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Roland Orzabal

Roland Orzabal (born 22 August 1961) is a British musician, songwriter and record producer. He is known mainly as a co-founding member of Tears for Fears, of which he is the main songwriter and joint vocalist, but he has also achieved success as a producer of other artists. In 2014, Orzabal published his first novel. Orzabal met Curt Smith while both were in their early teens in Bath, Somerset. In the late-1970s, they formed a mod music group, Graduate, along with three other members. Following the release of their debut album, Acting My Age, the group disbanded and Orzabal and Smith went on to form Tears for Fears, a new wave/synthpop outfit directly inspired by the writings of the American psychologist Arthur Janov. After a decade of major international success, Orzabal and Smith had an acrimonious split in the early 1990s. Although Orzabal continued to work as Tears for Fears after he and Smith parted ways, the subsequent TFF albums Elemental (1993) and Raoul and the Kings of Spain (1995) are effectively solo works by him in all but name. Elemental was a success being certified as Gold status in the US and Silver in the UK, while Raoul took a more artistic direction but garnered less chart success. In April 2001 he released his first proper solo album, Tomcats Screaming Outside, under his own name.Orzabal and Smith had reconciled by that point and were working on a new Tears for Fears album together (2004's Everybody Loves a Happy Ending). As a songwriter, Orzabal is a two-time Ivor Novello Award winner. His first award was in 1986 for "Songwriter of the Year" following the huge success of Tears For Fears' second album Songs from the Big Chair for which Orzabal wrote or co-wrote all of the tracks. In addition to co-producing most of Tears for Fears' records, Orzabal also co-produced Oleta Adams' successful album Circle of One (1990), following on from Adams' collaboration on the 1989 Tears for Fears album The Seeds of Love. The album reached No. 1 in the UK and No. 20 in the US, and featured her transatlantic top ten hit "Get Here". Orzabal also co-wrote the lead track "Rhythm of Life" for the album, which was originally intended for The Seeds of Love. As well as playing guitar and singing backing vocals on the track, he also appeared in the song's accompanying promo video. In 1999, Orzabal co-produced the Icelandic singer-songwriter Emiliana Torrini's acclaimed album Love in the Time of Science, along with Tears for Fears associate Alan Griffiths. The pair also wrote two tracks for the album. Orzabal's talents as a songwriter were recognised again after Michael Andrews and Gary Jules recorded the song "Mad World" for the film soundtrack Donnie Darko in 2001.[5] Their version was released as a single in 2003 and became the Christmas number one single in the UK that year, ultimately becoming the year's biggest selling single. The song was originally composed by Orzabal and was Tears for Fears' first hit single in 1982. In 2004, the song won Orzabal his second Ivor Novello Award, as the songwriter of the Best Selling UK Single of 2003.


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Born:
Aug 22, 1961 In Portsmouth, England, UK
Movie/TV Credits:
17
First Appeared:
In the series Top of the Pops 1964-01-01
Latest Project:
Movie Tears for Fears: Radio 2 in the Park 2023-09-16
Known For
Poster of Tears for Fears: Radio 2 in the Park
Poster of Tears for Fears The Tipping Point
Poster of Tears For Fears - The Universal - Masters Dvd Collection
Poster of Tears For Fears - Going To California
Filmography
Movie Tears for Fears: Radio 2 in the Park Self 2023-09-16
Movie Tears for Fears The Tipping Point Roland Orzabal 2022-02-25
Movie Classic Albums: Tears for Fears - Songs From the Big Chair Self 2020-02-15
Movie Tears for Fears: Rock in Rio vocals, guitar 2017-09-22
Movie BBC In Concert: Tears for Fears 2017-10-26
Movie Tears For Fears: Bonnaroo Festival Himself 2015-06-12
Movie Tears for Fears : KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas Festival Himself 2014-12-14
Movie Tears For Fears - The Universal - Masters Dvd Collection SELF 2005-03-11
Movie Tears for Fears: Secret World Himself 2005-06-18
Movie Tears for Fears: Tears Roll Down - Greatest Hits '82-'92 Himself 2003-04-28
Series Classic Albums Self 1997-04-14
Movie Tears For Fears - Going To California Self - Rhythm Guitar / Vocals 1990-01-01
Movie Tears For Fears - Scenes from the Big Chair Himself 1985-05-16
Movie Tears for Fears: In My Mind's Eye Self 1984-11-01
Series MTV Video Music Awards Self 1984-09-14
Series The Kenny Everett Television Show Self 1982-02-25
Series Top of the Pops Self - Tears for Fears (uncredited) 1964-01-01