Songs From The Big Chair

Songs from the Big Chair is the title of the second studio album by British group Tears For Fears. It was released in the UK on 25 February 1985 on Mercury records. The album consolidated the group's initial success with their debut album The Hurting and also allowed them to penetrate overseas markets, including the USA. It reached no.2 in the UK album charts (held off the top position by Phil Collins' No Jacket Required), spending a total of 65 weeks in the Top 40. It also spawned six hit singles (see Singles section below).

In the USA Songs from the Big Chair reached no.1 in July 1985 and spent 82 weeks in the Billboard 200 and gave the group two no.1 singles in the Hot 100.

Personnel

 * Roland Orzabal - lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, piano
 * Curt Smith - bass guitar, lead vocals, backing vocals
 * Ian Stanley - keyboards, LinnDrumm
 * Many Elias - drums

Produced by Chris Hughes.

Tracklisting

 * Original UK LP release

Side One


 * 1) Shout
 * 2) The Working Hour
 * 3) Everybody Wants To World the World
 * 4) Mothers Talk

Side Two


 * 1) I Believe
 * 2) Broken
 * 3) Head over Heels
 * 4) Broken (Live)*
 * 5) Listen


 * not listed on sleeve, only on label. On CD editions Head over Heels/Broken (Live) is a single track.


 * ltd. edition cassette

Side One - tracks as above (with Broken (live) listed)

Side Two


 * 1) The Big Chair
 * 2) Empire Building
 * 3) The Marauders
 * 4) Broken Revisited
 * 5) The Conflict
 * 6) The Working Hour (Piano Version)

Re-releases

 * 1999 remastered CD

8 tracks as original LP plus bonus tracks:
 * 1) The Big Chair
 * 2) Empire Building
 * 3) The Marauders
 * 4) Broken Revisited
 * 5) The Conflict
 * 6) Mothers Talk (U.S. Remix)
 * 7) Shout (U.S. Remix)

Disc One. Tracks 1-8 per original album, plus:
 * Deluxe Edition (2006)
 * The Working Hour (Piano Version)
 * The Marauders
 * Empire Building
 * The Big Chair
 * Pharaohs
 * When in Love with a Blind Man
 * Sea Song
 * Broken Revisited

Disc Two. "Rarities 1983 - 1985" 1-7 The 7" Singles, 8-12 The 12" Singles
 * 1) The Way You Are (7" Version)
 * 2) Mothers Talk (Short Version)
 * 3) Shout (edit)
 * 4) Everybody Wants To Rule The World (7" Version)*
 * 5) Head Over Heels (Dave Bascombe 7" N. Mix)
 * 6) I Believe (A Soulful Re-Recording)
 * 7) Mothers Talk (U.S. Mix)
 * 8) Shout (U.S. Remix)
 * 9) Shout (U.S. Dub Version)
 * 10) Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Urban Mix)
 * 11) Mothers Talk (Beat Of The Drum Mix)
 * 12) Broken / Head Over Heels / Broken (Preacher Mix)


 * Deluxe edition (2014) (also on digital - see External links - Spotify)
 * Disc One - 17 tracks as per 2006 Deluxe
 * Disc Two - different tracklisting to 2006 edition. See tracklisting here

Box set, 5xCD + 2xDVD. Incl. B-sides, edits, remixes, previously unreleased tracks. Promo videos, documentary, interviews and BBC Tv apperances. Full tracklisting here.
 * 30th Anniversary Edition (2020)