brotherly love

Seemingly out of nowhere, Morten Harket, the man with most amazing cheekbones in pop, has returned with "Brother", a brand new single. No word on whether or not the release of a new single precedes a new solo longplayer from the a-ha frontman. His last album, "Out Of My Hands", was only came out less than two years ago.



Mr. Harket sounds like he's in "East Of The Sun West Of The Moon" mode on this love. Lovely stuff.

one world

Yes, it has been a hot minute since my last update. Without electricity and heat for nearly two weeks in the wake of Hurricane Sandy caused severe delays for many of us living in the NYC metro area. Thankfully, many of us are back on line with little damage and ready to help those less fortunate.

After a-ha decided to split, it was inevitable that the voice of the Norwegian trio would strike out on his own. He didn't take long to do it. His latest solo longplayer, "Out Of My Hands", was released back in May. Only now has the owner of the world's finest cheekbones decided to lift a second single from the album.

"I'm The One" is the follow up to "Scared Of Heights". Of course, it sounds quite a lot like something a-ha would release. No surprises there.

A video has been lensed for it. It features Morten's passionate performance against the backdrop of the daily life of a transgendered/transsexual man. Throughout, the man gets himself ready to head out to the venue at which Mr. Harket is singing, eventually sitting next to him on stage at the end of the video.

It shows the ordinary side of transgendered life. We all put on our trousers one leg at a time. Or, in this case, our bra straps on arm at a time.



Slowly, the world is realizing we are all the same, it's just the outer shell that mutates with each passing day. Inside, we all share the same hopes, desires, triumphs and challenges.

"I'm The One" will be available from all fine, digital retailers on November 23.

lightning and listening

After a-ha called it a day at the end of their farewell tour, it was always understood that Morten Harket and his cheekbones would release a solo album, the first since "Letter From Egypt" in 2008. Now, the fruits of his labor, "Out Of My Hands", will be released on April 13.

On March 9, the first single to be lifted from the longplayer will be "Lightning".

The single will only be released in Norway. Here's a short preview of it.



The second single, "Scared Of Heights", will be released internationally. It will be available from all fine digital retailers from March 23.



Lastly, rumors have become fact. Pet Shop Boys have written a song especially for Morten entitled "Listening". Apparently, Mr. Harket approached Chris and Neil to write a song for his forthcoming longplayer and ver Boys whipped up a beautiful ballad for the project.

The full tracklisting for "Out Of My Hands" includes the following ten songs.

1. Scared Of Heights
2. Keep The Sun Away
3. Lightning
4. I'm The One
5. Quiet
6. Burn Money Burn
7. When I Reached The Moon
8. Listening
9. Just Believe it
10. Out Of My Hands

these stained glass wings could only take you so far

With only a few months before a-ha sail into the Norwegian sunset, they finally unveil the video for their final single, "Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)". The clip was directed by Steve Barron who lensed the groundbreaking video for "Take On Me" and set a-ha on a course toward success.



The video is rather unassuming until you get toward the end. Not sure what it is about the three men embracing, but I found myself getting all goosebumpy. Very touching. At that moment, the emotion swells and the final animation takes it over the top.

At first, I really didn't like the shots of previous videos woven into it, but it all makes sense by the end. I much prefer the pencil graphic images from "Take On Me" that appear on the columns holding up the highway. It's a more subtle touch. Of course, the highway overpass imagery mirrors the cover art from their last studio album, "Foot Of The Mountain. It all ties up nicely, kittens.

"Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)" is from "25", a-ha's recently released, career spanning hits collection.

Norwegians on ice

Everyone's fjordsome threesome, a-ha, have been busy beavers. Their farewell tour has been packing venues to the rafters all around the globe. They're about to release deluxe editions of their first two longplayers, "Hunting High And Low" and "Scoundrel Days".

There's even a new single about to hit the "shops". It's called "Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)" which will be available as a digital download on July 5. Then, on July 30, they will release it as a CD single in Germany. Snap your grubby, little hands on a copy of it ASAP because it's sure to be a tough one to find.

"Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)" is also the lone, new track featured on "25", their forthcoming, career retrospective. The double CD set will be released in Norway on July 19, in Germany on August 6, and in the UK on October 4. It is their third hits compilation following "Headlines And Deadlines - The Hits Of a-ha" from 1992 and "The Singles: 1984-2004 which was first released six years ago outside the US. For some odd reason, the latter just received an American release this month.

The tracklisting for "25" includes 33 of their 36 singles lovingly placed beside six of the band's favorite album tracks. The missing tracks are either remixes or live recordings which would have meant three songs would have been included twice.

