And with the assistance of that video…what came next is history.įrom the sessions with Mansfield and Tarney, and with Ratcliff’s input too, a-ha had what they needed for their debut album. Their new producer helped nail “Take On Me” by going back to feel of an earlier demo version. a-ha knew “Take On Me” was the right song, so British music business veteran Alan Tarney was brought in. However, when the single was issued to almost-no sales, a rethink was needed. Their new label teamed them with producer Tony Mansfield, with whom they recorded the first version of “Take On Me” and tracks for their prospective debut album. The strategy proved a winner and they signed with Warner Brothers that December. The pieces really started falling into place after a-ha played special showcases at Rendezvous in June 1983 for prospective record labels. They would sporadically record at Rendezvous from April 1983 to October 1984. United in London late that March, the trio looked for a studio where they could record a new set of demos and found the South London set-up Rendezvous, which was run by John Ratcliff – who quickly realised this was a band with potential. Morten and Pål came to London in January 1983 and a period of coming, going and regrouping followed.
HA GAY MEME WITH AUDIO SERIES
After six months, Pål and Magne were back in their home country where, in September 1982, they united with Morten, the former singer of the soul-blues band Souldier Blue, to begin recording demos of a series of new songs as a-ha. They had left the band Bridges, whose other members did not want to take the chance on what seemed a doubtful adventure. It began when Pål and Magne first arrived in London from Norway in 1982 to try and make their way in Britain’s music business.
But there in black and white was evidence for the final part of the “long and bumpy ride” referred to by Pål. Despite the various participants, the album articulated a clear, cohesive vision – it couldn’t fail to: the songs saw to that. Eight of the ten tracks were noted as having been remixed by John Ratcliff. The other seven tracks were produced by Tony Mansfield. The album’s “Love Is Reason” had a joint production credit of John Ratcliff and a-ha. The new “Take On Me” and “The Sun Always Shines On T.V.” were produced by Alan Tarney. Hunting High And Low’s credits did not hide some of the twists and turns. Two years earlier, the three members of a-ha were making demos on a four-track TEAC reel-to-reel tape recorder in a holiday cabin owned by Pål’s family in Nærsnes, near Oslo. Hunting High And Low was in America’s shops in June and in Britain’s during October. The single was reissued in the UK during September and, finally, the British hit came.
HA GAY MEME WITH AUDIO TV
In America, however, the single’s profile was helped by a striking promotional video which was first seen on TV screens in May. The fresh “Take On Me” was released in the UK in April 1985 to little fanfare. If their label had not allowed to them to re-record “Take On Me” and then make the new version which became the global hit, that may have been that. Despite the band’s self-belief, there was never any certainty of success.
HA GAY MEME WITH AUDIO FULL
By when the album was finally released it had been a long and bumpy ride, and we poured all our ambitions into the record as if it would be our one and only shot.”Īs Pål admits, a-ha’s road to Hunting High And Low was full of twists and turns. “With the song selection and the set in the album’s running order, it will turn it into a totally different type of show to anything we have done before,” adds Pål, saying a-ha also appreciate the tour will “pull your mind and mood back to when Hunting High And Low was made, which for us was a time when we were living in the same tiny apartment in London and working on the songs 24/7.
I just need to dust off the old synths a little.” “So revisiting this body of work now – more than 30 years later – feels like inspiration rather than obligation. “Recording Hunting High And Low was such a defining moment and an exciting time in our career and joint collaboration,” stresses Magne. We had done quite a few versions of the songs before recording the actual album and they all contain great bits and cool ideas which will be nice to incorporate into the new show.” “There’s not one song on that album that we’re not looking forward to playing live. She hated the girl, but why wasn't it as strong as before? Merula's feelings were leaving her in constant disarray, and she wanted answers as to why, fast.“We played the full Hunting High And Low album live before and that was a great experience,” says Pål, looking back on the pair of 2010 concerts and how he, Magne and Morten feel now.