OFFICIAL CHARTS (BASED ON SALE):
Germany #22 (3 weeks on chart)
Norway #13 ( 1 week on chart)
UK #98 (1 Week on chart)
Reference: Acharts
'BUTTERFLY, BUTTERFLY' ON VARIOUS CHARTS:
Radio charts Deutschland
#64
World charts- Charts of the hearts (Germany)
#64
Thüringen-Charts top25 (Germany)
#24
Radio 94.5 Radio Cottbus Hørercharts (Germany)
#6
Swr3-Charts (Germany)
#9
Radio Siegen (Germany)
#8
Euro200 chart (European)
#100
Lalunos Top 40 (Latvia)
#11
European hit radio top 40 (Latvia)
#22
Polskie Radio Szczecin top 40 (Poland)
#28
INTERNATIONAL HIT RADIO TOP 40
#39
Top 100 Chart degli Utenti
#23
Die offiziellen Top 100 der WebRadioCharts
#43
Radio Aktiv Charts Top 30
#30
Latvian Airplay Top 50
#7
Saturday 28 August 2010
Analogue (2005)
They're at their best at their darkest: the title track is the standout with its...
A-ha burst on the British scene in 1985 with their comic-book video'd "Take On Me", and they're one of the most internationally loved bands in pop, years later.
Analogue is a mature collection of songs, carefully produced and arranged. They're at their best at their darkest: the title track is the standout with its steady guitar-piano riff breaking out into uplifting choruses. Strings feature across the board: "A Fine Blue Line" blends them with electronics and "Over the Treetops" with vocal harmonies, incorporating fuzz guitar... The trick they have mastered is balancing all synthetic and acoustic elements within dramatic structures.
Bonus track "The Summers of Our Youth" begins with Magne Furuholmen almost cocking a snook to Chris Martin by taking on a rather similar singing style, before returning to Morten's familiar falsetto. A-ha must realise they're the original, and the finest. Keane and Coldplay, get your coats.
BBC (Lucy Davies) Analogue Review
SONGS:
1. Celice 2. Don’t Do Me Any Favours 3. Cosy Prisons 4. Analogue 5. Birthright 6. Holyground 7. Over The Treetops 8. Halfway Through The Tour 9. Keeper Of The Flame 10. A Fine Blue Line 11. Make It Soon 12. White Dwarf 13. The Summers Of Our Youth
PRODUCED BY MARTIN TEREFE WITH KJETIL BJERKESTRAND, MICHAEL ILBERT, MAX MARTIN.
MIXED BY FLOOD.
Additional Musicians:
Per Lindvall - Drums, Alex Toff - Drums, Frode Unneland - Drums, Sven Lindvall - Bass, Martin Terefe - Bass, Guitars, Piano, Jorun Bogeberg - Bass, Claes Bjorklund - Guitars, Piano, Geir Sundstol - Guitars, Andreas Olsson - Guitars, Christer Karlsson - Piano
Read more at The Official Site
PICTURES ANALOGUE ERA:
SINGLES RELEASED FROM ANALOGUE:
1//CELICE 2//BIRTHRIGHT(PROMO) 3//ANALOGUE(ALL I WANT) 4//COSY PRISONS
From Wikipedia
CHART POSITIONS:
#1 in Norway
#6 in Germany
#18 in Austria
#21 in Swiss Album Charts
#24 in UK
#27 in Poland
#50 in Holland
#60 in France
Source: Acharts
CERTIFICATIONS:
DESPITE BEING CERTIFIED SILVER IN THE UK, ANALOGUE IS A-HA'S LOWEST SELLING ALBUM. IT HAS SOLD JUST OVER 300 000 COPIES.
Source: Wikipedia/The Swing Of Things 1985-2010
Friday 27 August 2010
25 (2010)
It's been a quarter-century since a-ha topped the charts with 'Take On Me', a landmark song that established Magne Furuholmen, Morten Harket and Pål Waaktaar-Savoy as a worldwide force. Bringing an inherent melancholy to their music, a-ha have always made intelligent, modern pop that affects - a fact made all the more apparent by the 39 tracks on 25, an extraordinary, two - CD collection covering the whole of the trio's recorded career.
Packed with album highlights, obscure single versions, sympathetic remixes, rare edits, and the newly completed an exclusive "Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)" - 25 tells a-ha's story in a new way, offering a fresh perspective that emphasises just how contemporary, just how inspirational they sound. Then again, the group have always been about the songs.
Released in 2010, 25 arrive just as a-ha have decided to call it a day after playing their final show in Oslo on 4 December. The trio will, of course, continue to exist via their music. And while there's no doubt that listening to 25 is a poignant experience, it's also a celebratory one. As Morten puts it, "it turns into a positive thing - it doesn't kill the music. All three of us are still around."
For Magne, " it was always an adventure. It could have lasted two years. It lasted more than 25. No one can ask for more."
"The dream was always to make great stuff and have the attention of an audience, big or small," says Pål, laughing. "Big would be better!"
In 1985 a-ha could look back on close to three years of concerted effort leading up to the success of "Take On Me." Magne and Pål had first come to London from Norway in !982, when their band Bridges had spintered. With Morten joining them, they returned the following year, and after recording countless demos, they signed with Warner Bros. Although their debut single - 1984's original version of "Take On Me" - sold poorly, they persisted. Finally, with the help of a groundbreaking, part-animation/part-live video, the rerecorded "Take On Me" gradually picked up steam on it' way to becoming a global hit in 1985.
"We never doubted for a second that we would break through somehow," says Pål. "We couldn't think of one good reason why that wouldn't happen."
Magne was equally confident, confirming that he "never thought of this as a losing game."
"I knew the three of us possessed whatever it takes and more to do this on a global scale, to deliver, to touch the magic that music can be, "affirms Morten.
Over the coming years, the strength of that chemistry was demonstrated time and again, particular when a-ha launched their first world tour in June 1986. Audiences in America, Australia, Europe, and Japan got their chance to see the band that, by tour's end, had issued both its debut, Hunting High And Low, and its follow-up, Scoundrel Days. The singles "The Sun Always Shines On Tv," "Train Of Thought," "Hunting High And Low," "I've Been Losing You," "Cry Wolf," and "Manhattan Skyline" ensured that, by early 1987, a-ha were never far from any chart, anywhere in the world.
It was a hectic period, with pressures brought on by fame and a heavy workload. "It's not on your terms," explains Morten. "And there's no time for yourself. It was the music that drove us. We almost stopped being a band, because all the time was demanded for other things. There was less time to be a band."
As 1987
- Kieron Tyler -
CHART PEAK POSITIONS:
GERMAN ALBUM CHART #2
LUXEMBURG ALBUM CHART #4
SWISS ALBUM CHART #6
NORWEGIAN ALBUM CHART #6
RUSSIAN ALBUM CHART #8
AUSTRIAN ALBUM CHART #9
HUNGARIAN ALBUM CHART #34
BILLBOARD EUROPEAN ALBUMS #8
IRELAND ALBUM CHART #42
CERTIFICATIONS:
GERMANY: GOLD
Source: Wikipedia/Acharts/Billboard
Monday 23 August 2010
Sunday 22 August 2010
Scoundrel Days (1986)
1//SCOUNDREL DAYS 2//THE SWING OF THINGS 3//I'VE BEEN LOSING YOU* 4//OCTOBER 5//MANHATTAN SKYLINE 6//CRY WOLF 7//WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE WHALES 8//THE WEIGHT OF THE WIND 9//MAYBE, MAYBE* 10//SOFT RAINS OF APRIL*
Produced by Alan Tarney
*Produced by Paul and Magne
ALLMUSIC REVIEW:
While not quite as strong as the band's debut, Scoundrel Days is still a-ha succeeding as a marketed "pretty boy" band which can connect musically and lyrically as much as any musical sacred cow. The opening two songs alone make for one of the best one-two opening punches around: the tense edge of the title track, featuring one of Morten Harket's soaring vocals during the chorus and a crisp, pristine punch in the music, and "The Swing of Things," a moody, elegant number with a beautiful synth/guitar arrangement (plus some fine drumming courtesy of studio pro Michael Sturgis) and utterly lovelorn lyrical sentiments that balance on the edge of being overheated without quite going over. Although the rest of the disc never quite hits as high as the opening, it comes close more often than not. A definite downturn is the band's occasional attempts to try and prove themselves as a "real" band by rocking out, as on "I've Been Losing You" — there's really no need for it, and as a result they sound much more "fake," ironically enough. Other songs can perhaps only be explained by the need to translate lyrics — "We're Looking for the Whales" isn't an environmental anthem, and neither is "Cry Wolf," but both also don't really succeed in using nature as romantic metaphor. When a-ha are on, though, they're on — "October" snakes along on a cool bass/keyboard arrangement and a whispery vocal from Harket; "Maybe Maybe" is a quirky little pop number that's engagingly goofy; while "Soft Rains of April" captures the band at its most dramatic, with the string synths giving Harket a perfect bed to launch into a lovely vocal, concluding with a sudden, hushed whisper. The '80s may be long gone, but Scoundrel Days makes clear that not everything was bad back then.
