Category: a-ha

a-ha – I’ve Been Losing You (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

“I’ve Been Losing You” is a song by Norwegian band A-ha. It was the first single taken from their 1986 Scoundrel Days album. It reached number one in Norway and number eight in the UK. It achieved worldwide sales of over 1.1 million copies.

The music video was shot in a wide arena in Los Angeles.

“This Alone Is Love” was the B-side, in an earlier, rawer form than the one that was re-recorded for Stay on These Roads. Both versions can be easily differentiated by their duration and the use of certain instruments. The earlier version is notable for its organ solo that sets in at 3:36 until the end of the song. The Scoundrel Days version is notable for its guitar solo. It is derived from a song by Waaktaar and Furuholmen’s previous band Bridges.

SIDE A:
I’ve Been Losing You (Extended Mix) 7:02
Engineer [Assistant] – Craig Engel
Engineer [Remix] – Brian Malouf
Producer [Additional], Remix – Jellybean*

SIDE B:
I’ve Been Losing You (Dub) 4:26
Engineer [Assistant] – Craig Engel
Engineer [Remix] – Brian Malouf
Producer [Additional], Remix – Jellybean*

This Alone Is Love 4:32
Music By – Mags (2)

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Warner Bros. Records ‎– 9 20557-0, Warner Bros. Records ‎– 0-20557
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Design – Jeri McManus Heiden
Music By, Lyrics By – Pål Waaktaar
Photography By – Knut Bry
Producer – Mags (2), Pål Waaktaar

NOTES:
From the LP “SCOUNDREL DAYS”

Find the 12″ at DISCOGS

VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck 
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7 TubeGold Pins
Soundcard: Novation Audiohub 2×4 Audio Interface
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2, ocenaudio
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

a-ha – Take On Me (German 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

A. Front

“Take On Me” is a 1984 synth-pop song by Norwegian band a-ha.

a-ha wrote and recorded the first version of this song in 1982 with the title “Lesson One” – it had different lyrics but contained the basic keyboard riff. In 1983, the song got the attention of industry veteran Terry Slater, who becomes their manager and helps them secure a contract with Warner Bros. Records later that year.

In early 1984, they re-wrote the song as “Take On Me” and recorded it with producer Tony Mansfield. Released as a single only in Europe, it went to #3 in their native Norway, but didn’t chart anywhere else, flopping particularly hard in the UK. A video was made for this version that was remarkably undistinguished compared with the one that came after.

This is the original 1984 version of “Take On Me” released in Europe before the song became an international hit in 1985.

SIDE A:
Take On Me (Long Version) 3:46
Remix – John Ratcliff

SIDE B:
And You Tell Me 1:49
Remix – John Ratcliff

Stop! And Make Your Mind Up 2:58

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Warner Bros. Records ‎– 920 268-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Germany
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Producer – Aha* (tracks: B2), John Ratcliff (tracks: B2), Tony Mansfield (tracks: A, B1)

Find the 12″ On DISCOGS

B. Back

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck 
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removeal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

a-ha – The Sun Always Shines On T.V. (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

A. Front

The Sun Always Shines on T.V.” is a song by Norwegian pop band A-ha. It was released as the third single from the band’s debut album, Hunting High and Low. In many countries the single was not as successful as the band’s previous, “Take on Me”, which hit #1 in the U.S. and several countries around the world. In the UK and Ireland, however, “The Sun Always Shines on T.V.” actually improved upon the #2 charting of their debut, remaining at the top spot on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in January 1986, having been released there on 16 December 1985.

This is the first edition of the UK 12″ single release.
The shorter extended version which is the rarer one, features a slow piano intro, before the steady drum beat commences.
Comes with a limited edition poster featuring a multicolour group-shot (Morten, Magne and Pål from left to right pictured in full length) by Robert Erdmann.

The 24″x36″ poster promotes the “hunting high and low”-album in white letters and larger a-ha logo in red.
The ‘Extended Version’ featured is NOT the same ‘Extended Version’ that was featured on subsequent pressings – these later pressings all featured the ‘US Dance Mix’ which was remixed by Steve Thompson.

SIDE A:
The Sun Always Shines On T.V. (Extended Version) 7:06
Producer – Alan Tarney

SIDE B:
Driftwood 3:04
Producer – A-Ha

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
Poster: Mint

CHARTS:

Year Single Chart Position
1985 The Sun Always Shines On T.V. U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #20
1985 The Sun Always Shines On T.V. U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play #5

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Warner Bros. Records ‎– W8846(T)
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Poster
Country: UK
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Photography – Jonathan Lennard
Written-By – Pål Waaktaar

NOTES:
From the a-ha album “hunting high and low”

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

B. back

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