| Shout | |
| Cover: | TFF_Shout.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Tears for Fears |
| Album: | Songs from the Big Chair |
| B-Side: | The Big Chair |
| Released: | 23 November 1984 |
| Studio: | The Wool Hall (Beckington, England) |
| Producer: | Chris Hughes |
| Prev Title: | Mothers Talk |
| Prev Year: | 1984 |
| Next Title: | Everybody Wants to Rule the World |
| Next Year: | 1985 |
"Shout" is a song by English pop rock band Tears for Fears, released as the second single from their second studio album, Songs from the Big Chair (1985), on 23 November 1984.[1] Roland Orzabal is the lead singer on the track, and he described it as "a simple song about protest".[2] The single became the group's fourth Top 5 hit in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 4 in January 1985. In the US, it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 3 August 1985 and remained there for three weeks; also topping the Cash Box chart. "Shout" became one of the most successful songs of 1985, eventually reaching No. 1 in multiple countries.
Featuring a repetitive hook and a synth-drone throughout, "Shout" is regarded as one of the most recognizable songs from the mid-eighties, with Chris True of AllMusic viewing it as Tears for Fears' defining moment.[3] The song has been covered, remixed and sampled by many artists since its release. In 2010, it was used as the basis for the UK-chart–topping song "Shout" (performed by an ensemble featuring Dizzee Rascal and actor James Corden), an unofficial anthem of the England football team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
While Tears for Fears' previous single "Mothers Talk" had showcased a new, more extroverted songwriting style, "Shout" was completed with power chords, heavy percussion, a synth bass solo and a vocal-sounding synth riff. The song has a lengthy guitar solo, unusual for Tears for Fears. Orzabal has said that the song "is actually more concerned with political protest" than the common view that it is about primal scream theory.[4]
The promotional video for "Shout", filmed in late 1984, was the second Tears for Fears video directed by Nigel Dick. It features footage of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith at Durdle Door in Dorset on the south coast of England, as well as in a studio with the full band, including Ian Stanley and Manny Elias, performing the song amidst a crowd of family and friends.[5]
Along with the clip for "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", the "Shout" video helped to establish Tears for Fears in North America due to its heavy airplay on the music video channel MTV.[6]
In addition to the standard 7- and 12-inch releases, the "Shout" single was issued in two collectible formats in the UK: a limited-edition 10-inch single and a 7-inch boxed pack featuring a 1985 Tears for Fears calendar.[7] A similar limited-edition 7-inch pack was released in Canada, this one featuring a 12-page booklet of band photos. In 1988, "Shout" was reissued on the short-lived CD Video format. The disc included two mixes of the title track, a remix of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", and the "Shout" music video.
"The Big Chair" is the B-side to the "Shout" single. Though there are no lyrics, the track contains dialogue samples performed by actors Sally Field and William Prince from the 1976 television film Sybil, from which the song (and the album Songs from the Big Chair) takes its name. This is one of the few songs in the Tears for Fears catalogue on which bandmember Curt Smith shares a writing credit. The song has since been included in the band's B-sides and rarities collection Saturnine Martial & Lunatic (1996) as well as the remastered and deluxe edition reissues of Songs from the Big Chair.
Cash Box said that it has "an anthemic chorus and a booming production sound".[8] John Leland at Spin called it, " the simple, mindless pop song Depeche Mode has been trying to write for years. The vocals sound like they're coming from a porcelain bathroom at the foot of the Alps. Other than that, its got a singsong melody that numbs all critical faculties, portentious lyrics that signify nothing, and a happy lack of synth doodles or Bowie-isms."[9] Smash Hits reviewer Lesley White described it as "Effective and powerful pop with an insidious chorus you'll find yourself singing at the most inoppurtune moments. For that reason, a hit."[10]
7-inch: Mercury / IDEA8 (United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa) / 880 294-7 (Australia, Europe) / SOV 2351 (Canada)
10-inch: Mercury / IDEA810 (United Kingdom)
7-inch: Mercury / 880 481-7Q (Germany) / 7PP-167 (Japan)
7-inch: Mercury / 880 294-7 (United States)
12-inch: Mercury / IDEA812 (United Kingdom) / 880 294-1 (Australia, Europe) / SOVX 2351 (Canada) / MIX 3080 (Mexico)
12-inch: Mercury / 880 929-1 (United States)
CDV: Mercury / 080 064-2 (United Kingdom)
Tears for Fears
Additional personnel
| Chart (1985) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[11] | 1 | |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[12] | 1 | |
| Italy (FIMI)[13] | 2 | |
| South Africa (Springbok Radio)[14] | 2 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[15] | 1 | |
| US Billboard Hot Black Singles | 56 | |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play1 | 1 | |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales1 | 1 | |
| US Billboard Top Rock Tracks | 6 | |
| US Cash Box[16] | 1 |
1Remix
| Chart (1985) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[17] [18] | 14 | |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[19] | 14 | |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[20] | 8 | |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[21] | 10 | |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[22] | 6 | |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[23] | 7 | |
| South Africa (Springbok Radio)[24] | 16 | |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] | 13 | |
| UK Singles (Official Single Charts)[26] | 50 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[27] | 21 | |
| US Cash Box[28] | 13 |
"Shout" has been covered by various artists:
See main article: Shout (Shout for England song). In 2010, "Shout" was used as the basis for an unofficial anthem of the England football team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The new version, performed by Shout for England featuring Dizzee Rascal and James Corden, utilises elements from the Tears for Fears song amid new verses written specifically for the 2010 World Cup. The track also samples "Grandma's Hands" by Bill Withers and was produced by Simon Cowell in association with TalkTalk. It was released on 9 June.[35] On 13 June, the track entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 1.[36]
