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Official Fan Web Site for Tears For Fears


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Tears For Fears Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
[and questions about this web site]

Portions of TFF information in this FAQ is primarily the work of Travis Sonsalla ("The TFF Zone" Web Site). Travis started his web site in '95, and was a pioneer of internet information about TFF. It is because of his years of dedication and effort, that this F.A.Q. on TFF exists. Thanks to Travis for permitting me to have it on my web site (since he closed his original FAQ section down).

March 10, 1999




Section B: Musical Journey

Section C:  Mystery Lyrics

Section D: About This Site:



Section A: Personal Details

 Q:  Who are "Tears For Fears"?

A:  From 1982 until 1990, "Tears For Fears" was considered a duo consisting of Orzabal and Curt Smith. However, their first two albums listed Ian Stanley (keyboards) and Manny Elias (drums) as members.  Smith and Orzabal parted ways following the "The Seeds Of Love" tour in '90. Roland continued TFF under the name and released four albums: "Tears Roll Down - Greatest Hits `82-92" (1992), "Elemental" (1993), "Raoul and the Kings of Spain" (1995), and "Saturnine, Martial and Lunatic" (1996).

In October 1999; Roland (with Alan Griffiths) produced and also wrote songs for a CD for Emiliana Torrini - "Love In The Time Of Science".

In January/2000, after a 10 year split - Roland and Curt met in London for dinner, leading to speculation in the trades, that they are going to reform. Curt made an announcement on the radio in May 2000, stating that he and Roland were writting together again. Roland confirmed this to the press in the fall of 2000 at a charity event in Bath.

In Oct. 2000, Curt visited Roland at 'Neptune's Kitchen' to work on new TFF material, and Roland visited Curt in L.A. during Christmas 2000. At the end of March 2001, Curt again visited Neptune's to continue writing.

September 14, 2004 - a NEW TFF album ('Everybody Loves A Happy Ending') with both Roland and Curt, and Charlton Pettus, was released on Universal (UME).  Nick D'Virgilio was hired to tour with TFF (Nick played drums on the "Raoul and the Kings of Spain" tour.)

In the fall of 2004, TFF started the first leg of their tour in the US. In April 2005, they began touring in Ireland, the UK, and France. In July 2005, they extend their tour back in the USA. For more a list of dates, venues, and more details, please check out the 'Tour' page.

**Please read the 'News' page for updates on the new album and singles.

Track List:

1.   Everybody Loves A Happy Ending
2.   Closest Thing to Heaven
3.   Call Me Mellow
4.   Size of Sorrow
5.   Who Killed Tangerine?
6.   Quiet Ones
7.   Who You Are
8.   The Devil
9.   Secret World
10. Killing with Kindness
11. Ladybird
12. Last Days on Earth



Q: Tell me more about Roland Orzabal?

A: Roland Jaime Orzabal de la Quintana was born on August 22, 1961. He grew up in near Bath, England and still lives in the area. He has two brothers, Carlos & Julian and some half-siblings. Roland took a British form of Arthur Janov's primal scream therapy for six years. Roland and his wife, Caroline (an artist), have two children - Raoul and Pascal.

Roland released "Tomcats Screaming Outside" under his own name on April 2 - 2001 on Eagle Records in the UK and Europe. The North American release of TCSO was Sept. 11, 2001 on Gold Circle Records.
 
Q: Tell me more about Curt Smith?

A: He was born in 1962 and grew up in Bath, England. He married Frances on June 29, 1996.  This is his second marriage; the first (to Lynn) ended in a divorce. On September 14th/99, Frances gave birth to their baby girl Pennington "Diva" Smith. He had a very minor role (2 lines as a hotel desk clerk) in the 1993 movie, "Dead Connection" and has a role in a 2003 independent film - "Public Private".

After leaving TFF after "Sowing The Seeds Of Love", Curt released his first solo album titled: "Soul On Board" (1993).

Beginning in the spring of 1996, he was performing with his new band, "Mayfield". Their self-titled first album was released on the "Zerodisc" label in June 1997.  Curt suspended his band "Mayfield" to concentrate on a solo CD, "Aeroplane", which was released before Xmas '99. He is currently working on another solo CD.

Curt has his own Website that details all of his solo projects.
 
Q: Why did Curt Smith leave "Tears For Fears" in 1990?

