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Many years ago in Oslo I went to a restaurant with a friend. We sat there for a few minutes before my friend nodded discretely in the direction of the table next to us and told me not to look straight away. I of course looked straight away without hesitation, and immediately recognised Morten Harket enjoying a huge plate of spaghetti... on his own. I've never since seen a man enjoy a large plate of spaghetti as much as Morten did that evening. Ever since, every time I hear an A-ha song I think of spaghetti.
I love both of them but find it hard to rank their songs because there are so many amazing songs. For some reason I always come back to Stay on these roads, but I have no rational explanation as to why I love the song so much.
An a-ha special! How nice! :) I used to work for Mags/Magne back in.. around 1994, programming his rack of Roland S760 samplers. And I've met Morten, Pål, and Magne many times back then. Even been to Mags' homeplace outside Oslo, and been to many a-ha live practice sessions in the 1990s (as a synth/MIDI/sampler techie) Really down-to-earth and nice people :)
@@bigmiket In Norway he was always sort of known to be he "difficult" one out of the group, but through friends who know him I've heard he's a perfectionist in music and therefore may come across as "difficult" from time to time. Otherwise a very friendly and great person.
A-Ha is more of an albums band than a singles band. their albums are great. Hunting High & Low is one of the best albums ever produced. every track is good, not a single dud.
American here. My wife and I (even before we met) loved A-Ha. Yes, "Take On Me" is the most known, but album wise, "Stay on These Roads" was a superior album in that time. "Touchy" is still one of my favorites. "Stay on These Roads" was also amazing. All the way to the "Ending on a High Note" DVD (never say never) and beyond into now, we have been fans. They were the backdrop to our dating. America as a whole is missing out on absolute gold if they stop with "Take on Me". Of course we taught our kids better lol.
You've got to thank Herbie Hancock, Thomas Dolby, Art of Noise and the Fairlight itself for the synth noise experimentation in the 80's and the unique synthpop we lovingly got.
Peter Gabriel owned the first Fairlight CMI in the UK, and was the first british musician to release an album featuring its sounds. Initially, he was assisted by Peter Vogel, one of the Fairlight’s designers. In the US Stevie Wonder was one of the first users of the original Fairlight CMI in 1979. Stevie's personal engineer LaMar Mitchell worked closely with Fairlight to develop their product.
OMG! the clip at the start of 'the sun always shines on tv' ! never seen that before, I went cold, emotional with goosebumps!. Hunting High and Low was my favourite song on that album.
@@RetroFett I'm very, very sure he knows that as it is just common knowledge-Massive hit and still plays on radio-Train of Thought was only last played on music channel on Freeview in UK last week!
I used to engineer at Maison Rouge studios, and I got asked if I'd setup and record some piano for half -an-hour, so I popped into the studio next door and found A-ha, who wanted to record them playing "The Living Daylights" to John Barry for the first time... I stil have that somewhere...
This may be the greatest comment yet. Please do share and let's chat about how to bring it some greater awareness. And on a personal level I'd just love to hear it. That's one of my favourite songs and an underrated Bond theme. Thanks Graham! retrorecip.es/submit
Loved this! Take on me has been on my repeat playlist ever since it debuted. I can't say this about too many tracks by various bands. Great retrospective, thanks so much.
18:50 she said just what i was thinking. lol what a great breakdown -- i wasn't clear on whether or not that first version was ever released -- i'm always amazed at how much work goes into some of these things that later gets scrapped!
Great video! I’m a teenager and recently became rather obsessed with a-ha. It’s really cool to hear how the song evolved. There are actually quite a few a-ha songs that have their roots in Bridges tunes, in particular I like their version of ‘Soft Rains Of April’.
I grew up in Utah and I definitely loved Hunting High and Low. Take on Me was a huge part of our musical lives but I have to tell you The Sun Always Shines on TV made me want to make music. I thought the production was so exquisite listening to it on my WalkMan in the 80s in high school in America.
Back in the 90s I was working in Oslo building the new Posten Norge building. It was a real life Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. My brother and myself from Glasgow, Deano from London and Jesse from Australia. We used to drive up to Sweden to buy food in an old Chevy G20 we called the Venga bus. Anyway we broke down on our way home and a Range Rover stopped and asked if we needed help. It was Morton on his way to Oslo. He drove us to the gas station in his car then took us back. He was a diamond bloke. Really down to earth. We offered him money but he refused.
@@Co-nun-drum Oh wow what a story ❤️ We Fans always knew that Morten is an extraordinary artist, he has a big heart and a wonderful character. He not only looks good but also has a beautiful soul. Despite his fame, he has always remained down to earth, has been politically active and has campaigned for environmental protection since the 80s, etc. The other two band members are also people with strong characters and are very down to earth. By the way, some fans would die to meet Morten on the street 😅
I love watching these and appreciate all the hard work that goes into them. Like ABBA, some misguided cool kids can now look back and admit they appreciate the brilliance of these artists.
At 28 or so, I unabashedly bought the ABBA Gold CD back in '96. I always liked their music...I guess I wasn't cool enough. I'd enjoy Dancing Queen every time it came on (though since I'm a dude, I'd keep the windows up, if driving) ;) . Still love that song and The Name Of The Game, with all my heart.
Thanks for another great video! And.. just IMAGINE that being the first time you'd ever heard The Sun Always Shines on TV. I'd give just about anything for that experience again.
