Category: Roland Orzabal Solo Work

It’s Official! It’s Mr. Orzabal – ‘Roland Tweets’

It's official...It's Mr. Orzabal.
It’s official!

Late October…a new ‘Roland Orzabal’ Twitter profile surfaces. Much like the others that seem to appear every few months, we ignored it thinking it was yet another impostor. But on the afternoon of April the 1st…our travel fan team members were pretty sure this was indeed the Good Sir Orzabal himself. By that Saturday morning he was tweeting about Tears and Kook’s New York Branch travel fan team lead Cammie, and her playlist. Also known as C. Horton, Cammie is the creator of the #SexDrugsOperaOrzabal Spotify accompaniment, her fan generated project for the book club that has formed online.

Between Sherlock Silver Kitty Carri D and Cam’s careful attention, we sat in various parts of the world with our chins on the floor. He’s. On. Twitter! As Mr. Nadal, one of two travel fan team leads in the Philippines tweeted, “I still can’t believe @rolandtff is on Twitter. It’s the end of the world and everyone is happy…” Let’s hope the next apocalypse is just as exciting!

Roland quickly got acquainted with his fellow loyalists, many of whom have been a part of his life for years as regular concert attendees and past TFF fanclub members. He began following several and joining in conversations with selfies, verification photos and pictures of his cat, Schro.  We’ll leave it to you to figure out what Schro is short for.

Our top 10 Roland Moments thus far?

Roland's First Selfie
Roland’s First Twitter Selfie

10.The Mirror Selfie – Gasps went out around the world when this was tweeted. The intricate shells, the cultural decor, the floor to ceiling windows…absolutely stunning! For so many it was like looking at the reflection of a heavenly being! People reported they burst into tears, kissed their screens and held their iPhones and iPads to their hearts. It was truly touching.

9. Larousse Wine – Book published by Hamlyn –  Noticed on the left side of the desk in the mirror selfie. Five hundred plus pages devoted to wine. For those who’ve already read (or re-read) Sex, Drugs & Opera, you know this book is right up Solomon’s alley.  That got us going…got the succubus going too! 😉
8. The Silver Bones of the Orzabal Brothers /the Skull Masks
7. Roland’s First Hashtags: – Like proud fans we watched Roland navigate through Twitter his way, and tweet his first hashtags.  #FridayReads (What Roland’s been reading), #MadWorldBook (Tears For Fears’ latest project), and #ElvisShouldPlaySka, a little joke about his Graduate days.  And speaking of Graduate…
6. Sulking At The Mention of  ‘Graduate‘ – Honestly, we’d love them to reunite for one show! According to Roland’s tweets, he seems amenable!
5. The Not So Bad hair Day  – As if a bad hair day were ever possible for Roland.  Either way, this was another awesome selfie that sparked other fans to tweet Roland their own photos… and somewhere, singing commenced.
4. The Inner Thigh Machine – He assembled it by himself via Twitter and by the end of the night finally figured out how it worked.

The original Sleeping Seflie
The Original Sleeping Seflie
The Wine Den version of Roland's Sleeping Selfie
The Wine Den Version

3. The Ultimate “Sleeping” Selfie  – Supernatural creatures certainly know how to take great pictures of Roland!  It turned into deco den for fans; we immediately grabbed it and started colouring it with fun things as if we were 3 years old!  Instead of milk glasses and cookies we had wine and pasta.

2. The Free-Flowing Interaction With Fans – He’s been replying and spending lots of time with everyone online and we are all so grateful!!
1. The fact that he’s even HERE! Talk about party time out of bounds.  Yes! We’re truly appreciative of every minute and he knows it…cause he retweeted it. 😉

 

andye anticipation2

What many fans are looking forward to are chats about the book. We’ve got two hashtags going, one of which is #SexDrugsOperaOrzabal (which was used during the Kindle release countdown. Lady Puppin of Brazil won the Kindle download. Para Bems a ela!). Roland also seems to have hinted about an SDO part II with the character Rosa getting a little naughty?! That should be good! It’s certainly an exciting time for all of us, a wonderful opportunity to interact with the Good Sir. And yes, this is all legit, the Good Man Smith said so himself!