A:  Basically, creative differences.  Each have their own point of view as to their split. However, both became uncomfortable with this situation, and in the end Roland kept the name "Tears For Fears" and Curt moved to NY, went on to pursue a solo career and work with a new band, "Mayfield". He released an album under his own name in Dec. 99. The last time Curt and Roland performed live together as "Tears For Fears" was at the Knebworth charity concert on June 30, 1990 in a torrential rain.
 
Q: How can I get in touch with Roland Orzabal or Curt Smith?

A:   You can send a postal letter to Universal or Gut Records UK or you may leave message for Roland or Curt on the 'Roland/Curt Message Board'(Please Note: Sorry, but I do not forward fan emails or letters to Roland or Curt.)

If you are media representative or a member of the press and wish to obtain publicity material on TFF, you may contact: Sujata Murthy at: sujata.murthy@umusic.com

Licensing Music - Anyone interested in licensing TFF music (motion pictures, television and radio, commercial, live performance, home video, in-house video, ringtones, consumer products/merchandise, karaoke, and other projects) should contact Universal's copyright and licensing division at 818/777-0770.  You may also visit their website for information on proper permissions at http://www.universalfilmandtvmusic.com. 

Rights To Use Songs - If you would like to obtain the rights to use a TFF song or lyrics from a song that is administered or published by Universal Music Publishing Group, you may contact UMPG’s Film & TV Licensing department at:

Telephone: 310/235-4721
Fax:  310 /235-4905
E-mail:  umpg.licensing@umusic.com
Website:  http://www.synchexpress.com

Booking TFF Concerts - If you are an agent or promoter who would like to send a query regarding booking TFF for concerts, you may contact Carole Kinzel at CAA (310) 288-4545. Email address for her assistant Kyle is ckinzelasst@caa.com

Q: How many albums have "Tears For Fears" released (not including remixes or singles)?

A: Seven.  They are:

The Hurting (1983), Songs From the Big Chair (1985), The Seeds of Love (1989), Tears Roll Down - Greatest Hits `82-92 (1992), Elemental (1993), Raoul and the Kings of Spain (1995), Saturnine, Martial and Lunatic (1996). The new CD with both Roland and Curt, "Everybody Loves A Happy Ending", was released on September 14, 2004 on Universal, and released later in the UK by Gut Records.
 
Q: How many "Tears For Fears" videos are there?

A: There are 23 TFF video singles, including the new video "Closest Thing To Heaven", produced by Gut Records, UK. To view the new video, visit: http://www.menithings.com/main.php?action=movies&movie_id=21

These are the official TFF concert or compilation videos: "In My Mind's Eye" (1983), "TFF: The Videosingles/"The Hurting" (1983), "Live In London: Hammersmith/Odeon Concert"  (1984), "Scenes From The Big Chair" (1985), "Going To California" (1989), "Live At Knebworth" (1990), "Seeds Of Love" (1991),"TFF: Tears Roll Down/Greatest Hits" (1993).

Roland did a video single for "Low Life", a track on his solo CD, "Tomcats Screaming Outside". You'll find a video of this in the "Quicktime Video" section of this website, as well as other video singles.

Q: Do you know where I can find "Tears For Fears" television appearances and interviews on video?

A:  Chris Hammond has four compilation videos of "Tears For Fears" appearances/interviews from various TV shows from around the world. He has material from '82 to '96. He will provide you with a list of what he has, so if you have a 'yen' to hear Roland interviewed on Japanese TV, or trading jokes with the French, or playing an acoustic set on Italian TV, check these out!

--> You'll find Chris's email address on the  TFF TV Appearances Page.
 
Q: Do you know where I can find TFF CDs, or books or T-shirts?

A:  TFF now has its own Web Store that sells items such as T-shirts, baseball caps, photos, etc. Check it out at: www.giantmerchandising.com/tearsforfears

There are some links on the 'TFF Links page' - http://pub3.bravenet.com/freelink/show.php?usernum=245771572&cpv=1 - to sites that sell TFF CDs, news clippings, photos, and other items.
 
Q: I'm looking for TFF chords and tabs?

A: You'll find some (but not all) chords/tabs for TFF songs on the "TFF Chords" page.
 
Q: What/who is "Whirlwind"?

A: "Whirlwind" was TFF's management company, run by Debra and David Baum. "Whirlwind" created the SonyMusic "Tears For Fears" site. Roland and "Whirlwind" have parted company. Roland now has new management.
 