ALLMUSIC GAVE THE ALBUM 3 1/2 OUT OF 5 STARS.
SINGLES RELEASED FROM THE ALBUM: 1//I'VE BEEN LOSING YOU 2//CRY WOLF 3//MAYBE, MAYBE(ONLY BOLIVIA) 4//MANHATTAN SKYLINE
'Manhattan Skyline' is number 9 on Magne Furuholmen's top 10 A-ha songs. Magne: Full-on a-ha ambition. A song by Paul and one by me combined into one - our first pop symphony. In between 'Scoundrel Days' and 'Stay On These Roads' albums, 'The living Daylights' were released as a James Bond - single in 87.
CHART POSITIONS FOR THE ALBUM:
Number 1 in Norway
Number 2 in UK
Number 6 Swiss album charts
Number 11 in Italy
Number 74 in US
Number 4 in Germany
Number 9 in Austria
Number 33 in Canada
Number 11 in Sweden
(ONLY PIN - UP POSTERS
LOOKING DOWN AT ME...)
SOME PICTURES FROM THE 'SCOUNDREL' PERIOD;
CERTIFICATIONS:
UK: PLATINUM
GER: GOLD
BRA: PLATINUM
SWI: PLATINUM
FRA: PLATINUM
Source: Wikipedia
SALES FIGURE:
'SCOUNDREL DAYS' HAS SOLD MORE THAN 5.7 MILLIONS COPIES WORLDWIDE.
Source: The swing of things by Jan Omdahl.
MUSIC VIDEOS:
1//I'VE BEEN LOSING YOU
2//CRY WOLF
3//MANHATTAN SKYLINE
'THE LIVING DAYLIGHT' IS NOT ON THE SCOUNDREL DAYS ALBUM,HOWEVER THE VIDEO WAS RELEASED AS THE SINGLE FOR THE JAMES BOND MOVIE WITH THE SAME NAME IN 1987. DIRECTOR WAS STEVE BARRON THE SAME MAN THAT MADE THE MORE KNOWN 'TAKE ON ME' VIDEO FOR A-HA. BY THE WAY, HE (STEVE BARRON) WAS ALSO THE DIRECTOR ON 'CRY WOLF' AND 'MANHATTAN SKYLINE' FROM THE SCOUNDREL DAYS ALBUM.
AWARDS:
Bravo Gold OTTO Award – Best Popband of the Year 1986
The Per Gynt Award
Spelleman for Best Pop Album: Scoundrel Days
Spelleman The Jury’s Honorary Award
Montreux, the “IM&MC Gala”: “Best Group Video Award”
(British Industry Award) : “Cry Wolf”
Berolina Awards Berlin: Best International Group Award
Australian “Count Down Awards” : “Most Popular International Act” award
Azzurro Festivla in Bari, Italy: a-ha receives an award
Australian Video Awards : Award for “Hunting High and Low” music video
Source; a-ha.com
LYRICS:
SCOUNDREL DAYS
Was that somebody screaming?
It wasn’t me for sure
I lift my head up from uneasy pillows
Put my feet on the floor
Cut my wrist on a bad thought
And head for the door
Outside on the pavement
The dark makes no noise
I can feel the sweat on my lips
Leaking into my mouth
I’m heading out for the steep hills
They’re leaving me no choice
And see as our lives are in the making
We believe through the lies and the hating
That love goes free
For want of an option
I run the wind ’round
I dream pictures of houses burning
Never knowing nothing else to do
With death comes the morning
Unannounced and new
Was it too much to ask for
To pull a little weight?
They forgive anything but greatness
These are scoundrel days
And I’m close to calling out their names
As pride hits my face
See as our lives are in the making
We believe through their lies and the hating
That love goes free
Through scoundrel days
I reach the edge of town
I’ve got blood in my hair
Their hands touch my body
From everywhere
But I know that I’ve made it
As I run into the air
And see as our lives are in the making
We believe through the lies and the hating
That love goes free
Through scoundrel days
Magne Furuholmen / Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
THE SWING OF THINGS
You say the world’s an eventful place
You give me news I don’t want to know
You say that I should care
That I should speak my mind
Oh, but how can I speak of the world rushing by
With a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes
Oh, have we come to the point of no turning back
Or is it still time to get into the swing of things
Let us walk through this windless city
I’ll go on till the winter gets me
Oh, “sleep” you wrote “sleep, my dear”
In a letter somewhere
Oh, but how can I sleep with your voice in my head
With an ocean between us and room in my bed
Oh, have I come to the point where I’m losing the grip
Or is it still time to get into the swing of things
Oh, when she glows in the dark and I’m weak by the sight
Of this breathtaking beauty in which I can hide
Oh, there’s a worldful out there
Of people I fear
But given time I’ll get into
The swing of things
Yes, when she glows in the dark and I’m struck by the sight
I know that I’ll need this for the rest of my life
What have I done, what lies I have told
I’ve played games with the ones that rescued my soul
Oh, have I come to the point where I’m losing the grip
Or is it still time to get into the swing of things
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
I'VE BEEN LOSING YOU
It wasn’t the rain that washed away
Rinsed out the colours of your eyes
Putting the gun down on the bedside table
I must have realised
It wasn’t the rain that made no difference
And I could have sworn it wasn’t me
Yet I did it all so coldly, almost slowly
Plain for all to see
Oh c’mon please now
Talk to me
Tell me; things I could find helpful
How can I stop now
Is there nothing I can do
I have lost my way
I’ve been losing you
I can still hear our screams competing
You’re hissing your s’s like a snake
Now in the mirror stands
Half a man I thought no one could break
It wasn’t the rain
That made no difference
Nervously drumming on: run away
But I want the guilt to get me
Thoughts to wreck me
Preying on my mind
So, please now
Talk to me
Tell me things I could find helpful
For how can I stop now?
Is there nothing I can do
I have lost my way
I’ve been losing you
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
OCTOBER
Dawn awaits a sleepless, English town
Of coloured gray
Here I roam the streets without you
As summer fades away
Down in the city at nights
The cold wind blows
Wherever you may be right now
It must be getting late
You’re probably asleep already
I am wide awake
Down in the city at nights
“Don’t be lonely”
So you’ve told me
But don’t you worry now
Loneliness can be ignored
And time has shown me how
Down in the city at nights
I’m missing you so much
Down in the city
Down in the city
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
MANHATTAN SKYLINE
We sit and watch umbrellas fly
I’m trying to keep my newspaper dry
I hear myself say, “My boat’s leaving now”
So we shake hands and cry
Now I must wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
You know
I don’t want to cry again
Don’t want to cry again
I don’t want to say goodbye
Don’t wanna cry again
I don’t wanna run away
I don’t want to race this pain
I’ll never see your face again
Oh but how
How can you say
That I didn’t try
You see things in the depths of my eyes
That my love’s run dry
No
We leave to their goodbyes
I’ve come to depend on the look in their eyes
My blood’s sweet for pain
The wind and the rain bring back words of a song
And they say wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
You know
I don’t want to fall again
I don’t wanna know this pain
I don’t want another friend
I don’t wanna try again
Don’t want to see you hurt
Don’t let me see you hurt
I don’t wanna cry again
I’ll never see your face again
How can you say that I didn’t try?