 

CS confirmation
As always we encourage everyone to follow @TearsforFears, @CurtSmith and now @rolandtff – feel free to follow us as well at @PapaSFans (dedicated to celebrating the band, all members, all events 365 Days a Year)

Tears for Fears Travel Fan Tshirts
Tears for Fears Travel Fan Tshirts

Cheers!
–AA &  Cammie aka C.Horton

Win a Kindle Download of Roland’s new book!

Book cover
Book cover

The anticipation, fans sitting on the edge of their seats, glaring into computers and mobile devices, watching the calendar, making conjectures as to what adventure Mr. Soloman will get himself into… and what a name… Soloman. A noble name meaning, “peaceful, perfect and one who recompenses.” Will we see that type of character in Roland’s fictional literary friend? Will his adventures with Dr. Sparks make him a new person? It’ll all be answered in ‘Sex Drugs & Opera: There’s Life After Rock N’ Roll by the Good Sir Orzabal himself.

Writing a Book is Tough!
I remember writing my first book. The inspiration for it came during a short residency in California (of course). I had just finished listening to a media leader who was involved with creating one of the most popular music based TV programs at the time. I wondered if he’d ever collab with Roland and Curt. That next season Tears For Fears’ music was indeed featured in one of his shows. I was further inspired and took it as a sign to complete the book at all costs. The painstaking process of writing the book was the most bittersweet agony I’ve ever gone through. Knowing what it takes to get a book published, to put one’s heart and soul into a piece of literature makes me more than eager to read Roland’s work. This is a huge moment for fans…many of whom knew he was writing one (I think we first heard about it post ELAHE tour) but we didn’t want to be pests and beg for a sneak peek or too much info. “Let him finish it…leave him alone…” was the mantra among us for quite a while. Then more tours surfaced …but no mention of the book.

Autographed set lists made into art (Brasil Fan Team). Contact Marcio for info.
Autographed set lists made into art (Brasil Fan Team). Contact Marcio for info.

We questioned it, what was he writing about? Did he scrap it altogether? What else did he just toss away? Are there pages of music and songs too? It’s a known fact among fans that Tears for Fears b-sides are often (if not more) as outstanding as the works that are published on each album. I mean look at Saturnine Martial Lunatic, if that’s not gold then what is? Not to mention the beloved ‘Tomcats Screaming Outside.’ Listening to either one is a very moving and euphoric experience to say the least. So imagine what we’re about to get in a BOOK! It’s Roland’s mind, his thoughts, his imagination…we’re gonna “go there” with him and sink ourselves into “his world.” It’s the rock literature for which we’ve been waiting…it’s almost here!

Sneak peek?! Seriously? Yes, we're asking for this to get activated on Amazon.
Sneak peek?! Seriously? Yes, we’re asking for this to get activated on Amazon.

In honour of this wonderful occasion our Tears and Kooks Intl Fan Club is giving away an amazon download to one of the @papasfans Twitter followers or one who is following @tearsforfears. Our fan account focuses on all aspects of the band’s published work, from tweets to anything they tell us that’s allowed to be put in writing. Originating from a charity project that Good Man Curt Smith was involved in to help the nation of Haiti, we continued with gratitude to create a comfortable hub of ‘band fan info.’ We love to tweet about Tears for Fears and related material, connect with other fans and conduct meetups and other things with the band’s approval. They’ve been exceptionally kind about our activities. We’re always about giving back and that’s why we’re offering a #SexDrugsOperaOrzabal kindle download to a fortunate follower of either account.

Rules:
Tweet us (@papasfans) the hashtag #SexDrugsOperaOrzabal (along with any short, fun message or memory of your Tears for Fears fandom)
We’ll assign a number to each tweet, then pick a number at random on Tuesday night. The winner will be tweeted on Wednesday – the 26th of March.
An amazon code will be emailed to the winner so that they may complete their download.
*You must be following @tearsforfears or @papasfans on Twitter in order to qualify; it’s only fair as there are many interactive fans and we want to honour those who thoroughly support the band (and are kind to fellow fans) to the best of their ability.
*Please actually own a kindle device. We’ll have other prizes (we trust) so you can possibly win again if you don’t have one.

