(RockAndMetal.com) (02/17/05)

By Michael Bennett

LONDON, UK - After more than a decade apart, TEARS FOR FEARS founding members Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith reunited for a major American concert tour in 2004.

Gut Recordings ae now preparing for the upcoming release of the new Tears For Fears UK Edition studio album, "Everybody Loves A Happy Ending," on March 7th with 2 bonus tracks exclusive to the UK release.

"Happy Ending" marks the duo's first album together since 1989's platinum selling "The Seeds Of Love."

The U.K. Limited Edition version of the album features two exclusive bonus tracks, 'Pullin' A Cloud' and 'Out Of Control.'

The first single taken from the new album is entitled 'Closest Thing To Heaven,' and will be released as a UK Radio Mix (exclusive to the UK) this Monday, February 21st.

Gut Recordings also recently commissioned a new promo video for the single that was produced in Los Angeles and stars actress Brittany Murphy.

The CD single for 'Closest Thing To Heaven' will also boast four additional dance mixes of the song.

Written by both Smith and Orzabal alongside collaborator and co-producer Charlton Pettus, 'Closest Thing To Heaven,' with its sweeping string arrangement and arresting melodies, will likely have Tears For Fears fans old and new welcoming their return with open arms.

The band will also be supporting the UK single release of the 'Closest Thing To Heaven' single and album with a nationwide tour, their first live concerts in Britain since 1985 when they embarked on the "Songs From The Big Chair" world tour.

The upcoming tour kicks off April 25th at the Birmingham NIA Academy, and ends on May 3rd with the second of two dates at London's Hammersmith Apollo.

One of the most popular bands to emerge from the post-New Wave era of the early 1980s, Tears For Fears were formed in 1981, after Orzabal and Smith, childhood friends from Bath, made their first recordings as the band "Graduate."

The duo then went on to create Tears For Fears, taking their name from the teachings of Arthur Janov, whose primal scream therapy greatly influenced a post-Beatles John Lennon.

Their 1982 debut single, 'Mad World,' (successfully covered by Michael Andrews & Gary Jules late last year) went to #3 in the UK, and in 1983 the songs 'Change' and 'Pale Shelter' (from their debut album, "The Hurting") both went Top 5.

In 1985, Tears For Fears released their second album, "Songs From The Big Chair."

Fired by back-to-back-to-back hit singles 'Everybody Wants To Rule the World,' 'Shout' and 'Head Over Heels,' "Songs From The Big Chair" went straight to #1 on both the UK and US album charts that Summer.

The album went on to spend an incredible 81 weeks on the UK chart and 83 weeks on the US chart, where it was certified 5-times platinum.

After the transatlantic triumph of "Songs From The Big Chair" and the exhausting world tour that followed, Orzabal and Smith took a well-earned break.

They returned reinvigorated in 1989 with the single 'Sowing The Seeds Of Love' and platinum album "The Seeds Of Love," which once more saw Tears For Fears at the top of the UK album charts.

The album included the song 'Woman In Chains,' which launched the career of guest vocalist Oleta Adams, who was singing in a hotel lounge when Orzabal and Smith discovered her during a U.S. tour.

Smith left the band in 1990 to pursue solo projects, and the first of many best-selling Tears For Fears compilations were issued that year, including "Tears Roll Down."

Orzabal continued with Tears For Fears, releasing "Elemental" in 1993, which was essentially a solo album, and "Raoul And The Kings Of Spain" in 1995, the final album by Tears For Fears until now.

Solo projects from Smith (1993's "Soul On Board," and 1998's "Mayfield," on his own Zero-Disc label) and Orzabal (2001's "Tomcats Screaming Outside") have kept the two busy until the time was right to reconvene Tears For Fears for their American comeback in 2004.

"Everybody Loves A Happy Ending" UK Edition Track Listing:
1. Everybody Loves A Happy Ending
2. Closest Thing To Heaven
3. Call Me Mellow
4. Size Of Sorrow
5. Who Killed Tangerine?
6. Quiet Ones
7. Who You Are
8. The Devil
9. Secret World
10. Killing With Kindness
11. Ladybird
12. Last Days On Earth
13. Pullin' A Cloud (Bonus Track)
14. Out Of Control (Bonus Track)

Upcoming UK Tour Dates:
April 24th Dublin, Ireland [Vicar Street]
April 25th Birmingham, UK [NIA Academy]
April 27th Manchester, UK [Apollo]
April 28th Glasgow, UK [Auditorium]
April 29th Newcastle, UK [City Hall]
May 1st Cardiff, UK [International Arena]
May 2nd London, UK [Hammersmith Apollo]
May 3rd London, UK [Hammersmith Apollo]

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