Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith had a lot in common. They were both the middle child of three sons, both grew up in a depressed part of the city of Bath in the late 1970s, and both were raised by single mothers. They were also heavily influenced by artists such as Peter Gabriel (particularly his third album) and David Bowie.
Mad World was the duo’s first hit in the guise of Tears for Fears, climbing to the dizzy heights of number three in the UK chart in 1982. Its origins were a fusion of lived experience and emotions, with a sound similar to a song that was then lighting up the airwaves.
