Head over Heels (Tears for Fears song)
Encyclopedia
"Head over Heels" is a song by the British New Wave
band Tears for Fears
.
It was the band's tenth single release in the United Kingdom
(the fourth taken from their second LP Songs from the Big Chair
) and eighth UK Top 40 hit, peaking at #12 in July 1985
. In the USA, it was the third single from the album and continued the band's run of hits there, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100
. A limited edition four-leaf clover shaped picture disc
was issued for the single's release in the UK.
with the song "Broken", which was previously a stand alone B-side to the 1983 "Pale Shelter
" single. As the two songs share the same piano/synth motif
, "Head over Heels" eventually came to be sandwiched in between two bookend parts of "Broken" in live performances. This placement carried over to the final track listing of the Big Chair LP, with a studio recording of "Broken" preceding "Head Over Heels" and a live reprise
of "Broken" following it.
The song features Roland Orzabal
on lead vocals.
The 12" version was titled the "Preacher Mix" and is an extended remix of the entire "Broken/Head Over Heels/Broken" medley. The mix was done by producer Chris Hughes
and features an unusual spoken word intro in which Roland Orzabal
recites lyrics from the song "I Believe
" in the style of a preacher. This mix contains the only released studio recording of the "Broken" reprise (the version on the Songs from the Big Chair album is a live recording).
The 7" remix was done by David Bascombe
and notably ends in a cold stop after the "time flies" lyric, instead of the segue into the reprise of "Broken" found on the album.
on vocals and features a synthesized shakuhachi
flute, a popular musical motif for pop music in the 1980s.
for "Head over Heels", filmed in June 1985, was the fourth Tears for Fears clip directed by famed music video producer Nigel Dick
. It is centered around Roland Orzabal
's attempts to get the attention of a librarian (Joan Densmore), while a variety of characters (many played by the rest of the band) take part in shenanigans in the library. The final scene shows Orzabal and the librarian as an older married couple. The video was filmed at the Emmanuel College
Library in Toronto, Canada.
. According to director Richard Kelly
on the DVD commentary, the scene in which the song was used was written and choreographed
specifically with the song in mind.
by the following artists:
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...
.
It was the band's tenth single release in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(the fourth taken from their second LP Songs from the Big Chair
Songs from the Big Chair
Songs from the Big Chair is the second album by the British rock band Tears for Fears. It was released in 1985 on Phonogram Records, and remains their highest selling album to date. The album peaked at no.2 in the UK and reached no.1 in the US...
) and eighth UK Top 40 hit, peaking at #12 in July 1985
1985 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1985.-January–March:*January 1 - The newest music video channel, VH-1, debuts on American cable. It is aimed at an older demographic than its sister station, MTV...
. In the USA, it was the third single from the album and continued the band's run of hits there, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. A limited edition four-leaf clover shaped picture disc
Picture disc
Picture discs are gramophone records that show images on their playing surface, rather than being of plain black or coloured vinyl.-Development:...
was issued for the single's release in the UK.
Background
"Head over Heels" had been developed nearly two years prior as part of a segueSegue
A segue is a smooth transition from one topic or section to the next.-In music:In music, segue is a direction to the performer. It means continue without a pause. It comes from the Italian "it follows". The term attacca is also used in classical music.For written music it implies a transition...
with the song "Broken", which was previously a stand alone B-side to the 1983 "Pale Shelter
Pale Shelter
"Pale Shelter" is a song by the British band Tears for Fears. Written by Roland Orzabal and sung by bassist Curt Smith, it was originally the band's second single release in early 1982 - called at that time "Pale Shelter " - but would not find chart success until a reissue the following year...
" single. As the two songs share the same piano/synth motif
Motif (music)
In music, a motif or motive is a short musical idea, a salient recurring figure, musical fragment or succession of notes that has some special importance in or is characteristic of a composition....
, "Head over Heels" eventually came to be sandwiched in between two bookend parts of "Broken" in live performances. This placement carried over to the final track listing of the Big Chair LP, with a studio recording of "Broken" preceding "Head Over Heels" and a live reprise
Reprise
Reprise is a fundamental device in the history of art. In literature, a reprise consists of the rewriting of another work; in music, a reprise is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the...
of "Broken" following it.
The song features Roland Orzabal
Roland Orzabal
Roland Jaime Orzabal de la Quintana is an English 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.- Early career :Orzabal...
on lead vocals.
