Memorial Beach
Studio album by
A-ha
Released14 June 1993
Recorded1991–1993
StudioPaisley Park, Chanhassen, Minnesota, US
Genre
Length49:33
LabelWarner Bros.
Producer
A-ha chronology
East of the Sun, West of the Moon
(1990)		 Memorial Beach
(1993)		 Minor Earth Major Sky
(2000)
Singles from Memorial Beach
  1. "Dark Is the Night"
    Released: 24 May 1993
  2. "Angel in the Snow"
    Released: 6 September 1993
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[2]
Music Week[3]
Q[4]
Smash Hits[5]

Memorial Beach is the fifth studio album by the Norwegian band A-ha, released on 14 June 1993 by Warner Bros. Records.

Background

The album was recorded primarily in the United States at Prince's Paisley Park Studios outside Minneapolis. Memorial Beach featured three UK Top 50 singles for the band, "Move to Memphis" (released as a single in 1991, almost two years before the album), "Dark is the Night for all" and "Angel in the Snow". While the album did not chart on the U.S. Billboard 200 and would be the band's last to be released there, the single "Dark Is the Night" peaked at #11 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart,[6] their last U.S. charting to date. Q magazine listed the album as one of the 50 best albums of 1993: "If ever a band deserved reappraisal on the back of an album then it was a-ha!"

"Angel in the Snow" was written by Pål Waaktaar for his bride, Lauren, as a wedding gift. Recording the album was, according to Morten Harket, "A rather dark and heavy period for the band", although Magne Furuholmen has said, "I dig Memorial Beach, and 'Dark is the Night for All' is the high point, the best thing on the disc."

JD and Jevetta Steele from the American gospel group The Steeles contribute backing vocals on the songs "Move to Memphis" and "Lie Down in Darkness". French actress Béatrice Dalle appears in the music video for the song "Move to Memphis".

Some lyrics from "Locust" were reused on the 2004 Savoy single "Whalebone".

The album front cover, back cover and booklet includes pictures of the band taken at a photo shoot at Atalaia Beach, in Aracaju, Brazil, during the band's 1991 tour.

This was the last album to feature the original a-ha logo until they reunited for the second time for Cast in Steel (2015).

Track listing

All tracks written by Pål Waaktaar unless noted otherwise:

  1. "Dark Is the Night for All" – 3:46
  2. "Move to Memphis" – 4:22 (Pål Waaktaar/Magne Furuholmen)
  3. "Cold as Stone" – 8:19
  4. "Angel in the Snow" – 4:13
  5. "Locust" – 5:09
  6. "Lie Down in Darkness" – 4:32
  7. "How Sweet It Was" – 6:00
  8. "Lamb to the Slaughter" – 4:20 (Magne Furuholmen)
  9. "Between Your Mama and Yourself" – 4:16
  10. "Memorial Beach" – 4:36

2015 Deluxe edition

Disc 1
  1. "Dark Is The Night For All"
  2. "Move To Memphis"
  3. "Cold As Stone"
  4. "Angel In The Snow"
  5. "Locust"
  6. "Lie Down In Darkness"
  7. "How Sweet It Was"
  8. "Lamb To The Slaughter"
  9. "Between Your Mama And Yourself"
  10. "Memorial Beach"
Bonus tracks
  1. "Move To Memphis" (Extended Mix)
  2. "Angel In The Snow" (Acoustic Instrumental)
Disc 2
  1. "Dark Is The Night For All" (Demo)
  2. "Cold As Stone" (Demo)
  3. "Angel In The Snow" (Demo)
  4. "Locust" (Demo)
  5. "Lie Down In Darkness" (Demo)
  6. "How Sweet It Was" (Demo)
  7. "Bar Room" (Demo)
  8. "Lamb To The Slaughter" (Demo)
  9. "Between Your Mama And Yourself" (Demo)
  10. "Memorial Beach" (Demo)
  11. "Dark Is The Night For All" (Alternative Version)
  12. "Swing Of Things" (Live March 17, 1994, at The Sentrum Scene in Oslo, Norway)
  13. "Dark Is The Night For All" (Live March 17, 1994, at The Sentrum Scene in Oslo, Norway)
  14. "Move To Memphis" (Live March 17, 1994, at The Sentrum Scene in Oslo, Norway)
  15. "Cold As Stone/Sycamore Leaves" (Live March 17, 1994, at The Sentrum Scene in Oslo, Norway)
  16. "Shapes That Go Together" (Live March 17, 1994, at The Sentrum Scene in Oslo, Norway)

Personnel

a-ha

Additional Musicians

  • Jørun B. Bøgeberg – bass guitar
  • Per Hillestad – drums
  • J.D. Steele – backing vocals (2,6)
  • Jevetta Steele – backing vocals (2,6)
  • Kathy Wilson – backing vocals (2,6)

Production

  • A-ha – producers
  • David Z – producer, engineer
  • David Friedlander – engineer
  • Sverre Henriksen – engineer
  • Brian Poer – engineer
  • Jamie Staub – engineer
  • Djinji Brown – second engineer
  • Mike Cyr – second engineer
  • Derek Davis – second engineer
  • Derek Duffy – second engineer
  • Robert Opsahl-Engen – second engineer
  • Eivind Skovdahl – second engineer
  • Rod Hui – mixing
  • Pål Waaktaar – mixing
  • Ted Jensen – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York City, NY)
  • Lyn Bradley – art direction, design
  • Jeri Heiden – art direction, design
  • Per Fronth – original artwork
  • Just Loomis – photography
  • Terry Slater – management

Charts

Chart performance for Memorial Beach
Chart (1993) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[7] 132
European Albums (Music & Media)[8] 25
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[9] 17
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[10] 27
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[11] 1
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[12] 39
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] 39
UK Albums (OCC)[14] 17

References

  1. ↑ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r184437
  2. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th Concise ed.). United Kingdom: Omnibus Press. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-84609-856-7.
  3. ↑ Jones, Alan (19 June 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Albums" (PDF). Music Week. p. 23. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  4. ↑ "a-ha: Memorial Beach". Q. No. 87. December 1993. p. 118.
  5. ↑ Cross, Tony (9 June 1993). "New Albums". Smash Hits. p. 51. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  6. ↑ Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
  7. ↑ "Response from ARIA re: a-ha ARIA chart history, received 22 December 2017". Retrieved 9 December 2020 – via Imgur.
  8. ↑ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 27. 3 July 1993. p. 34. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  9. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – a-ha – Memorial Beach" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  10. ↑ ａ〜ｈａのアルバム売り上げランキング [a-ha album sales ranking] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  11. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – a-ha – Memorial Beach". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  12. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – a-ha – Memorial Beach". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  13. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – a-ha – Memorial Beach". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  14. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
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