aaamusic | On 23, Jul 2010

To mark this monumental final year for the iconic pop band, Rhino are set to release the ultimate collection from a-ha’s 25-year career. Released on 4 October 2010, 25 – The Very Best Of will give fans the definitive set of the best-loved tracks from the Norwegian trio. Furthermore, exclusive to the release comes a-ha’s last ever recording and brand new single ‘Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)’.

After nine albums and sales of more than 36 million worldwide, it was announced on Thursday 15 October 2009 that a-ha will embark on a farewell tour and that 2010 will mark the end to the expansive career of the pop greats. This career retrospective release celebrates the astounding contributions the band have made to popular music for the past three decades.

The release is packed full with 39 tracks from a-ha’s great plethora of music. Uniquely separated into chronological order and distinguished by the band’s separate album releases, the two-disc CD plays homage to all of a-ha’s greatest tracks including ‘Take on Me’, ‘The Sun Always Shines On T.V’, ‘Hunting High and Low’, ‘The Living Daylights’ and ‘Foot of the Mountain’ plus the band’s final track ever to be released ‘Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)’.

Starting where they began, acclaimed director Steve Barron will work with a-ha once again and provide the perfect accompaniment to ‘Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)’ with the band’s final music video. Considered as one of the most iconic music videos of all time, Baron directed a-ha’s groundbreaking ‘Take on Me’ and other memorable works include Michael Jackson’s ‘Billy Jean’ and Dire Straits’ ‘Money for Nothing’.

25 – The Very Best Of comes at the start of a bumper week for a-ha, as HMV have announced today that they will exclusively celebrate the album’s release with a signing at HMV’s Oxford Street flagship store at 6:00pm on Wednesday 6 October (due to limited time, 350 wristbands will be issued in-store only from 9:00am on 6 October on a first come first served basis). This will be followed the very same day at 7:30pm by a very special live performance by a-ha at the HMV venue Heaven. Tickets for this unique gig are exclusive to HMV customers who pre-order the album now. For a chance to obtain tickets go to HMV.com. Marking a-ha’s 25-year anniversary, the first 25 people in the queue for a signing session wristband will also win a pair of tickets to the evening gig at Heaven.

The week will end by marking the 25th Anniversary of their groundbreaking and breakthrough, debut album ‘Hunting High And Low’ when they perform the album in full for the very first time at the Royal Albert Hall on Friday 8 October 2010. This SOLD OUT Royal Albert Hall Show precedes a-ha’s ‘Ending On A High Note’ final farewell tour, announced in February this year and coming to the UK in November (see full dates below).

Tracklisting
CD 1

1.    Take On Me
2.    The Blue Sky
3.    The Sun Always Shines On T.V.
4.    Train of Thought (7” remix)
5.    Hunting High and Low (7” remix)
6.    I’ve Been Losing You
7.    Scoundrel Days
8.    The Swing Of Things
9.    Cry Wolf
10. Manhattan Skyline (edit version)
11. The Living Daylights
12. Stay On These Roads
13. Touchy! (UK DJ edit)
14. There’s Never A Forever Thing
15. You Are The One (7” Remix)
16. The Blood That Moves The Body (Two-Time Gun Remix)
17. Crying In The Rain
18. Early Morning
19. Slender Frame
20.  I Call Your Name

CD2
1.    Move To Memphis (single version)
2.    Dark Is The Night For All
3.    Cold As Stone (re-mix)
4.    Angel In The Snow (edit)
5.    Shapes That Go Together
6.    Summer Moved On
7.    Minor Earth Major Sky (Niven’s Radio Edit)
8.    The Sun Never Shone That Day (Radio Edit)
9.    Velvet
10. Forever Not Yours
11. Lifelines
12. Did Anyone Approach You?
13. Celice
14. Analogue
15. Cosy Prisons (Radio Mix)
16. Foot Of The Mountain
17. Nothing Is Keeping You Here (Single Remix)
18. Shadowside (single edit)
19. Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)

To see A-Ha on their Farewell Tour 2010:
OCTOBER 2010
FRI 8 LONDON ROYAL ALBERT HALL 0207 589 8212
NOVEMBER 2010
MON 15 BRIGHTON CENTRE 0844 847 1515
TUE 16 NEWCASTLE METRO RADIO ARENA 0844 493 6666
WED 17 GLASGOW CLYDE AUDITORIUM 0844 499 9990
FRI 19 BIRMINGHAM LG ARENA 0844 338 8000
SAT 20 MANCHESTER MEN ARENA 0844 847 8000
SUN 21 NOTTINGHAM TRENT FM ARENA 0844 412 4624
TUE 23 SHEFFIELD ARENA 0114 256 5656
THU 25 CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL ARENA 0292 022 4488
FRI 26 BOURNEMOUTH INTL CENTRE 0844 576 3000
SAT 27 LONDON WEMBLEY ARENA 0844 815 0815

WWW.GIGSANDTOURS.COM / 24HR CC HOTLINE 0871 2200 260