Meaning
Song versions
"Head over Heels" has seen only two official remixes since its release.The 12" version was titled the "Preacher Mix" and is an extended remix of the entire "Broken/Head Over Heels/Broken" medley. The mix was done by producer Chris Hughes
Chris Hughes (record producer)
Chris Hughes is a music producer and a former drummer for Adam and the Ants....
and features an unusual spoken word intro in which Roland Orzabal
Roland Orzabal
Roland Jaime Orzabal de la Quintana is an English 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.- Early career :Orzabal...
recites lyrics from the song "I Believe
I Believe (A Soulful Re-Recording)
"I Believe " is a single by the British band Tears for Fears. It was the band's eleventh single release and ninth UK Top 40 hit...
" in the style of a preacher. This mix contains the only released studio recording of the "Broken" reprise (the version on the Songs from the Big Chair album is a live recording).
The 7" remix was done by David Bascombe
David Bascombe
David Bascombe is an English music producer and mix engineer. He has worked with many bands and musicians, such as Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode and Suede.-Selected engineering, production, mixing and remixing:*Tears for Fears - Songs From the Big Chair...
and notably ends in a cold stop after the "time flies" lyric, instead of the segue into the reprise of "Broken" found on the album.
B-side
"When in Love with a Blind Man" is a short song that served as the b-side to the "Head over Heels" single. It features bassist Curt SmithCurt Smith
Curt Smith is an English musician. He is best known for forming the band Tears for Fears, along with childhood friend Roland Orzabal. Also a solo artist, he released his third album Halfway, Pleased in May 2008....
on vocals and features a synthesized shakuhachi
Shakuhachi
The is a Japanese end-blown flute. It is traditionally made of bamboo, but versions now exist in ABS and hardwoods. It was used by the monks of the Fuke school of Zen Buddhism in the practice of...
flute, a popular musical motif for pop music in the 1980s.
Music video
The promotional clipMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Head over Heels", filmed in June 1985, was the fourth Tears for Fears clip directed by famed music video producer Nigel Dick
Nigel Dick
Nigel Dick is an English music video and film director, writer and musician based in Los Angeles, California. He directed the Band Aid video "Do They Know It's Christmas?", as well as over 300 other music videos.Nigel Dick should not be confused with the Australian Dr...
. It is centered around Roland Orzabal
Roland Orzabal
Roland Jaime Orzabal de la Quintana is an English 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.- Early career :Orzabal...
's attempts to get the attention of a librarian (Joan Densmore), while a variety of characters (many played by the rest of the band) take part in shenanigans in the library. The final scene shows Orzabal and the librarian as an older married couple. The video was filmed at the Emmanuel College
Emmanuel College, University of Toronto
Emmanuel College is a theological college of Victoria University at the University of Toronto. Affiliated with the United Church, it is a member institution of the Toronto School of Theology. The principal is the Rev. Dr Mark G. Toulouse...
Library in Toronto, Canada.
7": Mercury / IDEA10 (UK)
- "Head over Heels" (Remix) – 4:14
- "When in Love with a Blind Man" – 2:22
- Also released as 10" four-leaf clover shaped picture disc (Mercury / IDPIC10)
12": Mercury / IDEA1012 (UK)
- "Broken/Head over Heels/Broken" (Preacher Mix) – 7:53
- "Head over Heels" (Remix) – 4:14
- "When in Love with a Blind Man – 2:22
CDV: Mercury / 080 062-2 (UK)
- "Head over Heels" (Remix) – 4:14
- "Sea Song" – 3:52
- "The Working Hour" – 6:27
- "Mothers Talk" (U.S. remix) – 4:14
- "Head over Heels" (video)
Popular culture
"Head over Heels" was featured prominently in the 2001 cult classic Donnie DarkoDonnie Darko
Donnie Darko is a 2001 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Richard Kelly and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Noah Wyle, Jena Malone, and Mary McDonnell...
. According to director Richard Kelly
Richard Kelly (director)
James Richard Kelly is an American film director and writer, best known for writing and directing the cult classic Donnie Darko in 2001.-Early life:...
on the DVD commentary, the scene in which the song was used was written and choreographed
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
specifically with the song in mind.
