a-ha – The Living Daylights (German 12″)
Posted by DjPaulT on 26th March 2011
BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987
“The Living Daylights” is the song performed by A-ha for the James Bond film of the same name. It was co-written by guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy and Bond composer John Barry.
Barry was listed on the credits as co-writer and producer, and the initial release of the song was his version. A second version of the song, re-worked by A-ha in 1988, later appeared on their third album, Stay on These Roads. Not surprisingly, the band prefers their version of the song to Barry’s.
When interviewed on a late-night show in 1987, Barry said that he found working with the band exhausting secondary to the band’s insistence on using their own version of the song for release. In an interview with Hotrod Magazine, keyboardist Magne Furuholmen said that “[the band's] fight with Barry left a rather unpleasant aftertaste. Apparently he compared us to Hitlerjugend in a newspaper interview.” Waaktaar-Savoy claims that Barry never contributed to the creative process, and should not have his name on the credits.
“The Living Daylights” was released in the summer of 1987 and has become one of the most successful singles ever to be released by a-ha on the rock charts. The song didn’t chart on the Billboard Hot 100, but it charted in the United Kingdom where it peaked at number five. It also remains a favourite with Bond fans.
The song remains one of a-ha ‘s most played songs in live concerts and has often been extended into a sing-along with the audience, as featured on the live album How Can I Sleep with Your Voice in My Head. In live performances, Paul Waaktaar-Savoy often included the James Bond Theme in his guitar solo.
Evan Cater of Allmusic said the song was “a strong sample of Seven and the Ragged Tiger-influenced Europop, enhanced by Morten Harket’s powerhouse falsetto vocals.”
The single sold over 2 million copies worldwide.
SIDE A:
The Living Daylights (Extended Version) 6:50
SIDE B:
The Living Daylights (7 Inch Version) 4:15
The Living Daylights (Instrumental) 4:41
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Cover: Near Mint
CHARTS:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | The Living Daylights | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | Did Not Chart |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Warner Bros. Records
Catalog#: 920 736-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″
Country: Germany
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Artwork By – Bill Smith Studio
Photography – Paul Rider
Producer – Jason Corsaro , Mags (2)
Written-By, Producer – John Barry , Pal Waaktaar*
NOTES:
From the Warner Bros. album “The Living Daylights/Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”
Find the 12″ on DISCOGS
EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner
SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator
RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
PW: burningtheground
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Tags: 1987, a-ha, John Barry, The Living Daylights
Posted in a-ha | 14 Comments »