Rounding out a decade that had seen them triumph as transatlantic chart-toppers, the Bath, UK-hailing duo Tears for Fears’ extraordinary 1989 single Sowing the Seeds of Love firmly underlined the pair's knack for penning an era-defining earworm, soaring atop some characteristically exquisite music.
With its single edit coming in at a lengthy 5:48 (the album cut ran even longer, at 6:19) this ambitious song was Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal’s penultimate single of the 1980s, preceding the release of parent album The Seeds of Love by one month.
For Smith and Orzabal, their third LP’s long, and at times painful, genesis had tested their close bond. Their future plans as a creative unit would soon come to a dramatic halt, following a gruelling promotional world tour, and a furious dispute about their management. As a result, the pair wouldn't speak for nine years. More on that at the end of this article…