Cover versions
"Head over Heels" has been coveredCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by the following artists:
- American Christian rockChristian rockChristian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
band Kids in the WayKids in the WayKids in the Way is a rock band from Noblesville, Indiana. The band was formed in 1997 under the name Serenity, and later disbanded in mid-2007. The band recently reunited and is currently on tour in Germany entitled Back in the Game Tour.-Biography:...
, on their 2005 album Apparitions of MelodyApparitions of MelodyApparitions of Melody is an album released by Kids in the Way.-Track listing:#"Last Day of 1888"#"Safety in the Darkness"#"Even Snakes Have Hearts"#"Breaking the Legs of Sheep"#"Apparitions of Melody"#"The Seed We've Sown"#"Sad and Guilty Ways"...
. - American experimental folkFolk musicFolk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer Samamidon, on his 2007 album But This Chicken Proved False Hearted. - In 2006, Southern California's freeform Bargain Music covered the song. This version finds vocalist Josh alone with an acoustic guitar playing the entire song solo. It is track #7 on their album American Born.
- Australian electro pop band Rogue TradersRogue TradersRogue Traders are an Australian electronic pop rock band fronted by Melinda "Mindi" Jackson with James Ash on keyboards, Tim Henwood on guitars and Peter Marin on drums. The group's original members met in London in 1989. Before forming Rogue Traders, Ash and Davis worked together on many...
sampled pieces of the song on their 2006 single "In Love AgainIn Love Again"In Love Again" is the fifth and final single released by Australian electro-rock group Rogue Traders from their second album Here Come the Drums. It was released for digital download in Australia in 2006. At the time of its release, digital downloads were not included as part of the main singles...
". Some of these pieces were also used in an Australian television advertisement on Channel 10 for the Australian drama NeighboursNeighboursNeighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
in mid 2007, helping to revamp the show. - American pop punkPop punkPop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
band New Found GloryNew Found GloryNew Found Glory is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida. Formed in the summer of 1997, founding members were lead vocalist Jordan Pundik, guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein, bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Joe Marino...
on their second "movie song" cover album From the Screen to Your Stereo Part IIFrom the Screen to Your Stereo Part II-Release history:-Credits:Band* Jordan Pundik – Vocals* Chad Gilbert – Guitar* Steve Klein – Guitar* Ian Grushka – Bass* Cyrus Bolooki – Drums / PercussionAdditional Musicians* Michael Bethancourt – KeyboardsGuest Appearances...
. - Relient KRelient KRelient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Brian Pittman, and Matt Hoopes during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone University...
also covered this song on their 2007 summer tour as an introduction to their song "In Love With the 80s", which mentions the band in the line "And my favorite band will always be Tears for Fears." - The X-ecutioners with DJ Cash Money and Marvelous Marvin used the introduction to the song in the song "Ugly People Be Quiet" on their 2003 album ScratchologyScratchologyScratchology is a compilation album by hip hop group, The X-Ecutioners. The album contained various hip hop tracks that were cut up and produced by the X-Ecutioners. Songs from artists including Grandmaster Flash, 3rd Bass, Public Enemy, Gang Starr, Dilated Peoples and Davy DMX...
. - American pop singer Katy PerryKaty PerryKaty Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
covered this song in late October 2008. - Johnny GoudieJohnny GoudieJohn Charles "Johnny" Goudie is a Cuban-American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumental musician, record producer, actor, and podcaster based in Austin, Texas...
and Joseph King have covered the song at their joint concerts, and Goudie has also played a solo acoustic version. - P. Diddy sampled the song on the 2006 Press Play album track "Testimonial (Intro)".
- Kissy Sell OutKissy Sell OutKissy Sell Out an English DJ, producer and graphic designer. Kissy Sell Out quickly gained notability in 2006 for his eccentric electro productions and energetic DJ style. In 2009 Mixmag described him as "one of the most exciting, charismatic and entertaining DJs of the decade"...
as "Head Over Heels (Kissy Klub Version)". - The Dillinger Escape PlanThe Dillinger Escape PlanThe Dillinger Escape Plan is an American mathcore band from Morris Plains, New Jersey. The group originated in 1997 after the disbanding of Arcane, a hardcore punk trio consisting of Ben Weinman, Dimitri Minakakis, and Chris Pennie. The band's current line-up consists of guitarist Ben Weinman,...
covered the song during their 2010 European tour.