Q: How can I get in touch with other "Tears For Fears" fans?

A: You will find a TFF message board on this site, as well as a "Tomcats Screaming Outside" message board, and a chat room. You'll find external links to other TFF fans sites & homepages on the TFF Links page.

There is also a TearsForFearsFans digest/mailinglist with hundreds of members; sign-up and receive a daily group email, or you can get individual emails, or just read the digest from the main page. The choice is yours. The digest has some cool options, such as polls, calendar and member's file storage with exclusive photos and files. You'll find a link to the TFFfans digest on the Interact Page.

**If you have a TFF website or homepage, feel free to post the link on the TFF Links On The Net Page


Q: What other artists are currently working or have worked with TFF?

A: Charlton Pettus, a friend of Curt's, was involved with the writing and producing of "Everybody Loves A Happy Ending". Pettus also worked with Curt on the "Mayfield" album.

You'll find information on Nick D'Virgilio (back on tour again with TFF as their drummer), Alan Griffiths (Roland's long time co-writing partner), Linda Dalziel (back-up singer for the RATKOS tour), Oleta Adams (singer), and Nigel Dick (TFF video director) - in the Artists Who Have Worked With TFF Section.




Section B: Musical Journey

 
Q: What is "Neptune's Kitchen"?

A:  Neptune's Kitchen is the name of Roland's home-recording studio outside Bath, UK.
 
Q: Who is "Graduate"?

A: The band Graduate (pre-"TFF") consisted of Roland Orzabal, Curt Smith, John Baker, Andy Marsden and Steve Buck.  The group released only one album ('SKA' influenced) in 1980 called "Acting My Age". A new release of "Graduate" songs was released in 2002.
 
Q: Is that Roland's child on the cover of "The Hurting"?

A:  No. It was a local boy from Bath, UK -  named "Gebby".
 
Q: What does the title of "Songs From the Big Chair" mean?

The title is taken from the book "Sybil", which was made into a television movie starring Sally Field as a woman who has multiple personality disorder and only feels safe and whole in her analyst's 'big chair'.  The movie prompted the b-side "The Big Chair" which has audio clips from the movie throughout the song.
 
Q: Where does the phrase `Leonard Apple was a good boy in school' originate?

A: This phrase is printed on the back of the 10" single of "I Believe". Leonard Apple is not an actual person; it is simply a name made up by Roland. "Leonard Apple" is also given a credit at the end of the TFF video "Going To California" (1990). A credit on the single "I Believe" (A Soulful Re-Recording) lists "Leonard Apple" as the photographer of the photo of Roland. The photographer was actually Roland, who took the self-portrait in a hotel room. This shot became a guide for the video "I Believe".
 
Q: Who are `the boys in 628' mentioned in "Badman's Song"?

A: While on tour promoting "Songs From the Big Chair", a loud party next door to Roland's room kept him from falling asleep.  Before calling hotel management to complain, he put an ear to the wall and heard the road crew badmouthing him.  This came as a shock to Roland as he had been under the impression that all was going well.  Basically, it boiled down to them pointing out his faults while ignoring all of theirs.
 
Q: What's the story on the quote `I love a sunflower' mentioned in "Sowing the Seeds of Love"?

A: In an interview with "Melody Maker" in 1989 - Roland says:  ''I love a sunflower' is a piece of graffiti on a wall near my home. I see it every day.  Then all of a sudden, `Sowing the Seeds of Love' is just about to come out and the Ecology Party is doing really well in the Euro- elections and their emblem is a sunflower. I didn't know that, it all seems to be fitting in now. These thing are synchronous."
 
Q: What's the meaning of "Kick out the Style!  Bring back the Jam!" mentioned in "Sowing the Seeds of Love"?  (* Information provided by Jordan Brock)

A:  The band named "The Jam" was popular trio in the late 1970's and early 1980's that made punk-rock left wing political music.  Their chief songwriter, Paul Weller, began to develop an interest in soul music, and his songs started to reflect this, which the other members couldn't stand. The group soon broke up and Weller formed "The Style Council".

"The Jam" fans felt betrayed at the change of direction and reviled the band, which had some early success. Ultimately, "The Style Council" was dropped by their label in the early 90's prompting Weller to continue as a solo act.
 