You know I did
You see things in the depths of my eyes
That my love’s run dry
(I don’t wanna cry again)
So I read to myself
A chance of a lifetime to see new horizons
On the front page
A black and white picture of
Manhattan Skyline
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy / Magne Furuholmen
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
CRY WOLF
“Night I left the city
I dreamt of a wolf”
He came from where the winds are cold
And truth is seen through keyholes
Strange longings never sleep
Now he’s come where no hearts beat
Cry wolf
Time to worry
Cry wolf
Time to worry now
You can start, but you cannot stop
You give in, but you can’t give up
You can tell all your desperate jokes
To a world that puts your
Love on hold
Cry wolf
Time to worry
Cry wolf
Time to worry now
The sunken-in eyes
And the pain in his cries
A shape in the dark
Cry wolf
Time to worry
Cry wolf
Time to worry now
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy / Magne Furuholmen
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE WHALES
One left low left two who left high
They seem so hard to find
Three came twice took once the time
To search
We’re looking for a little bewildered girl
We’re looking for a little bewildered girl
We’re looking for the whales
Restlessness is in our genes
Time won’t wear it off
Born into this world with our eyes wide open
Girl
We’re looking for a little bewildered girl
We’re looking for a little bewildered girl
We’re looking for the whales
I found angels beached outside your doors
Don’t you set those lonely eyes on me
We’re looking for the whales
We’re looking for the whales
Magne Furuholmen / Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
THE WEIGHT OF THE WIND
Your face looked new against the town
You’ve come to lose some memories
Like you came to touch new grounds
But you want to lose
The weight of the wind
Rests hard on your shoulders
It’s bringing you down
The one that you love
Will never be found
You speak into the falling rain
Words you’d lost, but found again
I see their snakey arms entwined
So clear and cruel
In your jealous mind
But you’ve got to lose
The weight of the wind
Hard on your shoulders
Getting you down
The one that you love
Will never be found
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
MATBE, MAYBE
Maybe you were joking
When you said that you were walking out on me
Maybe, maybe
Maybe I was joking
When I said that I was running out on you
Maybe, maybe
I could be wrong, so wrong
I could be wrong, so wrong
I could be wrong
I don’t know, but it’s been said
Decisions travel far from heart to head
Maybe, maybe
Maybe it was over
When you chucked me out the
Rover at full speed
Maybe, maybe oh baby
I could be wrong, so wrong
I could be wrong, so wrong
I could be wrong, so wrong
Magne Furuholmen
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
SOFT RAINS OF APRIL
The soft rains of April are over
The soft rains of April are over, over
Anybody home now
I am on the phone now, please
The soft rains of April are over
The ferry across the water to Dover, over
Anybody home now
I am on the phone, oh I’d like to go back
Is it raining back home
I’m so alone
Just got up today
And my thoughts are miles away
With you
Well, they gave me four years
Three more to go
Keep writing letters
Time’s passing so slow
So soft rains of April are over
The soft rains of April are over
Over
Magne Furuholmen / Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
Produced by Alan Tarney
*Produced by Paul and Magne
ALLMUSIC REVIEW:
While not quite as strong as the band's debut, Scoundrel Days is still a-ha succeeding as a marketed "pretty boy" band which can connect musically and lyrically as much as any musical sacred cow. The opening two songs alone make for one of the best one-two opening punches around: the tense edge of the title track, featuring one of Morten Harket's soaring vocals during the chorus and a crisp, pristine punch in the music, and "The Swing of Things," a moody, elegant number with a beautiful synth/guitar arrangement (plus some fine drumming courtesy of studio pro Michael Sturgis) and utterly lovelorn lyrical sentiments that balance on the edge of being overheated without quite going over. Although the rest of the disc never quite hits as high as the opening, it comes close more often than not. A definite downturn is the band's occasional attempts to try and prove themselves as a "real" band by rocking out, as on "I've Been Losing You" — there's really no need for it, and as a result they sound much more "fake," ironically enough. Other songs can perhaps only be explained by the need to translate lyrics — "We're Looking for the Whales" isn't an environmental anthem, and neither is "Cry Wolf," but both also don't really succeed in using nature as romantic metaphor. When a-ha are on, though, they're on — "October" snakes along on a cool bass/keyboard arrangement and a whispery vocal from Harket; "Maybe Maybe" is a quirky little pop number that's engagingly goofy; while "Soft Rains of April" captures the band at its most dramatic, with the string synths giving Harket a perfect bed to launch into a lovely vocal, concluding with a sudden, hushed whisper. The '80s may be long gone, but Scoundrel Days makes clear that not everything was bad back then.
ALLMUSIC GAVE THE ALBUM 3 1/2 OUT OF 5 STARS.
SINGLES RELEASED FROM THE ALBUM: 1//I'VE BEEN LOSING YOU 2//CRY WOLF 3//MAYBE, MAYBE(ONLY BOLIVIA) 4//MANHATTAN SKYLINE
'Manhattan Skyline' is number 9 on Magne Furuholmen's top 10 A-ha songs. Magne: Full-on a-ha ambition. A song by Paul and one by me combined into one - our first pop symphony. In between 'Scoundrel Days' and 'Stay On These Roads' albums, 'The living Daylights' were released as a James Bond - single in 87.
CHART POSITIONS FOR THE ALBUM:
Number 1 in Norway
Number 2 in UK
Number 6 Swiss album charts
Number 11 in Italy
Number 74 in US
Number 4 in Germany
Number 9 in Austria
Number 33 in Canada
Number 11 in Sweden
(ONLY PIN - UP POSTERS
LOOKING DOWN AT ME...)
SOME PICTURES FROM THE 'SCOUNDREL' PERIOD;
CERTIFICATIONS:
UK: PLATINUM
GER: GOLD
BRA: PLATINUM
SWI: PLATINUM
FRA: PLATINUM
Source: Wikipedia
SALES FIGURE:
'SCOUNDREL DAYS' HAS SOLD MORE THAN 5.7 MILLIONS COPIES WORLDWIDE.
Source: The swing of things by Jan Omdahl.
MUSIC VIDEOS:
1//I'VE BEEN LOSING YOU
2//CRY WOLF
3//MANHATTAN SKYLINE
'THE LIVING DAYLIGHT' IS NOT ON THE SCOUNDREL DAYS ALBUM,HOWEVER THE VIDEO WAS RELEASED AS THE SINGLE FOR THE JAMES BOND MOVIE WITH THE SAME NAME IN 1987. DIRECTOR WAS STEVE BARRON THE SAME MAN THAT MADE THE MORE KNOWN 'TAKE ON ME' VIDEO FOR A-HA. BY THE WAY, HE (STEVE BARRON) WAS ALSO THE DIRECTOR ON 'CRY WOLF' AND 'MANHATTAN SKYLINE' FROM THE SCOUNDREL DAYS ALBUM.
AWARDS:
Bravo Gold OTTO Award – Best Popband of the Year 1986
The Per Gynt Award
Spelleman for Best Pop Album: Scoundrel Days
Spelleman The Jury’s Honorary Award
Montreux, the “IM&MC Gala”: “Best Group Video Award”
(British Industry Award) : “Cry Wolf”
Berolina Awards Berlin: Best International Group Award
Australian “Count Down Awards” : “Most Popular International Act” award
Azzurro Festivla in Bari, Italy: a-ha receives an award
Australian Video Awards : Award for “Hunting High and Low” music video
Source; a-ha.com
LYRICS:
SCOUNDREL DAYS
Was that somebody screaming?
It wasn’t me for sure
I lift my head up from uneasy pillows
Put my feet on the floor
Cut my wrist on a bad thought
And head for the door
Outside on the pavement
The dark makes no noise
I can feel the sweat on my lips
Leaking into my mouth
I’m heading out for the steep hills
They’re leaving me no choice
And see as our lives are in the making
We believe through the lies and the hating
That love goes free
For want of an option
I run the wind ’round
I dream pictures of houses burning
Never knowing nothing else to do
With death comes the morning
Unannounced and new
Was it too much to ask for
To pull a little weight?
They forgive anything but greatness
These are scoundrel days
And I’m close to calling out their names
As pride hits my face
See as our lives are in the making
We believe through their lies and the hating
That love goes free
Through scoundrel days
I reach the edge of town
I’ve got blood in my hair
Their hands touch my body
From everywhere
But I know that I’ve made it
As I run into the air
And see as our lives are in the making
We believe through the lies and the hating
That love goes free
Through scoundrel days
Magne Furuholmen / Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
THE SWING OF THINGS
You say the world’s an eventful place
You give me news I don’t want to know
You say that I should care
That I should speak my mind
Oh, but how can I speak of the world rushing by
With a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes
Oh, have we come to the point of no turning back
Or is it still time to get into the swing of things
Let us walk through this windless city
I’ll go on till the winter gets me
Oh, “sleep” you wrote “sleep, my dear”
In a letter somewhere
Oh, but how can I sleep with your voice in my head
With an ocean between us and room in my bed
Oh, have I come to the point where I’m losing the grip
Or is it still time to get into the swing of things
Oh, when she glows in the dark and I’m weak by the sight
Of this breathtaking beauty in which I can hide
Oh, there’s a worldful out there
Of people I fear
But given time I’ll get into
The swing of things
Yes, when she glows in the dark and I’m struck by the sight
I know that I’ll need this for the rest of my life
What have I done, what lies I have told
I’ve played games with the ones that rescued my soul
Oh, have I come to the point where I’m losing the grip
Or is it still time to get into the swing of things
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
I'VE BEEN LOSING YOU
It wasn’t the rain that washed away
Rinsed out the colours of your eyes
Putting the gun down on the bedside table
I must have realised
It wasn’t the rain that made no difference
And I could have sworn it wasn’t me
Yet I did it all so coldly, almost slowly
Plain for all to see
Oh c’mon please now
Talk to me
Tell me; things I could find helpful
How can I stop now
Is there nothing I can do
I have lost my way
I’ve been losing you
I can still hear our screams competing
You’re hissing your s’s like a snake
Now in the mirror stands
Half a man I thought no one could break
It wasn’t the rain
That made no difference
Nervously drumming on: run away
But I want the guilt to get me
Thoughts to wreck me
Preying on my mind
So, please now
Talk to me
Tell me things I could find helpful
For how can I stop now?
