Tears For Fears "The Hurting": name those synths?
Forum rules
READ: VSE Board-Wide Rules and Guidelines
READ: VSE Board-Wide Rules and Guidelines
- Christopher Winkels
- Supporting Member!
- Posts: 690
- Joined: Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:52 am
- Location: Burlington, Canada, eh.
Tears For Fears "The Hurting": name those synths?
I don't think this one has come up before (certainly a search didn't yield any hits).
Anyone care to do a rundown on the first TFF album and what was used on it? I was just listening to a copy of their Peel Sessions recordings from '82, when The Hurting was the only thing they had in the can to draw from, and it got me thinking about what a gem that album is.
Anyone care to do a rundown on the first TFF album and what was used on it? I was just listening to a copy of their Peel Sessions recordings from '82, when The Hurting was the only thing they had in the can to draw from, and it got me thinking about what a gem that album is.
- hfinn
- Expert Member
- Posts: 1197
- Joined: Fri Dec 10, 2004 3:21 pm
- Gear: http://soundcloud.com/heath-finnie
- Location: Boston
- Contact:
Re: Tears For Fears "The Hurting": name those synths?
The two I remember being used on The Hurting was Jupiter 8 and a Prophet 5. Live in 83 they were also using a PPG wave and a Yamaha I can't figure out.
Last edited by hfinn on Thu Jun 03, 2010 2:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
- Jabberwalky
- Synth Explorer
- Posts: 2164
- Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2005 6:03 pm
- Gear: A hybrid of vintage and modern junk
- Band: Variar
- Location: Pgh, PA
- Contact:
Re: Tears For Fears "The Hurting": name those synths?
If they had those 2 synths for their first album, they certainly weren't "hurting".
- braincandy
- Retired Moderator
- Posts: 940
- Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2004 7:35 pm
- Location: Dallas, Texas
Re: Tears For Fears "The Hurting": name those synths?
I saw a video of a live performance of "Mad World" and remember spotting a Polysix. Don't know if that was used on the record, though.
Fender Blacktop Jazzmaster | Squier CV Duo-Sonic | e6400 Ultra | Blofeld | a bunch of effects
Re: Tears For Fears "The Hurting": name those synths?
To the best of my knowledge that album was recorded with a Prophet 5, Jupiter-8 and Movement drum computer (I think?).
"The (Yamaha) CS-80 is a step ahead in keyboard control, and a generation behind in digital control" -- Dan Wyman, Jan 1979
- clusterchord
- Active Member
- Posts: 742
- Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2005 8:35 pm
- Real name: Tomislav
- Band: Nimbus Dei
- Location: Zagreb, Croatia
- Contact:
Re: Tears For Fears "The Hurting": name those synths?
there is Peter Gabriel's Fairlight, Prophet 5 Rev2 and Linn LM-1 all over that album. they were neighbours in Bath, and he borrowed them synths. i even remember an interview where this was mentioned.
just listen to PG III (the meltface), and then drop in "The Hurting" in your CD after..
i was a lot into PG, and still am, and in TFF when they came out, but was in my early teens then so i didn't pay much attention to these things. however, just recently, i played Hurting after maybe 15yrs or more, now with different ears it was a revelation - was suprised how many sounds i recognized from Gabriel's records, and how many production quirks/tricks are similar. even some harmonic solutions too.
never the less The Hurting is still one of my fav records of that early Brit synth pop era.
just listen to PG III (the meltface), and then drop in "The Hurting" in your CD after..
i was a lot into PG, and still am, and in TFF when they came out, but was in my early teens then so i didn't pay much attention to these things. however, just recently, i played Hurting after maybe 15yrs or more, now with different ears it was a revelation - was suprised how many sounds i recognized from Gabriel's records, and how many production quirks/tricks are similar. even some harmonic solutions too.
never the less The Hurting is still one of my fav records of that early Brit synth pop era.
Re: Tears For Fears "The Hurting": name those synths?
I didn't know they used Peter Gabriel's Fairlight and Linn LM-1 on that album, you learn something new every day 
As for the Prophet, I believe it was a Rev 3 because to my knowledge Peter didn't own a Rev 2. He did
carry a rev 1 (#0047) on the 1980 tour (PG III), but that synth wasn't his.
Here's a pic of Gabriel's Rev 3 alongside Larry Fast's Rev 1 (from the PG 4 "security" sessions back in '81):
http://synergy-emusic.com/petergabrielp ... pg4pix.htm
Btw, Larry Fast's Rev 1 P5 is serial number #0106 and he still has it.

As for the Prophet, I believe it was a Rev 3 because to my knowledge Peter didn't own a Rev 2. He did
carry a rev 1 (#0047) on the 1980 tour (PG III), but that synth wasn't his.
Here's a pic of Gabriel's Rev 3 alongside Larry Fast's Rev 1 (from the PG 4 "security" sessions back in '81):
http://synergy-emusic.com/petergabrielp ... pg4pix.htm
Btw, Larry Fast's Rev 1 P5 is serial number #0106 and he still has it.