2 billion views makes the former Kim's Cafe where they filmed it the most viewed cafe in the world. LOCATION: at 390 WANDSWORTH ROAD, LONDON. The tree in Sun always shines on TV was filmed at Udney Hall Gardens, London
This is a true 80's classic that brings back memories. I was nine years old when it came out, and around that time I was a bit obsessed with an old tape recorder that used to be my late Auntie's, so my hobby for a while was recording everything, theme tunes off great TV shows like 'V' or Knight Rider, and also my own voice while attempting to sings songs I liked, including this hit. I think I may still have an old tape somewhere of me singing it, probably pretty badly, and mumbling the words in parts where I didn't know them.....oh happy days 😀 Thanks for a cracking nostalgic video reminding me of days gone by :)
One of my favourite albums by anyone. 'Sun Always Shines on TV' was played on high-rotation on college radio in the States. I never listened to the mainstream radio at the time, so no idea there. The song 'Hunting High and Low' is one of my favourites, by anyone.
@@RinnRuannan Yes... I remember hearing it played only a few times on our local pop radio station, but mostly heard it on our university radio... in shows/dj slots that focused on uk/european imports and the punk/new wave scene. Fun days where the radio was my lifeline!
hats off to the one host for for being the only one in the room with enthusiasm and carrying this show. I subscribed today and cant wait to see what excites the other host! But really aha was one of my early bands i listened to. I love this whole era of people figuring out what to do with synthesizers. I never knew about these early demos and feel better knowing they exist.
Wonderful video and history lesson! a-ha's "Take on Me" with the first of a TRILOGY, followed (as you noted) by "The Sun Always Shines on TV" and then immediately transitioning into the finale, "Train of Thought" (Train of Thought picks up on the final frame of The Sun Always Shines on TV, and returns to the sketchbook animation style).
“The Sun Always Shines on TV” has always been, and still is my all-time favorite song, speaking as an American. Since high school I’ve daydreamed playing that song in front of an audience.
Hey !!! Thanks so much for including my video in there !! wooo! so yeah turns out it was a scratch/warm up mix in the session itself. it makes me laugh because theres a section in the vocal take that he burps into the mic.
Excellent video.. A-ha is one of my all time favorite music groups 😊 My favorite version of Take on me is the MTV unplugged where you really hear what the lyrics are about! 😊
American here, I definitely remember, "The Sun Always Shines on TV." Then again, I was also a teenager back then, and my tv was always, always tuned to MTV. I actually liked the song and video for Sun better than Take On Me.
This was really interesting and so good to see the evolution of the song. "Take On Me" is indeed the finest pop song ever. "The Sun Always Shines On TV" was also excellent, and the video was filmed in St Alban's Church, Teddington, which I know you'll be familiar with.
I bought the Hunting High and Low album way back in '85. A great album. Morten's voice was something else. A really interesting show highlighting the beginnings of a very memorable song :)
a-ha are great Artists and Morten Harket's Voice is a gem 💎: The sun always shines on tv, Hunting high and low, The living daylights (from James Bond), Train of thought, I've been losing you, Manhattan Skyline, Stay on these roads, Memorial Beach, Summer moved on, Butterfly Butterfly, Analogue,Lifelines, True north, I'm in,...love this band 🎶
Their music was also massively popular in South Africa. Looking back on Vinyl and Cassette, (even CD to a certain level) reminds you of how big a part of our lives, it was. Looking at it now, it seems very alien and part of another life. Thanx for sharing,
The concert in Johannesburg in 1994 is one of my favorites of the band. Raw, rocking and as an added bonus, a boiling hot Morten. I wish it was available with better image quality - and not for the sake of Morten. 😂
Peri (@ Ladyfractic too!), you guys never cease to amaze me with your creativity and diversity of interest here. This couldn't have been further from my radar right now, but I LOVE it and am SO glad you brought this to my Retro Sunday!!!
I've kind of been on the fringe of retro channels for years (LGR,8BG, techmoan) but only saw your videos a few days ago??? Catching up now, loving it. This one, simply brilliant. Thanks.
A good friend of mine, Svein Ericsen, was the producer of the Bridges album (I once had a copy of it). Svein also produced the first versions of Take on me before they whent to London. Fun fact, Pål Waktaar later bought a analog reverb unit that Svein had given me
instant thumbs up love A-ha and love that song I was Listening to "Take on Me" yesterday, they had many great songs. wow that 20 mins flew by like warp speed
The sound of my youth. Absolutely timeless. I still follow the band today, at the ripe old age of 50. Great video, there's a couple of here I've not heard before, very cool!
Great video, love to hear those demo tunes. All the A-ha songs in your video where popular here on the Dutch radio stations. My father used to have "Stay on These Roads" album back in the day, a very good album if you ask me.
Great video! I love back stories about the creation of songs/albums. I knew they had an earlier version from 1984 but had no idea it went even further in time. Take On Me is so iconic and I love it. However, I will dare say that The Sun Always Shines On TV is probably my favorite song of theirs. The music, the melody, the production, the vocals, everything is so well done. Every time he starts singing at the beginning, I get goosebumps. I would love to see the same type of retro video for it too. 😁
VERY cool! I LOVE Aha and they have aged like fine wine! Norway indeed! I grew up in America and I TOTALLY remember their other hit, "The Sun Always Shines on TV". Thank You for celebrating the 40th anniversary of this INCREDIBLE song! I still get my butt out there and dance to it when my local 80's cover band plays it. :)
Great walkthrough! I remember seeing their first appearance with Take On Me on Norwegian TV as a teenager. Went to the record store, listened to the single, which was the first single version then, and thought "nah, I'll pass this one". A collector's item now, one of my regrets in life. The final version went on to become a main part of the soundtrack of my teens in Norway. Norway went from being irrelevant in global pop culture to having one of the World's biggest bands overnight, perfectly timed with my teens. It's hard to imagine now how huge they were here, with an endless string of hits. My favourite track is Hunting High And Low, hands down.
