News - English

Magne performs with Jason Mraz

2008-12-11T21:29:00Z

2008-12-11

Magne was part of the Nobel Peace Prize Concert at Oslo's Spektrum Arena tonight, performing with singer Jason Mraz. You can view video of the performance on NRK's site. Mraz appears at about the 24 minute mark.

Magne on piano, backing Jason Mraz
Photo © AP Photo - Odd Andersen

Hosted by Scarlett Johansson and Sir Michael Caine, the concert also featured performances by Diana Ross, Il Divo, Robyn and Seun Kuti. This year's prize was given to Martti Ahtisaari "for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts."

Of course, this is not the first time Magne has lent his talents to the Nobel organization. Last year, he was commissioned to create a sculpture for the Nobel Peace Center. Morten also performed at the Peace Prize concert in 2007. Going further back, at the 2001 concert, a-ha performed a song written by Magne for the occasion, called 'Differences', as well as the classic 'Hunting High and Low'. In 1998, the band's big 'comeback' performance happened at the Peace Prize Concert, where they performed 'The Sun Always Shines on TV' and a new song 'Summer Moved On', which would become the cornerstone single of their much acclaimed 'Minor Earth Major Sky' album.

Morten to perform at TV2 Artistgallaen

2008-12-09T20:54:00Z

2008-12-09

To benefit Flyktninghjelpen (Norwegian Refugee Council), Morten will be among the performers at the sixth annual TV2 gala on December 13.

Recently, Morten visited the refugee camps of Dadaab in Kenya with the NRC, and spoke with Trine Høklie Jonassen at Dagbladet about the experience. As a father himself, Morten feels a personal obligation to bring attention to the situations in these camps.

It's easy saying yes to work like this. After all, you could say we have a statutory obligation to help people in need, and then I'm not able to say no. We're talking about helping people who have lost all they had. They have nothing.

This is the first time Morten has worked with the NRC, and the experience affected him profoundly.

I was struck by an overwhelming feeling of helplessness. It's horrible not being able to help everyone, when you see how little is needed.

Despite the real dangers, Morten says, "It's harder to defend not taking part in this."

Thanks to Jakob Sekse for translation of the Dagbladet article.

"Drømmer om storhet" in English

2008-11-27T03:04:00Z

2008-11-26

The Scoundrel Days of Hobo Highbrow was released in early October. Through a special promotion on his website, author Pål H. Christiansen signed the first hundred pre-ordered copies, and these were sent out in the post within two days of release.

As a new special promotion, we've been told that The Scoundrel Days of Hobo Highbrow is now available at a reduced Christmas price. Until the end of the year, the book can be purchased for 180 NOK + 37 NOK shipping. Only available through the author here.

Pål H. Christiansen was kind enough to answer some questions for a-ha.com and you can read the interview here.

2008-08-01

Pre-order the book at www.forlaget-fabula.no now!

How can you reveal your inner self to a genius like Paul Waaktaar-Savoy? This is one of the questions that Hobo Highbrow worries about. While Hobo loses grip of reality, Paul and the music of a-ha remain the only fixed point in his chaotic life.

Hobo is the main character in Pål H. Christiansen's novel "Drømmer om storhet" that so far has only been released in Norwegian and German language. But thanks to the author's own publishing company Fabula an English version with the title "The Scoundrel Days of Hobo Highbrow" will finally come out in October this year.

The book will be a hardcover and can be pre-ordered at www.forlaget-fabula.no from now on! It will be sent out as soon as it is published in early October.

For the fans

"The main purpose with publishing the book with my own publishing company is to give all the curious and English-reading a-ha fans that I have been in contact with or heard about over the years the possibility to read my novel", author and publisher Pål H. Christiansen explains. "This is a risky project, since I have no idea about how many they actually are! The pre order solution will give me a clue, and make it much easier to make the project come true."

Christiansen knows that reaching the broader audiences in this way is not very likely. "But if a major publishing company out there should pick up Jon Buscall's translation and try to make a bestseller out of it, I wouldn't surely say no."

Want your book to be signed?

If you pre-order and pay the book within the month of August you'll get the book for 180 NOK plus shipping. The first hundred orders also get their book signed by the author. From September on you can still pre-order but you'll have to pay the full price of 230 NOK plus shipping then. (Due to technical reasons there can be only one book per order.)

"Drømmer om storhet" already received great attention when published in Norway in 2002. Five years later the German translation "Die Ordnung der Worte" got rave reviews. The English translation "The Scoundrel Days of Hobo Highbrow" was done by British translator and writer Jon Buscall. (Text: schwindt-pr)

Pre-order the 2009 a-ha.com Calendar

2008-11-06T09:15:00Z

The a-ha.com 2009 Fan Calendar is here! This 8.5x11" full-colour glossy wall calendar is filled with images submitted by a-ha fans.

You can pre-order the calendar from the Shop right now. In order to receive your copy before the end of the year, please order by the following dates. Of course, the earlier you order, the better.

UK Delivery: Order by December 11
Western Europe Delivery: Order by December 5
North America, Japan & Eastern Europe Delivery: Order by December 3
Everywhere Else: Order by November 28

You can also get a sneak peek at what the calendar looks like.

New a-ha Album in the Works

2008-09-22T20:17:00Z

2008-09-22

VG reported on the progress of a-ha's next studio album last week. The band is heading back into the studio within the next month to continue work on the as-yet-unnamed record. The hope is to have the recording finished by the end of the year, with an eye to release the album in the spring of 2009. Other news outlets reporting on the album include Seher, TV2, and P4.

Release dates, as always, are subject to change, but as soon as we have more concrete information, we'll be sure to let you all know.

Magne joins Coldplay on stage in Oslo

2008-09-20T01:54:00Z

2008-09-19

Tonight, Coldplay performed at the Oslo Spektrum in Norway. As many artists have done when performing in Norway, Coldplay gave a nod to one of the most successful Norwegian bands ever. However they didn't stop there.

During the first encore, Chris Martin mentioned a-ha as 'one of our favorite bands of all time' and invited Magne to join them on stage to play 'Hunting High and Low.' Chris also said that Magne is 'the best keyboard player in the world.'