There are a few surprises. For instance, the second mix of "The Blood That Moves The Body" from 1992, which was released to promote their first greatest hits collection, makes its first appearance on an a-ha album. Its inclusion is favored here over the original single version from 1988.

It's nice to have the single versions of their most recent releases, "Nothing Is Keeping You Here" and "Shadowside", which differ greatly from the ones that appear on "Foot Of The Mountain".

However, it isn't clear from the tracklisting if "Dark Is The Night For All" and "Angel In The Snow" are the single versions. Both tracks were retitled as "Dark As The Night" and "Angel", respectively, when they were issued as singles from their parent album, "Memorial Beach", back in 1993.

Lastly, the original 7" single of "Take On Me", which appears on CD for the first time on the deluxified edition of "Hunting High And Low", is missing from "25". I can certainly live without it on this new retrospective now that it's finally available in a beautifully remastered bundle of zeros and ones.

The following is the tracklisting for "25" in its full glory. Morten, Mags and Paul are ending on high note, indeed!

CD 1

1. Take On Me
2. The Blue Sky
3. The Sun Always Shines On T.V.
4. Train Of Thought (7” Remix)
5. Hunting High And Low (7” Remix)
6. I've Been Losing You
7. Scoundrel Days
8. The Swing Of Things
9. Cry Wolf
10. Manhattan Skyline (Edit Version)
11. The Living Daylights
12. Stay On These Roads
13. Touchy! (UK DJ Edit)
14. There's Never A Forever Thing
15. You Are The One (7" Remix)
16. The Blood That Moves The Body (Two-Time Gun Remix)
17. Crying In The Rain
18. Early Morning
19. Slender Frame
20. I Call Your Name

CD 2

1. Move To Memphis (Single Version)
2. Dark Is The Night For All
3. Cold As Stone (Remix)
4. Angel In The Snow (Edit)
5. Shapes That Go Together
6. Summer Moved On
7. Minor Earth Major Sky (Niven’s Radio Edit)
8. The Sun Never Shone That Day (Radio Edit)
9. Velvet
10. Forever Not Yours
11. Lifelines
12. Did Anyone Approach You?
13. Celice
14. Analogue (All I Want)
15. Cosy Prisons (Radio Mix)
16. Foot Of The Mountain
17. Nothing Is Keeping You Here (Single Remix)
18. Shadowside (Single Edit)
19. Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)

Note to trainspotters, the versions of "Touchy", "Cold As Stone" and "The Sun Never Shone That Day" on "25" mark the first time they are being made commercially available.

the last hurrah for a-ha

Today, a-ha unveiled their last hurrah. Literally! After 25 years together, the Norwegian trio will bid their fans a fond farewell with “Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)”.

It will be available from all fine digital outlets in Norway on July 5. No word on whether it will be a stand alone single anywhere else in the world. But you can rest easy. It will be included on “25″, a new, double CD, greatest hits compilation to be released on July 19.

Here's a little taste.



The intro is very Depeche Mode. N'est-ce pas? What they really should've done is release a CD with a studio recording of their cover of DM's "A Question Of Lust".



This performance from BBC2 was originally transmitted on June 25, 2009. It's just begging to be recorded properly.

we sit and watch umbrellas fly

With a-ha in the throes of their final tour before they sail into the sunset, comes the announcement that their first two longplayers, "Hunting High And Low" and "Scoundrel Days", will get the deluxe treatment. Both albums will be exclusively available at rhino.com in June with each carrying bonus tracks, non-album b-sides, remixes, demos and live recordings. Beat the rush and place your order on the pre-sale date of May 11.

First up is their legendary debut album, "Hunting High And Low". The deluxe edition of this 25 year old album uncovers several unreleased gems such as an instrumental version of "Take On Me" and an early, demo version of the same song called "Lesson One". Demos for "The Sun Always Shines On T.V." and "Train Of Thought" will also be included.

"Driftwood" and "Stop And Make Your Mind Up", tracks that only appeared as b-sides, plus tracks released exclusively in Norway like "Never Never" and "Dot The I" will appear on CD for the first time. Most importantly, the original 1984 version of "Take On Me", which differs greatly from the one that became a worldwide smash, makes it's first appearance anywhere since it failed to chart.

This collection is rounded out by the original 12" mixes of the singles "The Sun Always Shines On T.V.", "Train Of Thought" and "Hunting High And Low".

Here's the quartet of music videos shot for each of the singles from this landmark album.









And now, the rarely seen, original version of "Take On Me".



The following is the complete tracklisting for the deluxified edition of "Hunting High And Low".