Is there nothing I can do
I have lost my way
I’ve been losing you
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
OCTOBER
Dawn awaits a sleepless, English town
Of coloured gray
Here I roam the streets without you
As summer fades away
Down in the city at nights
The cold wind blows
Wherever you may be right now
It must be getting late
You’re probably asleep already
I am wide awake
Down in the city at nights
“Don’t be lonely”
So you’ve told me
But don’t you worry now
Loneliness can be ignored
And time has shown me how
Down in the city at nights
I’m missing you so much
Down in the city
Down in the city
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
MANHATTAN SKYLINE
We sit and watch umbrellas fly
I’m trying to keep my newspaper dry
I hear myself say, “My boat’s leaving now”
So we shake hands and cry
Now I must wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
You know
I don’t want to cry again
Don’t want to cry again
I don’t want to say goodbye
Don’t wanna cry again
I don’t wanna run away
I don’t want to race this pain
I’ll never see your face again
Oh but how
How can you say
That I didn’t try
You see things in the depths of my eyes
That my love’s run dry
No
We leave to their goodbyes
I’ve come to depend on the look in their eyes
My blood’s sweet for pain
The wind and the rain bring back words of a song
And they say wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
You know
I don’t want to fall again
I don’t wanna know this pain
I don’t want another friend
I don’t wanna try again
Don’t want to see you hurt
Don’t let me see you hurt
I don’t wanna cry again
I’ll never see your face again
How can you say that I didn’t try?
You know I did
You see things in the depths of my eyes
That my love’s run dry
(I don’t wanna cry again)
So I read to myself
A chance of a lifetime to see new horizons
On the front page
A black and white picture of
Manhattan Skyline
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy / Magne Furuholmen
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
CRY WOLF
“Night I left the city
I dreamt of a wolf”
He came from where the winds are cold
And truth is seen through keyholes
Strange longings never sleep
Now he’s come where no hearts beat
Cry wolf
Time to worry
Cry wolf
Time to worry now
You can start, but you cannot stop
You give in, but you can’t give up
You can tell all your desperate jokes
To a world that puts your
Love on hold
Cry wolf
Time to worry
Cry wolf
Time to worry now
The sunken-in eyes
And the pain in his cries
A shape in the dark
Cry wolf
Time to worry
Cry wolf
Time to worry now
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy / Magne Furuholmen
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE WHALES
One left low left two who left high
They seem so hard to find
Three came twice took once the time
To search
We’re looking for a little bewildered girl
We’re looking for a little bewildered girl
We’re looking for the whales
Restlessness is in our genes
Time won’t wear it off
Born into this world with our eyes wide open
Girl
We’re looking for a little bewildered girl
We’re looking for a little bewildered girl
We’re looking for the whales
I found angels beached outside your doors
Don’t you set those lonely eyes on me
We’re looking for the whales
We’re looking for the whales
Magne Furuholmen / Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
THE WEIGHT OF THE WIND
Your face looked new against the town
You’ve come to lose some memories
Like you came to touch new grounds
But you want to lose
The weight of the wind
Rests hard on your shoulders
It’s bringing you down
The one that you love
Will never be found
You speak into the falling rain
Words you’d lost, but found again
I see their snakey arms entwined
So clear and cruel
In your jealous mind
But you’ve got to lose
The weight of the wind
Hard on your shoulders
Getting you down
The one that you love
Will never be found
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
MATBE, MAYBE
Maybe you were joking
When you said that you were walking out on me
Maybe, maybe
Maybe I was joking
When I said that I was running out on you
Maybe, maybe
I could be wrong, so wrong
I could be wrong, so wrong
I could be wrong
I don’t know, but it’s been said
Decisions travel far from heart to head
Maybe, maybe
Maybe it was over
When you chucked me out the
Rover at full speed
Maybe, maybe oh baby
I could be wrong, so wrong
I could be wrong, so wrong
I could be wrong, so wrong
Magne Furuholmen
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
SOFT RAINS OF APRIL
The soft rains of April are over
The soft rains of April are over, over
Anybody home now
I am on the phone now, please
The soft rains of April are over
The ferry across the water to Dover, over
Anybody home now
I am on the phone, oh I’d like to go back
Is it raining back home
I’m so alone
Just got up today
And my thoughts are miles away
With you
Well, they gave me four years
Three more to go
Keep writing letters
Time’s passing so slow
So soft rains of April are over
The soft rains of April are over
Over
Magne Furuholmen / Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1986 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
Hunting High And Low (1985)
1//TAKE ON ME* 2//TRAIN OF THOUGHT 3//HUNTING HIGH AND LOW 4//THE BLUE SKY 5//LIVING A BOY'S ADVENTURE TALE 6//THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON T.V* 7//AND YOU TELL ME 8//LOVE IS REASON** 9//I DREAM MYSELF ALIVE 10//HERE I STAND AND FACE THE RAIN
Produced by Tony Mansfield
*Produced by Alan Tarney
**Produced by John Ratcliff with A-ha
ALLMUSIC REVIEW: Anyone who dismissed a-ha as a one-hit wonder must have missed out on the band's fine debut, Hunting High and Low. Though the band spawned many further hits across the rest of the world, "Take on Me" exploded in the States and the group never cracked the top of the charts again. It's a shame, because the album contains a handful of songs that nearly match the manic energy and emotional crack of its big hit. Further, it's a cohesive album with smart pace changeups, and it rarely fails to delight or satisfy a listener's need for a synth pop fix. The opening kick is a huge one: "Take on Me" is a new wave classic laced with rushing keyboards, made emotionally resonant thanks to Morten Harket's touching vocal delicacy. It didn't hurt in the era of MTV that the song's video was a hyperkinetic blend of mind-warping animation and filmed footage with a romantic thriller's heart. Harket's hunky physique and cheekbones also didn't hurt the video's chances at heavy rotation. Getting past that video, "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." is just as thrilling. Starting as a sad ballad, it explodes into something much more, as chugging guitars and operatic synths keep pace with Harket's evocative vocal stylings. If ever a 1980s song qualified as Wall of Sound, "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." would be it. The remainder of the album sees a-ha switching deftly back and forth between dramatic overtures and classic new wave keyboard motifs. "Train of Thought" and "Love Is Reason" are reminiscent of early Depeche Mode or Camouflage, but Harket's rich voice and flair make them purely a-ha. The band explores decidedly European terrain in the theatrical "Hunting High and Low" and dances a pop waltz with the sweet "Living a Boy's Adventure Tale," coming across like a marriage between the Blue Nile and Alphaville. Delightful song snippets "The Blue Sky" and "And You Tell Me" act as frosting on the cake or as glue between the theater and the dancefloor. One can't escape the feeling that Hunting High and Low is a product of the 1980s, but with highs like "Take on Me" and "The Sun Always Shines on T.V.," and no lows in sight, a-ha's debut is a treat worth relishing.
ALLMUSIC GAVE THE ALBUM 4 OUT OF 5 STARS.
SINGLES RELEASED FROM THE ALBUM WERE:
1// TAKE ON ME 2//LOVE IS REASON 3//THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON T.V 4//TRAIN OF THOUGHT 5//HUNTING HIGH AND LOW Three out of the singles from Hunting High And Low are on Magne Furuholmen's list of Top 10 A-ha songs. The songs comes in this order: The sun always shines on t.v #2, Take on me #4 and Hunting high and low #5. MAGNE ABOUT THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON T.V: Here I think we found a pop-music formula that added something new. Epic and strong - melodic and riffy, with an undeniable energy. MAGNE ABOUT TAKE ON ME: Hard not to include this - with the exeption of weakness in the lyric, it's unpretentious pop at its best. MAGNE ABOUT HUNTING HIGH AND LOW: Paul at his very best.
None of the singles from Hunting High And Low are on Paul's list of top 10 A-ha songs. It must be said that Paul has added a sentence to his Top 10 song list, being that: they should have received more attention. I guess its understandable that three single's from the album did't fall into his category (that SHOULD have received more attention) being among the most popular and well known A-ha songs.