"Amazon" premieres on BBC tonight

2008-09-15T16:01:00Z

2008-09-15

The first episode of Amazon is on BBC2, Monday 15th September at 9pm.

EPISODE ONE
Bruce Parry begins an epic adventure in the Amazon, following the river from source to sea. The first part of his journey takes him from the source in the High Andes through Peru's dangerous cocaine producing valleys to visit the Ashaninka tribe.

The accompanying album for the series, Songs for Survival has a MySpace page, where you can hear samples of some songs from the soundtrack including 'Ferreting' by Apparatjik. Apparatjik is Guy Berryman, Jonas from MEW, Martin Terefe and our very own Magne Furuholmen.

To order the album, visit:

The album is also available for download on iTunes UK.

New Item in the Shop

2008-09-05T20:48:00Z

On May 24, 2008, Savoy, Morten Harket and Magne F put on a special performance at London's Royal Albert Hall. Available now, we have a limited number of programs from 'An Evening With Morten Harket, Savoy and Magne F' in the shop. The program features articles about the band members and their solo projects, a complete list of personnel for the Evening, and a number of classic a-ha photographs.

Supplies are limited, so visit the Shop today to get your copy of this piece of a-ha history. To read more about the evening, check out this news post.

Vote for 'Take On Me'

2008-09-05T14:54:00Z

Starting with a list of 128 popular songs of the 80s, Richard Evans of rememberthe80s.com has set up an elimination contest to help decide the Ultimate 80s Single. In the first week, all 128 songs were included, and subsequent weeks have seen many songs fall out of the contest. Now in week 5 there are only 8 songs left, including 'Take on Me.' Show your support and vote for this classic a-ha song!

As of 5 September, 'Take on Me' is up against Adam & the Ants 'Stand and Deliver' and there is only one week left to vote!

'Take on Me' was voted the Ultimate 80's Single!

Take On Me - Greatest Video Ever?

2008-08-26T19:24:00Z

2008-08-26

MTV UK is looking for the public's help to decide which is the "Greatest Video Ever". Naturally, a-ha's groundbreaking video for 'Take On Me' is on the list. It's up against some stiff competition, including Bob Dylan's 'Subterranean Homesick Blues', Daft Punk's 'Around the World', Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' and Jamiroquai's 'Virtual Insanity'. The polls are open until midnight on 14 September (UK time) and the ultimate Top 10 Greatest Videos Ever will be revealed on Sunday 21 September at 7pm across MTV channels. So vote for 'Take on Me' today!

Click to vote for a-ha

Magne contributes to 'Amazon' series theme song and album

2008-08-25T13:01:00Z

2008-08-25

Press Release:

‘Bruce Parry presents Amazon / Tribe - Songs for Survival'.

BRUCE PARRY BRINGS TOGETHER MUSIC WORLD'S BRIGHTEST STARS FOR ‘SURVIVAL' ALBUM

Bruce Parry, star of the BBC series ‘Tribe' and the forthcoming ‘Amazon', has teamed up with some of the music world's brightest stars to create a fundraising album for Survival International, the human rights organization for tribal peoples.

Bruce has worked with producer Martin Terefe on the album that includes KT Tunstall, will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), Johnny Borrell (Razorlight), Mystery Jets, Jason Mraz, Yusuf Islam, Hot Chip, the Go! Team and Mike Oldfield. In addition, Guy Berryman (Coldplay), Jonas Bjerre (MEW), Magne F. (A-ha) and Terefe have formed a new band specially for the CD called Apparatjik, and recorded a track that will also be used for the end credits of Amazon. Every track on the album is exclusive, and has been written especially for the project.

The first half of the album is entitled ‘Amazon' and features songs inspired by Bruce Parry's new series of the same name, to be shown on BBC2 in September. The second half, entitled ‘Tribe', is a collection of dance/experimental songs which all use samples of tribal music Bruce recorded when living with the indigenous people during the making of his hugely popular BBC show Tribe.

Bruce Parry has spent years immersing himself in some of the world's most remote tribal cultures. His first hand experience of the threats so many tribal people face to their very survival lay behind his determination to help them. He said today, ‘I've got so much from my time with tribal people that I really wanted to do something for them in return. Being able to bring together this fantastic group of musicians seemed like a perfect way of doing that - and it's been wonderful to see how they've been inspired, in turn, by some of the incredible tribal music we've recorded.'

Bruce's new 6 part series Amazon starts on BBC2 in the autumn. The album will be released digitally on September 22 on iTunes and a physical CD will be released on October 6th in the UK.

Album tracklist:

Amazon

1. Ferreting - Guy Berryman from Coldplay/Jonas from MEW/Magne from A-ha
2. Dawn Kinnard - Love is my new Drug
3. One People - Will I am from Black Eyed Peas feat. The Babongo Tribe
4. The Hidden Part - KT Tunstall
5. Long Road to Forgiveness - Jason Mraz and Brett Dennen
6. Grains of Sand - Mystery Jets and Jeremy Warmsley
7. Carrikfergus - Johnny Borrell feat. The Suri tribe
8. Tom Baxter - Make a Stand
9. Simmer Down - Skin and Adi tribe and Robot Club
10. Edge of Existence - Yusuf Islam

Tribe

1. Babongo tribe remix - Hot Chip feat. The Babongo tribe
2. KIN - Adam Freeland feat the Suri tribe
3. Komuru - Hybrid feat. The Suri tribe
4. Trails and Tribulations - the egg feat the anuta and babongo tribes
5. Templates from home - The Go! Team feat. The Babongo tribe
6. Don't touch the dusty fruit - The Ruby Suns feat. the Penan tribe
7. Hello Kombai - Blue States feat. Adi tribe
8. Evalina - Way Out West feat. The Suri tribe
9. Noneya - Roger Sanchez feat. The Adi tribe
10. Anuta song (name tbc) - Mike Oldfield

Keep an eye on the BBC Amazon series website for episode show times.

