"Manhattan Skyline" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by A-ha | ||||
from the album Scoundrel Days | ||||
B-side | "We're Looking for the Whales" (Live in Croydon) | |||
Released | 16 February 1987 [1] | |||
Recorded | 1986 | |||
Genre | Synthpop, pop rock | |||
Length | 4:52 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Alan Tarney | |||
A-ha singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Manhattan Skyline" on YouTube |
"Manhattan Skyline" is a song by Norwegian synth-pop band A-ha, released in February 1987 as the third single from their second studio album, Scoundrel Days (1986). It reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart.
The song was co-written by keyboardist Magne Furuholmen and guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy. The song starts with Furuholmen playing a Harpsichord synthesizer sound in F major, before kicking into a hard rock-style chorus with a guitar riff in D minor. In the official A-ha biography, The Swing of Things 1985–2010 by Jan Omdahl, Furuholmen said: "Manhattan Skyline" was perhaps one of the most inspired cut and paste projects that Paul and I did. I wrote the quiet part. Paul wrote the rock part. I thought I was doing a classic when I worked on the opening riff. Well, okay, it is a classic, actually." [2]
The B-side, "We're Looking for the Whales", was recorded at a concert at Fairfield Halls, Croydon in London on 19 January 1987.
The single version omits the lyric "you see things in the depths of my eyes that my love's run dry" that is present twice on the album version during the song's main chorus.
On 10 January 1987, A-ha filmed the "Manhattan Skyline" video in a London studio. The music video was directed by Steve Barron and was inspired by newsprint, featuring a connect-the-dots animation of the band, a crossword puzzle, a printing press, and articles from newspapers from around the world. [2]
The newspaper at the end is one of Norway's largest papers, Aftenposten .
7": Warner Bros. / W 8405 United Kingdom (1987)
12": Warner Bros. / W 8405TW United Kingdom (1987)
Chart (1987) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [3] | 16 |
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles) [4] | 13 |
Ireland (IRMA) [5] | 3 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [6] | 53 |
Norway (VG-lista) [7] | 4 |
UK Singles (OCC) [8] | 13 |
West Germany (GfK) [9] | 28 |
The song is featured in Limmy's Show, [10] the scene in which it's featured spawning the popular "Benny Harvey" joke, started by Limmy at the end of the scene.
In 2017, A-ha appeared on the television series MTV Unplugged and played and recorded acoustic versions of many of their popular songs for the album MTV Unplugged – Summer Solstice in Giske, Norway, including "Manhattan Skyline". [11]
A-ha is a Norwegian synth-pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. Founded by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, Magne Furuholmen, and Morten Harket, the band rose to fame during the mid-1980s.
Scoundrel Days is the second studio album by Norwegian band a-ha, released on 6 October 1986 by Warner Bros. Records. A remastered edition with additional tracks was released in 2010.
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy is a Norwegian musician and songwriter. Waaktaar-Savoy is best known for his work as the main songwriter and guitarist in the Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha, which has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide. He has written or co-written most of the band's biggest hits, including "The Sun Always Shines on T.V.", "Hunting High and Low", "Take On Me", the 1987 James Bond theme "The Living Daylights" and the ballad "Summer Moved On". In addition, Waaktaar-Savoy is also a painter.
Magne Furuholmen is a Norwegian musician and visual artist. Also known by his stage name Mags, he is the keyboardist of the synth-pop band A-ha and co-wrote hits such as "Take On Me", "Stay on These Roads", "Manhattan Skyline", "Cry Wolf", "Forever Not Yours", "Analogue ", "Minor Earth Major Sky", "Touchy!", "You Are the One", "Move To Memphis" and "Foot of the Mountain". A-ha has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide. He was named Knight First Class of the Order of St. Olav by King Harald for his services to Norwegian music and his international success.
The discography of A-ha, a Norwegian synthpop/rock band, consists of eleven studio albums, eight compilation albums, six box sets, ten extended plays, and fifty singles. This list does not include solo material or other projects recorded by A-ha band members.
