Raoul and the Kings of Spain | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 16 October 1995 | |||
Recorded | 1994–1995 [1] | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 50:16 | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Producer |
| |||
Tears for Fears chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Raoul and the Kings of Spain | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Entertainment Weekly | B [3] |
Select | [4] |
Raoul and the Kings of Spain is the fifth studio album by English pop rock band Tears for Fears, released on 16 October 1995 by Epic Records. Like the band's previous album, Elemental (1993), it is essentially a solo effort by Roland Orzabal, as neither album involved Curt Smith.
Orzabal's primary musical collaborator for Raoul and the Kings of Spain was Alan Griffiths, who acted in the same role for Elemental, co-writing most of the album with Orzabal. Raoul and the Kings of Spain also retained producer Tim Palmer from Elemental. Raoul was a commercial disappointment for the band, becoming their lowest charting album in both the UK and US up to that point and receiving mixed reviews.
Raoul and the Kings of Spain was recorded between 1994 and 1995 by Roland Orzabal, Alan Griffiths, and the band they toured with during the Elemental tour of August–December 1993 (Gail Ann Dorsey, Brian MacLeod, Jeffrey Trott, and Jebin Bruni). [1] Recording sessions for the album took place in Neptune's Kitchen (Orzabal's home studio in Dyrham, England, where Elemental was recorded) and in the Record Plant in Los Angeles.
The album, according to Orzabal, has a recurring theme of familiar relationships and delves into his own Spanish heritage. The album's title was mooted as far back as the 1980s as a possible contender for the band's third album (which ultimately became The Seeds of Love ). Raoul was originally Orzabal's first name given at birth before being anglicized by his parents to Roland (Orzabal later gave the name "Raoul" to his first son, born in 1991).
The album was originally scheduled to be released by Mercury Records but the release was postponed after Tears for Fears left the label to sign with Sony/Epic Records. The album was eventually released by Sony in October 1995 with a slightly different track listing and new cover art.
The album peaked at number 41 in the United Kingdom and number 79 in the United States, but was more successful in continental Europe, reaching number 13 in Belgium (Wallonia) [5] and number five in France.
The album features a reunion with Oleta Adams, who had recorded and toured extensively with the band for The Seeds of Love album, and here duets with Orzabal on the track "Me and My Big Ideas".
The front cover photo titled, Running Them In at Pamplona, is by Jose Galle and is a depiction of the annual "Running of the Bulls" festival held in Pamplona in Spain. Several inner sleeve photographs were by David Tack, taken from his book Impressions of Spain published by Quartet (the Bullfighter on Horseback on page 4 is Rafael Peralta, a renowned Spanish Rejoneador bullfighter). Inner sleeve photos of Orzabal were taken by Pamela Springsteen, shot at the historic Mission Inn in Riverside, California, where the promo video for "Raoul and the Kings of Spain" was filmed.
Raoul and the Kings of Spain was re-released in August 2009 by Cherry Pop Records, [6] complete with seven bonus tracks (see below).
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Notes | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Raoul and the Kings of Spain" |
| 5:17 | |
2. | "Falling Down" | Roland Orzabal | 4:55 | |
3. | "Secrets" |
| 4:42 | |
4. | "God's Mistake" |
| 3:47 | |
5. | "Sketches of Pain" |
| Mislabeled on CD back insert as "Sketches of Spain"; the actual title of the track is a play on the Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain album of that name | 4:21 |
6. | "Los Reyes Católicos" |
| 1:48 | |
7. | "Sorry" |
| 4:48 | |
8. | "Queen of Compromise" |
| 3:52 | |
9. | "Don't Drink the Water" |
| 4:56 | |
10. | "Me and My Big Ideas" |
| 4:33 | |
11. | "Los Reyes Católicos" |
| Mislabeled on CD back insert as "Los Retes Catolicos" | 3:43 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Raoul and the Kings of Spain" |
| 5:16 |
2. | "Falling Down" | Orzabal | 4:56 |
3. | "Secrets" |
| 4:42 |
4. | "God's Mistake" |
| 3:47 |
5. | "Sketches of Pain" | Orzabal | 4:21 |
6. | "Los Reyes Católicos" |
| 1:44 |
7. | "Sorry" |
| 4:48 |
8. | "Humdrum and Humble" |
| 4:11 |
9. | "I Choose You" | Orzabal | 3:26 |
10. | "Don't Drink the Water" |
| 4:51 |
11. | "Me and My Big Ideas" |
| 4:33 |
12. | "Los Reyes Católicos (Reprise)" |
| 3:43 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
13. | "All of the Angels" |
| 4:31 |
14. | "The Madness of Roland" |
| 5:10 |
15. | "Queen of Compromise" |
| 3:57 |
16. | "Until I Drown" |
| 3:23 |
17. | "War of Attrition" |
| 3:45 |
18. | "Raoul and the Kings of Spain" (acoustic) |
| 4:29 |
19. | "Break It Down Again" (acoustic) |
| 3:14 |
Notes
Chart (1995) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [8] | 13 |
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [9] | 62 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [10] | 70 |
European Albums ( Music & Media ) [11] | 16 |
French Albums (IFOP) [12] | 5 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [13] | 88 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [14] | 42 |
UK Albums (OCC) [15] | 41 |
US Billboard 200 [16] | 79 |
Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath in 1981 by Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the synth-pop bands of the 1980s, and attained international chart success as part of the Second British Invasion.
