
   – saxophone, Andy Davis – grand piano
• "Everybody Wants to Rule the World": Neil Taylor
  Neil Taylor (guitarist)
  Neil Taylor is a guitarist best known for his long-time affiliation with Robbie Williams and for formerly being a member of the backing band of Tears for Fears.-Career:...
  
   – second guitar solo
• "Mothers Talk": Stevie Lange – backing vocals
• "I Believe": William Gregory – saxophone
• "Broken": Neil Taylor
  Neil Taylor (guitarist)
  Neil Taylor is a guitarist best known for his long-time affiliation with Robbie Williams and for formerly being a member of the backing band of Tears for Fears.-Career:...
  
   – guitar solo
• "Head Over Heels": Sandy McLelland – backing vocals, Andy Davis – grand piano, Annie McCaig – backing vocals, Marilyn Davis – backing vocals
• "Listen": Marilyn Davis – operatic vocal

Album

Chart	Country	Provider(s)	Peak position	Certification	Sales
UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...	United Kingdom	BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...	2	3x Platinum	900,000+
Austrian Albums Chart	Austria	IFPI Austria	22
Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...	Canada	CRIA Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada...	1	7x Platinum	700,000+
French Albums Chart	France	SNEP Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...	12
Media Control Charts Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...	Germany	IFPI Germany	1	Gold	250,000+
MegaCharts MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top...	Netherlands	NVPI NVPI The NVPI is the Dutch tradeassociation of the entertainment industry...	2	Platinum	50,000+
New Zealand Albums Chart	New Zealand	RIANZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...	2
Norwegian Albums Chart	Norway	IFPI Norway	17
Swedish Albums Chart	Sweden	IFPI Sweden	25
Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...	Switzerland	IFPI Switzerland	5
US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...	United States	RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...	1	5x Platinum	5,000,000+

Singles

{|
|-
| style="vertical-align:top; width:400px;"|

{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Single
! style="width:175px;"|Chart
! Peak
|-
| rowspan="2"|1984
| rowspan="3"|"Mother's Talk"
| UK Singles Chart

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

| style="text-align:center;"| 14
|-
| Irish Singles Chart

Irish Singles Chart

The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...

| style="text-align:center;"| 23
|-
| 1985
| New Zealand Singles Chart

Recording Industry Association of New Zealand

The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...

| style="text-align:center;"| 50
|-
| 1984
| rowspan="12"|"Shout"
| UK Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"| 4
|-
| rowspan="11"|1985
| Austria Top 40

Ö3 Austria Top 40

Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann...

| style="text-align:center;"| 6
|-
| Canadian Singles Chart

Canadian Singles Chart

The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....

| style="text-align:center;"| 1
|-
| Dutch Mega Single Top 100

Mega Single Top 100

The Single Top 100 is a Dutch chart, based on official physical single sales and legal downloads and composed by MegaCharts. It is one of the three official charts, the other two being the Dutch Top 40 and the Mega Top 50. The difference is that these charts also include airplay data.The list is...

| style="text-align:center;"| 1
|-
| French Singles Chart

Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique

The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...

| style="text-align:center;"| 21
|-
| German Media Control Charts

Media Control Charts

The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...

| style="text-align:center;"| 1
|-
| Irish Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"| 5
|-
| Norwegian VG-lista

VG-lista

VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...

| style="text-align:center;"| 5
|-
| New Zealand Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
|-
| Swedish Singles Chart

Sverigetopplistan

Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....

| style="text-align:center;"| 16
|-
| Swiss Albums Chart

Swiss Music Charts

The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...

| style="text-align:center;"| 1
|-
| US Billboard Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
|}

{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Single
! style="width:175px;"|Chart
! Peak
|-
| rowspan="10"|1985
| rowspan="10"|"Everybody Wants
to Rule the World"
| UK Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
|-
| Austria Top 40
| style="text-align:center;"| 19
|-
| Canadian Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
|-
| Dutch Mega Single Top 100
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
|-
| French Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"| 18
|-
| German Media Control Charts
| style="text-align:center;"| 11
|-
| Irish Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
|-
| New Zealand Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
|-
| Swiss Charts
| style="text-align:center;"| 13
|-
| US Billboard Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
|-
| rowspan="7"|1985
| rowspan="7"|"Head Over Heels"
| UK Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"| 12
|-
| Canadian Singles Chart

Canadian Singles Chart

The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....

| style="text-align:center;"| 8
|-
| Dutch Mega Single Top 100
| style="text-align:center;"| 29
|-
| German Media Control Charts
| style="text-align:center;"| 55
|-
| Irish Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"| 5
|-
| New Zealand Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"| 12
|-
| US Billboard' Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
|}
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Single
! Chart
! Peak
|-
| rowspan="3"|1985
| rowspan="3"|"I Believe (A Soulful
Re-Recording)"
| UK Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"| 23
|-
| Irish Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"| 10
|-
| New Zealand Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"| 28
|-
| rowspan="2"|1986
| rowspan="2"| "Mother's Talk"
| Canadian Singles Chart
| style="text-align:center;"| 87
|-
| US Billboard Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;"| 27
|}