| Soul Brother 21.07.2009 18:35 |
A-ha frontman in an interview feature in the London Times 'Play' magazine (18th-24th July 2009)'Guest List' feature cites Queen twice as a major influence: Vocalists: Freddie Mercury. "A great range, and also a great approach to singing. He knew how to use the media - not by taking it seriously, by understanding how unimportant it really was. I think he was a deeply honest man. I never met him properly but he was a good friend of my former manager, who always loved him". Albums: A Night at the Opera - Queen. "This was a real climax, although I loved some of the earlier Seventies stuff too. What strikes me more than anything else about Queen is character. Technical singing is secondary to flamboyance doesn't mean much to me. Character is everything." Ed: A-ha are one of my favorite bands!!! |
| doxonrox 21.07.2009 20:41 |
Great quotes. A-ha is the band that did Take on Me, right? Did they do anything else worth noting? Not knocking the group, but I don't know much else about them other than they seem like a perfect one hit wonder. |
| on my way up 22.07.2009 01:59 |
doxonrox wrote: Great quotes. A-ha is the band that did Take on Me, right? Did they do anything else worth noting? Not knocking the group, but I don't know much else about them other than they seem like a perfect one hit wonder. I'm not an expert on A-ha but it's surely not the case that they're a one hit wonder. They have several hits(google them and you'll probably recognise more titles) and albums. They even made it to the Guiness book of records for playing to the largest paying audience, fot what that is worth of course:-) |
| Borhap80 22.07.2009 05:50 |
I'm myself coming from Norway, and this came as no suprise to me. Morten Harket has been a long-time Queen fan, he even performed Bohemian Rhapsody in the late seventies, in full costume in homage to them, long before he became famous with Aha. You will notice this influence and respect in the following performance of "Love of My Life": link - In my opinion the best cover version of Love of My Life ever captured. Morten Harket also performed "Killer Queen" and "Love of my life" on another occasion when "Kunstnerenes Hus" (The Artist's house) opened in 2004-2005(?), but a recording has never appeared. Aha is Norway's biggest band, and their latest album recently released is by many ranked as maybe their best. They are indeed not a one-hit-wonder band, as they have worked together for over twenty-five years, and released a bunch of successfull singles including: "Hunting High and Love", "The Sun Always Shines on Tv", "Stay on these Roads", "Summer Moved On" and "Forever not Yours", and the list goes on. As for Morten Harket as a singer, he is brilliant, one of the best in today's music business. On a personal level, at least from the media's point of view, he is seen as a nutcase. He is probably a nightmare as an interview object, he never sticks to the case, always ending up with philosofical ramblings and existencial, over-the-top opinions. Some of the interviews are quite sick.. :) |
| Voice of Reason 2018 22.07.2009 09:00 |
Aha Norway's biggest band Thomas?!! What about Secret Garden? Cheers. |
| Borhap80 22.07.2009 09:24 |
Hehe... Secret Garden are huge, and I respect them and what they have achieved. But it depends on how one defines the term "biggest band". I'm afraid I have to make a generalization, and argue that I think that Aha is considered to be Norway's most sucessfull band in terms of recordsales, adulation, fans and wide reach worldwide. It's not the correct way to measure bands like this, just my opinion :) |
| Vali 22.07.2009 09:43 |
Thomas Tønnesen wrote: Hehe... Secret Garden are huge, and I respect them and what they have achieved. But it depends on how one defines the term "biggest band". I'm afraid I have to make a generalization, and argue that I think that Aha is considered to be Norway's most sucessfull band in terms of recordsales, adulation, fans and wide reach worldwide. It's not the correct way to measure bands like this, just my opinion :) I agree, Thomas I live in Spain, and A-ha has been always "present" here while Secret Garden had their time many years ago ... in fact I didn't remember them until they've been mentioned in this thread. So, by the standards you wrote and I'm quoting above .. yes, A-ha is considered, at least in my country, the biggest band in Norway |
| ParisNair 22.07.2009 23:46 |
My fav a-ha song is Minor Earth Major Sky. |
| Dan C. 23.07.2009 03:18 |
I've always loved Morten Harket's voice. His version of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is amazing... Maybe even better than Frankie Valli's. |
| 4 x Vision 23.07.2009 08:08 |
A-Ha are a fantastic group, didn't they have quite a decent tour of the UK last year? |
| Mary May 27.07.2009 15:20 |
A-ha...what a great band! I think Morten is one of the greatest singers on Earth. |
| L-R-TIGER1994 27.07.2009 22:33 |
I used to listen to A-HA some time ago,you forgot to mention some good songs too:the cover "Crying in the rain" "I call your name" "Early Morning" " Move to Memphis" |
| April 30.07.2009 17:43 |
Thomas Tønnesen wrote: I'm myself coming from Norway, and this came as no suprise to me. Morten Harket has been a long-time Queen fan, he even performed Bohemian Rhapsody in the late seventies, in full costume in homage to them, long before he became famous with Aha. You will notice this influence and respect in the following performance of "Love of My Life": Thank you very much for this information. I believe that A-ha is a great band and Morten is a great singer. Though their most well-known song certainly is Take On Me, they've made a lot of other wonderful songs. And do you mean that Morten as a person is just weird and eccentric, crazy, or rather nasty? |
| April 30.07.2009 17:49 |
Van Basten 9 wrote: A-Ha are a fantastic group, didn't they have quite a decent tour of the UK last year? A-ha are coming to Moscow in November. Could you give me advice. Should I go to their concert? Are their concerts worth it? (or a bit monotonous?) |
| L-R-TIGER1994 30.07.2009 21:17 |
I've seen them once,if I were you I would go for sure. |
| April 31.07.2009 11:47 |
L-R-TIGER1994 wrote: I've seen them once,if I were you I would go for sure. Thanks a lot!!! I will! |
