"Mothers Talk" by Tears for Fears

Song#:  2689
Date:  04/12/1986
Debut:  67
Peak:  27
Weeks:  12
Genre:  Rock, New Wave



Pop Bits:  The UK duo exploded on the US charts with their second album Songs from the Big Chair. It would reach the apex of the chart thanks to two #1 singles and a further #3 hit, "Head Over Heels." By this point in time the album had run its course in the band's UK homeland after a run of five singles. The US was late to the game and only three singles in, so it seemed logical to issue out a fourth single. This particular track was actually the first single lifted from the album in the UK. It was released late summer of '84 and got to #14. Over a year and a half later, the tune would be scheduled for release in the US. However, instead of pushing out the standard album version of the song, the duo decided to go back into the studio and record a brand new version. It was dubbed the US Remix even though it was a new recording, not a remix. The single was issued out yet even in it's newly recorded form the song couldn't do any better than the Pop Top 30. It would be nearly three years before the duo would hit the charts again.

ReduxReview:  It really doesn't matter whether I'm listening to the original version or the US redo because neither of them are very memorable. The only thing that comes to mind if I see this title is the "we can work it out" part. And that's after having to think about it for a bit. It was a weak single contender to begin with so trying to make it more palatable for the US release was an interesting idea, but that's about all it was. They didn't necessarily make it any more commercial that it already was. The new version just had a slicker sound when compared to the more punchy original, which actually I prefer. It certainly wasn't a bad idea to give this fourth single a go. It's just no matter what they did to the tune it wasn't strong enough to go much further than it did.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  The duo's first two singles in the UK, 1981's "Suffer the Children" and 1982's "Pale Shelter (You Don't Give Me Love)," failed to capture anyone's attention and didn't chart. Both songs were re-recorded for their debut album The Hurting. The new version of "Pale Shelter" would be issued as a single in 1983 and would reach #5 in the UK. With singles from Songs from the Big Chair exhausted in the UK, the label decided to push out some reissues to keep the band's momentum going (along with album sales). The album version of "Suffer the Children" would be issued out first and it ended up reaching #52. "Pale Shelter" would be circulated again and on its second go-round it made it to #73.

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