Songoftheday 1/18/17 - Calls her man the great white hope, says she's fine she'll always cope...
from the album The Seeds Of Love (1989)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #36 (one week)
Weeks in the Top-40: 2
Today's song of the day comes from the English new wave act Tears For Fears, whose lush lead single from their third album, "Sowing The Seeds Of Love", returned them to the top-5 on the American pop chart in the fall of 1989. The second single featured a jazz-soul artist that was recording and performing with them at the time, Oleta Adams. She imparts a special emotion to "Woman In Chains", written by TFF's Roland Orzabal who trades verses with her, and transforms a simple meditation on the need for female empowerment into an almost religious experience by the end of the record. Phil Collins was also hired on the play the drums on the song, but it's the fluid bass and the repeating flute-ish sounds that dominate the background jungle-like rumbling of the track...
"Woman In Chains" became the band's sixth top-40 pop hit in the U.S. (and so-far last to feature Curt Smith) in February of 1990. The single also climbed to #27 on Billboard's Modern Rock radio chart, while peaking at #37 on their Adult Contemporary (or "easy listening") list. Internationally, the single reached the top-40 in Canada (#11), the Netherlands (#16), France (#20), Ireland (#21), Italy (#23), New Zealand (#34), Australia (#36), and their native Britain (#26).
Their next single from the set, "Advice For The Young At Heart" (with Smith on lead), stalled down at #89 on the American pop chart, but did go to #24 on the Adult Contemporary list. The somber "Famous Last Words" came in as the fourth single, and was a minor hit in the UK at #83.
Adams would gain massive love from this single rightfully, and in soon time would score her own solo success with "Get Here" in the next year.
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Here's Tears for Fears with Oleta Adams live in concert behind the album in 1990...
...and Orzabal and Adams appearing on French TV in 1995...
...Finally, a reunited performance with Orzabal and Smith at the Night At The Proms in Belgium with Lyrica Garrett (yes, the mom from Love & Hip Hop:Hollywood.)...
Up tomorrow: Pop singer/songwriter says you missed your chance.
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