Hunting High and Low
Studio album by
a-ha
Released28 October 1985 (1985-10-28)
Recorded1984–1985
StudioEel Pie (Twickenham, London)
Genre
Length37:10
LabelWarner Bros.
Producer
A-ha chronology
Hunting High and Low
(1985)		 Scoundrel Days
(1986)
Singles from Hunting High and Low
  1. "Take On Me"
    Released: 16 September 1985
  2. "Love Is Reason"
    Released: 1985
  3. "The Sun Always Shines on T.V."
    Released: 16 December 1985
  4. "Train of Thought"
    Released: March 1986
  5. "Hunting High and Low"
    Released: June 1986

Hunting High and Low is the debut studio album by Norwegian band a-ha, released on 1 June 1985 in the United States and 28 October 1985 in the United Kingdom[1] by Warner Bros. Records. The album was a huge commercial success, reaching high positions on charts worldwide. The album was recorded at Eel Pie Studios in Twickenham, London, and produced by Tony Mansfield, John Ratcliff and Alan Tarney.

In all, five singles from the album were released, though not all were released internationally: "Take On Me", "Love Is Reason", "The Sun Always Shines on T.V.", "Train of Thought" and "Hunting High and Low". The group was nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards in 1986, making a-ha the first Norwegian band to be nominated for a Grammy.

As part of a re-release of their first two albums, Hunting High and Low was expanded and remastered in 2010.

Music

"Take On Me" was the first single released by the band. An early version was recorded and released in late 1984 with an early music video. The song became a No. 3 hit in a-ha's native Norway but failed to chart in the United Kingdom. The band went back into the studio to re-record the song for the Hunting High and Low album, but a second UK release in early 1985 was again ignored. Before releasing their single in the United States, the band undertook the production of a new music video for the song, working with director Steve Barron. Barron had previously created hit videos for Toto, Thomas Dolby, Culture Club and Michael Jackson, but the a-ha video was unlike any of his earlier work. A plot-driven amalgamation of live-action and rotoscope-style animation by husband-and-wife team Michael Patterson and Candace Reckinger, it drew inspiration from Patterson's animated film Commuter and the film Altered States. The innovative video for "Take On Me" was first broadcast on local Boston music video station V-66, and soon after given heavy rotation on MTV.

The single debuted in Billboard the week of 13 July 1985, and was heading into the U.S. top twenty when it was given an international release, including a second release in Norway and a third shot at the UK market. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, spending 27 weeks on the charts and becoming the tenth-biggest single of 1985,[2] and this time going to number two in the United Kingdom and number one in Norway.

The second single for most of the world was "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." ("Love Is Reason" had failed to hit the Norwegian Top 40 earlier in the year), and the band followed its massively successful music video with another critically acclaimed clip for the song. Starting off as a sequel of sorts, Harket breaks away from his happy ending to join his band in performance amidst mannequins at a rural church, Saint Albans in Teddington, which has since become an art gallery. "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." improved upon the first single's success in the United Kingdom, hitting number one and remaining there for two weeks in January 1986. It was a top-10 hit nearly everywhere it was released except in the United States, where it peaked at No. 20 and would be the band's last major hit to date in that country. The track was remixed as a dance version, which was a top-5 hit on the U.S. Dance chart, and B-side to the single and remix was the otherwise unreleased "Driftwood."

"Train of Thought" saw limited release as the third single in Europe. It was not released as a 7″ in the United States but received rock radio play and a set of remixes again made the dance charts. Waaktaar based the lyrics for this song on existentialist authors and poets Gunvor Hofmo, Knut Hamsun and Fyodor Dostoevsky, his favourites at the time. It was a-ha's third consecutive Top 10 single in the United Kingdom and Ireland, reaching Nos. 8 and 5 respectively, and charting well in Germany and Sweden. World sales hit 500,000 copies.

The last single from the album was "Hunting High and Low", released in June 1986. The single saw its highest chartings in France, where it peaked at number four,[3] and the United Kingdom, where it was number five.[4] The single was released in the United States but did not make the Hot 100. An extended version was available on 12″ vinyl, but the midtempo track did not see dance chart success.

The "Take On Me" video was nominated for eight 1986 MTV Video Music Awards, and at the third annual ceremony 5 September 1986, the video won six awards, including Best New Artist and Viewer's Choice.[5] "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." was nominated for an additional three awards, winning two, for a total of eight wins. Even as the total number of categories has nearly doubled, only Peter Gabriel has won as many of the awards in a single year, for "Sledgehammer" and "Big Time", also featuring innovative use of animation.