I also remember that TV show, as well as the excitement when the song started climbing Billboard. It was huge for a young Norwegian girl. Unfortunately, they lost me on second album, and since I had little money at the time, I didn't buy the third. It was a big mistake. Norwegian journalists did not make it easy to embrace the band either. Fortunately, I found my way back to them, although it took many years. I rediscovered Scoundrel Days in the pile of LPs in the attic and haven't looked back since. Love a-ha, and are so proud of them. It took many years before I got to a concert, but I got to experience it twice in 2022. What a treasure they have given us.
Great video! Thanks for the walk down memory lane! (P.S. The Sun Always Shines on T.V. was indeed a well-known hit in the U.S. I was in college at the time, remember that it played frequently on the radio, and loved it, but not quite as much as Take On Me. Now that I'm pushing 60, it's reversed, and I marvel that the lyrics to The Sun Always Shines on T.V. were written by a man so young.)
Excellent video! I been on 3-4 A-ha concerts, the last one just a couple of years ago, and I have most of their CD's, but this early history information was all new to me.
Wonderful song, we loved it when it came out!!! and I loved listening to it while programming on my Commodore 64 in basic!!! What wonderful memories!!! and what an incredible time!!! Thank you!!!!
I remember hearing The Sun Always Shines On TV in the US back in the 80s but of course the only reason we are talking about Ah-a so many years later is because of Take On Me. It is damn near a perfect pop song and younger people have to remember that synthesizers were still relatively new at the time. Songs like this sounded so futuristic to me out on the farm in the rural Midwest. 👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾
AHA were like ABBA but in the neighbor country, they became massive and eternal. I didn't know they hade five versions before the final one, i've only heard one old version. What a wonderful journey and evolution to achieve perfection. And the video is a timeless masterpiece and always will be. They really defined the amazing energy of the 80's. And they got many great songs. A very talented group. There must be millions of songs out there that never got several remakes until they could've become legendary megahits. AHA knew they had a gem so they kept trying and finally succeeded. Never give up!
Thanks for the deep dive, and for sacrificing your ad revenue for this one. Oh, yeah, and for the puns. Had a little chuckle at "fixing the lipstick", too. Cheers! 🤘
Thank you so much for this! I've been a fan of a-ha since the video exploded on MTV and up to True North and hopefully beyond. Your nostalgia for the song and for those early days reminds me of mine as well. Many many thanks!!!
Yeah I know The hit making back in those days from so many artists was immense In the USA after the singles "Take on Me" and "The Sun Always Shines on TV" people seemed largely done with them and reduced them to one-hit wonders The power of marketing I suppose A lot of folks like myself here in the US and definitely worldwide saw something more and stuck with them I personally thought Scoundrel Days was a masterpiece The title alone...awesome The song Scoundrel Days...incredible Gives me chills just a great song The Swing of Things is fantastically melancholic (as much of the album comes across to me in a good way) It also has a terrific hook/chorus I've Been Losing You is one of my favorite songs ever October is so chill Makes me want to pop a collar on a cool dreary night Cry Wolf gets you going and is also easily one of their best I love the entire Scoundrel Days album but didn't see it get much attention I've kept coming back to their music over the years The 'unplugged' stripped down orchestral versions of their hits was absolutely brilliant I loved 'Brother' by Morten Harket Thought it was great I guess if folks just want to hear the 80's version of Take on Me it's their right but many of us have had a great time checking out the bigger picture 🍻
@@SpectacFash In 2011, 100 Norwegian musicians named Norway's 100 best albums of all time. The Norwegian jazz musician Radka Toneff took first place with an album that mostly contained interpretations of other people's songs, but a-ha took both second and third place with Scoundrel Days and Hunting High and Low. In this country, Scoundrel Days is considered the band's best album. I think most music connoisseurs agree on that.
@@ahkkariq7406 I really appreciate you letting me know that Through the years I've always turned people on to Scoundrel Days. Their first reaction was asking if this was the band that did " Take on Me" and they would seem surprised Then through the years my friends constantly asked me to play Scoundrel Days for them.They loved it! As they should Like I said I view it as a masterpiece What you're telling me about Norway makes me happy to hear. A-Ha deserves the credit. I appreciate it again Did you like "Brother" by Harket? 🍻
@@SpectacFash I like Brother, but I'm also very fond of Morten's first album, Wild Seed. Unfortunately, I have to say that as a young girl in 1986 I had no better sense than not to be particularly excited about Scoundrel Days. I bought the album, but unfortunately couldn't afford to buy the third album - which was probably more to my taste at the time. I tried again with Memorial Beach, but I wasn't ready for that album at the time either. I wasted many years, and missed many concerts - but luckily I found my way back to my band. It has been an amazing journey to rediscover them. I even made it to a couple of concerts, so I won't complain.
@@ahkkariq7406 Yes I hear you I've done that so many times with many artists I also grew up in the 80's Unfortunately I've never been able to see A-Ha but always wanted to Must be great I perform the "Unplugged" version of 'Take on Me' for friends occasionally and they all get so into it and sing along I don't think many realize how heartbreaking those lyrics are until they check out that Unplugged performance because the original is so pop driven and fun it conceals the sadness I've been checking out the new Orlando Weeks lately I really love his song 'Dig' off his new album His vocal delivery reminds me a good bit of Morten Harket often Especially on his track 'Bigger' and my favorite Track by Orlando Weeks called "Way to Go" I also love this song called 'Coastline' by Geoffroy who's vocals are in the same style kind of...but what a great song Don't know if you are familiar with any of those but would love your thoughts Thanks for sharing! 🍻
And of course there is the later unplugged version which shines a new light on this song and which shows just how beautiful this melody is. It’s a bonus. I can still remember this song coming out. I was 16 years old and in school. It was a big thing in that time. And also a lot of girls went nuts about it.