"The (Yamaha) CS-80 is a step ahead in keyboard control, and a generation behind in digital control" -- Dan Wyman, Jan 1979
- calyx93
- Active Member
- Posts: 450
- Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2005 5:48 am
- Gear: PPG Wave 2.2, μWave (x2), Roland JP6+V-Synth+S-220, SCI P5+600, Ensoniq SQ-80, Kawai K-3+K-3m, ARP Odyssey+Omni2, Emulator II+HD, Ensoniq Mirage.
- Location: Winston-Salem, NC
Re: Tears For Fears "The Hurting": name those synths?
I second the PPG Wave inclusion - you can definitely hear it doing the chimey chords on "The Way You Are" - unmistakable.
“I have stretched ropes from steeple to steeple; garlands from window to window; golden chains from star to star, and I dance.” - Rimbaud
Re: Tears For Fears "The Hurting": name those synths?
"The Way You Are" was added to the remastered version of "The Hurting" in 1999 but the song wasn't recorded
for that album, it was recorded after the tour in the fall of '83. I believe Ian Stanley aquired the PPG Wave 2.2
sometime after The Hurting had been completed because I don't hink there's any PPG on the original album tracks.
As you can see, he did use one for the chimey chords when they performed this song at the Rockpalast in May '83:
for that album, it was recorded after the tour in the fall of '83. I believe Ian Stanley aquired the PPG Wave 2.2
sometime after The Hurting had been completed because I don't hink there's any PPG on the original album tracks.
As you can see, he did use one for the chimey chords when they performed this song at the Rockpalast in May '83:
"The (Yamaha) CS-80 is a step ahead in keyboard control, and a generation behind in digital control" -- Dan Wyman, Jan 1979
Re: Tears For Fears "The Hurting": name those synths?
Question - In the song "Change" at the 2:40 minute mark there is a synth bridge where they play what seems to be bass octaves back and forth rapidly.
Anyone ID this fat bass-oriented synth sound? Sounds Oberheim-esque but lots of synths can make this sound.
Thanks!
Anyone ID this fat bass-oriented synth sound? Sounds Oberheim-esque but lots of synths can make this sound.
Thanks!
-
- Newbie
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2013 9:10 am
- Gear: Minikorg700, Polysix, Korg CX-3, Hohner Pianet T, JD-800, Bassstation, 808, 707 ..
- Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Re: Tears For Fears "The Hurting": name those synths?
I remember thinking that the organ on "Suffer the children" sounded a lot like a preset on my Polysix.
- synthroom
- Senior Member
- Posts: 879
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 3:16 pm
- Real name: Kirk
- Gear: Fairlight IIx(!), JP-8, D-50, S-50+550, S-760, JX-3P, JD-800, EII, Emax II, Mini, ARP 2600, P-5 Rev.1, Pro-One, Performer, K1m, K5m, few other things.
- Location: pdx
- Contact:
Re: Tears For Fears "The Hurting": name those synths?
I've got P5 Rev 1 #116.Micke wrote:Btw, Larry Fast's Rev 1 P5 is serial number #0106 and he still has it.
It would be cool to find out where the other 184 of them are.
Fairlight IIx (Mid-Life Crisis - cheaper than a Corvette!)
Roland JP-8, D-50, S-50, S-550(2x), S-760(2x), JX-3P, JD-800
EII, Emax II, Minimoog, ARP 2600, P-5 Rev.1 (broken...), Pro-One, Crumar Performer, K1m, K5m, MS-2000B, Virus KC, a few other things.
Roland JP-8, D-50, S-50, S-550(2x), S-760(2x), JX-3P, JD-800
EII, Emax II, Minimoog, ARP 2600, P-5 Rev.1 (broken...), Pro-One, Crumar Performer, K1m, K5m, MS-2000B, Virus KC, a few other things.
-
- Newbie
- Posts: 54
- Joined: Sat Aug 17, 2019 10:44 am
Re: Tears For Fears "The Hurting": name those synths?
I'm also looking for the Synth on that particular song, spanding some vids saw Jupiter 8 and a Dx7, Polysix makes perfect sense.braincandy wrote: ↑Thu Jun 03, 2010 3:31 amI saw a video of a live performance of "Mad World" and remember spotting a Polysix. Don't know if that was used on the record, though.
Wish TFF would reveal their Synth secrets abit more.
- ppg_wavecomputer
- Expert Member
- Posts: 1055
- Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2013 3:37 pm
- Gear: more keys than hands (and feet)
- Band: ['ramp]
- Location: teutoburg forest, eastern westphalia, germany
- Contact:
Re: Tears For Fears "The Hurting": name those synths?
They sold their arsenal to Uli Behringer -- the entire internet was full of this promotional stunt.80snostalgia wrote: ↑Sun Dec 06, 2020 7:49 pm[...] Wish TFF would reveal their Synth secrets abit more.
Stephen
"Like the light from distant stars, Stephen Parsick's music has existed for some time, but is only now reaching us on Earth." Chuck van Zyl
https://doombientmusic.bandcamp.com/
https://ramp1.bandcamp.com/
https://stephenparsick.bandcamp.com/
https://doombientmusic.bandcamp.com/
https://ramp1.bandcamp.com/
https://stephenparsick.bandcamp.com/