Morten to Perform at the Point of Peace Summit

2008-08-22T15:49:00Z

2008-08-22

From September 10 - 12, the Point of Peace Summit will take place in Stavanger, Norway. Morten will be participating in "Open Port - Songs Across Walls of Separation", which is the closing event of the Summit.

Morten will be performing western interpretations of music from such varied places as Morocco, Mexico and Palestine. According to the Point of Peace website, "[t]hemes for the performance are separation, love, longing for someone or something on the other side of a wall". Along with other famous actors and singers, the performance will feature a large children's choir, a youth choir and a youth symphony orchestra.

Tickets for the event are available now through Billettservice.

Official 2009 Calendar – Call for Submissions

2008-08-06T15:35:00Z

2008-08-06

Share your original band pictures with a-ha.com and one of yours could be chosen to be in the official 2009 calendar!

How to submit your pictures

There are two ways to submit your pictures for consideration:

Join the new a-ha.com Flickr group and add your original pictures to the photo stream. Please include the tag ‘a-ha 2009 calendar’ for any pictures you want to submit to the calendar design team.
E-mail your original pictures to submissions@a-ha.com with ‘a-ha 2009 calendar’ in the subject line of the e-mail.

Picture requirements

You are welcome to submit live or candid pictures of individual band members, or the group, at a-ha or solo events. You can create collages too! Please note:

All pictures must be your own original photos.
All pictures must have a minimum of 900x1200 pixel resolution to ensure quality printing.
All pictures must be submitted no later than August 29, 2008.

About the Flickr page

Help build the biggest collection of a-ha photos on the internet! Join the new a-ha Flickr group and add your own pictures of the band, receive notices when other fans add new items, sort pictures by popular tags and see a map showing the location of where the photos were taken.

Meeting with Russian Media

2008-07-01T00:17:00Z

2002-06-30

a-ha concluded the first leg of the 2002 tour on Sunday in Minsk, Belarus.
On Friday, June 28, they performed in Moscow, Russia. The night before the show, an enthusiastic crowd of journalists and photographers gathered at the Marriott Grand Hotel to meet the band. Maria Mikhailova attended the Moscow press conference on behalf of a-ha.com. Here is her report.

On June 27, at 9 p.m. a-ha stepped down on Russian soil for the first time since their immensely successful performance in March last year. On both times the guys have visited Russia before, their overall experience has been two-sided. On the one hand, the welcome that they received went beyond any description, but on the other hand, there was some mess with the organization that must have lent a bit of chaos to their stays. Also this time around, a-ha were not allowed to forget that they were once more in the mysterious land of Russia - where normally everything goes contrary to plan.

Just as the clock struck half past eight, an enthusiastic crowd of Moscow journalists, photographers and cameramen gathered at the Marriott Grand Hotel. After a few clashes with the security guards, everybody was finally able to take a seat in the small room where the conference was supposed to begin half an hour later.

Time slipped by, filled with excited chitchat and endless attempts by the slightly edgy photographers to rearrange the microphones, glasses and water bottles obstructing the view of the long table at the front end of the room. However, it was only a quarter past nine when the real fun began. It was announced that not only had the plane arrived a mere three minutes ago, it had also landed at the wrong airport! Everyone was jokingly asked to remember that this was still Russia where things happen, and sit quiet for another hour or so... But the most important request was, "When a-ha finally arrive, please don't start your questions with "I've loved you since I was a kid!""

As a result of all the waiting, the room simply exploded when the visibly tired but good-mooded band members worked their way through the crowd at about 10.45 p.m. And after the uproar died down, the conference finally took off.

Unlike last year, it seemed as though nearly everyone present was an expert on the band, which set an elevated tone for the rest of the time. The band willingly answered a few questions concerning the set list. Talking of the little time span between the previous and current albums, Magne remarked that when the 'Minor Earth Major Sky' album was released it felt like a celebration of the three of them playing together again.
The feeling was so intense that the guys wanted to infuse their enthusiasm into a new album at once.

Another thing the Russian journalists were wondering about concerned backing vocals at the gig, as Anneli Drecker could not make it to Moscow. To that Morten replied that they had brought Norwegian singer Mai Kristin with them and added, "Picked her up on the highway! She is pretty tough. When we asked her to join us in Moscow, she said, "Yeah, why not?""

Following the journalists' specific requests, a-ha plunged into an in-depth discussion on song writing, the lyrical content of their songs and Magne's artwork. Answering a question on impressionism, Magne said that as far as a-ha music went, a-ha saw themselves representing expressionism rather than impressionism.

Seemingly concerned about the subject of lyrics, Morten stated, "Sometimes you feel a little embarrassed by the lyrics. You end up feeling like that as you are always under pressure to get a song finished in time. Then it comes to a point where a song has only working lyrics, which means they were not meant as the final lyrics. In general I think lyrics matter a lot to us. But to me, strong lyrics don't necessarily mean deep lyrics. They can wake you up in a primal way. When you mix words with music, that can get under your skin".

The atmosphere grew more relaxed and playful when a reporter representing the major Russian TV channel on the arts and culture fished a weird-looking sketch out of his pocket and asked Magne if he remembered giving it as a gift to that channel at the Moscow press conference last year. The drawing showed an ugly shapeless creature with a couple of chicken-like clawed legs. Giving a hearty laugh, Magne appeared very much amused and said smilingly that he must have been very troubled at the time and doing just a kind of mental cleaning. His next press conference drawing would be all flowers to show how much he appreciated Russian journalists, he promised!

Now everybody was thoroughly enjoying themselves, but it was really getting late and there was just about enough time for three quick questions. When asked about Russian films and their attitude to TV, a-ha had to admit that they had not seen many movies from Russia. As for TV, Paul chose to let the others have their say, Magne just shrugged his shoulders, but Morten went even further and plainly claimed, "I hate TV!"

Only a few minutes remained till it was all over and a light and fitting climax was provided by a young eager TV journalist who jumped up and begged to let him ask his question first in Russian and then Norwegian. Getting his permission, he asked a-ha in perfect Norwegian if they thought they descended from trolls or the Vikings. Morten smiled, "We are a mix!" and at last a-ha could go, accompanied by a deafening applause.