I never knew there so many versions of that hit song,ah ha take on me , amazing video & great job in doing the research on 80s hit & the story behind it , I find it fascinating ❤
Born in the 80's and exposed to the 90's, I would pay for just a day in that studio. There are so many memories in that room. You guys have got to have some major fun making videos. Keep me in mind if you ever come across old tech you need repaired, I love tinkering with the old stuff.
I'm from America and I listened to Hunting High and Low on repeat. The Sun Always Shines is one of my favorite all time songs. A-ha was a bit of an underground band here, but there are many people who love them here. The problem is that America is just so big and with so many cultures that something esoteric like A-ha has a difficult time climbing to the top.
The cafe in London where Take on Me was filmed is still in business and although it's since been refurbished the table Bunty sat at and some of the surrounding area has been retained. Also, check out their Summer Solstice album for great acoustic versions of Take on Me and The Sun always shines...
At an international get together, the Norwegian ladies introduced themselves by singing part of Take on Me. I was staying in a room for several months with a record collection which included two A-Ha albums. Had permission to play anything if I was careful. Wonderful experience! It was a far larger collection than I had at home.
Yeah. That's right. Someone from the record company talks about how they didn't let go of each other's hands after they had stopped filming the video. You can find it in the short three-part documentary on RUclips. It is also a theme when Morten visits the British TV show Loose women many years later.
I have the Star Wars arcade machine and ROTJ board but in an upright, I could have bought a cockpit but didn't have room for it at the time. I bought it in 1995 for £220, they cost a fortune now! I remember this coming out, the video was on every music and kids show going, the country went mad for it, my band even used to throw the synth verse in to our own songs just for comedic value. I have never heard of a band making so many demos, especially considering they already had a recording deal.
Back in the day, I bought the seven inch single of Hunting High and Low. The B-side was a demo version of The Blue Sky. When I eventually got a CD player, I got the album and somehow ended up spending a lot of time comparing the final album version to the demo... I've just done that again right now. The demo lyrics mentions stuff about not having enough cigarettes whereas the album version doesn't. They both have corny joke; "I used to be confused, but now I just don't know." Glad they kept that bit...
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
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this is unfair, why ALL revenue when you did all the work? Are they nuts? Bet Goolag takes their cut too. They do nothing and wallow in cash.
So many great songs from A-Ha Most Americans don't know them. Europe and Asia yes.
Many years ago in Oslo I went to a restaurant with a friend. We sat there for a few minutes before my friend nodded discretely in the direction of the table next to us and told me not to look straight away. I of course looked straight away without hesitation, and immediately recognised Morten Harket enjoying a huge plate of spaghetti... on his own. I've never since seen a man enjoy a large plate of spaghetti as much as Morten did that evening. Ever since, every time I hear an A-ha song I think of spaghetti.
Haha! Did he only have spaghetti or did he also Take On Meatballs?
@@RetroRecipes I can't remember if he took on any protein, but he was gone in a carb or two.
@@RetroRecipes LOL! Maybe he did also "Take on Me"lone Gelato to finish.
@@christianfowler3267 he’s just like me…
@@RetroRecipes PuppyFractic would have had an "uuuggghhh" at that one, just sayin'
The sun always shines on tv is possibly their finest, closely followed by lifelines. Great to hear some early versions of take on me, thank you.
Absolutely 💯
Love that song
I love both of them but find it hard to rank their songs because there are so many amazing songs. For some reason I always come back to Stay on these roads, but I have no rational explanation as to why I love the song so much.
Fast Forward (pun intended) to 2024 and the sun always shines on Instagram. 🎶
Hand in glove, the sun shines out our behinds 🗣
An a-ha special! How nice! :)
I used to work for Mags/Magne back in.. around 1994, programming his rack of Roland S760 samplers. And I've met Morten, Pål, and Magne many times back then. Even been to Mags' homeplace outside Oslo, and been to many a-ha live practice sessions in the 1990s (as a synth/MIDI/sampler techie) Really down-to-earth and nice people :)
That's amazing!
Some documentaries claim Magne had a bit of a difficult character. True? Not true?
@@bigmiket In Norway he was always sort of known to be he "difficult" one out of the group, but through friends who know him I've heard he's a perfectionist in music and therefore may come across as "difficult" from time to time. Otherwise a very friendly and great person.
@@bigmiket Do they? Definitely not true from my experience.
S760...Best damn filter.
The Sun Always Shines on TV is my fav song ever!
A-Ha is more of an albums band than a singles band. their albums are great. Hunting High & Low is one of the best albums ever produced. every track is good, not a single dud.
The Sun Always Shines on TV is one of my favorite songs of all time.
I'm glad you mention that album. I'm going to look into it.👍
3:08 playing the vinyl backwards ? Goofing on us ? What a hoot. The memories.
American here. My wife and I (even before we met) loved A-Ha. Yes, "Take On Me" is the most known, but album wise, "Stay on These Roads" was a superior album in that time. "Touchy" is still one of my favorites. "Stay on These Roads" was also amazing. All the way to the "Ending on a High Note" DVD (never say never) and beyond into now, we have been fans. They were the backdrop to our dating. America as a whole is missing out on absolute gold if they stop with "Take on Me". Of course we taught our kids better lol.
Meee I'm touchy, touchy you...
I love that!
Awesome
🍻
You've got to thank Herbie Hancock, Thomas Dolby, Art of Noise and the Fairlight itself for the synth noise experimentation in the 80's and the unique synthpop we lovingly got.
Peter Gabriel owned the first Fairlight CMI in the UK, and was the first british musician to release an album featuring its sounds. Initially, he was assisted by Peter Vogel, one of the Fairlight’s designers.
