''Scenes from the Big Chair'' is a documentary film about the British band
Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath, England, in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the new ...
. 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
''Songs from the Big Chair'' is the second studio album by English pop rock band Tears for Fears, released on 25 February 1985 by Phonogram Records. The album peaked at number two in the UK and at number one in the US, becoming a multi-platinum s ...
''.
The documentary was made by renowned music video and film director
Nigel Dick
Nigel Dick (born 21 March 1953) is a British music video and film director, writer and musician from Catterick, England, now based in Los Angeles, California. He directed the Britney Spears videos " ...Baby One More Time" and " Oops!... I Did I ...
, who had already made several promo videos with the band including their hits "
Shout", "
Everybody Wants to Rule the World
"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is a song by English pop rock band Tears for Fears. It was written by Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley, and Chris Hughes and produced by Hughes. The song was first released on 22 March 1985 by Phonogram, Mercury ...
", and "
Head Over Heels". Filmed in England, Germany, Canada and the United States, it includes a variety of interviews with band members
Roland Orzabal
Roland Orzabal (born Roland Jaime Orzabal de la Quintana; 22 August 1961) is a British musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and author. He is best known as a co-founder of Tears for Fears, of which he is the main songwriter and joint v ...
,
Curt Smith
Curt Smith (born 24 June 1961) is a British singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and co-founding member of the pop rock band Tears for Fears along with childhood friend Roland Orzabal. Smith plays bass guitar, has co-written seve ...
,
Ian Stanley
Ian Christopher Stanley (born 28 February 1957) is a British musician, songwriter and record producer. He was previously a member of the English band Tears for Fears for most of the 1980s, and played a key role in the making of their multi-plat ...
and
Manny Elias
Manny Elias (born 21 February 1953) is an Indian drummer and record producer of British descent. He is notable for being the original drummer with Tears for Fears during the 1980s.
Originally a member of the rock band Interview from Bathford ...
, footage from the band's 1985 "Big Chair" tour (both onstage and off), a segment where the band filmed a promotional appearance for Japanese television at
Blenheim Palace in England, and clips from the promotional videos for the five singles released from the album (including the second promo video of the single "
Mothers Talk" and also a brief behind the scenes look at making the "
Head Over Heels" video).
''Scenes from the Big Chair'' was also released on Laserdisc and the short-lived Video CD format. It was released on DVD in 2005, twenty years after its initial home video release. In addition to the documentary, the DVD also contains a new 35 minute interview with record producer
Chris Hughes
Chris Hughes (born November 26, 1983) is an American entrepreneur and author who co-founded and served as spokesman for the online social directory and networking site Facebook until 2007. He was the publisher and editor-in-chief of ''The New R ...
, recorded in 2005, as he reflects on the making of the album and its subsequent global success.
Details on AllMusic.com
/ref> The non-US/Canadian releases also contain the 90 minute '' Going To California'' concert performance which was recorded in Santa Barbara during the band's ''"Seeds Of Love"'' World Tour in May 1990 (also directed by Nigel Dick and also previously available on home video).
It was reissued on DVD in 2014 as part of the 6-disc Super Deluxe Edition of ''Songs from the Big Chair''. This version also contains the 2005 interview with Chris Hughes, but does not include the 1990 ''Going To California'' concert.
Unlike the original VHS, Laserdisc and Video CD releases, the audio tracks for the DVD releases are available in 5.1 surround sound as well as 2.0 stereo.
Track listing
*"Broken"
*"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (promo)
*"Shout" (live)
*"Listen"
*"Head Over Heels" (promo)
*"Broken" (live/reprise)
*"Memories Fade" (live)
*"The Hurting" (live)
*"Mothers Talk" (promo)
*"I Believe" (promo)
*"The Working Hour" (live)
*"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (live)
*"Shout" (promo)
*"Listen" (end credits)
Music produced by Chris Hughes
Chris Hughes (born November 26, 1983) is an American entrepreneur and author who co-founded and served as spokesman for the online social directory and networking site Facebook until 2007. He was the publisher and editor-in-chief of ''The New R ...
.
DVD track listing
As above and also features a 2005 interview with producer Chris Hughes
Chris Hughes (born November 26, 1983) is an American entrepreneur and author who co-founded and served as spokesman for the online social directory and networking site Facebook until 2007. He was the publisher and editor-in-chief of ''The New R ...
and the non-US/Canadian versions include the 1990 '' Going to California'' concert video.
References
{{Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears video albums
Music videos directed by Nigel Dick