Photo caption: Photo: Roman Pisarenko

a-ha’s enduring influence

2008-06-29T16:49:00Z

2008-06-29

'The Feeling' has joined the ranks of new British bands paying tribute to a-ha's musical influence, by playing their version of the monster-hit 'Take on me' live at the Glastonbury Festival on Friday June 27 - to a highly enthusiastic audience response.

UK media and press have over the last decade found themselves perplexed by the sheer number and variety of bands who champion a-ha's influence, causing a general re-appraisal of a- ha's contribution to popular music.

a-ha's management commented on this news, stating; 'It seems that a-ha's music and the commericial vitality of a song like 'Take on me' has the ability to capture a new generation of listeners through other bands introducing a-ha's music to their fans - which is by far the best way to make music travel!'

Artists who have released covers of a-ha songs or performed their songs live:

A1: "Take On Me" *
Arne Benoni: "A Fine Blue Line"
Atrocity: "The Sun Always Shines On TV"
Captain Jack: "Take on Me" *
Closterkeller: "Minor Earth Major Sky" * | Listen on MySpace
Coldplay: "Hunting High and Low"
Coldplay: "The Living Daylights"
Delays: "The Sun Always Shines on TV" *
Diva: "The Sun Always Shines On TV" *
Downfall: "Take On Me"
Duke University Pep Band: "Take on Me" *
Edyta Gorniak: "Hunting High and Low" *
Emil Bulls: "Take on Me"
Gardar Thór Cortes: "Hunting High and Low" * | More info
In Strict Confidence: "The Sun Always Shines on TV"
Jamil: "Take On Me"
Janez Detd: "Take On Me" *
Jonas Brothers: "Take on Me"
Kanye West: "Take on Me"
Kings of Convenience: "Manhattan Skyline" *
Kurt Nilsen: "Hunting High and Low"
Kurt Nilsen & Espen Lind: "Stay on These Roads"
London Symphony Orchestra: "Hunting High and Low" *
Madonna: "Take On Me" Performed on Saturday Night Live
Meredite: "The Sun Always Shines on TV" *
Milc Inc: "The Sun Always Shines On TV " *
M-Jay & Dan Vee: "The Sun Always Shines on TV"
Multicyde: "Take On Me"
MxPx: "Take On Me" *
Pearl: "Take On Me" *
Petit comité: "Take on Me"
Poor Rich Ones: "Hunting High and Low" *
Punk Covers: "Take On Me" *
Rainstorm Project: "Scoundrel Days" *
Reel Big Fish: "Take On Me" *
Runar Eff: "Take on Me" | Listen on MySpace
Ruslana Vir Meni: "Take On Me"
Sigurd Køhn: "October" *
Susperia: "The Sun Always Shines On TV" *
The Generics: "Take On Me" *
Torst, "Driftwood" *
Vision Divine: "Take on Me"
Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra: "Take on Me"
Wondermen Base: "The Sun Always Shines On TV"

Songs with * have been officially released in some format.

This information was gathered from various a-ha fan forums. Have corrections or additions to this list? Please add them in the Comments below!

Solo Appearances & Social Networking

2008-06-20T02:22:00Z

2008-06-19

Morten at VG Outdoor Concert

On Friday, June 20, Morten will be performing on the 'VG-list Topp 20' show on NRK 1 in Norway. This will be a free, outdoor concert at Rådhusplassen in Oslo. Also among those performing are Kurt Nilson, Espen Lind and Kaizers Orchestra. This event is quite large, usually drawing an audience between 50,000 and 100,000.

International fans who cannot attend the concert in Oslo can watch online! "VG-lista Topp20 - Rådhusplassen 2008" will be streamed live from 21.00 at
http://www1.nrk.no/nett-tv/klipp/380177

New Magne Solo Appearances

Next week, Magne will do free a rehearsal concert on June 24 at the Palace Grill in Oslo. This rehearsal is to prepare for his performance at the Hove Rock Festival on June 25. Magne will be performing before Beck at the Hove Festival. Other artists participating include The National Bank, Panic at the Disco and Jay-Z.

In addition to his concert at Hove, Magne will be among several artists contributing art installations which will create an experience for the audience. In a recent Dagbladet interview, Magne said, "I have been in the lucky situation that I haven't had to choose [between art and music]. There is no conflict between those two expressions. I'm trying to find ways to do both, and that's more of an advantage than a disadvantage."

Both the VG-list Topp 20 show and the Hove Festival are likely to be streamed live on NRK.no, as they have been in previous years. Check the NRK web site for more information.

Share Your Love of a-ha

You may have noticed a new link in a few different areas of a-ha.com lately. The "Share This" link allows you to share interesting news posts, featured store items, or upcoming events in a number of ways. When you click on "Share This", you'll be able to post a specific page or item to sites like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Digg, or StumbleUpon, among many others. Give it a try on your next visit.

Other than the "Share This" link, there are other ways to share your appreciation of Morten, Magne and Paul, and the music they make together. Visit a-ha's iLike page and click the orange iLike button to join the more than 10,000 people who already "like" a-ha. You can also "Become a Fan" of a-ha through their Facebook page. Just click the "Become a Fan" link and your love of a-ha will be broadcast in your mini-feed.

Alone Together, Words Apart

2008-06-03T21:02:00Z

2008-06-03

"One evening, one audience (thankfully not an audience of one), one production, one crew, three acts. A columbi-egg, surely? It's a-ha, only not. It's not a-ha, only it is. Oh well, you work it out..." So the introduction of the Royal Albert Hall concert program attempts to explain the concert event which drew fans from around the UK - and around the world.

When the triple-solo concert at Royal Albert Hall was announced on a-ha.com back in January, fans in 17 countries eagerly bought their tickets and began to plan their journey to London for the ultimate a-ha/not a-ha experience. For many years, the idea has been a favorite among fans: a single event with Morten Harket, Magne F and Savoy on stage together as solo artists. Apparently the band was as intrigued by the idea as the fans were.