Q: What are the details on the "Women of Ireland" played at the beginning of the "Going to California" concert video?

A: "Women of Ireland" is a traditional Irish song.  For "The Seeds of Love" Tour, it was performed as an approximately 50 second introduction to the concert, and it was arranged by Andy Davis.  It is not a "Tears For Fears" penned song and has never been recorded by them.   Again, it was performed solely as the opening for "The Seeds of Love" Tour.

The song does appear on Andy Davis' album, "Clevedon Pier".  It was released in 1989, the same time period as "The Seeds of Love".  Hence, it seems logical that since Andy recorded the song he would have been interested in performing it to open "The Seeds of Love" concerts.
 
Q: Why does Roland sing about "Raoul and the Kings of Spain" on "The Seeds of Love" Tour during "All You Need is Love"?

A: The original title of "The Seeds of Love" album was planned to be "Raoul and the Kings of Spain".  However, the album was renamed to "The Seeds of Love", probably in conjunction with the first single from it, "Sowing the Seeds of Love".
 
Q: Did "Tears For Fears" ever record the Oleta Adams song "Rhythm of Life"?

A: "Rhythm of Life" was written by Roland and Nicky Holland.  However, during "The Seeds of Love" recording sessions, the song did not reach a level that Roland was satisfied with.  When he co-produced Oleta Adams first album, "Circle of One", she recorded the song and released it as a single.
 
Q:  Where does "Johnny Panic & the Bible of Dreams" come from?

A: Sylvia Plath wrote a story in December 1958. Based on her job at the time in the records office for mental patients at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston,  it concerns a young lady who copies out the dreams of people who come in for consultation. She isa keeping a parallel book of her own at home, which she calls Johnny Panic's Bible of Dreams, & which chronicles the domain of Johnny Panic himself, the Maker of them all. There are no obvious ties between the Roland's lyrics and Plath's short story, other then the name.
 
Q: Why did Fluke do "Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams"? (* Some information provided by Jonathan Stoltz)

Roland wrote the original version of the song which was the b-side for the single "Advice For the Young at Heart".  The song was then remixed by "Fluke", a popular UK DJ partnership, and produced by Roland Orzabal, David Bascombe and Fluke.  The remixed version was then released as a single under the name "Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams".  This occurred immediately after Curt had left "Tears For Fears".
 
Q: What is "Schrodinger's Cat" about? (* Information provided by Phil Goglin and Dan Big Plume)

A: "Schrodinger's Cat" is a famous example used to explain quantum mechanics. Erwin Schrodinger was an Austrian physicist whose work in the 1920's centered around quantum mechanics and the attempts to develop mathematical models to describe the behavior of atomic and sub-atomic particles and to develop theories and methods to explain the behavior of light waves..  He developed the quantum wavefunction equations to quantitize measurements of atomic spin (clockwise versus counter clockwise). Schrodinger developed a set of equations which seemed to accurately describe this behavior; however, he discovered that his equations also exhibited what became one of the greatest paradoxes of modern physics.

This paradox was encountered when he realized that the results obtained with his equations were valid only at the exact time the measurement was taken, and could not be used to describe predictions as to the atom's behavior prior to the measurement. This also implied, since the measurements were only valid for the exact moment they were made, that measurements made immediately prior to and after the initial one could be expected to cancel each other out.  In other words, even though mathematics and logic would suggest that the before and after measurements should "average out" to something close to the actual measurement, in reality, they tended to cancel each other out and suggest the non-existence of the sample.

He illustrated this concept by imagining (rather than actually doing) placing a cat in a box and closing the lid. The experiment detailed the isotope being connected to a Geiger counter.  When the isotope decayed, an electrical charge was sent from the counter, causing a tube of hydrocyanic acid to break, thus killing the cat.

He attempted to use his quantum wavefunction calculations to quantitize the probabilities surrounding the likelihood of the isotope decaying at a given time.  Since the isotope was isolated inside the box and thereby removed from the observer's frame of reference, the only variable influencing the inputs to the equations was the presence of the cat.  Oddly enough, the results showed that the probability of the isotope decaying at any given time depended solely upon a linear supposition (math speak for an educated guess) of the only two states which the cat could exhibit:  alive and dead.  In other words, the probability of the cat being killed at a specific time was an "average" of a live cat and a dead one.  What does this mean?  That was the whole point; the results were absurd and meaningless, and therein lied the paradox of Schrodinger's cat.
 