That’s all from band fan land today… Even if you’ve already pre-ordered a copy know that the Good Sir seems mighty happy with the hashtag #SexDrugsOperaOrzabal so tweet it proud, tweet it now!

Cheers!
(AA)

Roland’s New Book & a 12″ Vinyl? Yes, Please!

(From Amazon -available in March 2014)
(From Amazon -available in March 2014)

Yes indeed, we got word on Sir Orzabal’s book some time ago and didn’t know when the big announcement was going to take place. There were always rumours, then there was the confirmation and on Wednesday the first reports. We were patient…well Carri was…Andye, not so much (I wanted an advanced copy, lol!!).  So here you have it in all its glory 🙂 , ‘Sex, Drugs and Opera, There’s Life After Rock N Roll’ by the one and only (drum roll please) …Roland Orzabal! It is said to be released on the 26th of March via Kindle (available for purchase on those devices only, to pre-order your copy click here) and then other formats will be released (including a paperback book most likely) on the 4th of May. According to the Good Sir Orzabal, the May editions include iBooks and paper copies at Barnes and Noble (I think that’s how I understood it). He says not sure about the rest but we know in due time he’ll let us know. So sit tight. In celebration of its release, our TFF Travel Fan Team is giving away an Amazon gift card to one fortunate follower on Twitter. We’ll be in touch with the details next week.

Excited? Puleeze…more like biting our nails to the nub, we’re freakin’ thrilled. Inspired by several moments in time, this novel is written by the Good Sir himself. Here’s the background of the book as noted in contactmusic.com’s report. This is what appeared in their article: ‘I was halfway through writing a gothic, country house mystery when, out of the blue, I received an email inviting me to audition for the ITV show, Popstar To Operastar,’ says Roland. ‘It felt strange, I must admit, being targeted like that. I mean, I’d sung a little opera in my youth and had lessons for about six months, a fact I’m sure the producers were not aware of. Anyway, I went along for the audition, enjoyed the experience and got quite excited about the prospect. But the more I thought about it, the more nervous I became; I realised the fantasy was far more attractive than the reality. That’s where the idea for Sex, Drugs & Opera came from. The show might not have been right for me but it provided the germ for an alter-ego, a fictitious character, a semi-retired pop star called Solomon Capri who thinks he can reignite his marriage and relaunch his career not just by appearing on Popstar To Operastar, but by winning it.’ (from contactmusic.com)

Tears for Fears fan walls and group pages lit up like lightening as soon as TFF Fan Travel member Colleen posted the link. Many haven’t been able to calm down since the announcement. To say fans are happy is an understatement. Let’s all be sure to buy a copy (be it via the Kindle download or the second release on the 4th of May). Don’t forget books make good gifts too so get one for a friend. Let the world know your excitement by tweeting, uploading and tagging social posts on all platforms with #SexDrugsOperaOrzabal. You may even win a cool prize for doing so.

BGTo top that off, we have a new 12 inch vinyl to look forward to on the music front. “Ready Boy & Girls” has already gotten quite a bit of buzz with many curious about the title, the visual imagery and what it all means. It’ll all unfold in due time. For now the Good Man Curt Smith said (paraphrase) “Let me be clear…this is not the album, it’s not done yet.” It is, however, a limited edition 12″ vinyl and it looks like it will be available at one of the Record Store Day participating stores. We’ll see…in the meantime all kinds of fainting and falling out by fans has commenced. So take your B12 and enjoy the ride we’ll all know more in due time.