In preparation for the big night in London, there were three additional concerts announced at Rockefeller Music Hall in Oslo, Norway on May 20, 21 and 22. All three shows sold out in advance.

To get the mini-tour underway, Morten, Magne and Savoy gave a special invitation-only concert on May 19, also at Rockefeller Music Hall in Oslo. The venue was packed with the band members' family, friends and colleagues for this 'dress rehearsal'. Also in attendance were a dozen fans who had attended a fan party earlier in the afternoon; a-ha's management had heard about the gathering and invited them to the show as a last minute surprise.

Click thumbnails for images from the 'dress rehearsal'

The anticipation was palpable on May 19 at 8:00pm when the lights went down and Magne took the stage for the first of these concerts. Magne's set list held a few surprises and left the audience wanting more. Savoy played an energetic set, making the most of their six-person ensemble. By the time Morten began to play, the crush of bodies in the hall made it clear that many were enthusiastic about hearing his new material.

Following a short intermission (during which harpist Erin Hill skillfully played several a-ha songs to the delight of the audience), the members of a-ha returned to the stage together, wearing crisp suits and broad smiles. Having been promised new material at these concerts, the audience waited in eager silence as the first notes of...'Train of Thought' began to play! Hardly new, but the opening song choice was an excellent foil for the second and third songs of the set, both from the coming a-ha album expected later this year. The new songs recalled the early synth sound of a-ha, and were very warmly received. The final song was of course 'Take On Me.'

Click thumbnails for images from the Rockefeller Music Hall performances

All photos courtesy of Tibolo and Monica.

The four concerts at Rockefeller behind them, the guys traveled to London on May 23. Magne's band performed that night at the sold out Notting Hill Arts Club.

With renewed energy, Morten, Magne and Savoy took the stage at Royal Albert Hall on May 24. The crowd welcomed each of them with resounding applause, and the concert went off without a hitch. Once again the new a-ha songs were met with surprise and appreciation from the fans.

SET LIST

Magne F:

A Dot Of Black
The Longest Night
Kryptonite
Running Out Of Reasons
All the time *
Don't Do Me Any Favours
Come Back
The Summers Of Our Youth

Savoy:

Tears From A Stone
Star (I'm Not Stupid Baby)
Best Western Beauty *
Any Other Way
Whalebone
Velvet
Foolish

Morten Harket:

Send Me An Angel
Movies
Shooting Star
There Are Many Ways To Die
With You With Me
A Kind of Christmas Card *
Darkspace
Spanish Steps
The One You Are

a-ha:

Train of Thought
[new song - title to be confirmed]
[new song - title to be confirmed]
Take on Me

*these songs were played at Rockefeller, but not at Royal Albert Hall.

Video on NRK

Magne at Notting Hill Arts Club

2008-06-03T20:56:00Z

2008-06-03

Sandwiched between a-ha's triple-solo concerts in Oslo and London, Magne performed a truly solo concert at Notting Hill Arts Club on Friday, May 23. Although the venue generally doesn't do advance ticket sales, the intense interest of the fans caused them to rethink their policy; as a result, the concert was sold out back in February.

This part of London was home to the members of a-ha back in the early 80s, before they achieved international success. Between songs, Magne told a story about taking a job for £1 per hour as a bartender in a pub up the street; as the one in a-ha who spoke the best English, he was elected to make some money to pay the bills, while Paul worked on writing songs.

Magne seemed enthusiastic about returning to play at Notting Hill Arts Club after a nearly four year absence. The appreciative audience sang along to every song – except when Magne asked them not to. "It's easier for me if you don't sing, but clap instead," he said during 'The Longest Night.'

The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly, with a lot of banter between Magne and the audience. When someone shouted, "We love you!" Magne replied, "Funny enough, I have never heard that on stage before. Can we write this down? I want to mark this in my calendar."

Magne turned this around at the end of the night, by shouting, "We love you! We fucking love you!" He and his band left the stage to resounding applause, and the fans were left wanting more - and fortunately had one more concert to look forward to, at the Royal Albert Hall the next day.

Set list:

A dot of black in the blue of your bliss
The longest night
Kryptonite
Running out of reasons
All the time
Don't do me any favours
Come back
Summers of our youth

Magne's new album, a dot of black in the blue of your bliss was released in the UK on Monday, May 19 and on Monday, May 26 in Norway. The album is available for order from Genepool Records and EIL.com.

Click thumbnails for slideshow

Photos courtesy of Oyenstikker, Sue Carlisi, Steffi (Schnorpelbert), and Caterina Quaglia.

Pictures from Morten’s CD Signing

2008-06-03T20:53:00Z

2008-06-03

On May 21, Morten met fans and signed CDs at Platekompaniet in Oslo City.

The signing was to take place from 6:00-7:30pm, but Morten arrived a little later than expected. By then there was a long queue, but everyone had a chance to get their CD signed and get pictures taken before Morten had to leave for the concert that evening at Rockefeller Music Hall.

Letter From Egypt entered the Norwegian album chart at #1 last week and continues at that position for a second week.

Photo by Sue Carlisi

Photo by Karen Christiansen-Wilson

Pål H. Christiansen Novel Available in English

2008-05-22T18:02:00Z

2008-05-22

Just in time for the concerts of the members of a-ha in London this week, Norwegian author Pål H. Christiansen announces the release of the long awaited English translation of his novel Drømmer om storhet (Dreams of Greatness). The English title will be The Scoundrel Days of Hobo Highbrow.

PRESS RELEASE:

The Scoundrel Days of Hobo Highbrow

Drømmer om storhet to be published in English!

The long awaited English translation of Pål H. Christiansen's novel Drømmer om storhet will finally be published in October 2008! A-ha fans from 25 countries all over the world have been waiting for this moment ever since the Norwegian original was published way back in 2002. The English title will be The Scoundrel Days of Hobo Highbrow.

!!! Pre-order will be possible from August 1, 2008 on at www.forlaget-fabula.no!!!

"It was such a pity that all the loyal a-ha fans all over the world couldn't read my novel so far. That's why I decided to release the book with my own publishing company Fabula instead of waiting for a publisher from the UK or US to take it on", Christiansen explains.