| Borhap80 31.07.2009 14:58 |
"And do you mean that Morten as a person is just weird and eccentric, crazy, or rather nasty?" First of all, I don't consider Morten to be nasty in any way. Crazy? It depends on how you define the term. He is indeed from an outside perspective quite weird and eccentric. One who can really tell you a whole story even though the answer can be short and concrete. He can turn the easist answer into a philosofical and life-depending story, something that makes you gasp after air. He kinda floats around in space. He can be quite funny though :) Interview with Harket 2003: Morten: I tend to fall into a parallell condition. And then I'm not quite good you see, NRK (TV channel): Are you doing it right now? Morten: Yes, now I'm scattered. But right here it is not neccessary to be completely focused, because we aren't really talking about interesting things.. and: NRK evening news wants to know if this means Morten "moves further into the landscape of belief." Morten: It is not really a religious matter. It is the attempt at a logical thinking that is about nothing, in other words, the concept of nothing. Because nothing in this world, so I can not quite understand how this world can exist either. Because. . . in all simplicity as the collapses everything to nothing. If you put it into the equations and the like, then it all goes bad. Sorry for bad translation, no time, but hopefully it gives you a clue... He is quite cosmic! |
| Borhap80 31.07.2009 14:58 |
"And do you mean that Morten as a person is just weird and eccentric, crazy, or rather nasty?" First of all, I don't consider Morten to be nasty in any way. Crazy? It depends on how you define the term. He is indeed from an outside perspective quite weird and eccentric. One who can really tell you a whole story even though the answer can be short and concrete. He can turn the easist answer into a philosofical and life-depending story, something that makes you gasp after air. He kinda floats around in space. He can be quite funny though :) Interview with Harket 2003: Morten: I tend to fall into a parallell condition. And then I'm not quite good you see, NRK (TV channel): Are you doing it right now? Morten: Yes, now I'm scattered. But right here it is not neccessary to be completely focused, because we aren't really talking about interesting things.. and: NRK evening news wants to know if this means Morten "moves further into the landscape of belief." Morten: It is not really a religious matter. It is the attempt at a logical thinking that is about nothing, in other words, the concept of nothing. Because nothing in this world, so I can not quite understand how this world can exist either. Because. . . in all simplicity as the collapses everything to nothing. If you put it into the equations and the like, then it all goes bad. Sorry for bad translation, no time, but hopefully it gives you a clue... He is quite cosmic! |
| April 31.07.2009 16:01 |
Thomas Tønnesen It was really interesting to read your post! I especially liked the place about "parallel" condition. Quite weird! I think I can understand what kind of person Morten is. Thank you, Thomas! And I will go to A-ha concert in November. |
| vivian w 02.08.2009 00:50 |
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| vivian w 02.08.2009 02:35 |
I respect and admire both Morten & A-HA! They are anything but a one-hit-wonder. In The USA they are mainly remembered for "Take On Me" which is unfortunate! They are much more than that one song, recording some of the best pop/rock songs that have ever been recorded. They are one of the best "Live" bands in the world and hold the Guinness World Book of Records for the largest paying audience at a live concert 198,000 people in Rio in 1993. They have millions of fans all over the world and have just released their newest album "Foot Of The Mountain". It went to #1 in Germany (which is the 2nd largest music market in the world behind the USA) and was released in England last Monday 7/27/09 hitting the charts at #2! They are recognized and admired by many of the top bands today: U2, Cold Play, Keene just to name and few. If fact Chris Martin of Cold Play has stated as well as Keene, that Morten Harket and A-ha were their main influence for getting into the music business. As far as Morten Harket goes, he is without question one of the best singers to ever front a band. He has a 5 octave range to his voice that is almost unheard of in a male singer (Freddie Mercury probably had a 5 octave range too). But, no one looked like Morten, he was almost too beautiful in the 80's... long hair in the 90's he was so hot, he sizzled! Now almost 50 (in 6 weeks) to look at him, you would never believe it. The years have been kind to him, he is fit and he has matured into a gorgeous hunk! To be honest, Morten is a man unto himself... unique, maybe a bit eccentric, but certainly not crazy, weird or mean spirited. He is very intelligent, well read, inquisitive and yes, philosophical and outspoken at times. He is a humanitarian and environmentalists and would rather talk about world problems, like global warming, Africa and East Timor; then his personal life, A-HA and the new CD... and especially not how great he still looks and what is his secret to staying so young! In the 90's he helped East Timor in their bloody battle to win their freedom from Indonesia and was in Africa last December helping to aid that country! So, cut the man some slack!!! BTW... to celebrate their 25th anniversary in 2010... A-HA will re-release a special "Hunting High & Low" their first album and will tour the USA in MARCH 2010... the first time in almost 20 years!!! |
| April 02.08.2009 10:45 |
Like the author of the post above I also consider Morten to be extremely handsome. Actually, Morten is in my list of the handsomest guys that ever lived. |
| vivian w 10.08.2009 03:08 |
I will agree 100% with the above author on that point! They don't make them like that anymore... Morten is one of a kind on many levels! I wish them all the best on their new album "Foot Of The Mountain"! It is getting great reviews in England! I think they have a world wide hit album on there hands and it couldn't happen to a more deserving band!!! |