素描動畫之先驅～A-ha／阿哈合唱團

a-ha - Hunting High And Low (1985)

三位挪威 Oslo 的大男孩 Morten Harket (1959.9.14)、Magne Furuholmen (1962.11.1)、Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (1961.9.6) 一起離開家鄉前往倫敦以尋求發展更好的音樂事業，為了幫樂團取個名字，從他們早期在挪威唱歌時的一首「The Juicyfruit Song」之中擷取靈感，翻找過許多不同語言版本的字典後，發現「a-ha」這個字不但是人與人之間快速互動、讚賞肯定的字眼，而且沒有人會想到用這個簡短又易記的字。

主唱 Morten Harket 跟其他兩位團員首次合作的第一件事情，是聽他們玩著一首名為「Lesson One」的歌曲，他加入這首歌曲後將此歌改名為「Take On Me」，經過幾次錄音和兩次失敗的發行 (1984年首發僅售出300張)，一年後遇上製作人 Alan Tarney 將之重新包裝製作首張專輯「Hunting High And Low」，竟然創下全球單月銷售一千五百萬張的驚人數字，同時在美國不但榮登排行榜第一名，在英國也登上排行榜第二名，更因為該專輯歌曲 MTV 首創以素描結合動畫的特殊手法製作，總計有8首歌曲 MTV 獲得1986年美國MTV音樂獎「最佳 MTV 獎」殊榮，使得聲勢扶搖直上的 a-ha，除了「葛萊美最佳新人獎」之外再添一項紀錄。

a-ha
(Morten Harket, Take On Me Music Video, 1985)

Hunting High And Low (1985)

Here I am and within the reach of my hand she's sound asleep
And she's sweeter now than the wildest dream.
Could have seen her
and I watch her slipping away

But I know I'll be hunting high and low
high -
There's no end to the lenghts I'll go to
hunting high and low
high -
There's no end to the lenghts I'll go to find her again.

Upon this my dreams are depending through the dark
I sense the pounding of her heart next to mine.
She's the sweetest love I could find

So I guess I'll be hunting high and low
high -
There's no end to the lenghts I'll go to
high and low
high -
Do you know what it means to love you?

I'm hunting high and low
And now she's telling me she's got to go away.
I'll always be hunting high and low
only for you

Watch me tearing myself to pieces
hunting high and low
high -
There's no end to the lenghts I'll go to
For you I'll be hunting high and low

在第二張專輯「Scoundrel Days」裡，成就如日中天的 a-ha 開始嘗試不同樂風的搖滾；1987年更受邀演唱 007 電影系列「黎明生機」主題曲「The Living Daylights」並收錄於1988年第三張專輯「Stay On These Roads」之中，這張專輯更臻成熟地使用了混音技術加上獨特的搖滾風格，使得同名主打歌「Stay On These Roads」一岀，銷售數字直衝五百萬張以上。

Stay On These Roads (1988)

Stay On These Roads (1988)

The cold has a voice
It talks to me
Stillborn, by choice
It airs no need to hold

Old man feels the cold...
Oh baby don't
'cause I've been told

Stay on these roads
We shall meet, I know
Stay on...my love
We shall meet, I know
I know

Where joy should reign
These skies restrain
'Shadow your love...'
The voice trails off again

Old man feels the cold
Oh baby don't
'cause I've been told

Stay on these roads
We shall meet, I know
Stay on...my love

You feel so weak, be strong
Stay on, stay on
We shall meet, I know
I know
I know, my love, I know

Feel the cold
Winter's calling on my home

然而在1993年「Memorial Beach」專輯之後，他們也曾一度由於細故分開，從1994年各自單飛，直到1998年再度重聚，一方面在歐美各地巡迴演唱，一方面仍然秉持一貫的音樂理念，幾乎每一年都有新作品呈現給歌迷們。

a-ha - Minor Earth | Major Sky (2000)

1998年，再度聚首於 Nobel Peace Prize concert 的三人，將之前彼此相處的陰霾及種種心情化為文字，草草寫下了這首「Summer Moved On」；直到2000年發行「Minor Earth | Major Sky」專輯時，才將它重新編製收錄在專輯裡，更遠赴西班牙 Cadiz 拍攝該曲 MTV，雖然這張專輯一推出便在歐洲及加拿大都登上第一名，但在美國卻乏人問津，實在可惜！

這首歌，獻給宇宙星辰中，一夜無眠喝著小酒、隱匿寂寞等待日出的朋友～～～

Summer Moved On  (2000)

Summer moved on
And the way it goes
You can't tag along

Honey moved out
And the way it went
Leaves no doubt

Moments will pass
In the morning light
I found out

Seasons can't last
And there's one thing
Left to ask

Stay, don't just walk away
And leave me another day
A day just like today
With nobody else around

Friendships move on
Until the day
You can't get along

Handshakes unfold
And the way it goes
No one knows

Moments will pass
In the morning light
I found out

Seasons can't last
So there's just one thing
Left to ask

Stay, don't just walk away
And leave me another day
A day just like today

Stay, don't just walk away
With nobody else around

Seasons can't last
And there's just one thing
Left to ask

Stay, don't just walk away
And leave me another day
A day just like today

Stay, don't just walk away
With nobody else around
Summer moved on