In the US Stevie Wonder was one of the first users of the original Fairlight CMI in 1979. Stevie's personal engineer LaMar Mitchell worked closely with Fairlight to develop their product.
Also Howard Jones.
I'm from Norway and I did not know all of this...Thanks!
OMG! the clip at the start of 'the sun always shines on tv' ! never seen that before, I went cold, emotional with goosebumps!. Hunting High and Low was my favourite song on that album.
You should see the sequel to "The Sun Always Shines on TV", released as "Train of Thought." It picks up right where "Sun" ends.
I have seen the reprise before, I am sure they think it was a great idea, but ruins the mystique of "take on me".
@@RetroFett I'm very, very sure he knows that as it is just common knowledge-Massive hit and still plays on radio-Train of Thought was only last played on music channel on Freeview in UK last week!
I used to engineer at Maison Rouge studios, and I got asked if I'd setup and record some piano for half -an-hour, so I popped into the studio next door and found A-ha, who wanted to record them playing "The Living Daylights" to John Barry for the first time... I stil have that somewhere...
@@cristouk please, please post it to RUclips!!
This may be the greatest comment yet. Please do share and let's chat about how to bring it some greater awareness. And on a personal level I'd just love to hear it. That's one of my favourite songs and an underrated Bond theme. Thanks Graham! retrorecip.es/submit
Loved this! Take on me has been on my repeat playlist ever since it debuted. I can't say this about too many tracks by various bands. Great retrospective, thanks so much.
18:50 she said just what i was thinking. lol
what a great breakdown -- i wasn't clear on whether or not that first version was ever released -- i'm always amazed at how much work goes into some of these things that later gets scrapped!
Great video! I’m a teenager and recently became rather obsessed with a-ha. It’s really cool to hear how the song evolved. There are actually quite a few a-ha songs that have their roots in Bridges tunes, in particular I like their version of ‘Soft Rains Of April’.
Just discovered your channel! I'm such a fan of the 80s, of pixels, retro computing - and now: A fan of you! 🙂
had no idea! great video, so dope to hear the actual demos! thanks for bringing it to life
Awesome stuff... Take On Me was such a classic ground breaking tune that listening to the early manifestations completely blows my mind.
I grew up in Utah and I definitely loved Hunting High and Low. Take on Me was a huge part of our musical lives but I have to tell you The Sun Always Shines on TV made me want to make music. I thought the production was so exquisite listening to it on my WalkMan in the 80s in high school in America.
Me too.
Back in the 90s I was working in Oslo building the new Posten Norge building. It was a real life Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. My brother and myself from Glasgow, Deano from London and Jesse from Australia. We used to drive up to Sweden to buy food in an old Chevy G20 we called the Venga bus. Anyway we broke down on our way home and a Range Rover stopped and asked if we needed help. It was Morton on his way to Oslo. He drove us to the gas station in his car then took us back. He was a diamond bloke. Really down to earth. We offered him money but he refused.
Wow!
@@Co-nun-drum Oh wow what a story ❤️
We Fans always knew that Morten is an extraordinary artist, he has a big heart and a wonderful character. He not only looks good but also has a beautiful soul. Despite his fame, he has always remained down to earth, has been politically active and has campaigned for environmental protection since the 80s, etc. The other two band members are also people with strong characters and are very down to earth.
By the way, some fans would die to meet Morten on the street 😅
If there's one thing Morten didn't need was money! 😂😂😂 He's known for being really kind... I'm sooo jealous!!!!!!
I love watching these and appreciate all the hard work that goes into them. Like ABBA, some misguided cool kids can now look back and admit they appreciate the brilliance of these artists.
At 28 or so, I unabashedly bought the ABBA Gold CD back in '96. I always liked their music...I guess I wasn't cool enough. I'd enjoy Dancing Queen every time it came on (though since I'm a dude, I'd keep the windows up, if driving) ;) . Still love that song and The Name Of The Game, with all my heart.
Big A-ha fan and also a fan of Retro Recipes. Brilliant video
This type of videos always shines on RetroRecipes :)
...on your TV :)
Thanks for another great video!
And.. just IMAGINE that being the first time you'd ever heard The Sun Always Shines on TV.
I'd give just about anything for that experience again.
2 billion views makes the former Kim's Cafe where they filmed it the most viewed cafe in the world. LOCATION: at 390 WANDSWORTH ROAD, LONDON. The tree in Sun always shines on TV was filmed at Udney Hall Gardens, London
And now it's no longer a cafe, but the Turkish Chef Restaurant. "Turrr... kishhhh... Cheeeeef" 🎵
@@speedbird737 Ice Cold Nice Cold Milk
This is a true 80's classic that brings back memories. I was nine years old when it came out, and around that time I was a bit obsessed with an old tape recorder that used to be my late Auntie's, so my hobby for a while was recording everything, theme tunes off great TV shows like 'V' or Knight Rider, and also my own voice while attempting to sings songs I liked, including this hit. I think I may still have an old tape somewhere of me singing it, probably pretty badly, and mumbling the words in parts where I didn't know them.....oh happy days 😀
Thanks for a cracking nostalgic video reminding me of days gone by :)
Wow, it's like a trip through multiple parallel universes where each one had its Take on me song. Wonderful
I went down this rabbit hole a couple of years back, but you still managed to unearth a version that I hadn't heard before! Awesome.
Both Hunting High and Low album and Scoundrel Days album are fantastic!
Two of my favourites!!
I love how eclectic this channel is!
One of my favourite albums by anyone. 'Sun Always Shines on TV' was played on high-rotation on college radio in the States. I never listened to the mainstream radio at the time, so no idea there. The song 'Hunting High and Low' is one of my favourites, by anyone.
