The Seeds of Love

The Seeds of Love is the third studio album by the British rock/pop band Tears for Fears, released on 25 September 1989.

Not to be confused with The Seeds of Love (folk song).

The Seeds of Love
Studio album by
Tears for Fears
Released25 September 1989
Recorded1986–1989
Genre
Length49:31
LabelFontana/Mercury
ProducerTears for Fears, Dave Bascombe
Tears for Fears chronology
Songs from the Big Chair
(1985)		 The Seeds of Love
(1989)		 Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82–92)
(1992)
Singles from The Seeds of Love
  1. "Sowing the Seeds of Love"
    Released: 21 August 1989
  2. "Woman in Chains"
    Released: 6 November 1989
  3. "Advice for the Young at Heart"
    Released: 19 February 1990
  4. "Famous Last Words"
    Released: 6 August 1990

The album, which reportedly cost over £1 million (GBP) to produce (equivalent to £2.5 million in 2019), retained the band's epic sound while incorporating influences ranging from jazz and soul to Beatlesque pop, of which the latter is most evident on the hit single "Sowing the Seeds of Love".[4]

The Seeds of Love was an international success, entering the UK Albums Chart at number one and reaching the top ten in numerous other countries including the US. It has been certified Gold or Platinum in several territories including the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Germany, Canada, and the Netherlands. Despite its success, it would be the last album that band members Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith would work on together for over a decade.

Production

The first song composed for the album was "Badman's Song" (originally titled "The Bad Man Song"), written during the band's 1985 world tour after Orzabal overheard two members of the tour personnel maligning him in a hotel room one night. The song was co-written by Orzabal with keyboardist Nicky Holland, who was touring with the band throughout 1985. Holland would go on to play an integral part in the writing and recording of The Seeds of Love album, much as keyboardist Ian Stanley had on the band's previous album.

Recording sessions for the album began in late 1986 with producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, but Orzabal and Smith were unhappy with the results and so the recordings were scrapped in early 1987. Chris Hughes (who had produced both the previous Tears For Fears albums) was then brought back into the fold, but again conflicts arose over the direction of the new material. Orzabal in particular had grown weary of composing and playing music using machines and sequencers, as the majority of Tears For Fears' music had been up to that point, and was striving for something more organic and a different way of working.[5]

"As a band, we came from the programmed pop era of the early '80s and we had inherited a sense of structure that permeated almost all our music. The way we were working was becoming too sterile. We wanted to do something more colourful, something that sounded big and warm. You cannot get that from machines. You only get that with real musicians and real players."

— Curt Smith[5]

The song "Sowing the Seeds of Love" was written in June 1987, the same week as the UK general election in which Margaret Thatcher and the Conservative Party won a third consecutive term in office (reflected in the lyric "Politician granny with your high ideals, have you no idea how the majority feels?"). Hughes and longtime TFF keyboardist Ian Stanley both left the project later in 1987 citing "creative differences", though their contributions to the track remained on the final album. After two failed attempts to make the album, the band opted to produce it themselves, assisted by engineer Dave Bascombe. Also in 1987, Orzabal and Smith flew over to the US to track down a hotel lounge pianist/vocalist named Oleta Adams, whom they had seen playing in Kansas City during their 1985 American tour. Hoping she could add to the organic feel by bringing a soulful warmth to their music, they invited Adams to work with them on their new album. Adams would ultimately perform on three tracks ("Woman in Chains", "Badman's Song" and "Standing on the Corner of the Third World"), and a solo recording contract was also offered to her by the band's record company Fontana.[5]

Recording recommenced in early 1988 and lasted until the summer of 1989. Featuring an assortment of respected session players including drummers Manu Katché and Simon Phillips, bassist Pino Palladino, and a guest appearance by Phil Collins on drums, much of the album was recorded as jam sessions featuring different performances of the music and then edited down later. Some of the tracks, particularly "Badman's Song", were recorded several times in a variety of musical styles including, according to Holland, versions of the song that were reminiscent of Barry White, Little Feat and Steely Dan before settling on the jazz/gospel version that is on the finished album. Co-producer Dave Bascombe commented that the final version of the song was almost nothing like the original demo because it had gone through so many changes. The track "Swords and Knives" was originally written for the 1986 film Sid and Nancy (about the relationship between Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen), but was rejected by the filmmakers for not being "punk" enough.[5]

