Graduate

Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, both of whom later achieved renown through Tears for Fears, first collaborated as members of Graduate. The ensemble took shape in Bath during 1979, with its initial roster featuring Orzabal on guitar and keyboards, John Baker handling guitar and vocals, Steve Buck on flute and keyboards, Andy Marsden at the drums, and Smith contributing synthesizers alongside bass. The musicians adopted their moniker directly from a film of the same title, a choice that aligned with their practice of opening concerts by performing a song drawn from that motion picture.

After establishing themselves through engagements at nearby venues, where they cultivated a following while refining their sound, the group advanced to nationwide dates that positioned them as support acts for established performers. In 1980, one year after forming, they issued their first full-length recording, Acting My Age, via Precision Records. Subsequent tours exposed the material to audiences across multiple nations, yet widespread acclaim and commercial breakthrough remained elusive.

The musicians returned to the studio in 1981 to lay down numerous demo recordings intended for a planned follow-up titled Ambition, though that project never reached completion. Two decades afterward, the original album reappeared in expanded form, now incorporating those additional tracks: “Oh U Boys,” “I See Through You,” “Premature Baby,” “Happens So Fast,” “Christ Look Upon Us,” “Think of Me,” and “Only the Best.” Graduate disbanded just two years after its inception. Orzabal and Smith promptly launched the aforementioned Tears for Fears, securing a recording agreement with Mercury Records.