In 1985, the release of “Take On Me” as both a single and a stylized and unique video for MTV, catapulted the Norwegian band, a-ha to epic attention. And of course, the new fans embraced the band, entertaining five UK single successes from that debut album, Hunting High and Low. With that kind of success, a-ha jumped back into the recorded arena with the releases of Scoundrel Days (1986), followed up by Stay On These Roads (1988). In the US, interest waned after “Take On Me” slipped down the charts; not so in the rest of the word, where UK and other markets kept a love affair kindled.
Over time, a-ha released ten studio sets including Cast In Steel, issued in 2015. Somewhere in there were two turn of the century releases, Minor Earth Major Sky (2000), and Lifelines (2002). With those, a-ha‘s lustrous tenure with Warner Brothers Records ended.
On October 18, Rhino Records will reissue Minor Earth Major Sky, and Lifelines in 2CD and 2LP newly remastered packages complete with a collection of demos, outtakes, early versions and mixes, and live recordings to expand the original albums. Both will be packaged in tri-fold digipaks and will include insightful booklets to accompany the historic albums. Both albums feature new 2019 remastering. The 2LP sets will only feature the complete original album in 2019 remastering.
Minor Earth Major Sky – a-ha
CD1:
01 Minor Earth Major Sky
02 Little Black Heart
03 Velvet
04 Summer Moved On
05 The Sun Never Shone That Day
06 To Let You Win
07 The Company Man (2019 Remaster)
08 Thought That It Was You (2019 Remaster)
09 I Wish I Cared
10 Barely Hanging On
11 You’ll Never Get Over Me
12 I Won’t Forget Her
13 Mary Ellen Makes the Moment Count
14 Summer Moved On (Remix)
15 Velvet (Alabaster Mix)
16 The Sun Never Shone That Day (Radio Edit)
17 Minor Earth Major Sky (Milenia Nova Remix)
CD2:
01 Minor Earth Major Sky (Early Version)
02 Little Black Heart (Alternate Mix)
03 Velvet (Early Version)
04 Summer Moved On (Early Version)
05 The Sun Never Shone That Day (Early Version)
06 To Let You Win (Early Mix)
07 We Will Never Speak Again (Demo)
08 The Company Man (Early Version)
09 Life’s Not Fair (Early Version of “I Wish I Cared”)
10 Barely Hanging On (Early Version)
11 I Won’t Forget Her (Early Version)
12 Manhattan Skyline (Live Oslo 2001)
13 Thought That It Was You (Live Oslo 2001)
14 You’ll Never Get Over Me (Live Oslo 2001)
15 Mary Ellen Makes the Moment Count (Live Oslo 2001)
16 Summer Moved On (Demo)
Lifelines – a-ha
CD1:
01 Lifelines
02 You Wanted More
03 Forever Not Yours
04 There’s a Reason for It
05 Time and Again
06 Did Anyone Approach You
07 Afternoon High
08 Oranges on Appletrees
09 A Little Bit
10 Less Than Pure
11 Turn The Lights Down
12 Cannot Hide
13 White Canvas
14 Dragonfly
15 Solace
16 Did Anyone Approach You (Tore Johanson Mix)
17 Time and Again (Langer & Wainstanley Version)
18 Lifelines (Apoptyma Berzerk Remix)
CD2:
01 Lifelines (Demo)
02 You Wanted More (Demo)
03 Forever Not Yours (Demo)
04 There’s a Reason for It (Demo)
05 The Breakers
06 Time and Again (Demo)
07 Did Anyone Approach You (Demo)
08 Afternoon High (Demo)
09 Oranges on Appletrees (Early Mix)
10 Sole Survivor
11 Less Than Pure (Demo)
12 To Show It is to Blow It
13 Turn The Lights Down (Demo)
14 Cannot Hide (Demo)
15 There’s a Reason for It (A Break in the Clouds)
16 One in a Million (Demo)
17 Dragonfly (Demo)
18 Solace (Early Version)
19 Differences (Demo)