Morten Harket

Morten Harket
Morten Harket performing in 2013
Background information
Birth name	Morten Harket
Born	(1959-09-14) 14 September 1959 (age 57) Kongsberg, Norway
Genres	Synthpop, pop rock, alternative rock
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano, drums
Years active	1982–present
Labels	Polydor, Warner Bros., KKV/BMG Norway
Associated acts	A-ha

Morten Harket (born 14 September 1959) is a Norwegian musician, best known as the lead singer of the synthpop/rock band A-ha, which released ten studio albums and topped the charts internationally after their breakthrough hit "Take on Me" in 1985. A-ha disbanded in 2010 after they played their last gig in Oslo. In 2015, after each member pursued his own artistic path, a-ha reunited to produce a new album, Cast In Steel, and perform a world tour, kicking off at Rock in Rio in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 27 September 2015. Harket has also released six solo albums. Before joining A-ha in 1982, Harket had appeared on the Oslo club scene as the singer for blues outfit Souldier Blue.

The trio, composed of lead vocalist Harket, guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (Pål Waaktaar until his marriage in 1994), and keyboardist Magne Furuholmen, formed on 14/09/1982, and left Norway for London in order to make a career in the music business. They chose the studio of musician, producer, and soon-to-be-manager, John Ratcliff, because it had a Space Invaders machine. John Ratcliff introduced the band to his manager, Terry Slater, and, after a few meetings, A-ha had two managers. Terry Slater and John Ratcliff together formed T.J. Management. Ratcliff dealt with all the technical and musical aspects; Slater was the international business manager and liaison to Warner Brothers' head office. The band says the name A-ha comes from a title Paul contemplated giving to a song; he was dithering between the title "A-ha" and "A-hem". Morten was looking through Paul's notebook, and came across the name, which he liked, and immediately decided that was the right name.

In 1984, A-ha released their first single, "Take On Me", which became a hit only on the third attempt in 1985, after it had been re-recorded and accompanied by a music video directed by Steve Barron. The single's international success helped A-ha's debut album Hunting High and Low to sell over 10 million copies worldwide. Their second studio album was Scoundrel Days, followed by Stay on These Roads and East of the Sun, West of the Moon. The band then issued the commercially disappointing Memorial Beach, after which the band went on hiatus.