CHART POSITIONS FOR THE ALBUM:
NUMBER 1 IN NORWAY
NUMBER 2 IN UK
NUMBER 10 IN SWISS ALBUM CHARTS
NUMBER 15 IN USA
NUMBER 17 IN ITALY
NUMBER 1 IN AUSTRIAN ALBUM CHARTS
NUMBER 1 IN SWEDEN
NUMBER 10 IN GERMANY
NUMBER 12 IN CANADA
SOME PICTURES FROM THE HUNTING HIGH AND LOW PERIOD:
SALES FIGURES:
According to the book, 'The swing of things' by Jan Omdahl:
HUNTING HIGH AND LOW HAS SOLD MORE THAN 8 MILLION COPIES WORLDWIDE.
CERTIFICATIONS:
US: Platinum
UK: Platinum
NLD: Gold
GER: Platinum
BRA: Gold
FRA: 2xPlatinum
Source Wikipedia
MUSIC VIDEOS:
MUSIC VIDEOS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE FROM THE HUNTING HIGH AND LOW ALBUM:
TAKE ON ME
THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON T.V
TRAIN OF THOUGHT
HUNTING HIGH AND LOW
MTV AWARDS:
A-HA WERE NOMINATED FOR 11 MTV AWARDS IN 1986, THEY ENDED UP WINNING EIGHT OF THEM(TAKE ON ME WON 6 AWARDS, THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON T.V WON 2 AWARDS):
TAKE ON ME, WINNER OF BEST VIDEO CONCEPT
TAKE ON ME,
BEST NEW ARTIST VIDEO
TAKE ON ME, BEST PRODUCER
TAKE ON ME, BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON T.V, BEST DIRECTOR (STEVE BARRON)
THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON T.V, BEST CAMERA/FILMING
TAKE ON ME, THE MOST EXPERIMENTAL VIDEO OF THE YEAR
TAKE ON ME, THE VIEWER'S CHOICE
VARIOUS REFLECTIONS, FROM VARIOUS PEOPLE ON HUNTING HIGH AND LOW.
MORTEN: BELIEVED IN THE BEATLES MODEL - GET A FEW HITS FIRST, THEN WE CAN RULE.
LAUREN: THE ORIGINAL DEMOS WERE UNBELIEVABLE.
PAUL: MANSFIELD DID'T WANT TO HEAR THE DEMOS AT ALL. HE ONLY WANTED TO PROGRAMME HIS OWN THINGS.
MAGNE: IT'S A RECORD BY A BAND THAT WANTS EVERYTHING - ALL AT ONCE.
CHRIS MARTIN: AS A 12 YEAR OLD, "HUNTING HIGH AND LOW" WAS ALWAYS IN MY HEAD, AND A-HA STILL CONTINUES TO BE AN IMPORTANT BAND TO ME. I WAS IN AMSTERDAM THE OTHER DAY AND PUT ON THE ALBUM HUNTING HIGH AND LOW. I REMEMBERED RIGHT THERE AND THEN HOW MUCH I LOVED THE ALBUM. IT'S JUST UNBELIEVABLE SONGWRITING.
REFERENCE: A-HA.COM, WIKIPEDIA, THE BOOK 'THE SWING OF THINGS' (BY JAN OMDAHL), ALL IMAGES FROM GOOGLE IMAGES
LYRICS:
TAKE ON ME
We’re talking away
I don’t know what I’m to say
I’ll say it anyway
Today’s another day to find you
Shying away
I’ll be coming for your love, OK?
Take on me
Take me on
I’ll be gone
In a day or two
So needless to say
I’m odds and ends
But that’s me stumbling away
Slowly learning that life is OK
Say after me
It’s no better to be safe than sorry
Take on me
Take me on
I’ll be gone
In a day or two
Oh the things that you say
Is it life or just to play my worries away
You’re all the things I’ve got to remember
You’re shying away
I’ll be coming for you anyway
Take on me
Take me on
I’ll be gone
In a day or two
Magne Furuholmen / Morten Harket / Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
TRAIN OF THOUGHT
He likes to have the morning paper’s
Crossword solved
Words go up words come down
Forwards backwards twisted round
He grabs a pile of letters from a small suitcase
Disappears into an office
It’s another working day
And his thoughts are full of strangers
Corridors of naked lights
And his mind once full of reason
Now there’s more than meets the eye
Oh, a stranger’s face he carries with him
He likes a bit of reading on the subway home
A distant radio whistling tunes that nobody knows
At home a house awaits him, he unlocks the door
Thinking once there was a sea here
But there never was a door
And his thoughts are full of strangers
And his eyes to numb to see
And nothing that he knows of
And nowhere where he’s been
Was ever quite like this
And his thoughts
And at heart
He’s full of strangers
Dodging on his train of thought
Train of thought
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
HUNTING HIGH AND LOW
Here I am
And within the reach of my hands
She’s sound asleep and she’s sweeter now
Than the wildest dream could have seen her
And I catch her slipping away
Though I know I’ll be hunting high and low
High
There’s no end to the lengths I’ll go to
Hunting high and low
High
There’s no end to lengths I’ll go
To find her again
Upon this my dreams are depending
Through the dark
I sense the pounding of her heart
Next to mine
She’s the sweetest love I could find
So I guess I’ll be hunting high and low
High
There’s no end to the lengths I’ll go to
High and Low
High
Do you know what it means to love you
I’m hunting high and low
And now she’s telling me she’s got to go away
I’ll always be hunting high and low
Hungry for you
Watch me tearing myself to pieces
Hunting high and low
High
There’s no end to the lengths I’ll go to
Oh, for you
I’ll be hunting high and low
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
THE BLUE SKY
I find it hard to breathe
As life just eats away
At the faces that surround me
They look tired today
The lady at my table
Doesn’t want me here
I just want to talk to her
But would she laugh at my accent
And make fun of me
Oh, it doesn’t seem like this
Blue sky’s here for me
There are no girls in here
As far as I can see
Only pin-up posters
Looking down at me
Watching papercups of coffee
Growing cold before my eyes
All the things I see
That make me realize
I’m in this big world without you
Nothing to my name
Oh, I never knew that
Blue sky meant such pain
I’m dying to be different
In the coffee shop
I’ve lived on borrowed strength
Now my supplies are cut
Though I’m older than my looks
And older than my years
I’m too young to take on
My deepest fears
Oh, I used to be confused
But now I just don’t know
Since you left I’ve been watching
Blue skies come and go
Since you left I’ve been watching
Blue skies come and go
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
LIVING A BOY'S ADVENTURE TALE
I’ve fixed my dwelling for the night
Lights in pairs come passing by where I hide
I need some time now on my own
Leave my loneliness alone
To lick my wounds
Night has found me just in time
to help me close my eyes
One more time
Living a boy’s adventure tale
In so many ways
Living a boy’s adventure tale
For so many days
I’m living a boy’s adventure tale
Can’t escape, if I wanted to
Living a boy’s adventure tale
I may be dreaming but I feel awake
I’ve been lost in so many places
Seeked love in so many faces
A change of weather
the rain pours down
My head in hands
pressed to the ground
And where am I supposed to go now
Living a boy’s adventure tale
In so many ways
Living a boy’s adventure tale
Living a boy’s adventure tale
A voice I hear
Living a boy’s adventure tale
Singing a lullaby for me
Living a boy’s adventure tale
Because of you
Living a boy’s adventure
Oh you know it’s true
Living a boy’s adventure tale
In so many ways
For so many days
I love you, I love you
So many ways
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON T.V
Touch me
How can it be
Believe me
The sun always shines on TV
Hold me
Close to your heart
Touch me
And give all your love to me
To me
I reached inside myself
And found nothing there
To ease the pressure of
My ever worrying mind
All my powers waste away
I fear the crazed and lonely looks
The mirror’s sending me these days
Please don’t ask me to defend
The shameful lowlands
Of the way
I’m drifting gloomily through time
I reached inside myself today
Thinking there’s got to be some way
To keep my troubles distant
Touch me
How can it be
Believe me
The sun always shines on TV
Hold me
Close to your heart
Touch me
And give all your love to me
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
AND YOU TELL ME
Please don’t hurt me
I have told you
All my love is all I’ve got
And tomorrow is the day
When I for your sake
I’m coming back
And you tell me
That I don’t love you
I’m trying hard to make you jealous
Trying harder to make you stay
Days are longer
Night are crazy
It’s so strange when you’re away
And you tell me
That I don’t love you
Please let me come to you
And stay this time
And you tell me
That I don’t love you
Oh you know
That it’s just not true
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
LOVE IS REASON
My breath was coming fast
And as I make a start
You turn to go
Oh, oh
I’ll do what you want me to
I’ll cry at the thought of the loss of a heart
Love is reason
Love is reason
Love is reason
Love is reason enough
My morals are changing fast
I told you it wouldn’t last
You turn and go
Oh, oh
I’ll be what you want me to be
I’d die at the thought of the loss of your heart
Love is reason
Love is reason
Love is reason
Love is reason enough
Magne Furuholmen
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
I DREAM MYSELF ALIVE
Dream myself alive
I dream myself alive
You can’t deny
There’s something dark
Against the light
All I can say
It doesn’t have to be this way
We’ll be chasing our tails madly
See days pass like wildfire
Right from the start
I knew this world would break my heart
I dream myself alive
Dream myself alive
I dream myself alive
Break my heart
And dream myself alive
What can it mean
Can it be
I’m drawing pictures of the sea
Right from the start
I knew this girl would break my heart
Dream myself alive
Dream myself alive
I dream myself alive
Dream myself alive
Dream myself alive
I dream myself alive
Magne Furuholmen/Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
HERE I STAND AND FACE THE RAIN
Help me, I need your love
Don’t walk away
The dark scares me so
We’re nothing apart
Let’s stay friends forever
Forever
Here I stand and face the rain
I know that nothing’s gonna be the same again
I fear for what tomorrow brings
Trust me for who I am
Place all your faith
Into these hands
I got nothing to say
But let’s stay friends forever
Forever
Here I stand and face the rain
I know that nothing’s gonna be the same again
I fear for what tomorrow brings
Here I stand and face the rain
I know that nothing’s gonna be the same again
I fear for what tomorrow brings
Here I stand and face the rain
Knowing nothing’s gonna be the same again
Here I stand and face the rain
Knowing nothing’s gonna be the same again
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
HUNTING HIGH AND LOW DELUXE (2010)
IN 2010 THE ALBUM HUNTING HIGH AND LOW WAS RELEASED AS A DELUXE VERSION IN THE USA THROUGH RHINO RECORDS. THE ALBUM DEBUTED AT NUMBER #34 IN THE BILLBOARD INTERNET SALES CHART. IT WAS ALSO AVAILABLE IN EUROPE TOO OF COURSE. REACHING #165 IN THE UK CHARTS, #27 IN NORWAY AND #39 IN GERMANY.
