Music News

Pop Legends a-ha to Release 6LP Boxset of Iconic Band’s Classic Debut Album ~ “Hunting High and Low”

a-ha have announced that their iconic debut album Hunting High and Low will be released for the first time ever in a stunning 6LP boxset.

The boxset of the iconic 1985 album will be released on February 24, featuring an expanded track selection including demos, extended versions, alternate mixes, and b-sides.

It will feature a highly collectible rigid slipcase box, containing the album represented across 60 tracks on black 140g vinyl, and a 64 -page 12”x12” booklet with extensive liner notes and photography.

Hunting High and Low is regarded as one of the most successful debut albums of all-time and spawned an incredible career for the Norwegian band.

With huge hit singles such as ‘The Sun Always Shines On TV’, ‘Love Is Reason’, ‘Hunting High and Low’, and of course, the iconic ‘Take On Me’; a-ha achieved international acclaim, and the album saw them nominated for a Grammy Award in 1986 for Best New Artist (the first Norwegian band to ever be nominated for a Grammy.)

‘Take On Me’ itself became a No.1 single in the USA and remained on the chart for several weeks, propelled by its seminal and ground-breaking music video which featured a mix of pencil sketch animation and live action footage.

The song has gone on to have an everlasting legacy, becoming No.1 in 14 further countries worldwide, achieving 2 billion streams worldwide including being the most streamed song from the year 1985, and garnering over 1.5 billion views on YouTube, and over 1 billion views from various Tik Tok challenges.

In October 2022, the song received the BMI Multi-Million Performance Award for more than 8 million airings on the US airwaves since it was released.

Hunting High and Low has gone onto be 3x platinum in the UK, and certified platinum in the United States, and has sold over ten million copies worldwide.

On the 6LP boxset release, the band said: “Recording Hunting High And Low was such a defining moment and an exciting time in our career and joint collaboration, so revisiting this body of work now – more than 30 years later – feels like inspiration rather than obligation.”

Tracklist:
LP1 – The Original Album:

  1. Take On Me
  2. Train Of Thought
  3. Hunting High And Low
  4. The Blue Sky
  5. Living A Boy’s Adventure Tale
  6. The Sun Always Shines On TV
  7. And You Tell Me
  8. Love Is Reason
  9. Dream Myself Alive
  10. Here I Stand And Face The Rain

LP2 & LP3 – The Demos 1982-1984

  1. Lesson One (Autumn 1982 “Take On Me” Demo)
  2. Presenting Lily Mars (Nærsnes Demo)
  3. Så Blåser Det På Jorden (Nærsnes Demo)
  4. The Sphinx (Nærsnes Demo)
  5. Living A Boy’s Adventure Tale (Nærsnes Demo)
  6. Dot The I
  7. The Love Goodbye
  8. Nothing To It
  9. Go To Sleep
  10. Train Of Thought (Demo)
  11. Monday Mourning
  12. All The Planes That Come In On The Quiet
  13. The Blue Sky (Demo)
  14. You Have Grown Thoughtful Again
  15. What’s That You’re Doing To Yourself In The Pouring Rain
  16. Take On Me (Demo)
  17. Hunting High And Low (Demo)
  18. Dreaming Myself Alive (Demo)
  19. And You Tell Me (Demo)
  20. Here I Stand And Face The Rain (Demo)
  21. Love Is Reason (Demo)
  22. The Blue Sky (2nd Demo)
  23. Never Never
  24. The Sun Always Shines On TV (Demo)
  25. Presenting Lily Mars (Rendezvous Demo)

LP4 & LP5 – Singles, Extended Versions & B-Sides

  1. Take On Me (Original 7” Version 1984)
  2. Take On Me (1984 12” Mix)
  3. Stop! And Make Your Mind Up
  4. Take On Me (1985 12” Mix)
  5. Take On Me ( Instrumental Mix)
  6. The Sun Always Shines On TV (7” Mix)
  7. The Sun Always Shines On TV (Extended Version)
  8. Driftwood
  9. The Sun Always Shines On TV (Extended Version)
  10. The Sun Always Shines On TV ( Instrumental)
  11. Train Of Thought (7” Remix)
  12. Train Of Thought (US Remix)
  13. Train Of Thought (Dub Mix)
  14. Hunting High And Low (7” Remix)
  15. Hunting High And Low (Extended Remix)

LP6 – The Alternate Mixes

  1. Take On Me (Video Version)
  2. Train Of Thought (Early Mix)
  3. Hunting High And Low (Early Mix)
  4. The Blue Sky (Alternative Long Mix)
  5. Living A Boy’s Adventure Tale (Early Mix)
  6. The Sun Always Shines On TV (Alternate Mix)
  7. And You Tell Me (Early Mix)
  8. Love Is Reason (Early Mix)
  9. Dream Myself Alive (Early NYC Mix)
  10. Here I Stand And Face The Rain (Early Mix)