The band went on a world tour for the album from June 1986 to February 1987, visiting 16 countries and 113 cities.[6]

In 2002, "Take On Me" was ranked at number eight on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders, although this status is slightly misleading as it reflects a-ha's lack of mainstream success in the United States; the group was by no means a one-hit wonder elsewhere or in career terms. In 2006, "Take On Me" was ranked number 24 on VH1's Greatest Songs of the 1980s.[7]

On February 17, 2020, the music video for "Take On Me" reached one billion views on YouTube. At the time, only four songs from the entire 20th century had reached the mark—"November Rain" and "Sweet Child o' Mine" by Guns N' Roses, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana, and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"—making "Take On Me" the fifth video from that time period to ever do so. a-ha also became the first European act to accomplish this achievement.[8][9]

The cover photograph was taken by Just Loomis and was nominated in 1986 for a Grammy as "Album Cover of the Year."

The band released a live version of "The Sun Always Shines on TV" in 2003.

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Billboard[11]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[12]
Record Collector[13]
Uncut[14]
The Village VoiceC−[15]

Hunting High and Low was a-ha's breakout album. Upon its release in October 1985, Hunting High and Low peaked at number 15 on the Billboard's Top 200 album chart. The album granted a-ha international recognition. Hunting High and Low got 3× platinum status in the UK and Platinum status in the United States and Germany, and Gold status in Brazil, and the Netherlands. The album reached No. 11 in the European top-100 albums sales chart.

The album peaked at number 15 in the U.S., according to Billboard music charts. It peaked at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart (re-entered at number 83 in 2015), and hit 1 in Norway. The album has been certified platinum in the United States and 3× platinum in UK.[16] On the Billboard 200, Hunting High and Low held the record for the highest-charting album by a Norwegian artist until Do It Again by Norwegian duo Röyksopp and Swedish singer Robyn (which peaked at number 14).[17]

Beginning with the single "Take On Me", a-ha's debut album spawned two number one hits. In the fall of 1986, "Take On Me" and "The Sun Always Shines on TV" were nominated for 11 MTV Video Awards combined, and a-ha won eight of these.[6]

Tim DiGravina of AllMusic Guide said, "It's a cohesive album with smart pace changeups, and it rarely fails to delight or satisfy a listener's need for a synth pop fix... One can't escape the feeling that Hunting High and Low is a product of the 1980s, but with highs like 'Take On Me' and 'The Sun Always Shines on TV,' and no lows in sight, a-ha's debut is a treat worth relishing."[6] Reviewing a 2015 re-issue of the album in The New York Observer, Ron Hart wrote, "Hunting High and Low enjoys a brilliance far beyond its iconic lead single 'Take On Me'. The influence of this album can be heard today through such bands as Coldplay and Wild Nothing just as the work of early synthpop groups like OMD and Aztec Camera informed [a-ha] in creating these 10 classic tunes."[18]

The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[19]

The album has sold more than ten million copies worldwide.[20]

Remaster

On 6 May 2010, the band announced that a remastered and expanded two-disc deluxe edition of the album would be released, featuring the original album and four 12″ tracks on the first disc and 19 rare demos and unreleased songs from the era on the second. The deluxe editions of both Hunting High and Low and its follow-up, Scoundrel Days, were released on 6 July 2010 in the United States through Rhino Records. Both albums debuted in the Top 40 on the Billboard Top Internet Sales Chart; Hunting High and Low at No. 34 and Scoundrel Days at No. 36.[21] The Hunting High and Low reissue also charted in Germany (39), Norway (32), Hungary (27) and the UK (165).

Track listing

All tracks are written by Pål Waaktaar, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Take On Me"Waaktaar, Magne Furuholmen, Morten Harket3:48
2."Train of Thought" 4:14
3."Hunting High and Low" 3:45
4."The Blue Sky" 2:36
5."Living a Boy's Adventure Tale"Waaktaar, Harket5:00
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."The Sun Always Shines on T.V." 5:08
7."And You Tell Me" 1:51
8."Love Is Reason"Waaktaar, Furuholmen3:04
9."I Dream Myself Alive"Waaktaar, Furuholmen3:06
10."Here I Stand and Face the Rain" 4:30