I PERSONALLY STRONGLY RECOMMEND THE DELUXE VERSION OF HUNTING HIGH AND LOW. IT IS A MASTERPIECE, VERY GOOD QUALITY ON EVERYTHING FROM SOUND TO DESIGN. IT COVERS SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST THE ORIGINAL ALBUM, FOR THE FIRST TIME YOU REALLY GET AN OVERVIEW OVER THE WHOLE RECORDING PROCESS. VERY INTERESTING TO HEAR THE DEMOS AND LISTING TO THE SONGS THAT DID'T MAKE IT TO THE FINAL ALBUM. THERE ARE SO MANY ROADS YOU CAN TAKE UNDER THOSE GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE ALBUM COULD HAVE ENDED COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN IT DID. I HAVE REALLY ENJOYED LISTING TO IT THIS SUMMER, I FANCY 'DOT THE I', 'PRESENTING LILLY MARS' AND 'NEVER NEVER' AMONG OTHERS. INTERESTING ALSO TO READ THE BOOKLET WITH INTRO BY KIERON TYLER. THANKS SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS GREAT ALBUM ITS AN TREASURE TO ME.
TRACK LIST RECIPTE:
BUY HUNTING HIGH AND LOW DELUXE VERSION: CLICK RHINO OR HMV AN ORDER A COPY.
Produced by Tony Mansfield
*Produced by Alan Tarney
**Produced by John Ratcliff with A-ha
ALLMUSIC REVIEW: Anyone who dismissed a-ha as a one-hit wonder must have missed out on the band's fine debut, Hunting High and Low. Though the band spawned many further hits across the rest of the world, "Take on Me" exploded in the States and the group never cracked the top of the charts again. It's a shame, because the album contains a handful of songs that nearly match the manic energy and emotional crack of its big hit. Further, it's a cohesive album with smart pace changeups, and it rarely fails to delight or satisfy a listener's need for a synth pop fix. The opening kick is a huge one: "Take on Me" is a new wave classic laced with rushing keyboards, made emotionally resonant thanks to Morten Harket's touching vocal delicacy. It didn't hurt in the era of MTV that the song's video was a hyperkinetic blend of mind-warping animation and filmed footage with a romantic thriller's heart. Harket's hunky physique and cheekbones also didn't hurt the video's chances at heavy rotation. Getting past that video, "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." is just as thrilling. Starting as a sad ballad, it explodes into something much more, as chugging guitars and operatic synths keep pace with Harket's evocative vocal stylings. If ever a 1980s song qualified as Wall of Sound, "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." would be it. The remainder of the album sees a-ha switching deftly back and forth between dramatic overtures and classic new wave keyboard motifs. "Train of Thought" and "Love Is Reason" are reminiscent of early Depeche Mode or Camouflage, but Harket's rich voice and flair make them purely a-ha. The band explores decidedly European terrain in the theatrical "Hunting High and Low" and dances a pop waltz with the sweet "Living a Boy's Adventure Tale," coming across like a marriage between the Blue Nile and Alphaville. Delightful song snippets "The Blue Sky" and "And You Tell Me" act as frosting on the cake or as glue between the theater and the dancefloor. One can't escape the feeling that Hunting High and Low is a product of the 1980s, but with highs like "Take on Me" and "The Sun Always Shines on T.V.," and no lows in sight, a-ha's debut is a treat worth relishing.
ALLMUSIC GAVE THE ALBUM 4 OUT OF 5 STARS.
SINGLES RELEASED FROM THE ALBUM WERE:
1// TAKE ON ME 2//LOVE IS REASON 3//THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON T.V 4//TRAIN OF THOUGHT 5//HUNTING HIGH AND LOW Three out of the singles from Hunting High And Low are on Magne Furuholmen's list of Top 10 A-ha songs. The songs comes in this order: The sun always shines on t.v #2, Take on me #4 and Hunting high and low #5. MAGNE ABOUT THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON T.V: Here I think we found a pop-music formula that added something new. Epic and strong - melodic and riffy, with an undeniable energy. MAGNE ABOUT TAKE ON ME: Hard not to include this - with the exeption of weakness in the lyric, it's unpretentious pop at its best. MAGNE ABOUT HUNTING HIGH AND LOW: Paul at his very best.
None of the singles from Hunting High And Low are on Paul's list of top 10 A-ha songs. It must be said that Paul has added a sentence to his Top 10 song list, being that: they should have received more attention. I guess its understandable that three single's from the album did't fall into his category (that SHOULD have received more attention) being among the most popular and well known A-ha songs.
CHART POSITIONS FOR THE ALBUM:
NUMBER 1 IN NORWAY
NUMBER 2 IN UK
NUMBER 10 IN SWISS ALBUM CHARTS
NUMBER 15 IN USA
NUMBER 17 IN ITALY
NUMBER 1 IN AUSTRIAN ALBUM CHARTS
NUMBER 1 IN SWEDEN
NUMBER 10 IN GERMANY
NUMBER 12 IN CANADA
SOME PICTURES FROM THE HUNTING HIGH AND LOW PERIOD:
SALES FIGURES:
According to the book, 'The swing of things' by Jan Omdahl:
HUNTING HIGH AND LOW HAS SOLD MORE THAN 8 MILLION COPIES WORLDWIDE.
CERTIFICATIONS:
US: Platinum
UK: Platinum
NLD: Gold
GER: Platinum
BRA: Gold
FRA: 2xPlatinum
Source Wikipedia
MUSIC VIDEOS:
MUSIC VIDEOS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE FROM THE HUNTING HIGH AND LOW ALBUM:
TAKE ON ME
THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON T.V
TRAIN OF THOUGHT
HUNTING HIGH AND LOW
MTV AWARDS:
A-HA WERE NOMINATED FOR 11 MTV AWARDS IN 1986, THEY ENDED UP WINNING EIGHT OF THEM(TAKE ON ME WON 6 AWARDS, THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON T.V WON 2 AWARDS):
TAKE ON ME, WINNER OF BEST VIDEO CONCEPT
TAKE ON ME,
BEST NEW ARTIST VIDEO
TAKE ON ME, BEST PRODUCER
TAKE ON ME, BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON T.V, BEST DIRECTOR (STEVE BARRON)
THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON T.V, BEST CAMERA/FILMING
TAKE ON ME, THE MOST EXPERIMENTAL VIDEO OF THE YEAR
TAKE ON ME, THE VIEWER'S CHOICE
VARIOUS REFLECTIONS, FROM VARIOUS PEOPLE ON HUNTING HIGH AND LOW.
MORTEN: BELIEVED IN THE BEATLES MODEL - GET A FEW HITS FIRST, THEN WE CAN RULE.
LAUREN: THE ORIGINAL DEMOS WERE UNBELIEVABLE.
