a-ha: MTV Unplugged - Summer Solstice

a-ha did two days of sessions for MTV Unplugged at the island of Giske, Norway in a hall next to the wonderful studio Ocean Sound Recordings at the end of June 2017. The album has just been officially announced to be released October 6. I expect there will be a DVD andBluRay as well.

Instagram post by a-ha • Aug 20, 2017 at 4:18pm UTC

Feel free to discuss track list, versions and clips as they appear. And of course the album/ fil itself when we have reached October!

Here's the setlist from night 1:

1. This is Our Home (New song by Magne)
2. Lifelines
3. I’ve Been Losing You (w/Lissie)
4. Analogue
5. The Sun Always Shines on TV (w/Ingrid Helene Håvik)
6. Break in the Clouds (New song by Paul)
7. Foot of the Mountain
8. Stay on These Roads
9. This Alone is Love
10. Over the Treetops
11. Forever Not Yours
12. Sox of the Fox (aka “The Vacant” by Bridges)
13. Scoundrel Days (w/Ian McCulloch)
14. The Killing Moon (Echo & The Bunnymen cover w/Ian McCulloch)
15. Summer Moved On
16. Memorial Beach
17. Living a Boy’s Adventure Tale
18. Manhattan Skyline
19. The Living Daylights
20. Hunting High and Low
– – – – – – – – – – – – –
21. Take on Me

Same list second night but with Allison Moyet as a guest on Summer Moved On.

 

According to SuperDeluxeEdition Oct. 6 2017 release date CD maybe LP too? perhaps a bundled sets of DVD/Blu-ray??



The 2018 Tour banner supposedly will carry the same MTV Unplugged title.

 

The early 2018 tour. There's supposed to be another electric tour starting in June 2018 including the US!

 

Great news!

 

What is funny to me is, I was a big A-ha fan when the first 2 albums came out (I was 10 when it first came out), and then around the time of SOTR, I lost interest in the band, aside from a couple of songs here and there (I love I Call Your Name). To me, they quit being a big band in about 1988, but obviously all around the world they're still a mega band. It's almost like there's an alternate dimension out there where A-ha is still a big band, I love it.

 

Kind of strange to see two of them smiling on the cover, but I can get used to that!

A single with video could appear very soon, hopefully one of the new songs. I read a comment on FB after the concerts that Pål's song reminds of "Half of the time" by his other band Savoy and that is not a bad thing.

 

I hope the smiles are a sign of happy times to come

 

Great news!

And US tour?!? Wow...

 

So many things to look forward to! This Alone Is Love, Scoundrel Days, Memorial Beach, Analogue, Manhattan Skyline! New material! They are definitely setting a high bar for themselves (Summer Moved On - yikes, that one is vocally so demanding!). Still bummed about the absence of anything from Cast In Steel and East Of The Sun, but smiling Morten and Pål almost - almost - make up for it...

 

Realized that Just Loomis shot the visuals of happy a-ha. Nice to see such a faithful collaboration between him and the band.

Also is it known if the setlist for the recorded concert will be the same as that of the following tour? Can we expect any surprises (guests, different deep cuts...)?

 

Three editions:

MTV Unplugged - Summer Solstice (3LP) (Vinyl LP)
MTV Unplugged - Summer Solstice (2CD+Blu-ray) (CD)
MTV Unplugged - Summer Solstice (2CD+DVD) (CD)

MTV Unplugged - Summer Solstice (2CD+Blu-ray) - CDON.COM

 

I'm looking forward to this release.

 

Great setlist. Don't see a listing on Amazon yet - is this a Europe only release?

 

Whoo hooo on the Blu-ray! Great news, looking forward to this one and will hopefully FINALLY see a-ha live in NA next year.

 

Me too!

 

And me too. Nice setlist with enough changes from previous live releases. Looking forward hearing the new songs.
As interesting this release is tho I can't help being somewhat disappointed that some of the previous projects, one off live shows, hasn't been released on dvd/bluray and cd.
What happened to an offical release of the Afterglow concerrt?
And I wouldn't have minded the full perfomances of Hunting High and Low and Scoundrel Days they did with an orchestra the Royal Albert Hall.
Don't think these will happen now.
But still I am happy with this upcoming release.
I am in for the vinyl and blue-ray sets.

 

Yes everything looks very promising for this release! Vinyl and Blu-ray for me as well. Rest assured, as long as there is a demand there will be more a-ha product for us to purchase and enjoy, new and from the vaults. The problem is rather that there is too much in the pipeline both from Universal, Warner and Drabant Music. I think it is very likely that the long awaited MEMS reissue/deluxe finally will be released later in 2018. (If a-ha ever again will do a special album-concert it will be for MEMS). Eventually, when there is an empty gap or an anniversary, the time will come for HHAL and SD with the symphonic orchestra. However I doubt Afterglow will get an official physical media release anytime soon. I believe a-ha is content to have it hidden in an obscure app and on a YouTube channel with very few viewers. The whole thing did not turn out as planned and promised and Afterglow is not representative in energy and visuals for an a-ha live show. It is not what you primarily want promoters or hesitant concert goers to watch.

 

This Is Our Home ( new song by Magne):

 

Typical Magne, reminds me a lot of "Differences".

 

Had the exact same thought this morning! I like both songs for their simplicity.

 

Yes. Simple and beautiful.

 

Really strong setlist. Not that enamored with Magne's new song, a little too simple for my personal taste, but all in all this seems bound to become a great addition to a-ha's legacy.

 

Same here Mo. Especially interested in hearing Ian on Scoundrel

 

Make that SEVEN editions! Wow.
a-ha / MTV Unplugged: Summer Solstice issued across multiple formats

 

The Vacant is the best track and most a-ha-ish sounding of the tracks from the Bridges LP.
Interesting guest stars. Wonder how Morten's voice is. He was struggling on the last tour?