#tff interview

"Here we are again in Europe, finally!" CS and RO, sunk in two large twin armchairs, seem in high spirits. And they have every reason to be. Their popularity, which began in England, quickly spread throughout Europe, and thanks to the success of their second album, SFTBC, TFF can now boast an extraordinary record: 4 songs from that album, released as 45s, have reached the top of the American charts. But every coin has its downside: to achieve success, Curt and Roland had to endure a long effort, a tour of the US that began last spring and ended a few weeks ago in Italy. So, tired but happy, the two boys from Bath willingly submit to journalists' questions. What's the effect of fame? "Terrible!" R grimaces. "If this is the kind of life a superstar leads, I'll gladly give it up, even right now!" "Don't listen to him, he likes to act snobbish," C retorts. "Actually, having dozens of girls chasing him all the way to the hotel door is his greatest entertainment." "Are you crazy? If my wife hears you, she'll gouge my eyes out. You know she's jealous!" R and C are truly a great comic duo. You can never tell if they're joking or serious; R in particular (the one with the long, wavy hair) has a habit of saying important things with a wry smile on his face, which leaves his interlocutors perplexed. C, on the other hand (who recently adopted an "old-fashioned" hairstyle, with his hair slicked back) is the "clown" of the duo: he has an expressive and friendly face and laughs often and willingly. "He'd be better off keeping his mouth shut, with those big, protruding teeth! And it's about time he changed that young mafioso look. Right, my friend?" R provokes him. The friendship between the two is truly bulletproof: C and R have known each other since they were children and have always gotten along. "In fact, our 1st meeting was… a boxing match. We were 13 and we fought to impress a girl!" C recalls. "That girl, if you don't mind, was Caroline, who is now my wife," R explains. "I know, I know, I'm sure I remember. When she asked you out on your first date, you were so nervous you got drunk and I had to walk you to her house. By the way, how is she?" "Good, thanks. She's back from her vacation in Africa and is waiting for me at home. We spoke yesterday, on the phone." C is also married, and all the guys in the TFF backing band constantly tease him because, no matter where he is in the world, he regularly calls home twice a day. "I miss Lynne terribly," C admits, becoming serious for a moment. "She'll be in the garden right now, surrounded by our 5 cats." 5? "Exactly," C confirms with an air of paternal pride: "Their names are Treasure, Garp, Ben, Charlie, and Emmy." "I like cats too," R interjects, "but I only have one: Zero Algebra Waldorf Churchill. When I'm away and my wife isn't home, my mother-in-law, who lives with us, takes care of it." Guys, sorry to bother you, but I have a few "professional" questions for you, if you don't mind… "No, that's why we're here. The fact is, we're so homesick that we can't stop thinking about when we'll be back." Will you finally tell me the real reason you didn't attend the "Live AID" concert even though your presence was confirmed? "Okay, let's be honest. There are 2 reasons: one is that 2 of the musicians playing with us weren't available that day, and we absolutely couldn't have performed without them." "And the other reason," C adds, "is that we didn't really agree with the way the concert was organized. I'd rather not broach the subject now because it would take all day, so let's drop it. But I want to say that we donated the proceeds from our concerts in Sydney, Tokyo, London, and NY to charity: we did it without too much publicity, because we didn't want to show off with a gesture of solidarity. We prefer TFF to be talked about for their musical work, not their charitable work." And in terms of music, what are your next moves? "The next thing I'll ring is my doorbell. I don't want to touch an instrument for a whole month!" And the new album? "We'll talk about it again next year."

"Being a pop star is no fun at all" "We've had exactly one month of vacation for the past three years," sighs Tears For Fears' Roland Orzabal. "And that's in a profession where everyone claims it's fun to be your own boss. We can assure you that being a pop star is usually not easy at all." Roland and his colleague Curt Smith talk about their immense loneliness. DISAPPOINTMENTS AND SETDORS Have you known each other for long? Curt: "Yes. We were only thirteen when we first met. We were up to mischief together and constantly joking around. Even back then, we were already on the same golf course. Did your childhood play a major role in your career? Roland: Without a doubt. We both had a lot of problems at home. Our parents were constantly arguing. At school, there were tons of punishments. After college, we thought life was over and we were starting over. We've also experienced quite a few disappointments and setbacks since then. Fortunately, because they were excellent sources of inspiration for our songs. Are you still in touch with your family? Roland: "Hardly. I never got along with my father. I see my mother occasionally. She lives with my brother. My little brother Julian is my best friend. I feel sorry for him because he's been unemployed for years. My older brother Carlos works in a large factory in Bath, but we don't get along with him either. Curt also very rarely puts his family out." You are both married. Curt: "Indeed. My wife's name is Lynn. She literally pulled me out of the doldrums. When I was barely getting a chance as a musician, she went out to work to keep me alive. I will be eternally grateful to her for that." FRIENDS Do you have many friends? Roland: "Not at all. Besides my brother Julian, I've never gotten along with men. Besides my wife Caroline, I have three exceptionally dear best friends. Fiona is a gifted painter, Sarah is active in the film and video world, and Suzanne is still studying. I go out with Caroline and them very often. Do Curt and Lynn come with you? Curt: Almost never. Roland and I are good friends and excellent colleagues, but we try to interact as little as possible outside the studio and off the stage. That keeps our friendship and creativity alive. Once you reach the level of music where you regularly have to deliver records and go on tour, the magical feeling quickly disappears. Instead of a fun hobby, it becomes a grueling job. How do you actually write songs? "Mainly by listening to our ears. Most of our songs are born on the street or in the supermarket. We listen to conversations of passers by and come up with melodies. So anyone who dares to say that our songs aren't taken from real life is quite mistaken."

thought this was just speculation but nope, its true. my god. and then you read the lyrics :B