Draft:The Working Hour (song)
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Last edited by Newtatoryd222 (talk | contribs) 32 days ago. (Update) |
| "The Working Hour" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Tears for Fears | |
| from the album Songs from the Big Chair | |
| Released | 25 February 1985 |
| Genre | Pop |
| Length | 6:32 |
| Label | Mercury • Phonogram |
| Songwriter(s) | Manny Elias • Roland Orzabal • Ian Stanley |
"The Working Hour" is a song by the English pop rock band Tears for Fears from their second studio album Songs from the Big Chair. It is one of the longest tracks the band has released.
Background
[edit]Tears for Fears keyboardist Ian Stanley revealed the song was influenced by the work of Ryuichi Sakamoto in 2020, as he told Classic Albums: "At that time, we were very into a movie called Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, starring David Bowie and Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Ryuichi Sakamoto wrote the soundtrack for the film as well as star as this Japanese commandant, the start of The Working Hour is, it would certainly have been influenced by his work."[1]
Roland Orzabal wrote the verse of the song at his house, but Curt Smith refused to put them together, as Orzabal told Classic Albums in 2020:
I came up separately at home with the verse, and he, for some reason, he just didn't want them to be put together.
— Roland Orzabal, Classic Albums: Tears for Fears – Songs from the Big Chair[1]
The band had an argument about whether to call the album Songs from the Big Chair or The Working Hour, but Orzabal was the only person who wanted to call it Songs from the Big Chair. Orzabal ended up winning the argument.[1]
Reception
[edit]In a review of Songs from the Big Chair on Pitchfork, Music critic Tal Rosenberg claims that Roland "takes on the music business" in the song's lyrics.[2] Consequence of Sound stated that they "play to the modes of therapy." in the track.[3] As Smith told SuperDeluxeEdition: "I mean, I think the gel that holds it all together, is actually 'The Working Hour'."[4] According to Paste magazine, The Working Hour is the glue that holds the album together.[5]
Personnel
[edit]According to the liner notes of the Songs from the Big Chair album:[6][7]
- Roland Orzabal – vocals, keyboards, guitars
- Curt Smith – vocals, bass
- Ian Stanley – keyboards
- Manny Elias – drums, drum arrangement
- Andy Davis – grand piano
- Mel Collins – saxophone
- Will Gregory – saxophone solos
- Jerry Marotta – drums, saxophone arrangements
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Classic Albums 2020.
- ^ Rosenberg, Tal. "Tears for Fears: Songs From the Big Chair". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
- ^ "Album Review: Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair [Reissue]". 2014-11-11. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
- ^ "Tears For Fears: The SDE Interview – SuperDeluxeEdition". 2024-10-24. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
- ^ "Tears for Fears Lived to Tell the Tale". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
- ^ Songs from the Big Chair (booklet). Tears for Fears. UK. 1985.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Songs from the Big Chair album notes.
Sources
[edit]- Tears for Fears (2020). "Tears for Fears – Songs from the Big Chair". Classic Albums. Eagle Rock Entertainment. BBC Four.