2010 deluxe edition

Disc one – The Original Album & Bonus Tracks[22][23]
No.TitleLength
11."Take On Me" (Original 7″ Version 1984)3:18
12."The Sun Always Shines on T.V." (Extended Mix)7:09
13."Train of Thought" (U.S. Mix)7:03
14."Hunting High and Low" (Extended Remix)6:03
Disc two – Demos, B-Sides & Rarities
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Take On Me" (Demo)Waaktaar, Furuholmen, Harket3:12
2."Train of Thought" (Demo) 4:20
3."Hunting High and Low" (Demo) 3:09
4."The Blue Sky" (Demo) 3:18
5."Living a Boy's Adventure Tale" (Early Version)Waaktaar, Harket5:15
6."The Sun Always Shines on T.V." (Demo) 4:09
7."And You Tell Me" (Demo) 1:54
8."Love Is Reason" (Demo)Waaktaar, Furuholmen2:24
9."I Dream Myself Alive" (Demo)Waaktaar, Furuholmen3:05
10."Here I Stand and Face the Rain" (Demo) 3:54
11."Stop! And Make Your Mind Up" 3:03
12."Driftwood" 3:06
13."Dot the I"Waaktaar, Furuholmen, Harket3:22
14."The Love Goodbye"Waaktaar, Furuholmen, Harket3:25
15."Nothing to It"Waaktaar, Furuholmen, Harket3:44
16."Go to Sleep" 2:14
17."Monday Mourning"Waaktaar, Furuholmen3:08
18."All the Planes That Come In on the Quiet" 3:05
19."Never Never" 3:17
20."What's That You're Doing to Yourself in the Pouring Rain" 2:39
21."You Have Grown Thoughtful Again"Waaktaar, Furuholmen, Harket2:30
22."Lesson One" (Autumn 1982 "Take On Me" Demo)Waaktaar, Furuholmen, Harket2:42
23."Presenting Lily Mars"Waaktaar, Harket2:58
Download-only bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
24."The Sun Always Shines on T.V." (Extended Version) 8:25
25."Take On Me" (Instrumental Mix)Waaktaar, Furuholmen, Harket3:48
26."Hunting High and Low" (Slow Version Demo) 3:45
27."Take On Me" (1984 12″ Mix)Waaktaar, Furuholmen, Harket3:46

Personnel

A-ha

with:

  • Claire Jarvis – oboe (track 5)

Technical

  • Bobby Hata – mastering
  • John Ratcliff – production, remixing, keyboards, backing vocals (track 8)
  • Alan Tarney – production (tracks 1, 6)
  • Tony Mansfield – production (tracks 2–5, 7, 9, 10)
  • Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff – art direction, design
  • Neill King – engineering
  • Jeri McManus – art direction, cover design, design
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering
  • Just Loomis – photography

