Today, I am reliably informed by the BBC, is the 25th Anniversary of the a-Ha hit "Take on Me" entering the UK Top 40. You can read a fantastic report on the origins of the song, as well as how the video was made, on the BBC website here.
This took my mind back to the 9th September, when I was wandering down to Wuensdorf-Waldstadt train station with the other ASF volunteers. I was chatting with the lovely Linn Husby about what must be Norway's best known musical export when she began to sing me a solo single by a-Ha's lead singer, Morten Harket. It was beautiful. The song apparently came from a 1988 Norwegian family film called Kamilla og Tyven (Camilla and the Thief), in which Harket plays the Thief. Realising my lack of Norwegian, she explained that in the song Harket is about to be arrested for a crime he once committed, and is asking Kamilla to wait for him while he is in jail. Sadly, I have not been able to find a copy of the film with English subtitles, but I can at least show you a very nice video. For an image of life in Norway in which people wear period dress and 80s hairstyles, see below.
Harket apparently was studying for the priesthood when he was invited to be lead singer for a band called Bridges, two of whose members later formed a-Ha. It's a good thing he recognised he was being called to a far higher purpose!
UPDATE: The Lovely Linn has reliably informed me that Morten Harket does not play the Thief in the film, though he does have a small on screen role. Next time I make a post about 80s Norwegian Cinema I'l have to check my facts better!!
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ReplyDeleteI love that you posted that! I know linked to it in my blog. :) But no, its not Morten Harket that plays the thief, he has another bi-role. Dennis Storhaug, a well know actor in the norwegian communities playes the thief. But yes, it is Morten Harket that sings the song and what its about. And its wonderful of course!
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