@@RinnRuannan Yes... I remember hearing it played only a few times on our local pop radio station, but mostly heard it on our university radio... in shows/dj slots that focused on uk/european imports and the punk/new wave scene. Fun days where the radio was my lifeline!
A-ha this group stays in my childhood memories eternally.
Thanks for sharing the other versions and demos of 'Take on me'! always love hearing how a song came together!
hats off to the one host for for being the only one in the room with enthusiasm and carrying this show. I subscribed today and cant wait to see what excites the other host! But really aha was one of my early bands i listened to. I love this whole era of people figuring out what to do with synthesizers. I never knew about these early demos and feel better knowing they exist.
She's such a stunner though, so I can excuse it.
Wonderful video and history lesson! a-ha's "Take on Me" with the first of a TRILOGY, followed (as you noted) by "The Sun Always Shines on TV" and then immediately transitioning into the finale, "Train of Thought" (Train of Thought picks up on the final frame of The Sun Always Shines on TV, and returns to the sketchbook animation style).
“The Sun Always Shines on TV” has always been, and still is my all-time favorite song, speaking as an American. Since high school I’ve daydreamed playing that song in front of an audience.
Actually as a kid in the 80s I use to like even more "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." than "Take On Me" and then came "Stay On These Roads".
@@emanuelalexandrubaisan3479 same The sun always shine on TV is my favorite......
I also recall Living a Boy's Adventure Tale.
Ahhhh.. I forgot... the best song in the world (for me) the top one of the top one, is "The Sun always shines on tv" the best!! Thanks Perifractic!!!
Hey !!! Thanks so much for including my video in there !! wooo! so yeah turns out it was a scratch/warm up mix in the session itself. it makes me laugh because theres a section in the vocal take that he burps into the mic.
Thanks so much for making it! I hope to have a new A-ha never heard demo coming soon. Watch this space...
Excellent video.. A-ha is one of my all time favorite music groups 😊
My favorite version of Take on me is the MTV unplugged where you really hear what the lyrics are about! 😊
The MTV unplugged version is wonderful. Should have been included.
American here, I definitely remember, "The Sun Always Shines on TV." Then again, I was also a teenager back then, and my tv was always, always tuned to MTV. I actually liked the song and video for Sun better than Take On Me.
19:40 that look says it all XD what a great piece of audio archaeology, thank you
This was really interesting and so good to see the evolution of the song. "Take On Me" is indeed the finest pop song ever. "The Sun Always Shines On TV" was also excellent, and the video was filmed in St Alban's Church, Teddington, which I know you'll be familiar with.
OMG I had no idea! Pretty sure I did a school nativity there once!
It's a shame what happened to Teddington studios
I bought the Hunting High and Low album way back in '85. A great album. Morten's voice was something else. A really interesting show highlighting the beginnings of a very memorable song :)
I'm an American and I know The Sun Always Shines On TV. Then again I'm a HUGE a-ha fan and always have been.
a-ha are great Artists and Morten Harket's Voice is a gem 💎:
The sun always shines on tv, Hunting high and low, The living daylights (from James Bond), Train of thought, I've been losing you, Manhattan Skyline, Stay on these roads, Memorial Beach, Summer moved on, Butterfly Butterfly, Analogue,Lifelines, True north, I'm in,...love this band 🎶
Their music was also massively popular in South Africa. Looking back on Vinyl and Cassette, (even CD to a certain level) reminds you of how big a part of our lives, it was. Looking at it now, it seems very alien and part of another life. Thanx for sharing,
The concert in Johannesburg in 1994 is one of my favorites of the band. Raw, rocking and as an added bonus, a boiling hot Morten.
I wish it was available with better image quality - and not for the sake of Morten. 😂
I loved this edition of the show and the amazing tapes and videos you dug up. Can't beat a bit of music history. Thank you!
waw, they really polish this song up to perfection
Amazing how many years of R&D went into creating the greatest pop song of all time. But if paid off in the end.
Peri (@ Ladyfractic too!), you guys never cease to amaze me with your creativity and diversity of interest here. This couldn't have been further from my radar right now, but I LOVE it and am SO glad you brought this to my Retro Sunday!!!
Thanks so much for saying that mate! Glad you enjoyed this one. Much love to you and KITT(s)
That was fascinating! Thanks so much for pilling it together. So well presented/edited
Oh thanks!
Fantastic video over the making of this 80s classic! Thank you very much! Greetings from Brazil!
I've kind of been on the fringe of retro channels for years (LGR,8BG, techmoan) but only saw your videos a few days ago??? Catching up now, loving it. This one, simply brilliant. Thanks.
Welcome to the fun!
I love the format of this show! Immediately left a subscribe. 🎉
You are both so right on not knowing where one song will end nor how many versions it will take.
A good friend of mine, Svein Ericsen, was the producer of the Bridges album (I once had a copy of it). Svein also produced the first versions of Take on me before they whent to London. Fun fact, Pål Waktaar later bought a analog reverb unit that Svein had given me
instant thumbs up love A-ha and love that song I was Listening to "Take on Me" yesterday, they had many great songs. wow that 20 mins flew by like warp speed
The sound of my youth. Absolutely timeless. I still follow the band today, at the ripe old age of 50. Great video, there's a couple of here I've not heard before, very cool!
Great video, love to hear those demo tunes.
All the A-ha songs in your video where popular here on the Dutch radio stations.
My father used to have "Stay on These Roads" album back in the day, a very good album if you ask me.
