Hunting High and Low (A-ha song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Hunting High and Low"
A-Ha-Hunting-High-And-Low.jpg
Single by A-ha
from the album Hunting High and Low
B-side
  • "The Blue Sky" (Demo Version)
  • "And You Tell Me" (Demo Version)
  • "Train of Thought" (Reflection Mix)
Released2 June 1986
Genre
Length3:45
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Pål Waaktaar
Producer(s)Tony Mansfield
A-ha singles chronology
"Train of Thought"
(1986) 		"Hunting High and Low"
(1986) 		"I've Been Losing You"
(1986)
Music video
"Hunting High and Low" on YouTube

"Hunting High and Low" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha, released in 1986 as the fifth and final single from the band's debut studio album of the same name (1985).

Release and reception[]

"Hunting High and Low" was released in the summer of 1986 and became the third most successful single from Hunting High and Low on the charts and one of the band's most recognizable and popular songs. The song did not chart in the United States, but reached the top five in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The original album version was produced by Tony Mansfield and is played with synthesizers. For its single release, the track was remixed, containing additional production by Alan Tarney and features an orchestra.

During the Gulf War, the UK's BBC puts several songs on a black list because they think they are not appropriate to be played during the war. a-ha's "Hunting High And Low" is on the list. Other songs include Abba's "Waterloo" and Nicole Seibert's "Ein bißchen Frieden"

Music video[]

This was the last video from the band's debut album which was directed by Steve Barron.

The UK TV show Blue Peter featured a making-of-the-video special on "Hunting High and Low" to demonstrate the morphing effects of Morten into animals.

The video starts with a lonely Morten walking across a snowy landscape which then cuts to a silhouette of the band in a studio with Morten on Vocals, Mags on Piano and Pål on Guitar. The film then cuts back to show Morten turn into an Eagle using animation and fly off across the snowscape into a city. With the orchestral part of the song starting the video then goes back to the silhouettes of the band, this time with an orchestra animated like a rotoscope.

With Morten now back again as a human he is seen standing on top of a cliff face about to dive off of it. When he does he turns into a shark and swims off across the ocean. As the film continues, a woman is shown on a beach who sees the shark and steps into the water. All of a sudden two hunters spear the shark and try to drag it onto the beach. As they do so, the shark turns into a lion and runs off into the wilderness. As the film moves toward the end, the silhouettes of Morten, Magne and Pal become full colour ... and a hunter is seen lining up the lion in his sights, about to shoot. The woman from the beach stops the hunter.

The basic idea behind the video is that love brings a man back in various forms to be near the woman he loves.

Formats and track listing[]

7": Warner Bros. / W 6663 (UK)[]

Side one
  1. "Hunting High and Low" (Remix) - 3:45
Side two
  1. "The Blue Sky" (Demo Version) - 3:12

12": Warner Bros. / W 6663T (UK)[]

Side one
  1. "Hunting High and Low" (Extended Version) - 6:03
Side two
  1. "Hunting High and Low" (Remix) - 3:45
  2. "The Blue Sky" (Demo Version) - 3:12

7": Warner Bros. / 9 28684-7 (US)[]

Side one
  1. "Hunting High and Low" (Remix) - 3:45
Side two
  1. "And You Tell Me" (Demo Version) - 1:52

12": Warner Bros. / 9 20478-0 (US)[]

Side one
  1. "Hunting High and Low" (Extended Remix) - 6:03
Side two
  1. "Train of Thought" (Reflection Mix) - 7:00
  2. "And You Tell Me" (Demo Version) - 1:52
  • Track 1 is the same version as the "Extended Version", produced by Tony Mansfield, additional production by Alan Tarney.
  • "Train of Thought" (Reflection Mix) is the same version as the "Steve Thompson Mix" & "The U.S. Mix".

Charts[]

References[]

  1. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 13. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  2. ^ "Austriancharts.at – a-ha – Hunting High and Low" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Ultratop.be – a-ha – Hunting High and Low" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  4. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3 no. 30. 2 August 1986. p. 12. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  5. ^ "Lescharts.com – a-ha – Hunting High and Low" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  6. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Hunting High & Low". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  7. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – a-ha" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  8. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – a-ha – Hunting High and Low" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Charts.nz – a-ha – Hunting High and Low". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  10. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – a-ha – Hunting High and Low". VG-lista. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  11. ^ "a-ha: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  12. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – a-ha – Hunting High and Low". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  13. ^ "Hot 100 of the Year 1986 – European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3 no. 51/52. 27 December 1986. p. 28. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  14. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  15. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts – 1986" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
Retrieved from ""