so did TFF lose fans for recording such a brazen arena move? It could've gone so wrong – it could have been Once Upon a Time.
― Bryan Fairy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 12 February 2014 16:21 (ten years ago) link
Good question. I was a fan of "The Hurting" and loved SFTBC. I don't think fans felt it was as blatant a stadium move as Simple Minds. I was rather shocked at TFF's success in America. It's much more complex and lyrically daring than the top 40 of the time.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 12 February 2014 17:36 (ten years ago) link
That "Everybody Rules the World" took off doesn't surprise me. Even now the band mixed the thing so that it jumps out of the speakers AND sounds nothing like ruled the charts in spring and summer '85.
― Bryan Fairy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 12 February 2014 17:59 (ten years ago) link
In interviews, Roland has made it clear they aspired to chart success but not at the cost of their artistic souls.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 12 February 2014 18:11 (ten years ago) link
Everybody Wants To Rule The World is one of the greatest singles of all time
― Master of Treacle, Monday, September 17, 2012 5:48 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Jimmywine Dyspeptic, Friday, 4 July 2014 02:47 (nine years ago) link
the first four songs even
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 4 July 2014 03:11 (nine years ago) link
instrumental of Everybody Wants to Rule the World is a balearic jam for the ages:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1dH5DUiZhg
― online hardman, Friday, 4 July 2014 13:40 (nine years ago) link
BOX!
http://media.spincds.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/265x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/t/e/tears.jpg
DISC 1: Songs From The Big Chair1. “Shout”2. “The Working Hour”3. “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”4. “Mothers Talk”5. “I Believe”6. “Broken”7. “Head Over Heels”8. “Listen”Bonus tracks:9. “The Big Chair”10. “Empire Building”11. “The Marauders”12. “Broken Revisited”13. “The Conflict”14. “The Working Hour” (Piano Version)15. “Pharaohs”16. “When In Love With A Blind Man”17. “Sea Song” DISC 2: Edited Songs From The Big Chair1. “The Way You Are”2. “Mothers Talk” (Single Version)3. “Shout” (Single Version)4. “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” (Single Version)5. “Head Over Heels” (Remix)6. “I Believe” (A Soulful Re-Recording)7. “Everybody Wants To Run The World”8. “The Way You Are” (Short Version)9. “Mothers Talk: (U.S. Remix)10. “Shout” (U.S. Single Version)11. “Everybody Wants To Run The World” (Running Version)12. “Head Over Heels” (Radio Version)13. “Mothers Talk” (Video Version)14. “Shout” (Short Version)15. “Listen” (Clean Intro)15. Interview With Curt & Roland DISC 3: Remixed Songs From The Big Chair1. “The Way You Are: (Extended Version)2. “Mothers Talk” (Extended Version)3. “Shout” (Extended Remix Version)4. “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” (Extended Version)5. “Broken/Head Over Heels/Broken” (Preacher Mix)6. “Mothers Talk” (Beat Of The Drum Mix)7. “Shout” (U.S. Remix)8. “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” (Urban Mix)9. “Mothers Talk” (U.S. Remix Alternate)10. “Shout” (Dub)11. “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” (Instrumental)12. “Shout” (A cappella) DISC 4: Unreleased Songs From The Big Chair1. “Head Over Heels” (Richard Skinner Session)2. “The Working Hour” (Richard Skinner Session)3. “Broken” (Richard Skinner Session)4. “Mothers Talk” (Live At Massey Hall)5. “Broken/Head Over Heels” (Live At Massey Hall)6. “Memories Fade” (Live At Massey Hall)7. “The Working Hour” (Live At Massey Hall)8. “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” (Live At Massey Hall)9. “Shout” (Live At Massey Hall)10. “Mothers Talk” (Early Mix/Instrumental)11. “The Way You Are” (Early Mix)12. “Broken” (Early Mix)13. “Shout” (Early Mix)14. “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” (Alternate Single Version) DISC 5: DVD-A5.1 and Stereo Mix1. “Shout”2. “The Working Hour”3. “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”4. “Mothers Talk”5. “I Believe”6. “Broken”7. “Head Over Heels”8. “Listen” DISC 6: DVDDocumentary:1. Scenes From The Big Chair – Documentary2. Interview With Producer Chris HughesPromos:3. “The Way You Are” (Music Video)4. “Mothers Talk” (Alternative UK Video)5. “Mothers Talk” (Music Video)6. “Shout” (Music Video)7. “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” (Music Video)8. “Head Over Heels” (Music Video)9. “I Believe” (Music Video)10. “Mothers Talk” (Music Video)11. “Everybody Wants To Run The World” (Music Video)BBC TV appearances:12. “The Way You Are” (Top of the Pops)13. “Mothers Talk” (Top of the Pops)14. “Mothers Talk” (Top of the Pops)15. “Shout” (Top of the Pops)16. “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” (Wogan)17. “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” (Top of the Pops)18. “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” (Top of the Pops)19. “The Working Hour” (Wogan)
― Mark G, Wednesday, 1 October 2014 14:55 (nine years ago) link
fuck that.