PAUL: MANSFIELD DID'T WANT TO HEAR THE DEMOS AT ALL. HE ONLY WANTED TO PROGRAMME HIS OWN THINGS.
MAGNE: IT'S A RECORD BY A BAND THAT WANTS EVERYTHING - ALL AT ONCE.
CHRIS MARTIN: AS A 12 YEAR OLD, "HUNTING HIGH AND LOW" WAS ALWAYS IN MY HEAD, AND A-HA STILL CONTINUES TO BE AN IMPORTANT BAND TO ME. I WAS IN AMSTERDAM THE OTHER DAY AND PUT ON THE ALBUM HUNTING HIGH AND LOW. I REMEMBERED RIGHT THERE AND THEN HOW MUCH I LOVED THE ALBUM. IT'S JUST UNBELIEVABLE SONGWRITING.
REFERENCE: A-HA.COM, WIKIPEDIA, THE BOOK 'THE SWING OF THINGS' (BY JAN OMDAHL), ALL IMAGES FROM GOOGLE IMAGES
LYRICS:
TAKE ON ME
We’re talking away
I don’t know what I’m to say
I’ll say it anyway
Today’s another day to find you
Shying away
I’ll be coming for your love, OK?
Take on me
Take me on
I’ll be gone
In a day or two
So needless to say
I’m odds and ends
But that’s me stumbling away
Slowly learning that life is OK
Say after me
It’s no better to be safe than sorry
Take on me
Take me on
I’ll be gone
In a day or two
Oh the things that you say
Is it life or just to play my worries away
You’re all the things I’ve got to remember
You’re shying away
I’ll be coming for you anyway
Take on me
Take me on
I’ll be gone
In a day or two
Magne Furuholmen / Morten Harket / Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
TRAIN OF THOUGHT
He likes to have the morning paper’s
Crossword solved
Words go up words come down
Forwards backwards twisted round
He grabs a pile of letters from a small suitcase
Disappears into an office
It’s another working day
And his thoughts are full of strangers
Corridors of naked lights
And his mind once full of reason
Now there’s more than meets the eye
Oh, a stranger’s face he carries with him
He likes a bit of reading on the subway home
A distant radio whistling tunes that nobody knows
At home a house awaits him, he unlocks the door
Thinking once there was a sea here
But there never was a door
And his thoughts are full of strangers
And his eyes to numb to see
And nothing that he knows of
And nowhere where he’s been
Was ever quite like this
And his thoughts
And at heart
He’s full of strangers
Dodging on his train of thought
Train of thought
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
HUNTING HIGH AND LOW
Here I am
And within the reach of my hands
She’s sound asleep and she’s sweeter now
Than the wildest dream could have seen her
And I catch her slipping away
Though I know I’ll be hunting high and low
High
There’s no end to the lengths I’ll go to
Hunting high and low
High
There’s no end to lengths I’ll go
To find her again
Upon this my dreams are depending
Through the dark
I sense the pounding of her heart
Next to mine
She’s the sweetest love I could find
So I guess I’ll be hunting high and low
High
There’s no end to the lengths I’ll go to
High and Low
High
Do you know what it means to love you
I’m hunting high and low
And now she’s telling me she’s got to go away
I’ll always be hunting high and low
Hungry for you
Watch me tearing myself to pieces
Hunting high and low
High
There’s no end to the lengths I’ll go to
Oh, for you
I’ll be hunting high and low
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
THE BLUE SKY
I find it hard to breathe
As life just eats away
At the faces that surround me
They look tired today
The lady at my table
Doesn’t want me here
I just want to talk to her
But would she laugh at my accent
And make fun of me
Oh, it doesn’t seem like this
Blue sky’s here for me
There are no girls in here
As far as I can see
Only pin-up posters
Looking down at me
Watching papercups of coffee
Growing cold before my eyes
All the things I see
That make me realize
I’m in this big world without you
Nothing to my name
Oh, I never knew that
Blue sky meant such pain
I’m dying to be different
In the coffee shop
I’ve lived on borrowed strength
Now my supplies are cut
Though I’m older than my looks
And older than my years
I’m too young to take on
My deepest fears
Oh, I used to be confused
But now I just don’t know
Since you left I’ve been watching
Blue skies come and go
Since you left I’ve been watching
Blue skies come and go
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
LIVING A BOY'S ADVENTURE TALE
I’ve fixed my dwelling for the night
Lights in pairs come passing by where I hide
I need some time now on my own
Leave my loneliness alone
To lick my wounds
Night has found me just in time
to help me close my eyes
One more time
Living a boy’s adventure tale
In so many ways
Living a boy’s adventure tale
For so many days
I’m living a boy’s adventure tale
Can’t escape, if I wanted to
Living a boy’s adventure tale
I may be dreaming but I feel awake
I’ve been lost in so many places
Seeked love in so many faces
A change of weather
the rain pours down
My head in hands
pressed to the ground
And where am I supposed to go now
Living a boy’s adventure tale
In so many ways
Living a boy’s adventure tale
Living a boy’s adventure tale
A voice I hear
Living a boy’s adventure tale
Singing a lullaby for me
Living a boy’s adventure tale
Because of you
Living a boy’s adventure
Oh you know it’s true
Living a boy’s adventure tale
In so many ways
For so many days
I love you, I love you
So many ways
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON T.V
Touch me
How can it be
Believe me
The sun always shines on TV
Hold me
Close to your heart
Touch me
And give all your love to me
To me
I reached inside myself
And found nothing there
To ease the pressure of
My ever worrying mind
All my powers waste away
I fear the crazed and lonely looks
The mirror’s sending me these days
Please don’t ask me to defend
The shameful lowlands
Of the way
I’m drifting gloomily through time
I reached inside myself today
Thinking there’s got to be some way
To keep my troubles distant
Touch me
How can it be
Believe me
The sun always shines on TV
Hold me
Close to your heart
Touch me
And give all your love to me
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
AND YOU TELL ME
Please don’t hurt me
I have told you
All my love is all I’ve got
And tomorrow is the day
When I for your sake
I’m coming back
And you tell me
That I don’t love you
I’m trying hard to make you jealous
Trying harder to make you stay
Days are longer
Night are crazy
It’s so strange when you’re away
And you tell me
That I don’t love you
Please let me come to you
And stay this time
And you tell me
That I don’t love you
Oh you know
That it’s just not true
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
LOVE IS REASON
My breath was coming fast
And as I make a start
You turn to go
Oh, oh
I’ll do what you want me to
I’ll cry at the thought of the loss of a heart
Love is reason
Love is reason
Love is reason
Love is reason enough
My morals are changing fast
I told you it wouldn’t last
You turn and go
Oh, oh
I’ll be what you want me to be
I’d die at the thought of the loss of your heart
Love is reason
Love is reason
Love is reason
Love is reason enough
Magne Furuholmen
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
I DREAM MYSELF ALIVE
Dream myself alive
I dream myself alive
You can’t deny
There’s something dark
Against the light
All I can say
It doesn’t have to be this way
We’ll be chasing our tails madly
See days pass like wildfire
Right from the start
I knew this world would break my heart
I dream myself alive
Dream myself alive
I dream myself alive
Break my heart
And dream myself alive
What can it mean
Can it be
I’m drawing pictures of the sea
Right from the start
I knew this girl would break my heart
Dream myself alive
Dream myself alive
I dream myself alive
Dream myself alive
Dream myself alive
I dream myself alive
Magne Furuholmen/Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
HERE I STAND AND FACE THE RAIN
Help me, I need your love
Don’t walk away
The dark scares me so
We’re nothing apart
Let’s stay friends forever
Forever
Here I stand and face the rain
I know that nothing’s gonna be the same again
I fear for what tomorrow brings
Trust me for who I am
Place all your faith
Into these hands
I got nothing to say
But let’s stay friends forever
Forever
Here I stand and face the rain
I know that nothing’s gonna be the same again
I fear for what tomorrow brings
Here I stand and face the rain
I know that nothing’s gonna be the same again
I fear for what tomorrow brings
Here I stand and face the rain
Knowing nothing’s gonna be the same again
Here I stand and face the rain
Knowing nothing’s gonna be the same again
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
© 1985 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
HUNTING HIGH AND LOW DELUXE (2010)
IN 2010 THE ALBUM HUNTING HIGH AND LOW WAS RELEASED AS A DELUXE VERSION IN THE USA THROUGH RHINO RECORDS. THE ALBUM DEBUTED AT NUMBER #34 IN THE BILLBOARD INTERNET SALES CHART. IT WAS ALSO AVAILABLE IN EUROPE TOO OF COURSE. REACHING #165 IN THE UK CHARTS, #27 IN NORWAY AND #39 IN GERMANY.