Everybody Loves a Happy Ending is the sixth studio album by English pop rock band Tears for Fears, released on 14 September 2004 in the United States and on 7 March 2005 in the United Kingdom and Europe.
The Seeds of Love is the third studio album by English pop rock band Tears for Fears, released on 25 September 1989 by Fontana Records. It retained the band's epic sound while incorporating influences ranging from jazz and soul to Beatlesque pop. Its lengthy production and scrapped recording sessions cost over £1 million. The album spawned the title hit single "Sowing the Seeds of Love", as well as "Woman in Chains", and "Advice for the Young at Heart", both of which reached the top 40 in several countries.
Elemental is the fourth studio album by English pop rock band Tears for Fears, released on 7 June 1993 by Mercury Records. It was the band's first album recorded following the departure of co-founder Curt Smith, with Roland Orzabal assuming sole leadership with the help of additional musicians.
Roland Jaime Orzábal De La Quintana is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and author. He is the guitarist, co-lead vocalist, main songwriter, co-founder, and the only constant member of Tears for Fears. He is also a producer of artists such as Oleta Adams. In 2014, Orzabal published his first novel, a romantic comedy.
Saturnine Martial & Lunatic is a compilation album by English pop rock band Tears for Fears, released on 3 June 1996. It is a collection of B-sides and rare tracks, spanning some ten years of recording from the band's era signed to Mercury/Phonogram. The album also includes their 1983 hit single "The Way You Are".
Oleta Angela Adams is an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. She found limited success during the early 1980s, before gaining fame via her contributions to Tears for Fears' international chart-topping album The Seeds of Love (1989). Her albums Circle of One (1991) and Evolution (1993) were top 10 hits in the UK; the former yielded a Grammy-nominated cover of Brenda Russell's "Get Here", which was a top 5 hit in both the UK and the U.S. Adams has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, as well as two Soul Train Music Awards.
Tomcats Screaming Outside is the debut solo studio album by British musician Roland Orzabal from the band Tears for Fears. It was released on 2 April 2001. Although Orzabal had effectively made two solo albums under the Tears for Fears moniker in the 1990s, this was the first recording to be released under his own name. Though originally intended to be released as a Tears for Fears album, Orzabal had reunited with Smith in 2000 which prompted him to release the then-completed Tomcats album under his own name shortly afterwards.
The English new wave/pop rock band Tears for Fears have released seven studio albums, along with numerous singles, compilations and videos. Formed in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, the duo signed to Phonogram Records in the UK and released their first single the same year. It was not until Tears for Fears' third single, "Mad World" (1982), that they scored their first hit, and their platinum-selling debut album The Hurting (1983) was a UK number one.
Circle of One is the third album by American vocalist, pianist, and songwriter Oleta Adams and was released in 1990. Circle of One was Adams' first album to receive wide distribution; her two earlier albums were self-financed and received only local distribution.
"Goodnight Song" is a song by English pop rock band Tears for Fears from their 1993 album Elemental. It was released as a single in North America and in some European countries, and was a minor hit in Canada.
"Woman in Chains" is a song by English band Tears for Fears, released as the second single from their third studio album, The Seeds of Love (1989). It has been described as a "feminist anthem". It was an international success, reaching the top 40 in several countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, France, and the Netherlands.
"Break It Down Again" is a song by English pop rock band Tears for Fears, released in May 1993 by Mercury Records as the first single from their fourth studio album, Elemental (1993). It is one of the band's later songs with the typical late 1980s sound, using synthesizers. The song was the second single released after the departure of Curt Smith from the band.
"Cold" is a song by English pop rock band Tears for Fears. Released in July 1993, it served as the second single from the band's Elemental. The single peaked at number 72 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Raoul and the Kings of Spain" is a song by English pop rock band Tears for Fears, released as the first single from their 1995 album of the same name. Upon its release, the single reached number 31 in the United Kingdom and would be the band's last top-40 hit there for 10 years, until 2005's "Closest Thing to Heaven". The song also reached number 39 in the Wallonia region of Belgium.
"Secrets" is a song by English pop rock band Tears for Fears, released in the US as a second single from their fifth album, Raoul and the Kings of Spain (1995). The song was also initially planned for release as a single in the UK, but was withdrawn.
"God's Mistake" is a song by English pop rock band Tears for Fears, featured on their 1995 album Raoul and the Kings of Spain. The song was the first single taken from the album in the United States and Canada, but the second to be taken from the album in the UK.
Going to California is a concert performance video by the British group Tears for Fears. Released in 1990, it is a recording of the band's show at the Santa Barbara County Bowl in May 1990 during their "Seeds of Love" World Tour.
Shout: The Very Best of Tears for Fears is a 2001 compilation album released by the British band Tears for Fears. The album contains the greatest hits of the band from their first album, The Hurting, to the much later Elemental. The liner notes contain various photographs which were researched by Jason Pastori and coordinated by Ryan Null.
Gold is a greatest hits album by the English rock band Tears for Fears. It was released by Hip-O Records/Mercury Records on 8 August 2006. It covers releases by the band between 1983 and 2005.