It’s not often that a cover of the song becomes more popular than the original. But it is safe to say that Gary Jules managed to do that with his cover of Tears for Fears’ track “Mad World.”
Jules’ rendition of the song, which gained prominence for being featured in the movie Donnie Darko, topped the UK Singles and US Adult Alternative Songs charts in 2003. It also became so popular that even Tears for Fears decided to change the way they performed it during live shows to match the cover’s slower style.
Now, 20 years after recording the iconic cover of “Mad World”, Jules decided to do it once again. He recently shared the 20th-anniversary version of the song, giving it a modern makeover while keeping the core elements that made it so famous in the first place. Listen to it below.
In an interview with Riff Magazine ahead of the release, Jules opened up on the motivation to freshen up the cover. His friend and former bandmate Al Sgro reached out to him a few years ago with an idea to mark the 20th anniversary of the “Mad World” cover while also proposing new music projects. Jules, who spent the past decade mostly out of the spotlight, liked the idea and jumped on the opportunity to dust off his guitar.
“The process of putting all of us in the room, and then working those songs out; it’s the kind of stuff that can’t happen online, it only happens in a room with musicians,” Jules shared.
Jules is currently focused on recording new material, which is expected to be released in 2024, while also playing live shows in the Los Angeles area.