Due to the starry cast of session players and lengthy production process, including the scrapped earlier recordings, the album reportedly cost £1 million to make (by comparison, the band's previous album Songs from the Big Chair only cost around £70,000[6]). The final mix of the album was completed at London's Mayfair Studios in July 1989. Frustrations during the making of the album had also given rise to tensions between Orzabal and Smith, Orzabal having become something of an intricate perfectionist and Smith preoccupied with living a jet set lifestyle rather than focusing on the album (Smith's first marriage had also ended in divorce during the making of the album). At one point, Orzabal considered calling the album Famous Last Words (the title of the album's final track), commenting "it may well turn out to be our last album."[5] Indeed, the duo did not make any further recordings together for over a decade.

Release

Now assigned to the newly reactivated Phonogram subsidiary label Fontana, the first single from the album, "Sowing the Seeds of Love", was released in August 1989. It became a worldwide hit, peaking at no.5 in the UK, no.2 in the US, and no.1 in Canada. The album was released in September 1989, entering the UK Album Chart at no.1 and would be certified Platinum by the BPI within three weeks. In the US, the album peaked at no.8, and was also certified Platinum. The album also reached the top ten in various other countries around the world.

Further singles from the album, "Woman in Chains" (recorded as a duet with Adams) and "Advice for the Young at Heart" (the only track featuring Smith on lead vocals), both reached the UK Top 40. "Famous Last Words" was released as a fourth single in mid-1990 by the record company without the band's involvement, though this only peaked at no.83 in the UK. A video compilation, Sowing the Seeds, featuring the promo videos for the first three singles from the album was also released in 1990.

The band embarked on a world tour to promote the album in 1990, featuring Adams both as a support act and as a player with the band (her solo album, Circle of One, produced by Orzabal and Dave Bascombe was also released during this time). The band's concert at the Santa Barbara County Bowl in May 1990 was filmed and released on home video, titled Going to California.

A 64-page companion book to the album, entitled Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love, was also released in 1990 by Virgin Books and offers insight into the writing and recording process behind the album as well as the sheet music for each song and rare promotional photographs from the period.[5]

The album was remastered and reissued in 1999 with four bonus tracks which were originally B-sides to the album's first three singles. It does not include the B-side "My Life in the Suicide Ranks" which was an additional B-side to "Woman in Chains" and could at the time only be found on the band's 1996 rarities compilation Saturnine Martial & Lunatic. The Seeds of Love was rereleased again in 2020 in five different formats including a 5-disc super deluxe edition boxed set featuring bonus material such as single versions, B-sides (this time including "My Life In The Suicide Ranks"), demos, outtakes, and a 5.1 surround-sound mix, again made by Steven Wilson, who also was responsible for the surround mix for the band's previous album Songs From The Big Chair.[7] Other editions released at the same time include a 2-CD deluxe edition, a single CD edition, a vinyl album, and a vinyl picture disc album. The deluxe editon peaked at no.13 on the UK Album Chart in October 2020.

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Chicago Tribune[9]
Los Angeles Times[10]
Pitchfork7.2/10[11]
Rolling Stone[12]
The Daily VaultA[13]

In Rolling Stone, Michael Azerrad wrote, "If with the title track Tears for Fears beg comparison to the Beatles, it's in the unspoken assertion that popular music can also be outstanding music. That's something this remarkable record proves over and over again."[12] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune described the album as "astonishing", with a "wide open, soulful spaciousness that belies the heavy production expenses".[9] Los Angeles Times writer Chris Willman enjoyed the first three songs but lamented the "uncharacteristically frenzied rock 'n' roll climaxes" and "underdeveloped and overwrought" lyrics among the later tracks, describing the album as overall "just so-so".[10]