"I've Been Losing You" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha, released as the lead single from their second studio album, Scoundrel Days (1986). It reached number one in Denmark and Norway, and number eight in the United Kingdom. It achieved worldwide sales of over 1.1 million copies.
How Can I Sleep with Your Voice in My Head is a live album by Norwegian band A-ha, released on 25 March 2003 by WEA Records.
"Summer Moved On" is a song by Norwegian band a-ha, released as the group's first single in more than six years. The lead single from their sixth studio album, Minor Earth Major Sky (2000), the song was released in Europe on 25 March 2000 by WEA and was given a UK release on 22 May 2000. It was originally hastily written after a-ha agreed to a one-time reunion at the Nobel Peace Prize concert in 1998. The song became a number-one radio hit in much of Europe, including topping the chart in the band's native Norway. On the song, Morten Harket achieved the European record for the longest note held in a top-40 pop song; he sustains a chest voice note for 20.2 seconds. Its music video was directed by Adam Berg and filmed in Spain.
"Forever Not Yours" is the first single from the A-ha album Lifelines. It was sent to radio stations in parts of Europe on 22 February 2002 and was released commercially on 2 April.
"Analogue (All I Want)" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha. It is the title track of their eighth studio album (2005). The song was released as a single on 30 December 2005 and became a top-10 hit in Norway and the United Kingdom.
"Hunting High and Low" is a song by Norwegian band a-ha, released in June 1986 as the fifth and final single from the band's debut studio album of the same name (1985). It became the third most successful single from Hunting High and Low on the charts and one of the band's most recognizable and popular songs. The song did not chart in the United States, but reached the top five in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
"Mony Mony" is a 1968 single by American pop rock band Tommy James and the Shondells, which reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 3 in the U.S. Written by Bobby Bloom, Ritchie Cordell, Bo Gentry, and Tommy James, the song has appeared in various film and television works such as the Oliver Stone drama Heaven & Earth. It was also covered by English singer-songwriter Billy Idol in 1981. Idol's version, which took in more of a rock sound, became an international top 40 hit and additionally revived public interest in the original garage rock single. Idol recorded a live version in 1985 which was ultimately released in 1987 where it became an even bigger hit than the Shondells' 1968 original, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"The Living Daylights" is the theme song from the 1987 James Bond film of the same name, performed by Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha. It was written by guitarist Pål Waaktaar. A revised version of the song was included on the band's third studio album, Stay on These Roads (1988).
"Foot of the Mountain" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha, released as the lead single from their ninth studio album of the same name (2009). It was used as the official anthem of the 2009 World Championships in Athletics held in Berlin. The single reached number three in Germany, the band's highest-charting single in that country since "Take On Me" in 1985.
"Take On Me" is a song by the Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha. The original version, recorded in 1984 and released in October of that same year, was produced by Tony Mansfield and remixed by John Ratcliff. The 1985 international hit version was produced by Alan Tarney for the group's debut studio album, Hunting High and Low (1985). The recording combines synth-pop with a varied instrumentation, including acoustic guitars, keyboards, and drums.
Ending on a High Note: The Final Concert is a live album by Norwegian band a-ha, released on 1 April 2011. It was recorded at the Oslo Spektrum in Oslo on 4 December 2010, which was initially planned to be their final concert before their eventual reunion in 2015. The concert on the previous night was also recorded as a back-up. The album contains the entire set from the final concert with the exception of "The Bandstand" and "Bowling Green", the latter being an Everly Brothers cover the band performed as part of the final encore.
Morten Harket is a Norwegian singer who is the lead vocalist of the synth-pop band A-ha.
"Move to Memphis" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha, which was released in October 1991 as a single from their greatest hits album Headlines and Deadlines: The Hits of A-ha (1991). It was written by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy and Magne Furuholmen, and produced by A-ha. "Move to Memphis" reached number two in Norway and number 47 in the United Kingdom.
MTV Unplugged: Summer Solstice is a live album by the Norwegian band a-ha, released on 6 October 2017 as part of the MTV Unplugged series. It was recorded live at the Harbour Hall at Ocean Sound Recordings in Giske, Norway, on 22 and 23 June 2017.