On the California side, Good Man Curt held a few chats this month, answering some fun questions from fans. It was very lighthearted with good-natured questions all around. It was like he just took a moment to sit beside us in our big chair. Gotta love those moments, we cherish them for sure. He also recently shared a great photo of his wife taken by neighbour Lady Bumbleward. We enjoy her online presence (and her Pinterest pins too). The time to catch Good Man Curt Smith online is pretty much all day… but he’s usually up for a quick chat around 8-10pm PST and of course that changes with his workload. He’s very friendly, sweet and kind…and hilarious. So follow (@curtsmith) and join in the online fun.

created by Juli-Juli, Japan branch of the TFF Travel Fan Team (founder of the Sunflower Club)
created by Juli-Juli, Japan branch of the TFF Travel Fan Team (founder of the Sunflower Club)

What else is going on in Band Fan Land? Lots of Art! Our Japanese Travel Fan Juli-Juli has been at it again with some cool pick me ups and jewelry. Beautiful material! Again, follow her on Twitter, she’s got a new Tears for Fears music find each day featuring covers and performances of their music from the vast archives located in her place in Japan. It includes works by all those affilliated with Tears For Fears. We are very grateful for her thoroughness!

Big Thanks to Colleen and Carolyn for this month’s music updates!

Upcoming March 2014:
7 March 2014 – 31st Anniversary of The Hurting (released last year -Did you get your copy?)
8 March – Michael Roland Magno, Birthday (Singer & Fan)
9 March – Richard Quest, Birthday – British presenter of Quest Means Business (this is relative, one of our collaboration wishes)
26 March 2014 – Sex, Drugs & Opera, There’s Life After Rock N Roll by R. Orzabal Kindle release

Thanks for reading! (AA)

Tomcats Screaming Outside 11th Anniversary

from wiki

The Initial Release
On this day 11 years ago (11 September 2001), the beloved Roland Orzabal’s solo album Tomcats Screaming Outside was released. This was also a horrific day in world history as a force (origins still truly unknown) that brought destruction to the United States overshadowed a number of fantastic accomplishments that took place around this time.  The world was unable to focus on anything else, many completely missed this release. May those who lost someone during the senseless game of politics find peace quickly…

Tears for Fears Everywhere We Go

Coincidently, this album’s lyrics and sentiment cushioned the signs of the times. Tears For Fears as a whole have remained not only in touch with “the people” but also ahead of their time. Carrying the band’s name alone, Roland’s impeccable esp slipped into later works. The albums were not only damn good but miraculously comforting for the events that were to come. Pop culture, technology and media in general began putting bits of Elemental in their productions i.e. The Real World on MTV -Boston & New Star in the movie Threesome…the list goes on. Roland was very much engaged and intertwined in society.  Though subtle, “we saw him” and remained connected as much as possible…even through his supposed love of mucking around the kitchen. 

From the Moderator -Andye’s notes:
I’m still unsure how on earth I missed the original release. I believe it was due to a distraction I had at the time, I was about to leave the country and had become quite focused on musicians from my immediate relatives’ culture —Cheb Mami, Cheb Khaled & Rachid Taha. I always wondered if any of these guys would collaborate with TFF the way Cheb Mami had with Sting. Anyway, I found the album 1 year and 1 month to the day of the initial release…at Best Buy on Cumberland Parkway in Smyrna Georgia just minutes from Atlanta. Every time I go into a music store I have to see if they’ve stocked Tears For Fears. I just have to. As always, I slowly scanned the O-P-Q-R-S-T aisle…and then…I saw it!! There was Roland Orzabal blurred out on the cover of a CD. I gasped loudly, snatched the album ( the last one mind you) and pressed it close to me, hiding it even… as if someone was going to knock me down and kill me for it. That was it for that afternoon. The rest of my day was spent listening to that album and trying to find out where on earth the fanclub had moved (I would live in a fan club HQ if I could). It was almost like finding a long lost friend at random and taking them out for tea. All I wanted to do was “catch up.”

It didn’t take me long to become attached to each song…and it brought me back to the TFF research table, eager to know the background of the songs, what sparked the one titled “Hey Andy” and what was next? 11 years later I’m still in awe of this album’s sound. It’s still way ahead of its time. Of every solo album produced by members of the band past and present, fans voted a year ago, on FB, that Tomcats Screaming Outside is by far the strongest of them all. “Leaps and bounds…” a few fans said.