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stanton Swihart observed the album's "polished, atmospheric soul", labelling it "the apotheosis of Orzabal and Smith's evolution".[1] On the other hand, Ira Robbins of Trouser Press had praise for the title track and Adams's soulful vocals, but described the bulk of the album as "absurdly overintellectualized" and "almost impenetrable".[14]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Woman in Chains"Roland Orzabal6:30
2."Badman's Song"
  • Orzabal
  • Nicky Holland
8:32
3."Sowing the Seeds of Love"
6:19
4."Advice for the Young at Heart"
  • Orzabal
  • Holland
4:54
5."Standing on the Corner of the Third World"Orzabal5:30
6."Swords and Knives"
  • Orzabal
  • Holland
6:20
7."Year of the Knife"
  • Orzabal
  • Holland
6:55
8."Famous Last Words"
  • Orzabal
  • Holland
4:31
Total length:49:31
1999 reissue Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
9."Tears Roll Down" (B-side to "Sowing the Seeds of Love")
  • Orzabal
  • Dave Bascombe
3:16
10."Always in the Past" (B-side to "Woman in Chains")
4:38
11."Music for Tables" (B-side to "Advice for the Young at Heart")Orzabal3:32
12."Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams" (additional B-side to "Advice for the Young at Heart")Orzabal4:17
Total length:65:18

Note

  • A remix of "Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams" was also released as a separate single in the UK in 1991 and reached #70 on the UK Singles Chart and #1 on the UK Dance Chart.

2020 Super Deluxe Edition
CD2 – The Sun (45s & B-Sides)
No.TitleLength
1."Sowing the Seeds of Love" (7″ Version)5:43
2."Tears Roll Down"3:16
3."Woman in Chains" (7” Version)5:28
4."Always in the Past"4:38
5."My Life in the Suicide Ranks"4:32
6."Woman in Chains" (Instrumental)6:30
7."Advice for the Young at Heart" (7” Version)4:49
8."Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams" (Instrumental)4:18
9."Music for Tables"3:32
10."Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams" (Mix One)6:22
11."Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams" (Mix Two)5:55
12."Sowing the Seeds of Love" (US Radio Edit)4:04
13."Woman In Chains" (US Radio Edit 1)4:42
14."Advice for the Young at Heart" (Italian Radio Edit)3:40
15."Year of the Knife" (Canadian Single Version)5:40
16."Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams"4:17
Total length:77:26
CD3 – The Moon (Radio Edits & Early Mixes)
No.TitleLength
1."Year of the Knife" (Overture)1:47
2."Year of the Knife" (Early Mix – Instrumental)8:50
3."Sowing the Seeds of Love" (Alternate Mix)7:22
4."Tears Roll Down" (Alternate Mix)4:07
5."Year of the Knife" (Steve Chase 7″ Remix)4:29
6."Badman’s Song" (Early Mix)7:56
7."Advice for the Young at Heart" (Instrumental)4:56
8."Year of the Knife" (The Mix)6:55
9."Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams" (Mix One Edit)3:43
10."Sowing the Seeds of Love" (Early Mix – Instrumental)5:55
11."Woman in Chains" (US Radio Edit 2)4:19
12."Year of the Knife" (Canadian Single Version – Instrumental)5:40
13."Famous Last Words" (French Radio Edit)3:07
14."Woman in Chains" (Reprise)6:39
Total length:75:45
CD4 – The Wind (Demos, Diversions & Jams)
No.TitleLength
1."Rhythm of Life" (Demo)5:12
2."Advice for the Young at Heart" (Demo)4:52
3."Swords and Knives" (Demo)3:51
4."Famous Last Words" (Demo)4:12
5."Sowing the Seeds of Love" (Demo – Instrumental)6:06
6."Badman’s Song" (Langer/Winstanley Version – Instrumental)7:30
7."Woman in Chains" (Townhouse Jam)7:06
8."Broken" (Townhouse Jam)1:37
9."Rhythm of Life" (Townhouse Jam)3:09
10."Badman’s Song" (Townhouse Jam)8:17
11."Badman’s Song (Reprise)" (Townhouse Jam)2:50
12."Standing on the Corner of the Third World" (Townhouse Jam)9:09
Total length:63:51

Personnel

Tears for Fears

Additional personnel

Production
  • Producers – Tears for Fears and David Bascombe
  • Engineer – David Bascombe
  • Additional engineer – Steve Chase
  • Assistant engineers – Heidi Canova and Lee Curle
  • Mixing – Bob Clearmountain (tracks 1 and 7), David Bascombe (tracks 2–6 and 8).
  • Art direction and photography – David Scheinmann
  • Oleta Adams' photo – Jeff Katz
  • Design – Stylorouge