Charts

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for Hunting High and Low
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[52] Gold 35,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[53] Gold 270,000[54]
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[55] Gold 10,000‡
France (SNEP)[56] Platinum 300,000*
Germany (BVMI)[57] 3× Gold 750,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[58] Gold 10,000*
Netherlands (NVPI)[59] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[60] Platinum 15,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[61] 2× Platinum 228,000[62]
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[63] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[16] 3× Platinum 900,000^
United States (RIAA)[64] Platinum 1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "a-ha's Debut Album 'Hunting High And Low' Turns 35 | Anniversary Retrospective". albumism.com. 30 May 2020.
  2. ↑ "Billboard". Billboard. Archived from the original on 14 April 2009. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  3. ↑ Steffen Hung. "French Singles Chart". Lescharts.com. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  4. ↑ "British Singles Chart". Everyhit.com. 16 March 2000. Archived from the original on 17 February 2007. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  5. ↑ "Best Music from the 1980s". 80s Music Lyrics. Archived from the original on 9 April 2002. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  6. 1 2 3 "A-ha biography". Archived from the original on 8 March 2008.
  7. ↑ "VH1 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s". Rockonthenet.com. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  8. ↑ Nicholas Rice. "A-ha's 'Take on Me' Moves Past One Billion Streams on YouTube". People.com. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  9. ↑ Lauren M. Johnson (20 February 2020). "Music video for 'Take On Me' hits one billion views on YouTube". Cnn.com. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  10. ↑ DiGravina, Tim. "Hunting High and Low – a-ha". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  11. ↑ "a-ha, 'Hunting High and Low/Scoundrel Days (Remastered Deluxe Edition)'". Billboard. 30 July 2010. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  12. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th Concise ed.). United Kingdom: Omnibus Press. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-84609-856-7.
  13. ↑ Elliott, Mark (December 2015). "A-Ha – Hunting High and Low". Record Collector (447). Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  14. ↑ "a-ha: Hunting High and Low". Uncut: 83. [A] tidy album with more than a touch of Japan and Peter Gabriel about it.
  15. ↑ Christgau, Robert (7 January 1986). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  16. 1 2 "British album certifications – A-ha – Hunting High and Low". British Phonographic Industry. 1 March 1992. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  17. ↑ Trust, Gary (24 June 2014). "Ask Billboard: With Nico & Vinz, Norway Continues U.S. Chart Invasion". Billboard.com. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  18. ↑ Hart, Ron (5 January 2016). "The 10 Best Reissues of 2015". The New York Observer. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  19. ↑ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (7 February 2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 0-7893-1371-5.
  20. ↑ "Hunting High and Low". Archived from the original on 18 December 2008.
  21. ↑ "Deluxe albums enter US Billboard charts &No. 124; The Official Website of a-ha". A-ha.com. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  22. ↑ "A-Ha &No. 124; Hunting High And Low (Deluxe Edition)". Rhino. Archived from the original on 14 August 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  23. ↑ "Upcoming special releases &No. 124; The Official Website of a-ha". A-ha.com. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  24. ↑ Kent 1993, p. 13
  25. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – a-ha – Hunting High and Low" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  26. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0595". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  27. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – a-ha – Hunting High and Low" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  28. ↑ "European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 3, no. 10. 15 March 1986. p. 17. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  29. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  30. ↑ "Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste". InfoDisc (in French). Retrieved 29 January 2019. Select "A-HA" from the drop-down menu and click "OK".
  31. 1 2 "Offiziellecharts.de – a-ha – Hunting High and Low" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  32. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "A-Ha".
  33. ↑ "Charts.nz – a-ha – Hunting High and Low". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  34. 1 2 "Norwegiancharts.com – a-ha – Hunting High and Low". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  35. ↑ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  36. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – a-ha – Hunting High and Low". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  37. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – a-ha – Hunting High and Low". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  38. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  39. ↑ "a-ha Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  40. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2010. 28. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  41. ↑ "Chart Log UK – Weekly Updates Sales 2010". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  42. ↑ "RPM's Top 100 Albums of 1985". RPM. Vol. 43, no. 16. 28 December 1985. p. 14. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  43. ↑ "Topp 40 Album Høst 1985" (in Norwegian). VG-lista. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  44. ↑ "Topp 40 Album Sommer 1985" (in Norwegian). VG-lista. Archived from the original on 9 March 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  45. ↑ Kent 1993, p. 438
  46. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  47. ↑ "European Hot 100 Albums – Hot 100 of the Year 1986" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 51/52. 27 December 1986. p. 35. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  48. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1986" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  49. ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 1986". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  50. ↑ "Top 100 Albums (January to December 1986)" (PDF). Music Week. 24 January 1987. p. 25. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  51. ↑ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1986". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Archived from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  52. ↑ "ARIA Albums Chart – Week Commencing 2 March, 2020" (PDF). ARIA. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  53. ↑ "Brazilian album certifications – A-ha – Hunting High and Low" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  54. ↑ de Almeida, Carlos Heli; Lima, Eduardo Souza (27 February 1989). "Na Praça da Apoteose". Tribuna da Imprensa (in Portuguese). No. 12150 – via National Library of Brazil.
  55. ↑ "Danish album certifications – Aha – Hunting High and Low". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  56. ↑ "French album certifications – Aha – Hunting High and Low" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. 29 October 1987. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  57. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (A-ha; 'Hunting High and Low')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  58. ↑ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1989". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  59. ↑ "Dutch album certifications – A-ha – Hunting High and Low" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 7 February 2019. Enter Hunting High and Low in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  60. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – A-ha – Hunting High and Low". Recorded Music NZ. 27 April 1986. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  61. ↑ "European Gold & Platinum Awards 1986" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 51/52. 27 December 1986. p. 33. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  62. ↑ "I en egen klasse" [In a separate class]. Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 5 December 1998. Archived from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  63. ↑ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 949. ISBN 84-8048-639-2. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  64. ↑ "American album certifications – A-ha – Hunting High and Low". Recording Industry Association of America. 17 March 1986. Retrieved 29 January 2019.

Bibliography

  • Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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