LIVE!!!!!!!!!! no question about it :D. there was a shortness of breath throughout the whole song and especially while he was singing @2:16 I FEEL SOOOO. I love ROLAAAAAAAAND!!! Although I don't see any wires on their guitars, Roland's voice is definitely live. only maybe except for the la-la-la-la part :-)
@jezzyby47 thanks for sharing this vid. the quality is so good! i feel like i was attending that concert :D. woohoo!!!
@TFFpixel Definitely and clearly live. But what's amazing is how powerfully Roland still delivers the "time flies" part at the end, even without studio help. :)
He's definitely singing live...you can hear how he's a bit short of breath by the end of the song and he's off pitch on a couple other parts...classic of a live vocal.
I agree that it was purely technical reasons for the audio backing - time is money etc.. it has nothing to do with how good someone is or not, or if they need to be 'faking it'. but just incase there is still doubt.. watch the drum fill at 1:31 after the double snare hit manny hits the cymbal but you can't hear it (you can see it wobbling as the camera cuts to the keyboard).
@everymatt - Yeah, on nearly every TV show, the music will be on tape 99% of the time, and also the vocals will be too, occasionally though someone will want to do a live vocal, and any fan will know when it's live because they know every nuance and inflection on every word because unlike normal people, fans will play the tracks at home until they can take no more, unlike normal people who like a track and will maybe play it half a dozen times or so.
@jezzyby47 absolutely! I'd say that pulling off a live vocal is probably the hardest part of the performance anyway, so the artists that do insist on it are to be congratulated. there are some other youtube clips that show what a great unit these guys were in a truly live setting also.
@jezzyby47 "and any fan will know when it's live because they know every nuance and inflection on every word because unlike normal people, fans will play the tracks at home until they can take no more, unlike normal people who like a track and will maybe play it half a dozen times or so."
Nah, this is played live. People are getting caught up in the synth tones being exactly the same as the album. Of course they would be the same. The bass is def live, and how could you get a drummer like Manny Elias to fake it?
Sigh. Roland is singing live over the studio tracks (minus the "lead" vocal track). This is/was common music industry practice particularly for television broadcasts and/or festival events where more than one act takes the stage (as jazzyby47 notes below). Simply listen to this performance side by side with the original studio recording and you should be able to hear the only variance between the two is Roland's live vocal.
Just cos they are 'plugged in' doesn't mean they are playing the instruments CelesteK. Every instrument has it's own volume control which could be turned down to zero. Every instrument is plugged into a mixing desk which could also be turned down. The music is very nearly always on tape, they just mime playing them, it's hard to play and sing at the same time, so they nearly always have the music on tape. Ro is singing live on this one though.
The real way to tell if the music is live is if the drummer has headphones on. There is nearly always a sequence playing that the drummer will be monitoring through the headphones and playing live to, and everyone else will be playing along with the drums. They are top class musicians so they could do it if they wanted, but when there is more than one group on, it is very hard to get the mix right for everyone, so all the music is on tape and the desk rabbit only has to mix the vocals.
Yeah but I understand that T4F is a band that's very much against lipping it on stage. Sure it could be that Roland is singing against a backing track but that doesn't mean anything.
A lot of bands can do it live and TFF can too. It's the TV techs who have to get a good mix for a lot of different bands. These days with automated mixers, it's not as hard, you soundcheck and the mix is stored into memory and can be recalled at the push of a switch. You didn't have this facility until the early 90s. This was 1985. And the next band would have a completely different setup and mix. It's so much easier to have the whole lot on tape and have the band mime.
@jezzyby47 Quick question. I have seen TFF live 4 times in the past 2 years, and they are really playing their instruments during concerts, right? Of course the singing is live, but the instruments are live too, correct? Roland once hit a bad note on his guitar solo during the song Shout - so that is an indicator...
@darkallie11 - When most bands play gigs, they are live, they usually will have parts of the performance on tape, like a click track or sequence that the drummer will play along with, maybe some backing vocals. Usually, but not always, the music will be at least 80% live. Vocals are usually always live. On TV shows, nearly everything is on tape and 9 times out of 10 the vocals are on tape too. Roland's vocal is live on this performance.
@jezzyby47 You are correct, this is definitely live. I saw them live at Cobo Hall in Detroit in 1985, a group called The Adventurer's opened for them. Tears For Fears was by far, one of the best Pop/Rock groups I have seen at replicating their studio sound in concert. Mr. Mister is a close second.
I think people think there's lipsyncing because on the second verse there's a counter-melody that is heard but not being sung by Smith. But if you look, the keyboardist (Stanley?) is singing it. Even though I like Smith's voice better, it is clear he didn't have the range that Orzabal had.