Q: Who is King mentioned in "Cold"?

A: The lyric "King got caught with his fingers in the till" refers to Paul King, a former TFF manager. There is some informaton regarding this in interviews on the TFF Articles '90 page.
 
Q: Who is "my old friend Nockles" mentioned in "Cold"?

A: "Nockles" is Nicky Holland.
 
Q: Who is Mr. Godot mentioned in "Dog's a Best Friend's Dog"?

A: The lyric "Tell Mr. Godot I'm walking the dog" refers to the play "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett.
 
Q: Who is Frida Kahlo mentioned in "Don't Drink the Water"?
(* Some information provided by Randy Ayers and Jonathan Stoltz)

A: Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter who's most famous works are self portraits.  The reference in "Don't Drink the Water" may refer to these self portraits which portray her numerous miscarriages. The paintings are of herself lying naked in bed covered in blood, hence the line "when you looked like Frida Kahlo curled up in bed". She suffered many miscarriages and was never able to fulfill her dream of having a child.  This hurt her deeply and resulted in her creating dozens of self portraits of her miscarriages.

According to Lisa Cramton-Wexton of The Metro Times (Jan. 17-23, 1996) "Frida also suffered poor health most of her life. At 10, a bout with Polio kept her bedridden for 18 months and left one of her legs partially crippled. As a teen, an unbelievably horrible freak accident left her permanently scarred both physically and emotionally:  A streetcar in which she was riding crashed, and one of the steel bars impaled her through her vagina, cracking her pelvis and crushing a few of her lower vertebrae."

Frida's also painted her emotions of her relationship with artist Diego Rivera, whom she married, divorced and then remarried.  According to Lisa Cramton-Wexton of The Metro Times (Jan. 17-23, 1996) "Their long-standing relationship was volatile, chiefly due to Rivera's many affairs. Despite his corpulence and less-than-movie-star-looks, Rivera was a chronic philanderer.  Out of hurt and retaliation, Kahlo herself had many affairs, most with men but some with women."



Section C:  Mystery Lyrics

 
Q: What is being sung in the middle of the song "Head over Heels"?

A: There are two differing ideas of what is being said.  You be the judge:

"Nothing ever changes when you're acting your age.
Nothing gets done when you feel like a baby.
Nothing ever changes when you're acting your age."

"Nothing ever changes when you're acting your age.
Doubting adds glamour - what should I believe in(?)
Nothing ever changes when you're acting your age."
 
Q: What's the chant repeated at the end of "Listen"?
(* Some information provided by Ana Morgado Carrera)

A: "Cumple anos chica, no hay que preocuparse" (which is Spanish.)

Translation:  Birthday girl it's not your fault.
Another translation:  Grow up (or grow older) girl, you don't have to worry
(about it).
 
Q: What is Roland singing before the chorus in "Cold"?

A: "Time stood still with his fingers in his ears, didn't want to hear it from another bunch of hollow men."

and then the next time:

"King got caught with his fingers in the till, where's your calculator will you leave it in your will?"
 
Q: What is being spoken at the end of "Bloodletting Go"?

A: As the song fades out, Roland is asking for a chord.  "A minor?" Someone replies, "That's it.


About This Site:

Q.  Why won't you give me Roland's or Curt's email or home address?

A:  Because I respect their privacy. Since Roland hasn't publicly posted a postal address for fans, it's not my place to do so.

Fans can sent postal letters in care of their labels (Universal or Gut Records UK), or can post a message for Roland or Curt on the Roland/Curt Message Board
 
Q: If I send you a letter and gift for Roland or Curt, could you forward it to them?

A: Sorry, no. How do I know you're not a disgruntled postal worker? (Only joking - kind of...).  Actually, I don't have the time or resources to do this. Please send all letters and gifts via Universal Records; their website and contact info is on the net.
 
Q: I tried to post something to your message board and it gave me an error message. Why?

A: Since I use free software from the internet, at times they may have problems that are out of my control. If you get an error message, please try back again later. If you continue to get errors, please email me and let me know.
 
Q: The message I posted to your message board is gone! Why?

A: If you posted profanity, a commercial ad, SPAM, something nasty about TFF, where to download illegal MP3s of TFF songs or if you 'flame' anyone, etc. -- I will remove the post and the poster may be banned.  Threads with esculating arguments will also be either 'locked' or removed from the board. If you have a disagreement with someone, you need to take it off-line. I monitor my site frequently and read all the posts.