― Shepard Toney Album (dog latin), Wednesday, 1 October 2014 14:56 (nine years ago) link
Spin has it for around £35, I don't know if that's accurate but they're not usually wrong.
― Mark G, Wednesday, 1 October 2014 14:58 (nine years ago) link
Man, that's a lot of versions of "Shout".
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 1 October 2014 14:59 (nine years ago) link
A whole CD of edits of songs off the album. And then the supposed 'unreleased' songs are just live or session versions of songs off the album.
― Shepard Toney Album (dog latin), Wednesday, 1 October 2014 15:06 (nine years ago) link
the 2 CD deluxe version is on Spotify.
and the docu is here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJiLCZh4gZc
― piscesx, Wednesday, 1 October 2014 15:10 (nine years ago) link
14. “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” (Alternate Single Version)
This is so weird to hear after 30 years of hearing it without all the extra stuff plastered all over it.
― Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 3 December 2014 23:52 (nine years ago) link
This is pretty cool. Roland appears to have spent much more time in the sun than me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4_mMl0B5mA
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 4 December 2014 00:21 (nine years ago) link
They sound great.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 4 December 2014 02:29 (nine years ago) link
Brad, get in here.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 4 December 2014 02:30 (nine years ago) link
Orzabal's voice hasn't diminished a single bit.
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 4 December 2014 02:33 (nine years ago) link
All this hullabaloo and no mention of the 10th anniversary of "Everybody Loves A Happy Ending".
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 4 December 2014 02:45 (nine years ago) link
Finished listening to the box. I couldn't do it all consecutively, though, that would've been too much.
I love the expanded album on disc 1, I bought the limited UK cassette when it came out and played it daily for a year and a half. The edits and mixes are alright, though I hate the "Urban Mix" of Everybody - it just adds pointless sax noodling. In the end I concluded that the album versions were definitive though I have a soft spot for the UK extended Shout.
The best bits are the unreleased stuff on disc 4. Interesting radio versions start it off, followed by some nice live takes. Everybody Wants is played like that stupid Urban Mix, though! Shout has almost metallic guitars and also silly sax bits added. The early mixes are interesting - The Way You Are has completely different lyrics and Shout is a bit flaccid, always cool the recognize how much a good producer adds.
Overall I'm glad I have this but it'll be years before I listen to this again.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Tuesday, 16 December 2014 19:59 (nine years ago) link
One day it will be cheap in Fopp.
And then I will.. be in some other town and miss it as I get to fopp about once every 6 months thesedays,
― Mark G, Tuesday, 16 December 2014 20:33 (nine years ago) link
Whats the SW remix of the album like?
― MaresNest, Tuesday, 16 December 2014 21:17 (nine years ago) link
I didn't listen to the 'new' stereo mix or the 5.1 mix. Honestly, not sure if I ever will, those are wasted on me.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Tuesday, 16 December 2014 21:21 (nine years ago) link
I got the "Deluxe version" i.e. 2CD
CD1 is great, the album itself with a few added things
The CD2 is odd, the booklet has the tracklistings for CD1 and 2 from the box set, but the correct tracklistings are on the box etc.
I basically have to say: Boy, aren't the 12" versions of "Mothers Talk" and "Shout" awful?
Most of them seem to be on CD3 of the box, but.
― Mark G, Tuesday, 19 May 2015 11:54 (nine years ago) link
It still surprises me that they managed to get a 6 disc set out of this album.
― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Tuesday, 19 May 2015 12:18 (nine years ago) link
I mean, this band have never really been renowned for recording a lot of music, have they?!
― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Tuesday, 19 May 2015 12:19 (nine years ago) link
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, December 3, 2014 7:30 PM (two years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
sorry alfred of three years ago
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Saturday, 25 November 2017 20:56 (six years ago) link
Re-reading McBoing-Boing's post above reminded me of the existence of 'The Way You Are', that interim single that the band absolutely hate. It's not too difficult to hear why - one of my least favourite things TFF did during the original run with Curt.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Saturday, 25 November 2017 21:25 (six years ago) link
Hah! I've always had a soft spot for it, it's so much a transitional sounds with some of The Hurting and some of the Big Chair vibe, but clearly not achieving the success of either.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Sunday, 26 November 2017 01:30 (six years ago) link
As time goes by, I become more solidified in my opinion that "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is the greatest song ever written. This song never fails to give me that rush, it's completely perfect
― Vinnie, Sunday, 26 November 2017 02:37 (six years ago) link
It really amazes me how "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" over the years has totally eclipsed "Shout" as the signature song from this album, if not TFF's signature song, period. At the time I remember "Shout" being more popular, although they were both #1 hits in the US and Canada. They wanted the first single ("Shout") to a grand, statement-making song ("hey, we're back!") which is the kind of thing that isn't really relevant thirty years later once everybody already knows all their hits. "Everybody" is a lot easier to digest, so to speak.
― NoTimeBeforeTime, Sunday, 26 November 2017 13:40 (six years ago) link
Surprising how badly I Believe did in this poll.
― piscesx, Sunday, 26 November 2017 14:05 (six years ago) link
Just as odd as it is to think of "Purple Rain" as inspired by Prince seeing a Bob Seger concert, I see to recall that this album was partly inspired by TFF catching Springsteen live and wanting to make something just as anthemic.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 26 November 2017 14:30 (six years ago) link
"Everybody" was the first single in America xpost
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 26 November 2017 15:05 (six years ago) link
"Everybody" is probly their worst song ever and people are crazy
and i miss you Bimble, peace
― who says no to mentals? (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 26 November 2017 15:59 (six years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol, Sunday, 10 December 2017 14:41 (six years ago) link
Shout suffered as a song because everybody I knew changed the chorus lyrics to "shout, shout/gets the stains out/gets out the stains you can do without/come on, the laundry won't do/itself"
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Sunday, 10 December 2017 15:59 (six years ago) link
:D :D :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdEPYEfPfig
― DJ U OK Hun? (jed_), Friday, 23 March 2018 03:32 (six years ago) link
hi
― DJ U OK Hun? (jed_), Tuesday, 27 March 2018 19:08 (six years ago) link
i can't believe only three people voted for shout
― austinb, Tuesday, 27 March 2018 19:53 (six years ago) link
i know, wtf?
― DJ U OK Hun? (jed_), Tuesday, 27 March 2018 22:40 (six years ago) link
let it all out, guys
― stormzy daniels (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 27 March 2018 23:10 (six years ago) link
lol what austinb said
what's the general consensus re best tff album
― ya done (Ross), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 15:05 (five years ago) link
feel like ppl are generally split between this and the hurting
i think big chair is literally perfect but i like the seeds of love more if that makes any sense
― flamenco blorf (BradNelson), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 15:08 (five years ago) link
i've only heard elemental, sowing, raoul and this - when i get some money gonna plunk down on hurting.
feels good to see the tff revival here, when i was growing up in the 90s i felt weird about liking them as everyone else was into whatever else was cool like salt n pepa, tlc etc
(which are cool ofc)
― ya done (Ross), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 15:10 (five years ago) link
sad but not surprised that nobody voted for Mothers Talk. the three singles really do tower over this album, even though MT, The Working Hour, and I Believe are all fantastic too
― paul mccartney & whinge (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 19 June 2018 15:12 (five years ago) link
i'm sure i voted for 'head over heels' and would probably do so again, but man 'everybody wants to rule the world' is just perfect
i hate that noodle vague and i will have to fite about it, but so it goes
― mookieproof, Sunday, 5 August 2018 02:05 (five years ago) link
sad but not surprised that nobody voted for Mothers Talk. the three singles really do tower over this album, even though MT, The Working Hour, and I Believe are all fantastic too― paul mccartney & whinge (voodoo chili), Tuesday, June 19, 2018 3:12 PM (one month ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― paul mccartney & whinge (voodoo chili), Tuesday, June 19, 2018 3:12 PM (one month ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
'Mothers Talk' was a single! 'I Believe' was released as a single, too.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Sunday, 5 August 2018 07:46 (five years ago) link
right, but I Believe was never released in the US and Mothers' Talk was a moderate hit, while the three big songs spent weeks upon weeks in the top 5 (or at #1 in the case of Shout and Everybody Wants to Rule the World)
― ant banks and wasp (voodoo chili), Sunday, 5 August 2018 12:41 (five years ago) link
Same.
― I Never Promised You A Hose Harden (Eric H.), Sunday, 5 August 2018 13:53 (five years ago) link