@Gunstar1701 Counter melody in parenteses: With one foot in the past now just how long will it last, No, no, no, have you no ambitions, oh (What's the matter with..), My mother and my brothers used to breathing clean air, (Nothing ever changes when you're acting your age), And dreaming I'm a doctor, (Nothing gets done when you feel like a baby), It's hard to be man when there's a gun in your hand, (Nothing ever changes when you're acting your age) Oh, I feel so
Yeah, he's definitely not lip syncing. There are a few missed notes. Nothing really bad though, just human! Play the same song thousands of times and there's sure to be mistakes here and there, no matter how big you are :)
Whenever TFF are made to lip sync, I despair because they really were one of the most talented LIVE bands of the 80s. Great instrumentation along with the vocal.
0 dislikes. How it should be :)
redrooster280zxt 4 months ago
I agree... he's not lipsyncing. they're performing live. whatever.....they're one of my favorites.
bessierl29 6 months ago
Karaoke
EGURRITIP 9 months ago
I'm glad this has zero dislikes. Because that's exactly what this deserves!
DeadManLimping 9 months ago
fear not the headless bassman, ichabod crane...
jamesedwardtheobald 1 year ago
OMG THANK YOU FOR UPLOADING THIS! One of my fave songs/groups from the 80's. Amazing footage!
BLINKFOREVAfan 1 year ago
He looks so softly beautiful here! Kissable!
squeakyben 1 year ago
Either this guy is high on ecstasy, or he's doing the world's best impersonation of someone who is!
comanchio1976 1 year ago
That is a beautiful 'Status' Bass that Curt Smith is playing...
DevonGreenLanes 1 year ago
Roland is a slight bit off pitch at points so this was definitely a live lead vocal. ..no dub-tracking for Roland here IMEO.
DonGomez007 1 year ago
I agree that at Montreaux, there are a lot of lipsynching. But not Ronald's vocals on this one. The opening line was clearly sung live.
tikmol 1 year ago
Comment removed
TFFpixel 1 year ago
LIVE!!!!!!!!!! no question about it :D. there was a shortness of breath throughout the whole song and especially while he was singing @2:16 I FEEL SOOOO. I love ROLAAAAAAAAND!!! Although I don't see any wires on their guitars, Roland's voice is definitely live. only maybe except for the la-la-la-la part :-)
@jezzyby47 thanks for sharing this vid. the quality is so good! i feel like i was attending that concert :D. woohoo!!!
TFFpixel 1 year ago
@TFFpixel Definitely and clearly live. But what's amazing is how powerfully Roland still delivers the "time flies" part at the end, even without studio help. :)
Heralde8 1 year ago
awesome!!!
bes2388 1 year ago
He's definitely singing live...you can hear how he's a bit short of breath by the end of the song and he's off pitch on a couple other parts...classic of a live vocal.
StarcrestProperties 1 year ago
sounds as good live if not better as he does on record. god damnit i love his voice
low72 1 year ago
I agree that it was purely technical reasons for the audio backing - time is money etc.. it has nothing to do with how good someone is or not, or if they need to be 'faking it'. but just incase there is still doubt.. watch the drum fill at 1:31 after the double snare hit manny hits the cymbal but you can't hear it (you can see it wobbling as the camera cuts to the keyboard).
everymatt 1 year ago
@everymatt - Yeah, on nearly every TV show, the music will be on tape 99% of the time, and also the vocals will be too, occasionally though someone will want to do a live vocal, and any fan will know when it's live because they know every nuance and inflection on every word because unlike normal people, fans will play the tracks at home until they can take no more, unlike normal people who like a track and will maybe play it half a dozen times or so.
jezzyby47 1 year ago
@jezzyby47 absolutely! I'd say that pulling off a live vocal is probably the hardest part of the performance anyway, so the artists that do insist on it are to be congratulated. there are some other youtube clips that show what a great unit these guys were in a truly live setting also.
everymatt 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@jezzyby47 "and any fan will know when it's live because they know every nuance and inflection on every word because unlike normal people, fans will play the tracks at home until they can take no more, unlike normal people who like a track and will maybe play it half a dozen times or so."
So true!
gmansi 7 months ago
ALL The music is off a backing track. The vocals are live. 100%. The mix is exactly the same as the album
johnnysenser 2 years ago
Nah, this is played live. People are getting caught up in the synth tones being exactly the same as the album. Of course they would be the same. The bass is def live, and how could you get a drummer like Manny Elias to fake it?
El135o 2 years ago
Sigh. Roland is singing live over the studio tracks (minus the "lead" vocal track). This is/was common music industry practice particularly for television broadcasts and/or festival events where more than one act takes the stage (as jazzyby47 notes below). Simply listen to this performance side by side with the original studio recording and you should be able to hear the only variance between the two is Roland's live vocal.
Shevek57 2 years ago
@El135o Exactly. Manny is such a superb drummer. He doesn't need to fake anything.
CelesteK 2 years ago
Oh yeah. They're live. The guitars and the keyboards are plugged in.
