Mad world - Tears for fears

These days, 'Mad world' is considered to be a ballad performed by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules, but I am old enough to remember the original version, released by Tears for fears in 1982. The single reached no. 3 in the UK singles chart, making it the band's first hit. Roland Orzabal said about the song: 'That came when I lived above a pizza restaurant in Bath and I could look out onto the centre of the city. Not that Bath is very mad - I should have called it 'Bourgeois World'!'

I bought the single of 'Mad world' in 1990. It wasn't until 1999 that I found the double single version, which included the rare 'World remix' of the track. The second single featured 'Suffer the children' and 'Ideas as opiates', both in versions that were different from the ones that would be recorded for Tears for fears's debut album 'The Hurting' (1983).

My collection: 7" single no. 1334 / 7" double single no. 3163

Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1990 / Record fair, Utrecht, 1999

Cost: 50p / 5 guilders

Tracks: 'Mad world' / 'Ideas as opiates'

Tracks (double single): 'Mad world' / 'Mad world (World remix)' // 'Suffer the children' / 'Ideas as opiates'

Download: here