As noted here on Tunesmate, one half of the duo Tears for Fears — Curt Smith — turned 50 back on June 24.  A little less than two months later, it’s time for the other half to turn 50.  Roland Orzabal, who is featured on lead vocals above on “Sowing the Seeds of Love,” which hit number 2 back in 1989, hits the half-century mark today.  Orzabal, in fact, has greater claim to the name Tears for Fears than Smith.  When the duo split for a little over a decade following the Seeds of Love album, Orzabal continued to release music under the band’s name.

Back in 1993, Tears For Fears had a #25 hit with the tune “Break It Down Again“. At that time, the duo had split and Roland Orzabal was the remaining tear. This was the band’s last top 40 hit in the US which in my opinion is an underrated song.

One half of 80s duo Tears for Fears turns 50 today, as Curt Smith celebrates the milestone.  In just under a month (on August 22), the other half–Roland Orzabal–will join Smith at 50.

You can see Smith featured above on “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” which, following “Shout,” was one of the band’s two number 1 hits.  They’d also hit the top 5 with “Head over Heels” and “Sowing the Seeds of Love,” in addition to a few other top 40 hits.

You can find out more about the latest going on with Curt on his official website, which features regular blog entries by the musician himself.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXwNyV2jrw0

Last week Ray Schuck reminded us about the genius of Tear For Fears. This in turn sparked rolling in my mind, the ending credits of one of my favorite movies of all-time 1985′s Real Genius starring Val Kilmer. At the conclusion of the movie, the tune “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” by Tears For Fears beats through the mounds of popcorn.

Do you have a favorite movie soundtrack ending?

25 years ago today, British rock duo Tears for Fears’ “Shout” knocked Paul Young’s “Everytime You Go Away” out of the top spot on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart to begin a three week reign.  It marked the second straight Number 1 hit for the band, following “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” from a few months earlier.  They would follow up “Shout” with “Head Over Heels,” which went to number 3, and “Mothers Talk,” which went to number 27, all from their Songs from the Big Chair album.  Four years later, their follow-up album, The Seeds of Love, would produce two Top 40 hits:  “Sowing the Seeds of Love” and “Woman in Chains.”  Tears for Fears would also hit the Top 40 with “Break It Down Again” in 1993, from Elemental, though by that time the duo had split, as Curt Smith had left, leaving Roland Orzabal to his own devices.  The two reunited in 2000, leading to the 2004 release Everybody Loves a Happy Ending and subsequent work.  In fact, they are currently touring the United States through September (and, boy, that show in Detroit on August 12 looks tempting …)