CD 1

Original album:

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

Remixes and extended versions:

11. Take On Me (1984 Original 7" Version)

12. The Sun Always Shines On T.V. (Extended Mix)
13. Train Of Thought (Steve Thompson U.S. Mix)
14. Hunting High And Low (Extended Remix)


CD 2

B-sides, demos and rarities:

1. Take On Me (Demo)*

2. Train Of Thought (Demo)*

3. Hunting High And Low (Uptempo Demo)*

4. Blue Sky (Demo)

5. Living A Boy's Adventure Tale (Early Version)*

6. The Sun Always Shine On T.V. (Demo)*
7. And You Tell Me (Demo)
8. Love Is Reason (Demo)*

9. I Dream Myself Alive (Demo)*
10. Here I Stand And Face The Rain (Demo)*

11. Stop And Make Your Mind Up

12. Driftwood

13. Dot The I

14. The Love Goodbye

15. Nothing To It*

16. Go To Sleep

17. Monday Mourning
18. All The Planes That Come In On The Quiet *

19. Never Never
20. What's That You’re Doing To Yourself*

21. You Have Grown Thoughtful Again*
22. Lesson One (Early 1982 "Take On Me" Demo)*
23. Presenting Lily Mars

The extended version of a-ha's ambitious, moody, sophomore elpee, "Scoundrel Days", contains demos for each album track, the non-album B-side "This Alone Is Love", as well as unreleased live performances of "Train Of Thought", "I’ve Been Losing You", "Blue Sky" and "Cry Wolf" recorded in England.

Bonus tracks include the extended versions of "Cry Wolf" and "Manhattan Skyline".

Three singles were lifted from their second longplayer. With the exception of "I've Been Losing You", which I couldn't locate on the interwebs, here are the videos that were lovingly lensed for each one.





And, as if by magic, here is the tracklisting for the expanded edition of "Scoundrel Days".

CD 1

Original album:

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

Extended versions and remixes:

11. I've Been Losing You (Extended Version)

12. Cry Wolf (Extended Version)
13. Manhattan Skyline (Extended Remix)


CD 2

B-sides, demos and rarities:

1. Scoundrel Days (1984 Demo)*
2. The Swing Of Things (Demo #3)*
3. I've Been Losing You (Octocon Studios Demo)*
4. October (Demo)*
5. Manhattan Skyline (Demo)*
6. Cry Wolf (Demo)*
7. We're Looking For The Whales (1984 Demo)*
8. The Weight Of The Wind (Demo)*
9.Maybe, Maybe (Demo)*
10. Soft Rains Of April (Guitar Version)*
11. Scoundrel Days (Octocon Studios Demo)*

12.This Alone is Love (Original Version)

13. Days On End
14. Train Of Thought (Live In Croydon)*
15. I've Been Losing You (Live In Croydon)*
16. Blue Sky (Live In Croydon)*
17. Looking For The Whales (Live In Croydon)
18. Cry Wolf (Live In Croydon)*

Asterisks indicate previously unreleased recordings. And there you have it.

By the way, I'll be seeing a-ha at the Nokia Theatre in glorious NYC tomorrow evening. Expect tweets from the show and a full report over the weekend. Over and out!

third from the mountain

"Nothing Is Keeping You Here" by a-ha is the third video from their gorgeous album, "Foot Of The Mountain". Such a shame it will be part of their swan song over the next twelve months. Then Morten, Paul and Mags will fade into the mist of pop history.

The single version of this song is quite different from the one featured on the album. Those chiming piano figures and Morten's yearning vocal get the goosebumps going. And you can certainly hear where Coldplay have gotten some of their inspiration from.



The video sort of reminds me of those Pink Floyd, planetarium laser shows. There's an amazing idea. Imagine a laser show set to the music of a-ha. Hey, it can't be any worse than Seal on ice!

eyeshadow

Hot off the griddle! Here's the brand new video from a-ha for "Shadowside". This single is the follow up to "Foot Of The Mountain" in Germany.



It's a completely different mix to the album version. So very 80s of them! It's suitably cinematic with Morten's usual heroic, high notes reaching up toward the heavens near the end. Goosebumps!

The video is rather uninteresting, though. Pity. But Morten's smoldering good looks more than make up for it.

second singles redux

First looks at the earthy sleeve designs for "Nothing Is Keeping You Here" and "Shadowside", which a-ha will release as their next singles in the UK and Germany, respectively.