CelesteK 2 years ago
Just cos they are 'plugged in' doesn't mean they are playing the instruments CelesteK. Every instrument has it's own volume control which could be turned down to zero. Every instrument is plugged into a mixing desk which could also be turned down. The music is very nearly always on tape, they just mime playing them, it's hard to play and sing at the same time, so they nearly always have the music on tape. Ro is singing live on this one though.
jezzyby47 2 years ago
The real way to tell if the music is live is if the drummer has headphones on. There is nearly always a sequence playing that the drummer will be monitoring through the headphones and playing live to, and everyone else will be playing along with the drums. They are top class musicians so they could do it if they wanted, but when there is more than one group on, it is very hard to get the mix right for everyone, so all the music is on tape and the desk rabbit only has to mix the vocals.
jezzyby47 2 years ago
Yeah but I understand that T4F is a band that's very much against lipping it on stage. Sure it could be that Roland is singing against a backing track but that doesn't mean anything.
CelesteK 2 years ago
A lot of bands can do it live and TFF can too. It's the TV techs who have to get a good mix for a lot of different bands. These days with automated mixers, it's not as hard, you soundcheck and the mix is stored into memory and can be recalled at the push of a switch. You didn't have this facility until the early 90s. This was 1985. And the next band would have a completely different setup and mix. It's so much easier to have the whole lot on tape and have the band mime.
jezzyby47 2 years ago
@jezzyby47 Quick question. I have seen TFF live 4 times in the past 2 years, and they are really playing their instruments during concerts, right? Of course the singing is live, but the instruments are live too, correct? Roland once hit a bad note on his guitar solo during the song Shout - so that is an indicator...
darkallie11 1 year ago
@darkallie11 - When most bands play gigs, they are live, they usually will have parts of the performance on tape, like a click track or sequence that the drummer will play along with, maybe some backing vocals. Usually, but not always, the music will be at least 80% live. Vocals are usually always live. On TV shows, nearly everything is on tape and 9 times out of 10 the vocals are on tape too. Roland's vocal is live on this performance.
jezzyby47 1 year ago
@jezzyby47 Thank you for the response! You are very knowledgeable on the topic!
darkallie11 1 year ago
@jezzyby47 You are correct, this is definitely live. I saw them live at Cobo Hall in Detroit in 1985, a group called The Adventurer's opened for them. Tears For Fears was by far, one of the best Pop/Rock groups I have seen at replicating their studio sound in concert. Mr. Mister is a close second.
scribe114 10 months ago
@scribe114 I wouldn't count on some a--hole not coming in here and thinking that this is a Katy Perry song.
CelesteK 7 months ago
@jezzyby47 "Roland's vocal is live on this performance." yes, and what a hard song to sing...
gmansi 7 months ago
They're amazing live, thank you for uploading! :)
80seyeliner 2 years ago
I think people think there's lipsyncing because on the second verse there's a counter-melody that is heard but not being sung by Smith. But if you look, the keyboardist (Stanley?) is singing it. Even though I like Smith's voice better, it is clear he didn't have the range that Orzabal had.
tdelacruz61 2 years ago 4
@tdelacruz61 I've never been able to understand that counter melody. |It's not on any lyrics site i've ever checked. Any idea what the lines are?
Gunstar1701 1 year ago
@Gunstar1701 Counter melody in parenteses: With one foot in the past now just how long will it last, No, no, no, have you no ambitions, oh (What's the matter with..), My mother and my brothers used to breathing clean air, (Nothing ever changes when you're acting your age), And dreaming I'm a doctor, (Nothing gets done when you feel like a baby), It's hard to be man when there's a gun in your hand, (Nothing ever changes when you're acting your age) Oh, I feel so
reebee11 1 year ago
Yeah, he's definitely not lip syncing. There are a few missed notes. Nothing really bad though, just human! Play the same song thousands of times and there's sure to be mistakes here and there, no matter how big you are :)
Thanks for uploading, I love this band.
ChrisDayMusic 2 years ago 8
I thought I heard Roland hitting a sour note. It sounds live to me.
CelesteK 2 years ago
ok, I see. Aren't they fabulous live?! Roland is such a talent. Can't wait to see them live in July in Vegas and San Diego!!! WOoooooo
darkallie11 2 years ago 2
yooo...he is really singing here! Here how he struggles a bit! WHy you guys saying it's lip synching?!?!??! It so is not!!!
darkallie11 2 years ago 2
Yup this is live and we agree with you. Read our comments again.
Rigson 2 years ago
Marvellous.
Whenever TFF are made to lip sync, I despair because they really were one of the most talented LIVE bands of the 80s. Great instrumentation along with the vocal.
dizzymisslizzylane 2 years ago
Yeah it really was a crime to make them lip sync and it's so refreshing to hear them sing this live
Rigson 2 years ago
Yep absolutely agreed. They are so good live.
dizzymisslizzylane 2 years ago