Hobo Highbrow, the main character of the story, is a fanatic admirer of the band a-ha and especially of Paul Waaktaar-Savoy to whom he longs to reveal his inner self. German magazine Der Spiegel recommended: "Pål H. Christiansen has created a wonderful grumpy hero, a tedious but friendly guy. With empathy Christiansen tells about how difficult it is to find one's place in the world out there as long as the world inside of you is capturing you too much".

The Norwegian original of Pål H. Christiansen's novel already received great attention since 2002 as did the German translation Die Ordnung der Worte when it was published by Rockbuch Verlag in 2007. The English translation of Drømmer om storhet will be done by Jon Buscall, British journalist, translator and writer of fiction.

(Text: schwindt-pr)

Savoy on the Beeb

2008-05-20T20:29:00Z

2008-05-20

BBC host Janice Long will be playing a Savoy Session on her Radio 2 show at midnight (GMT) tonight! Three Savoy tracks that were recorded at their NY studio will be played played in the first hour.

Morten Harket Autograph Session

2008-05-09T20:34:00Z

2008-05-09

With the Norwegian release of his new solo record, Letter From Egypt, Morten Harket will be doing an autograph session at the Oslo City Shopping Centre.

On May 21 from 18.00 to 19.30, Morten will be appearing at Platekompaniet to sign copies of his CD. You can get your copy of Letter From Egypt in stores beginning May 19.

Savoy Album UK Release Delayed

2008-05-05T16:35:00Z

2008-05-05

Genepool Records has let those who pre-ordered Savoy Songbook, Vol. 1 that there will be a delay of one week in delivery of the album. Pete from Genepool says:

We are just waiting for stock to arrive from manufacturers (Don’t worry we are getting it before anyone else) but just wanted to let you know.
We are moving the release date back to the 12 May. But our stock will be in on the 8th and we will be shipping it out to Genepool customers then.

If you've preordered the album and have any questions about your order, please contact Genepool Customer Service.

FAGMEN

2008-05-05T15:17:00Z

2008-05-05

Where are they now? Where will they be tomorrow? And Wednesday?

"The Swing of Things" Added To a-ha.com

2008-05-02T16:04:00Z

2008-05-02

In 2004, the now-famous Jan Omdahl biography of a-ha, The Swing of Things, was released. The ultra-limited edition publication covered 20 years of a-ha history, and included a CD of demos and unreleased material that most a-ha fans had never heard before.

Thanks to community members Kattastic, Catherine and Sue, we're able to bring a taste of those tracks to all of a-ha's fans. Visit the Discography page to listen to samples of all twelve tracks, and get a look at the lyrics!

Track Listing:

Take On Me (demo)
Presenting Lily Mars
Dot The I
Days On End
The Love Goodbye
Monday Mourning
Never Never
Så Blåser Det På Jorden
Go To Sleep
Hunting High And Low (alt)
I've Been Losing You (alt)
The Swing Of Things (demo)

Third Show Added At Rockefeller

2008-04-23T20:06:00Z

2008-04-23

The first two evenings in Oslo are now sold out, and a final show will be added on Thursday May 22. There will be no more "Evening with..." shows added, so this is your last chance. This evening will be filmed, so the capacity at the venue will be limited.

Tickets go on sale Saturday April 26 at Billettservice.

To see all the upcoming shows, visit the a-ha Events listings.

Solo Project Updates

2008-04-11T18:05:00Z

2008-04-11

New Morten Harket Album and Single

The second single from Morten's upcoming Letter From Egypt will be 'Darkspace'. The song was released to Norwegian radio on April 7 from Universal Norway.

While there won't be a physical release of the single in Norway, there will be a German single released in a few weeks. In addition to the title track, the German release will contain an exclusive bonus track called 'All Of You Concerned', which will not be on the album.

To hear the new single, visit Morten's MySpace page for a sample. You can also go to NRK nettradio, where the song starts about 55 seconds in. The single is available now on iTunes Norway to download.

Click to buy from iTunes Norway

Letter from Egypt will be released in Norway on May 19 from Universal Norway. The album can be pre-ordered now from CDON.com. There will be a UK release of the album, so stay tuned for more details.

Click to pre-order from CDON.com

New Magne F Album Presale

As previously reported, Magne's latest, a dot of black in the blue of your bliss will be released in the UK on May 19 from Genepool Records. The album is available now to pre-order on their site.

Click to pre-order from Genepool

Track Listing:

a dot of black in the blue of your bliss
come back
the longest night
time & place
running out of reasons
forgotten not forgiven
more than good enough
too far too fast
watch this space

Savoy Album UK Release Presale

Also now available for pre-order is Savoy's 2-CD collection, Savoy Songbook, Vol. 1. The UK release date for this one will be May 5, through Genepool Records.

Click to pre-order from Genepool

For the full track listing of Savoy Songbook, Vol. 1, click here.

Another concert at Rockefeller added

2008-03-29T15:39:00Z

2008-03-29

Tickets for the concert at Rockefeller on May 20 sold out within 15 minutes of the public sale this morning. Therefore another show at Rockefeller on May 21 is now added, and tickets will go on sale Monday at 8:00 GMT at http://www.billettservice.no/. This will be another evening with Morten Harket, Savoy and Magne F.

Morten Harket solo album to be released in May

2008-03-29T12:48:00Z

2008-03-29

It is now confirmed that Morten's new solo album, 'Letter from Egypt,' will be released in Norway on May 19. There are some plans for a wider release but specific countries and dates are not yet finalized. According to an article in today's Dagbladet, a new single called 'Darkspace' will be released next week to radio. This song has been described as an uptempo, rock song.

In the article, Morten says that the album has been ready for a while but that he wanted to do some adjustments. By giving himself some distance from the songs, he was able to see possible improvements, which is the reason for the delay. Morten has used different studios in Europe, Norway and Iceland during the recording.

Thanks to Karl Max for the translation.