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[32] Gold 35,000^
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[42] Gold 100,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[43] 2× Platinum 200,000^
France (SNEP)[44] Platinum 300,000*
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[45] Gold 10,000*
Netherlands (NVPI)[46] Gold 50,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[47] Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[48] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[49] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[50] Platinum 1,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References
  1. Swihart, Stanton. "The Seeds of Love – Tears for Fears". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 11 December 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
  2. Hoffmann, Frank W. (2005). Rhythm and Blues, Rap, and Hip-hop. Infobase Publishing. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-8160-6980-4.
  3. Munro, Scott (21 July 2017). "Steven Wilson meets Bollywood in Permanating video". Prog.
  4. Nevin Martell (5 October 2009). Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson . p. 67. ISBN 9780826429841. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  5. Thrills, Adrian (1990). Tears For Fears - The Seeds of Love. London: Virgin Books. ISBN 0-86369-329-6.
  6. Vare, Ethlie Ann (March 1985). "Tears For Fears To Tour: Electro-Popsters Push 'Big Chair'". Billboard Magazine. 97 (10 (9 March 1985)): 48.
  7. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/tears-for-fears-seeds-of-love-box-set-1046755/
  8. Jurek, Thom. "The Seeds of Love – Tears for Fears". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  9. Kot, Greg (26 October 1989). "Tears for Fears: The Seeds of Love (Polygram)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  10. Willman, Chris (24 September 1989). "Tears for Fears: Just So-So in 'The Seeds of Love'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  11. Soto, Alfred (10 October 2020). "Tears for Fears: The Seeds of Love (Super Deluxe Edition)". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  12. Azerrad, Michael (2 November 1989). "Tears for Fears: The Seeds of Love". Rolling Stone. New York. Archived from the original on 2 October 2007. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
  13. McGuane, Kenny S. (2019). "The Daily Vault Music Reviews : The Seeds of Love". dailyvault.com. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  14. Robbins, Ira. "Tears for Fears". Trouser Press. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  15. "Australiancharts.com – Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  16. "Austriancharts.at – Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  17. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6584". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  18. "Dutchcharts.nl – Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  19. "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6 no. 45. 11 November 1989. p. VIII. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  20. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  21. "Top 3 Albums in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6 no. 45. 11 November 1989. p. VII. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  22. "Offiziellecharts.de – Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  23. "Top 3 Albums in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6 no. 41. 14 October 1989. p. VII. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  24. "Charts.nz – Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  25. "Norwegiancharts.com – Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  26. "Swedishcharts.com – Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  27. "Swisscharts.com – Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  28. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  29. "Tears for Fears Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  30. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  31. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  32. "Australian Top 100 Albums Chart – 1989". The ARIA Report (1) – via Imgur. Note: Gold certification is indicated by a black circle beside the certified title.
  33. "Top 100 Albums of '89". RPM. Vol. 51 no. 8. 23 December 1989. ISSN 0315-5994 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  34. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  35. "European Top 100 Albums 1989" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6 no. 51. 23 December 1989. p. 9. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  36. "Year-End Chart '89 – Top 75 Artist Albums". Music Week. 3 March 1990. p. 12. ISSN 0265-1548.
  37. "Top 100 Albums of 1990". RPM. Vol. 53 no. 6. 22 December 1990. ISSN 0315-5994 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  38. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  39. "European Top 100 Albums 1990" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7 no. 51. 22 December 1990. p. 38. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  40. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1990" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  41. "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  42. "Brazilian album certifications – Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil.
  43. "Canadian album certifications – Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love". Music Canada. 20 December 1989.
  44. "French album certifications – Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love" (in French). InfoDisc. Select TEARS FOR FEARS and click OK. 
  45. "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1990". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  46. "Dutch album certifications – Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter The Seeds of Love in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  47. Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 927. ISBN 84-8048-639-2. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  48. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Tears for Fears; 'The Seeds of Love')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  49. "British album certifications – Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love". British Phonographic Industry. 16 October 1989. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type The Seeds of Love in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  50. "American album certifications – Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love". Recording Industry Association of America. 29 November 1989. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
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