OT topics must be listed as such in the subject line and kept to a minimum as the sole focus of the board is for TFF topics. Please keep in mind that the board is an 'all ages board'.

Q: I tried to post to your message board and I get a message saying I'm "blocked" from doing it?

A: Generally, I will give a warning to anyone who I feel is stepping out of line before 'blocking' them from posting again. If the warning is ignored, then the poster may be banned. Attempting to 'pull my chain', argue with me, or ignoring my warning is a one-way ticket off my board.  I reserve the right to remove any one who I feel is acting inappropriately or who I deem is causing problems for myself or others.  I expect fans to behave themselves and act accordingly on what is a public board that band members read, as I want to keep my site a welcome and comfortable place for all to visit.
 
Q: I signed up for your mailing list, then was sent a auto-generated email saying I had to confirm. Why?

A: This is a double-op feature that insures that the name and email listed actually belongs to you, and you haven't been signed up by another person who you don't know.

Q. Why won't you answer fan questions about TFF sent to you by email any more?

A: Most of the answers to the questions fans are asking can already be found on my site or TFF digest. I post all the information I have on TFF, so emailing me for something like tour dates when I don't have that information yet, isn't productive for you or me.  In the beginning, I did personally reply to every email I received, but unfortunately, when some fans became annoying (or worse!), I decided that I could no longer reply to fans by personal email.  If you have a question, please post it to the TFF message board and I or someone else may be able to answer it.
 
Q: When I visit your site from work, it looks different (larger) then when I visit it from my home computer. Why does your site look different on different computers and monitors?

A: Every website will look different on different computers and monitors. This depends on a few key things. Here are some tips:

1) Size of monitor. This site was created on a 17" monitor. If you are viewing it on a larger or smaller monitor, it will change how it looks. The screen-size will either *compress* to fit all the info in, or expand to try and fill the window. This may also change spacing and/or force you to *scroll* left or right to see the page.

I've set up my site, so all info is contained within the reference of a 17" monitor screen.

2) Browser you are using. ie: If you use Navigator, it will look slightly different then if you are using Internet Explorer. Same applies for other browsers.

3) Preferences in your browser - Do you have your *option* set for web-specific fonts/size or user-selected fonts/size?

You should always make sure your preferences are set for web-specific fonts - meaning that the fonts and size the webmaster created for the site -  will be seen rather then the fonts/size of fonts you picked (or that are default).

ie: If I created the page with the font/size -  *Ariel/9 point*, and the browser default or the fonts/size you have picked for your browser is *Arrus/16 point*  - your fonts/size will "override" my fonts/size -- then the style of text and spacing of the page will look really weird!

4) Resolution of monitor - this site was designed for 800 x 600 resolution on a 17" monitor and set for 12 - 14 pixels of font size.  If your resolution if higher or lower, it will change the way the site looks - either expanding or compressing the page making it look too large or too small.
 
Q: Why does your site take so long to load? Why does do I get an 'error' message on one of your pages?

A: Occassionally, at peak periods during the week, the volume of surfers on your ISP (Internet Service Provider) or on my UK server will slow how fast sites/pages load. And if you are on dial-up, it will be much slower than High Speed or cable.

If you have a lot of applications running at the same time on your desktop (ie. a chat, a word document, instant messenger, etc.), this will also slow down pages loading.

If you have "Navigator" as your browser, it has a tendency to hold off loading most of the page, before you see it. One the the biggest reasons for a long load time, is your modem! If you have a 28.8 or worse - a 14.4 (ouch!) - then you will have to wait quite a while for pages to load. There are a lot of photos, java and plug-in on this site, so it's recommended that you have at least a 56K modem, or even better - cable, DSL or T1, etc. to view this site properly. Time to dump that Commodore 64! ;-)

If you get an 'error' message, or problems on a certain page, it is probably because the page contains a plug-in or java that your browser isn't set up to load. I'd recomend you upgrade your browser to one which will handle the new plug-ins that are on the net.

Also, remember to clear your "cache" in your browser periodically to load any updated pages, otherwise you will be seeing the older pages you loaded from a previous visit.