En Aften I Oslo

2008-03-20T19:00:00Z

2008-03-20

We are pleased to announce that, due to overwhelming demand, there will also be an evening in Oslo with Morten Harket, Savoy and Magne F. Spend it with fellow fans at Rockefeller Music Hall on Tuesday May 20th.

A limited number of tickets go on sale to members of the official a-ha community on March 24th at 10 am EDT (14:00 GMT). Regular ticket sales start on Saturday, March 29. You'll need to log in to your a-ha.com account to find out how to get tickets. If you haven't created an account yet, you can do so on the Join page.

Upcoming solo releases

2008-03-20T18:55:00Z

2008-03-20

With anticipation building for the 'special evening' at Royal Albert Hall, and now Rockefeller Music Hall, we know you're eager to find out more about Morten, Magne and Paul's solo music projects. Here is the latest news about upcoming releases.

Savoy Songbook Vol. 1

This 'best of' release includes new versions of some classic Savoy tunes, as well as three new songs. Previously released in Norway on August 6, 2007, Savoy Songbook Vol. 1 will be released in the UK by Genepool Records on May 5. The track list will remain the same as the Norwegian release, and it will be available in a Digipak. This is Savoy's first release in the UK since 'Mary is Coming' in 1996.

Savoy Songbook Vol. 1 entered the Norwegian album chart at #7 in its first week. The single 'Best Western Beauty' made a splash in the charts as well.

Links:

TV ad for the album | Adgerposten, 09-05-2007 | Dagsavisen, 09-05-2007 | More information

Reviews (in Norwegian)

'A dot of black in the blue of your bliss'

Magne's new album 'A dot of black in the blue of your bliss' was released on January 22 via both a limited collector's edition vinyl and free download on MySpace. Only six tracks have been released thus far; however fans now have more new music to look forward to. The album will be released in the UK on May 19 through Genepool Records, and will contain nine tracks.

'A dot of black' has created quite a stir among established fans as well as within the wider music industry. Check out the articles from Duggup, Resonance, Side-Line and Budstikka to find out what people are saying about the album.

Links:

Magne F album sold out! | More information

Related blogs by Magne on MySpace:

new magne f album | better broken english than broken hearts | hello, I must be going - or; quantum leapfrogs - always ahead of schedule again!

a-ha.com Has Relaunched!

2008-02-29T11:19:00Z

2008-02-29

Welcome to the new a-ha.com! You'll notice that things are pared down right now. This is just the beginning for a-ha.com. We will continue to rebuild the site over the next few months, so stay tuned.

We've made a few changes to the News section. You'll now be able to view all the news posts in your language of choice in one convenient section. So whether you're looking for actueel nieuws, notícias atuais, nouvelles d'actualités, or a-ha news in any of our 9 languages, we've got you covered.

We've revamped the Albums page as well. Now you can see, at a glance, lyrics and audio clips for all the albums, which songs were released as Singles, links to Videos and iTunes pages.

With the new site comes a new membership and mailing list. You can sign up for a new account, which allows you to participate in any ticket presales on a-ha.com, as well as purchase a-ha CDs and DVDs. Signing up for our mailing list will ensure that you're the first to know about any news about a-ha and a-ha.com.

Check back often for updates and new sections. If you have any feedback, you can let us know at help@a-ha.com!

Don't have tickets to Royal Albert Hall yet?

2008-02-12T23:04:00Z

2008-02-12

More prime seats were just made available to us by the venue. Both stalls tickets and boxes for sale at all oulets.

Royal Albert Hall | Ticketmaster | Gigs and Tours | Stargreen

Extra stalls tickets for Royal Albert Hall

2008-02-06T23:05:00Z

2008-02-06

Just over a 100 extra seats in the stalls were just released for sale.
These tickets are in prime areas where everything else is sold out.

First come, first serve at www.royalalberthall.com

Tickets for Royal Albert Hall concert on sale Friday February 1

2008-01-31T23:06:00Z

2008-01-31

Those of you who were not able to get the select tickets from a-ha.com will be able to buy a range of the remaining tickets through the following outlets from 9 a.m. GMT on Friday February 1.

Gigs and Tours, ph +44 871 2200 260
Ticketmaster, ph +44 871 2306 230
Royal Albert Hall, ph +44 207 589 8212
Stargreen, ph +44 207 7348 932

More tickets available for Royal Albert Hall Concert

2008-01-29T23:09:00Z

2008-01-29

Due to the overwhelming response to our presale yesterday, we were able to get more tickets for "An Evening With Morten Harket, Savoy & Magne F". There is a limited supply of seats available on the Floor, in rows 10 to 15 of Arena sections A, B, E and F, plus additional seats in the stalls. Sign in to the a-ha.com Shop to get your tickets to this special concert taking place at The Royal Albert Hall Saturday May 24, 2008, at 8:00 PM.

A special evening at the Royal Albert Hall

2008-01-28T23:10:00Z

2008-01-28

You are cordially invited to a special evening with Morten Harket, Savoy and Magne F to take place at The Royal Albert Hall Saturday May 24, 2008, at 8:00 PM.

No, you did not misread the above: You will get three performances for the price of one, in - we dare say - quite an unusual combination.

We cannot promise that these three artists will join forces, as they have been known to do on other festive occasions around the world, but there is widespread speculation within the organization of some sort of special appearance.

What does that mean? Well that´s for us to know and definitely for you to find out.

One word of caution: If you expect to see a regular show by the musical group known as a-ha, we kindly ask you to wait for the next scheduled performance convenient to your location.

Tickets in prime locations are on sale right now at a-ha.com, and go on sale through regular outlets on Friday February 1. We're offering an exclusive presale to members of a-ha's online community. To participate in the sale, make sure you sign up for a Shop account.

Greetings from the a-ha.com Team

Watch Magne's painting performance online 23 January

2008-01-23T23:12:00Z

2008-01-23

Magne's new album 'A dot of black in the blue of your bliss' has been released and the six new tracks are available for free download on MySpace. On 23 January Magne will do a painting performance at the Oslo City Hall to create the 300 limited edition album covers. The performance will be a closed event but you can watch it via Magne's website beginning at midday Norwegian time. More info.