Great video! I love back stories about the creation of songs/albums. I knew they had an earlier version from 1984 but had no idea it went even further in time. Take On Me is so iconic and I love it. However, I will dare say that The Sun Always Shines On TV is probably my favorite song of theirs. The music, the melody, the production, the vocals, everything is so well done. Every time he starts singing at the beginning, I get goosebumps. I would love to see the same type of retro video for it too. 😁
I’m American and I loved this group when I was a teenager.
VERY cool! I LOVE Aha and they have aged like fine wine! Norway indeed! I grew up in America and I TOTALLY remember their other hit, "The Sun Always Shines on TV". Thank You for celebrating the 40th anniversary of this INCREDIBLE song! I still get my butt out there and dance to it when my local 80's cover band plays it. :)
My favourite of theirs was "The sun always shines on TV"
Great walkthrough! I remember seeing their first appearance with Take On Me on Norwegian TV as a teenager. Went to the record store, listened to the single, which was the first single version then, and thought "nah, I'll pass this one". A collector's item now, one of my regrets in life. The final version went on to become a main part of the soundtrack of my teens in Norway. Norway went from being irrelevant in global pop culture to having one of the World's biggest bands overnight, perfectly timed with my teens. It's hard to imagine now how huge they were here, with an endless string of hits. My favourite track is Hunting High And Low, hands down.
I also remember that TV show, as well as the excitement when the song started climbing Billboard. It was huge for a young Norwegian girl. Unfortunately, they lost me on second album, and since I had little money at the time, I didn't buy the third. It was a big mistake. Norwegian journalists did not make it easy to embrace the band either. Fortunately, I found my way back to them, although it took many years. I rediscovered Scoundrel Days in the pile of LPs in the attic and haven't looked back since. Love a-ha, and are so proud of them. It took many years before I got to a concert, but I got to experience it twice in 2022. What a treasure they have given us.
I know the song the sun always shines on TV and I am in America. I own the 45 in 1985. loved both songs!
Great video! Thanks for the walk down memory lane! (P.S. The Sun Always Shines on T.V. was indeed a well-known hit in the U.S. I was in college at the time, remember that it played frequently on the radio, and loved it, but not quite as much as Take On Me. Now that I'm pushing 60, it's reversed, and I marvel that the lyrics to The Sun Always Shines on T.V. were written by a man so young.)
Congrats on 250k my man and of course our lady!
Excellent video! I been on 3-4 A-ha concerts, the last one just a couple of years ago, and I have most of their CD's, but this early history information was all new to me.
Wonderful song, we loved it when it came out!!! and I loved listening to it while programming on my Commodore 64 in basic!!! What wonderful memories!!! and what an incredible time!!! Thank you!!!!
I remember hearing The Sun Always Shines On TV in the US back in the 80s but of course the only reason we are talking about Ah-a so many years later is because of Take On Me. It is damn near a perfect pop song and younger people have to remember that synthesizers were still relatively new at the time. Songs like this sounded so futuristic to me out on the farm in the rural Midwest. 👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾
Stumbled into your channel for the first time. Just couldn't stop watching. You're amazing!
Thank you
Thank you for your kind words! Means a lot 👍🕹
This man, this channel, his dedication to the days of past is my hope for the future!
AHA were like ABBA but in the neighbor country, they became massive and eternal. I didn't know they hade five versions before the final one, i've only heard one old version. What a wonderful journey and evolution to achieve perfection. And the video is a timeless masterpiece and always will be. They really defined the amazing energy of the 80's. And they got many great songs. A very talented group. There must be millions of songs out there that never got several remakes until they could've become legendary megahits. AHA knew they had a gem so they kept trying and finally succeeded. Never give up!
17:56 That version 8 still gets me goose bumbs!
Thanks for the deep dive, and for sacrificing your ad revenue for this one. Oh, yeah, and for the puns. Had a little chuckle at "fixing the lipstick", too. Cheers! 🤘
Thank you so much for this! I've been a fan of a-ha since the video exploded on MTV and up to True North and hopefully beyond. Your nostalgia for the song and for those early days reminds me of mine as well. Many many thanks!!!
Oh, I love the words "and hopefully beyond". I wish!
He and the girl did a cameo a few years ago at the same cafe. it was so cool!!
Great special episode!
Love Aha! Unbelievable they are consided a one hit wonder in the US. 😮
Yeah
I know
The hit making back in those days from so many artists was immense
In the USA after the singles "Take on Me" and "The Sun Always Shines on TV" people seemed largely done with them and reduced them to one-hit wonders
The power of marketing I suppose
A lot of folks like myself here in the US and definitely worldwide saw something more and stuck with them
I personally thought Scoundrel Days was a masterpiece
The title alone...awesome
The song Scoundrel Days...incredible
Gives me chills just a great song
The Swing of Things is fantastically melancholic (as much of the album comes across to me in a good way)
It also has a terrific hook/chorus
I've Been Losing You is one of my favorite songs ever
October is so chill
Makes me want to pop a collar on a cool dreary night
Cry Wolf gets you going and is also easily one of their best
I love the entire Scoundrel Days album but didn't see it get much attention
I've kept coming back to their music over the years
The 'unplugged' stripped down orchestral versions of their hits was absolutely brilliant
I loved 'Brother' by Morten Harket
Thought it was great
I guess if folks just want to hear the 80's version of Take on Me it's their right but many of us have had a great time checking out the bigger picture
🍻
@@SpectacFash In 2011, 100 Norwegian musicians named Norway's 100 best albums of all time. The Norwegian jazz musician Radka Toneff took first place with an album that mostly contained interpretations of other people's songs, but a-ha took both second and third place with Scoundrel Days and Hunting High and Low. In this country, Scoundrel Days is considered the band's best album. I think most music connoisseurs agree on that.