Both songs are plucked from a-ha's magnificent, ninth, studio album, "Foot Of The Mountain". As previously mentioned, both tracks will be remixed for single consumption.

a-ha reswizzle their next single

On September 21, a-ha will release the second single from the album, "Foot Of The Mountain", in the UK. "Nothing Is Keeping You Here" is not only a bold remix of the album track, it also appears that the lyrics have been altered and a new vocal recorded. It might very well be a completely new recording.

Praise be to the interwebs. After rummaging around a bit, I stumbled across this clip of the track on YouTube moments ago.



It appears they eschewed the more understated, rock elements of the original and replaced it with a chunky, electronic soundscape. It still maintains the grand, dramatic flair of the original. Morten loves to hit those lung crushing, high notes. Bless his heart. The whole thing sounds like it was sprinkled with bits of "The Sun Always Shines On TV".

second singles

A-ha just revealed they will be releasing two different songs as the second single from their monumental longplayer, "Foot Of The Mountain".

"Shadowside" will be the next single in mainland Europe while the UK will be treated to "Nothing Is Keeping You Here", which is one of my favorites on the album. Each will be delivered in a remixed version for single consumption.

Here are the songs as they appear on the album.

"Shadowside"



"Nothing Is Happening Here"



Apparently, "Shadowside" is scheduled to be the third single released in the UK. "Nothing's Keeping You Here" will be available from September 21.

Strange that no word has surfaced about a single release for "Riding The Crest", which hearkens back to the more electronic sound they delivered on their debut, "Hunting High And Low". The first three singles, all of which I love, don't really reflect the more electro splashed sound they've introduced on their latest.

best foot forward

Going into this new venture, I knew I was gonna have a backlog of things about which I could write. Don't get used to these long, intricate entries. And I don't suspect I'll post more than one a day. But since I'm on a staycation this week, I might write more than expected.

A couple of weeks ago, a-ha released "Foot Of The Mountain", their ninth album since their 1985 debut, "Hunting High And Low". Seriously, they have never put a foot wrong. It's interesting to note that they had success with "Take On Me" in the US first and then Europe, along with the rest of the globe, followed. Strangely, although their debut single reached #1 in the US, it only managed to peak at #2 in the UK. It was held out of the top spot by "The Power Of Love" by Jennifer Rush.

Many people don't realize that "Take On Me" was recorded twice. The first version, produced by Tony Mansfield who twiddled the knobs for Naked Eyes and Re-flex, was a total flop. It burns my tail that it has never been made available on CD. And I don't want a crackly, vinyl rip of it either. I want pure digital bliss.

The second version, produced by Alan Tarney, who wrote and produced "We Don't Talk Anymore" by Cliff Richard, is the one that became the classic.

Unfortunately, a-ha have been relegated to one hit wonder status in the US even though they managed to scrape a second song into the Top 20 of the Billboard singles chart with "The Sun Always Shines On T.V.", the follow up to their signature tune. It also gave the group their first and only #1 hit in the UK. 

Many hits followed in the UK while the band became a musical footnote in the country where they originally broke through. A lot of my friends are always surprised when I tell them a-ha still play to crowds of 100,000 plus in places like Brazil.

While a-ha managed a number of hits in the rest of the world, their chart performance started to wane around the time acid house and grunge were in full swing. In 1994, they took a sabbatical and returned re-energized in 2000 with the album, "Minor Earth Major Sky".

Nearly a decade on from their return, the Norwegian trio have dipped their toes back into a more electronic sound with the album, "Foot Of The Mountain".

However, the lead track and first single mines the grand, cinematic, guitar driven, pop sound they've become known for on their three, previous, studio albums. Presumably, it was done in order to ease the public into the album's different, sonic landscape which hearkens back to the group's debut.

It's interesting to note that the verses and the piano figure in "Foot Of The Mountain" are originally found in "The Longest Night" which is featured on Magne's solo album from 2008, "A Dot Of Black In The Blue Of Your Bliss". I've included here for comparison.

"Foot Of The Mountain", the album, is suitably moody and melancholy with Morten's heroic falsetto reaching fantastic heights throughout without ever overshadowing the songs or the production. You can certainly hear where Coldplay and Keane got their inspiration in the song structure and icy grandeur of a-ha's work both past and present.

To these ears, I'd have to say there are at least three more obvious singles on "Foot Of The Album". "Mother Nature Goes To Heaven" wears its "Violator" era, Depeche Mode leanings proudly. "Nothing Is Keeping You Here" is a dead ringer for Keane. And "Riding The Crest" is the closest thing to "Take On Me" they've recorded in nearly 20 years. In retrospect, it's almost as if they purposely never tread that ground until they felt it was safe to go back there. More of a self-referential homage than a desperate attempt to capture past glories.