The new Magne F album is sold out!

2008-01-20T23:13:00Z

2008-01-20

In a typically unpredictable move, Magne F has decided to release his new record, 'A dot of black in the blue of your bliss,' as a limited edition only.

Subscribers to the Magne F mailing-list were given a head start, with a one week's exclusive pre-order period for the album made in a 300 copies only, but as rumors quickly spread on the internet Magne immediately included his many myspace-friends in the offer one week ahead of schedule.

As a consequence the album is now sold out - before it was even intended to be released.

Fans will still be able download the songs for free on Myspace from the 23rd of January.

With this unconventional release Magne F challenges the idea of a 'general' audience.

When asked about the idea behind it Magne simply said: 'It seemed quite obvious - just give the music to people who want it and make a really nice object for those who wants to buy the record.'

You can read the MySpace blog about the new album here.

Blog tribute to a-ha on VG-nett

2008-01-13T14:29:00Z

2008-01-13

On 11 January, VG published a music blog by 'Rockman' which is a career-spanning tribute to a-ha and their music. The blog is available in Norwegian and English, and includes interesting facts and various a-ha videos from Youtube, as well as a place where visitors can share their own thoughts about Norway's biggest musical export of all time.

A select few...

2008-01-06T18:27:00Z

2008-01-06

Of you - 300 to be exact - will soon have the opportunity to enjoy 10 picturesque inches of Magne F.

It is going to cost you, of course, but you may also opt for the cheap and easy cyber solution. Whichever way you choose to digest them, 6 brand new songs are coming your way. All you need is to know where to look.

Magne F commissioned to create sculpture for the Nobel Peace Center

2007-12-11T19:45:00Z

2007-12-11

This afternoon, Nobel Prize Award winners Al Gore and Rajendra Kumar Pachauri unveiled Magne's new aluminum sculpture, 'Climax.' The unveiling took place at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo. Hydro commissioned the sculpture with the only stipulation being that it had to be made out of aluminum, a material Magne had never worked with before.

Before taking the commission from Hydro to create the sculpture, Magne spent some time considering the theme of this year's Nobel Peace Prize award as well as the properties of aluminum. In an article on the Hydro website, Magne says,

"I think we are living at time when there is a delicate balance, and in a time of major change, regardless of whether it is we ourselves or the sun that is responsible for our environmental problems. I started working on the title before I knew what I was going to make. I tried to find words that describe the situation we're in and I came up with the concept of "Climax". It means ladder in Greek. Apart from its use as term in drama, and its erotic connotations, the word is also used rhetorically by Gore and ecologists to describe an ecosystem strained to the maximum."

Having hit upon the concept of a house of cards, Magne gathered materials from a variety of sources, including defunct planes, retired tankers and traffic signs. Rather than smelting or recycling the materials prior to creating the sculpture, Magne used the plates immediately after cutting them out of their original context - left as they were found.

The 4m high 'Climax' will be on display in the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo through the spring, and Magne has said that the materials can then be recycled by other artists, to continue the process.

In a related project, Paul Stolper is pleased to announce the launch of ‘CLIMAX CARDGAME' by Magne F; a set of 15 aluminium cards, each engraved with text on one side and image on the other. This edition coincides with, and is the companion piece to ‘CLIMAX', a large sculpture made from reclaimed aluminium, commissioned by the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo, Norway 2007 and unveiled on the 11th of December by honourable Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore.

For further information visit Magne's official art site or sign up for his mailing list.

Nobel Peace Prize Youtube site | VG | Budstikka (1) | Budstikka (2) | About the unveiling

2008 a-ha Calendar in Production

2007-12-03T10:39:00Z

2007-09-27

by Catherine Sexton

It's that time again! The same team that created the 2007 a-ha calendar is starting work on next year's edition. To read about last year's calendar, click here.

Update 3 December: Calendar now ready to order

The 2008 calendar is now available to order! If you would like to buy a calendar, please go to Lulu.com to order. The calendar will be shipped to you from America in a 26 inch X 16 inch cardboard flat package. As with last year, there is no profit calculated into the price; you pay only what it costs Lulu.com to print it.

The calendar itself measures 19 inches X 13 inches. There are 12 monthly pages with full color images on each page. The top is spiral-bound.

Just what you need under your Christmas tree...!

~~~~~

After getting feedback from MEF members earlier this year and hearing from members of many other forums and fan clubs this summer, we've decided to create a hanging wall calendar as opposed to the desk diary type we did last year. We hope everyone will be happy with this choice!

As with last year, we'd love to get pictures of the band from fans all over the world, representing any time in a-ha's career! If you'd like to submit one or more pictures for consideration, please e-mail them to contributions@a-ha.com.

Deadline: October 5
Resolution requirement for chosen pictures: 300dpi
Suggested orientation: landscape if possible!

Thanks in advance for your support!

Places to buy 'Movies'

2007-11-30T11:07:00Z

2007-11-30

The following is a list of sites which may be selling Morten's new single, 'Movies.' The single has only been released in Norway, and entered the Norwegian radio airplay chart Hit 40 at number 28 in its first week.

Enter to win a signed CD single! Listen to 'Movies'

2007-11-16T11:18:00Z

2007-11-16

This morning VG Nett premiered Morten's new single, 'Movies.' You can now listen to the song at the following two links: Universal Music | MySpace

Update: contest winners announced!

The cover of the new single 'Movies.'
'Movies' debuted on Norwegian radio airplay chart Hit 40 at number 28 in its first week.

a-ha.com is giving away ten 'Movies' CD singles signed by Morten. There were over 2300 entries submitted within two weeks, and the winners of the contest are:

Olivier Salicio
Judy Lynn Namyslo
George Phelps
Annika Olofsson
Benjamin Dimpre
Olga (from Russia)
Michael Booth
Kumi Fukusige
Paul McNaught
Vera (from Brazil)

Congratulations to all the winners! You will receive an e-mail from a-ha.com to confirm your prize and to request your mailing address. Many thanks to Morten's managment for supporting this contest.