As the year progresses, we move closer to one of our favourite music festivals – A Day on the Green. Melbourne on the Move will be providing official event transportation services and we can’t wait to get stuck into the great music and atmosphere. To get you all psyched up for A-Ha’s Rochford Wines show with Rick Astley, we’ve decided to take a look at five things you probably didn’t know about the Norwegian 80s icons – as well as two things about the superstar that’ll never give you up, Rick Astley.
A-Ha
1. They weren’t one-hit wonders
Though everyone knows their iconic number Take On Me, their musical history and discography are actually a lot broader than you might think. Between their inception in 1982 and now, they’ve released 10 studio albums and five live albums as well as various compilations and deluxe/anniversary editions for several of their studio releases.
In fact, five of their albums went platinum. Their debut album actually went platinum three times in Britain and their second album went platinum once in four different countries as well as with the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. So, contrary to what people might think, they actually have quite a few accolades to their name.
2. They’ve split and reformed twice
In 1994, the band opted to concentrate on solo projects. This led to a hiatus for the next four years. Vocalist Morten Harket and percussionist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy both released two solo albums in this four-year gap, whilst keyboardist/guitarist Magne Furuholmen worked on various music and visual arts projects.
In 1998 they came together to play at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony – where Waaktaar-Savoy wrote the song Summer Moved On specifically for the performance. The band was active until 2010 when they played a farewell tour – that was recorded and released on DVD – and then continued on with their solo projects. That was, until 2015 when they reformed and released a new album – they’ve been touring ever since.
3. They’re a Bond band
In 1987 A-ha recorded and released The Living Daylights for the 15th James Bond movie of the same name. It was released on both 7” and 12” records and a re-recorded version featured on their third studio album a year later. Apparently, though, the version used in the movie was John Barry’s version – who composed the music for 11 Bond films.
4. Morten Harket can really sing!
In their song Summer Moved On, vocalist Morten Harket sustains a note for 20.2 seconds – which is apparently the longest note ever held in a top 40 pop song. This is backed up further by the impressively high note he hits in Take On Me – which is imitated by people in karaoke bars and showers across the world.
5. Take On Me was once the king of the charts
Take On Me, A-Ha’s most well-known song and 80s anthem reached #1 on the Billboard charts in 1985. It has sold two million copies and has been streamed 628.1 million times. In fact, the video clip – which is iconic in itself – is just under a million views on YouTube – which is quite a rare accomplishment for a song from that era. The song remained on the charts for 27 weeks and ended at #10 at the end of 1985.
Rick Astley
1. He’s the lord of all trolls
I don’t think Rick Astley ever realised that years later in the 21st Century he would have a resurgence of fame due to people on the internet using his most popular song to “rickroll” others. The internet phenomenon started in 2007 and the music video on YouTube has received over half a million views – exposing the music to a much younger generation. In fact, he participated in a live rickrolling event in 2008 during a Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade.
2. More than just the one song
Rick Astley actually has nine studio albums spanning from 1987 to 2019. He took a hiatus from 1994 – 2000 but has since returned – continuing to produce music and tour the world.
Need event transportation service to ADOTG?
Melbourne on the Move is proud to be providing official transportation services to A Day On The Green’s Rochford Wines show featuring A-Ha and Rick Astley. We provide event transportation services to attractions and festivals all around Victoria. Our fleet of buses is complemented by our experienced drivers who know the Victorian roads like the back of their hands.
If you’re interested in enquiring about our event transportation services for A-Ha and Rick Astley, then please give us a call on 1300 558 686. Alternatively, you can also fill out the contact sheet found on our website.