Different browsers and computer platforms (Mac, PC, Unix, etc) will load and show the site differently. What looks good in 'Navigator', may not look as good in "IE", and visa-versa. This is the bane of web designers, unfortunately...
 
Q: Why can't hear the audio clips you have on your site?

A:  Audio requires a few things:  Once you are sure you have a sound card or audio player as part of your computer software, make sure your "browser" *preferences* are set to hear a variety of audio formats. *Preferences* for your browser can be found in the tool bar at the top of your browser when opened. (e.g., On my Netscape browser, preferences are found under "EDIT".)

Set an appropriate audio level to play out of your speaker(s) at the volume you like.

The audio found on my site is in different formats:  MWP, streaming, au, Realaudio, wav and midi. If you don't have all these audio format plug-ins - then you will need to download them from the net from free sites that provide the software players.

One of the best FREE all-purpose audio/video players is 'Quicktime'.  Quicktime (QuickTime for Macintosh or QuickTime for Windows 95/98/NT/2000) plays over 30 multi-media file formats -- such as .au, AIFF, DV, Mpeg, Mp3, Wav, Midi, etc.



HANDY TIP:
If you are trying to open an audio file with 'Quicktime' (especially audio samples of "Tomcats"), and it's not working - try this:

Click on the audio file on my site that you want to listen to. A window should appear showing it is downloading and what software/plug-in that it will try and open the file with. 

At the end of the download - it may say it can't find this software/plugin/application -and asks if you still want to "SAVE" or delete the file? Save it to your desktop anyway.

Then launch/open "Quicktime".  (*Make sure the version of Quicktime you have will play .au and WAV audio files.)

An image of the 'Quicktime' player  will appear. Under "FILE" at the top of your browser, click on "FILE" - then on "OPEN MOVIE".  A window will apppear. In the window, find the audio file you just downloaded to your desktop, and click on it in.

Then hit the "PLAY" icon on the 'Quicktime' player.


Please be aware that some of the audio/video files I have on my site are quite large, and will take time to download. If you have a cable-modem, DSL, T1, etc. you are rockin'. A 56K should be ok (a bit of a wait), so if you have 56K - go watch your favorite TV show and come back, but if you're squeeking by with a 28.8 -  it will take a LONG time.
 
Q: I think you should do this or why don't you do that...

A: Although I appreciate suggestions and comments, please note that I do the best I can with what I have available in terms of software and time. Please note: I do not make any money from my site (the ad banners on external links such as message boards are from free software I downloaded from the net), and I devote my free time to maintaining and updating the site as a volunteer.

The audio files and video files are designed to work cross-platform (on Mac, PC, Unix, etc). The videos are "streaming", which means that should start playing when you load them. If they stop or take a long time to load - it means that you need more RAM.

The site is also designed for faster modems, so pages, photos and media will load quickly. If you do not have a fast modem (56K, Cable, DSL or T1, T2 or T3 lines - then you will experience slower loading times.
 
Q: I have always wanted to meet Roland. Please tell me what is he like in person?

A: It's been my good fortune to have met Roland and spent time with him. After being a fan for a long time, I had wondered if the man was as interesting as his music? I wasn't disappointed. I've found him to be pleasant, witty, very well-read/intelligent, and fascinating to talk with.  He also has a great sense of humour ;-)

In Sept. 2000, I visited the UK and interviewed Roland in person in regards to "Tomcats".  My article is posted to the "Articles 90 - present" page. In Nov., 2004, I hung out with Roland in L.A. and Vegas during the first leg of the US tour; you can read all about my "Big Adventures' and see some photos by clicking here.
 
Q: Does Roland ever visit your web site?

A: Yes, Roland visits this site and he reads the message board and has posted there. He has kindly provided an ongoing 'Tour Diary'.  (He also asked that a 'CD Voting page' be added in Dec. 99, to give the fans an opportunity to voice their opinion on the title of his solo album, which was eventually called, 'Tomcats Screaming Outside'.)
 
Q. I have a TFF homepage/web site, do you think Roland ever visits it?

A: This is what Roland said:

KMK: Do you visit the TFF fan sites on the net?
Roland: Every now and again I do. I've checked them all out. It's extremely flattering, but there is a lot of it. It takes a while!
 
Q: I'd like to take photos and info from your site to post on my website or homepage...

A: Due to some webmasters taking exclusive or copyright material from this site without consent, please see Site Content Page for info.



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