@@ahkkariq7406
I really appreciate you letting me know that
Through the years I've always turned people on to Scoundrel Days. Their first reaction was asking if this was the band that did " Take on Me" and they would seem surprised
Then through the years my friends constantly asked me to play Scoundrel Days for them.They loved it! As they should
Like I said I view it as a masterpiece
What you're telling me about Norway makes me happy to hear.
A-Ha deserves the credit.
I appreciate it again
Did you like "Brother" by Harket?
🍻
@@SpectacFash
I like Brother, but I'm also very fond of Morten's first album, Wild Seed.
Unfortunately, I have to say that as a young girl in 1986 I had no better sense than not to be particularly excited about Scoundrel Days. I bought the album, but unfortunately couldn't afford to buy the third album - which was probably more to my taste at the time. I tried again with Memorial Beach, but I wasn't ready for that album at the time either.
I wasted many years, and missed many concerts - but luckily I found my way back to my band. It has been an amazing journey to rediscover them. I even made it to a couple of concerts, so I won't complain.
@@ahkkariq7406
Yes
I hear you
I've done that so many times with many artists
I also grew up in the 80's
Unfortunately I've never been able to see A-Ha but always wanted to
Must be great
I perform the "Unplugged" version of 'Take on Me' for friends occasionally and they all get so into it and sing along
I don't think many realize how heartbreaking those lyrics are until they check out that Unplugged performance because the original is so pop driven and fun it conceals the sadness
I've been checking out the new Orlando Weeks lately
I really love his song 'Dig' off his new album
His vocal delivery reminds me a good bit of Morten Harket often
Especially on his track 'Bigger' and my favorite Track by Orlando Weeks called "Way to Go"
I also love this song called 'Coastline' by Geoffroy who's vocals are in the same style kind of...but what a great song
Don't know if you are familiar with any of those but would love your thoughts
Thanks for sharing!
🍻
Sun Always Shines on TV is so beautiful. Ah, I miss the simpler times. Ah well, I still has synthesizers 😂
Now, I'm looking for the album on the bay of E. I can't believe I never owned a copy in my entire life.
Great video about the greatest song. I’m a huge a-ha collector and Take On Me was the first single I bought.
And of course there is the later unplugged version which shines a new light on this song and which shows just how beautiful this melody is. It’s a bonus.
I can still remember this song coming out. I was 16 years old and in school. It was a big thing in that time. And also a lot of girls went nuts about it.
I never knew there so many versions of that hit song,ah ha take on me , amazing video & great job in doing the research on 80s hit & the story behind it , I find it fascinating ❤
Born in the 80's and exposed to the 90's, I would pay for just a day in that studio. There are so many memories in that room. You guys have got to have some major fun making videos. Keep me in mind if you ever come across old tech you need repaired, I love tinkering with the old stuff.
It is awesome that you can play this timeless song in your channel because you have us dedicated fans to support you through other means.
That is truly incredible!!
I grew up with A-ha until I started to listen to hard Rock and metal, still listening too if I wanted to reminisce the old days.
Awesome content! 80-90s cool
I love your '80's theme vibe. So much nostalgia.
So interesting to hear the evolution of one of my favourite songs of all time.
I'm from America and I listened to Hunting High and Low on repeat. The Sun Always Shines is one of my favorite all time songs. A-ha was a bit of an underground band here, but there are many people who love them here. The problem is that America is just so big and with so many cultures that something esoteric like A-ha has a difficult time climbing to the top.
The cafe in London where Take on Me was filmed is still in business and although it's since been refurbished the table Bunty sat at and some of the surrounding area has been retained. Also, check out their Summer Solstice album for great acoustic versions of Take on Me and The Sun always shines...
At an international get together, the Norwegian ladies introduced themselves by singing part of Take on Me. I was staying in a room for several months with a record collection which included two A-Ha albums. Had permission to play anything if I was careful. Wonderful experience! It was a far larger collection than I had at home.
I saw a documentary on the making of the Take On Me video, and Bunty Bailey still owns the dress from the video.
Truly marvellous video!!
Morten also dated the girl (Bunty Bailey) from the video for a while (I saw her talk about it in an interview).
Yeah. That's right. Someone from the record company talks about how they didn't let go of each other's hands after they had stopped filming the video. You can find it in the short three-part documentary on RUclips.
It is also a theme when Morten visits the British TV show Loose women many years later.
I have the Star Wars arcade machine and ROTJ board but in an upright, I could have bought a cockpit but didn't have room for it at the time.
I bought it in 1995 for £220, they cost a fortune now!
I remember this coming out, the video was on every music and kids show going, the country went mad for it, my band even used to throw the synth verse in to our own songs just for comedic value.
I have never heard of a band making so many demos, especially considering they already had a recording deal.
This is the first Retro Recipes I've watched, and I i must say, even though I loved the show... that's the best outro I've ever seen in my life! 🎉
That was absolutely fantastic
I really like your vlog concept - I'll save this for later, when I have more time to watch\listen - both of you are really soothing too :)
Back in the day, I bought the seven inch single of Hunting High and Low. The B-side was a demo version of The Blue Sky. When I eventually got a CD player, I got the album and somehow ended up spending a lot of time comparing the final album version to the demo... I've just done that again right now. The demo lyrics mentions stuff about not having enough cigarettes whereas the album version doesn't. They both have corny joke; "I used to be confused, but now I just don't know." Glad they kept that bit...
Yeah...they had to change those lyrics. The original fits the song better, but you know...
Lady Fractic is looking 🔥🔥🔥 .
Lady Fractic never seems to look anything else.
Same as it ever was.
@@yohojones she's lovely indeed
I still would prefered it that her hair was long though.
BTW, Mr RR looks handsome too.
She looks a bit bored tbh 😂