Tomcats Appreciation Society
There is a Facebook Tomcats Screaming Outside group page made up of TFF fans (people who are supportive of both Roland & CURT). It discusses the lyrics and the album as if it were Shakespeare (because it is the next best thing, hands down). The group is moderated by Alisa of Wild World who collabs with Roland’s youngest brother Julian (aka **The Captain**). It is one of the many TFF topical discussion pages that truly focuses on the music of the band vs. how good they look physically. You won’t find gaggling-giggling girls and guys competing to post the next “hot photo of Roland & Curt” but instead an educated group of “thinkers” who hear more than just a song…they see a genius.

picture from wordpress

Release of TSO
Requests for this album to be re-released are not uncommon. Fans have agreed that they are willing to contribute money to the costs and a just under $300 was quickly collected 2 days before the start of the TFF 2012 tour. However, according to Traci Smith who is a member of the Tears for Fears Travelling Fan Team, $15,000 USD is the estimated cost of producing an album so we have a long way to go. The money that has been collected is held in an online banking account until the total funds have been raised. If anyone is serious about raising this money and presenting it to him, then, by all means speak up.

Ordering your copy
The album is available in what seems to be extremely limited quantities on Amazon and a few other places (note the profile associated with the Amazon page…) The album cost ranges from $10.99-$17.00 plus shipping, tax, etc. So, expect to pay $20 and it’s worth it…priceless even…so, don’t sell it!

TSO Videos
There is a video from the album. Some say it is difficult to understand (even Roland himself admits he wasn’t sure the video had anything to do with the song); others “get it.” We recommend listening to the album 2-3 times, tattoo it on your soul then dive into the video. Doing it in reverse order will only cause confusion. It’s a powerful album, be careful with it…

Listen to the video below to get Mr. O’s perspective.

Fans worldwide LOVE & ADORE this album as if it were human…and in many ways it is. It is the extraordinary work of a genius. There’s no questioning that. Every year, on the anniversary of its initial release, Tears for Fears fans spend a moment or two listening to it in all its glory. There are no words to truly describe it…it’s just outstanding…a brilliant creation that can be enjoyed from start to finish. The fan appreciation continues this year with statements like the below coming in.

“The album represents what all albums aspire to, one complete listen from beginning to end. Brilliant.” -Robert M.

“This album is a true masterpiece. Every song creeps into my inner core. Thank you so much Roland for giving us some of the best music the human ear can absorb. Our hearts absorb it even more. Here’s to Tomcats Screaming Outside!” -Brandi Anne H.

“Pure Genius” -Carolyn H.

“I thank Roland for creating this wonderful album. He is a true gift from God.” -Sheila S.

from S&Bs online TFF archives

On the Album: 

Ticket to the World, LowLife, Hypnoculture/ 2nd Option with a theme, Bullets for Brains, For the Love of Cain, Under Ether, Day by Day by Day by Day by Day, Dandelion, Hey Andy!, Kill Love, Snowdrop, Maybe Our Days Are Numbered

**Videos are linked to fans’ YouTube pages and those who have been so gracious to promote this album on YouTube over the past few years. Special thanks to Brigitte for the outstanding contributions and montages to match the music.

Now, GO BUY THE ALBUM!! NOTHING LIKE REAL INTERE$T TO GET A RE-RELEASE!!!

Saturnine Martial & Lunatic

Please Cutie Curt & Ravishing Rollie Sunshine, can we have another B-sides? Deep down we’re grateful they are singing “together” and prefer it that way…The solo works have been beyond enjoyable and TSO has certainly won its place with a gold medal in music. Our hope is that the band will release some if not all the b-sides from all of these albums (those that perhaps didn’t make it to SML) and just title it Our Hodgepodge Genius …and let us buy it. The amount of unheard tracks stashed away here and there is excruciating. 

Let’s hope and pray for the best…if push comes to shove we’ll dress in various shades of blue, march peacefully to Bath and LA with money bags, occupying their local tea houses til they let us have it. 

Digging the Solo Works?? There’s more…

Curt Smith also has solo albums and you can buy them plus merchandise to match! Check them out on his website as well as Amazon.com.

If you are hard-core TFF superfanatic that appreciates everything that comes from that family, their friends and relatives…and you’re wishful for new music, be sure to check out DelaQ (just do it, you’ll be pleased). Cheers!