I PERSONALLY STRONGLY RECOMMEND THE DELUXE VERSION OF HUNTING HIGH AND LOW. IT IS A MASTERPIECE, VERY GOOD QUALITY ON EVERYTHING FROM SOUND TO DESIGN. IT COVERS SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST THE ORIGINAL ALBUM, FOR THE FIRST TIME YOU REALLY GET AN OVERVIEW OVER THE WHOLE RECORDING PROCESS. VERY INTERESTING TO HEAR THE DEMOS AND LISTING TO THE SONGS THAT DID'T MAKE IT TO THE FINAL ALBUM. THERE ARE SO MANY ROADS YOU CAN TAKE UNDER THOSE GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE ALBUM COULD HAVE ENDED COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN IT DID. I HAVE REALLY ENJOYED LISTING TO IT THIS SUMMER, I FANCY 'DOT THE I', 'PRESENTING LILLY MARS' AND 'NEVER NEVER' AMONG OTHERS. INTERESTING ALSO TO READ THE BOOKLET WITH INTRO BY KIERON TYLER. THANKS SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS GREAT ALBUM ITS AN TREASURE TO ME.
TRACK LIST RECIPTE:
BUY HUNTING HIGH AND LOW DELUXE VERSION: CLICK RHINO OR HMV AN ORDER A COPY.
Stay On These Roads (1988)
1//STAY ON THESE ROADS 2//THE BLOOD THAT MOVES THE BODY 3//TOUCHY! 4//THIS ALONE IS LOVE 5//HURRY HOME 6//THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS 7//THERE'S NEVER A FOREVER THING 8//OUT OF BLUE COMES GREEN 9//YOU ARE THE ONE 10//YOU'LL END UP CRYING
Produced by Alan Tarney
ALLMUSIC REVIEW: a-ha's recording career hit the skids in America with its third release. But in the U.K., the album became the group's third straight to peak at number two, though it charted for a shorter period than the first two albums, and there were four Top 25 hits -- the title track, "The Blood That Moves the Body," "Touchy!," and "You Are the One." (Also included was a-ha's 1987 theme from the James Bond movie The Living Daylights, a U.K. number five that missed the U.S. charts.) Even in a country with a demonstrated affection for Scandinavians, however (remember ABBA?), that was a fall-off, if the decline was more gradual, and three albums in, a-ha wasn't demonstrating any development from its first hit, just more of the same and a little less distinctive.
ALLMUSIC GAVE THE AKBUM 2 OUT OF 5 STARS
SINGLES RELEASED FROM 'STAY ON THESE ROADS':
1//STAY ON THESE ROADS
2//THE BLOOD THAT MOVES THE BODY
3//THERE'S NEVER A FOREVER THING(BRAZIL ONLY)
4//TOUCHY!
5//YOU ARE THE ONE
The title track is hitting at #3 on Magne's top 10 A-ha songs. Magne says: An unexpected and unusual but great collaboration between Morten and me, in which Paul came in toward the end. Paul on the other hand picks out 'You'll end up crying' from the album at #3 on his top 10 songs that should have received more attention. Paul comments: Morten and I used to sing this in the beginning to get a reaction from the ladies.
PICTURES FROM THE TIME WHEN 'STAY ON THESE ROADS' WERE RELEASED:
CHART POSITIONS:
NUMBER 1 IN NORWAY
NUMBER 2 IN UK
NUMBER 2 IN ITALY
NUMBER 6 SWISS ALBUM CHARTS
NUMBER 148 US
NUMBER 10 SWEDEN
NUMBER 9 AUSTRIA
NUMBER 4 GERMANY
NUMBER 55 CANADA
Source: Wikipedia/The Swing of Things by Jan Omdahl
CERTIFICATIONS:
UK: GOLD
GER: GOLD
BRA: PLATINUM
NLD: GOLD
SWI: GOLD
FRA: 2XPLATINUM
Source: Wikipedia
SALES FIGURE:
'STAY ON THESE ROADS' HAS SOLD MORE THAN 4 MILLION COPIES WORLDWIDE.
Source: The Swing Of Things By Jan Omdahl
Produced by Alan Tarney
ALLMUSIC REVIEW: a-ha's recording career hit the skids in America with its third release. But in the U.K., the album became the group's third straight to peak at number two, though it charted for a shorter period than the first two albums, and there were four Top 25 hits -- the title track, "The Blood That Moves the Body," "Touchy!," and "You Are the One." (Also included was a-ha's 1987 theme from the James Bond movie The Living Daylights, a U.K. number five that missed the U.S. charts.) Even in a country with a demonstrated affection for Scandinavians, however (remember ABBA?), that was a fall-off, if the decline was more gradual, and three albums in, a-ha wasn't demonstrating any development from its first hit, just more of the same and a little less distinctive.
ALLMUSIC GAVE THE AKBUM 2 OUT OF 5 STARS
SINGLES RELEASED FROM 'STAY ON THESE ROADS':
1//STAY ON THESE ROADS
2//THE BLOOD THAT MOVES THE BODY
3//THERE'S NEVER A FOREVER THING(BRAZIL ONLY)
4//TOUCHY!
5//YOU ARE THE ONE
The title track is hitting at #3 on Magne's top 10 A-ha songs. Magne says: An unexpected and unusual but great collaboration between Morten and me, in which Paul came in toward the end. Paul on the other hand picks out 'You'll end up crying' from the album at #3 on his top 10 songs that should have received more attention. Paul comments: Morten and I used to sing this in the beginning to get a reaction from the ladies.
PICTURES FROM THE TIME WHEN 'STAY ON THESE ROADS' WERE RELEASED:
CHART POSITIONS:
NUMBER 1 IN NORWAY
NUMBER 2 IN UK
NUMBER 2 IN ITALY
NUMBER 6 SWISS ALBUM CHARTS
NUMBER 148 US
NUMBER 10 SWEDEN
NUMBER 9 AUSTRIA
NUMBER 4 GERMANY
NUMBER 55 CANADA
Source: Wikipedia/The Swing of Things by Jan Omdahl
CERTIFICATIONS:
UK: GOLD
GER: GOLD
BRA: PLATINUM
NLD: GOLD
SWI: GOLD
FRA: 2XPLATINUM
Source: Wikipedia
SALES FIGURE:
'STAY ON THESE ROADS' HAS SOLD MORE THAN 4 MILLION COPIES WORLDWIDE.
Source: The Swing Of Things By Jan Omdahl
Friday 20 August 2010
latest album '25' number #4 on Hmv's top 50 pre-order
A-ha '25' number #4 on Hmv's top 50 pre-order:
4
Aha - 25: The Very Best Of: 2cd
List Price £16.99
CD £8.99 - free delivery
Looks promising for the release in Uk later this year. Think the album will be out on the 10th of october in the UK. Butterfly, butterfly will be released on 20th of Seeptember.
4
Aha - 25: The Very Best Of: 2cd
List Price £16.99
CD £8.99 - free delivery
Looks promising for the release in Uk later this year. Think the album will be out on the 10th of october in the UK. Butterfly, butterfly will be released on 20th of Seeptember.
'25' listed in music chart's
A-ha's latest album '25' chart info:
Germany Albums Top 50 33/2010 2 2 1 1 33/2010(down to #3 in second week)
Swiss Albums Top 100 33/2010 8 8 1 1 33/2010(#6 as highest position in second week on chart)
Austria Albums Top 75 32/2010 9 9 1 1 32/2010(#9 peak position, Two weeks on chart)
Hugarian Albums 33/2010 34 34 1 1 (Out of chart after one week)
Billboard European Albums #8 highest position (2 weeks on chart)
Norway #9 (First week)
Pre -order charts:
A-ha '25' number #4 on Hmv's top 50 pre-order:
4
Aha - 25: The Very Best Of: 2cd
List Price £16.99
CD £8.99 - free delivery
Looks promising for the release in Uk later this year. Think the album will be out on the 10th of october in the UK. Butterfly, butterfly will be released on 20th of Seeptember.
Germany Albums Top 50 33/2010 2 2 1 1 33/2010(down to #3 in second week)
Swiss Albums Top 100 33/2010 8 8 1 1 33/2010(#6 as highest position in second week on chart)
Austria Albums Top 75 32/2010 9 9 1 1 32/2010(#9 peak position, Two weeks on chart)
Hugarian Albums 33/2010 34 34 1 1 (Out of chart after one week)
Billboard European Albums #8 highest position (2 weeks on chart)
Norway #9 (First week)
Pre -order charts:
A-ha '25' number #4 on Hmv's top 50 pre-order:
4
Aha - 25: The Very Best Of: 2cd
List Price £16.99
CD £8.99 - free delivery
Looks promising for the release in Uk later this year. Think the album will be out on the 10th of october in the UK. Butterfly, butterfly will be released on 20th of Seeptember.
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