Manhattan Skyline (song)
Encyclopedia
"Manhattan Skyline" is a song by the Norwegian
pop band A-ha
. It was the third single from their Scoundrel Days
album, and reached #13 in the UK Singles Chart
.
The song was co-written by keyboardist Magne Furuholmen
and guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
. The song starts with Furuholmen playing a Roland Juno synth 106 synth or Roland juno 60 ( both synths have the same sound used in this song )- in F major
, before kicking into a hard rock-style chorus with a guitar riff in D minor
. In the official A-ha biography, The Swing of Things, Furuholmen said it was "perhaps one of the most inspired cut and paste-projects that Paul and I did. I wrote the quiet part. Paul wrote the rock part."
The music video was directed by Steve Barron
and was inspired by newsprint, featuring a connect-the-dots animation of the band, a crossword puzzle, a printing press, and articles from newspapers from around the world.
The B-side, "We're Looking for the Whales", was recorded at a concert in London on 19 January 1987.
The Norwegian indie folk-pop duo Kings of Convenience
released an acoustic cover version of "Manhattan Skyline" in 2001.
The single version omits the lyric "you see things in the depths of my eyes that my love's run dry" that is present twice on the album version during the song's main chorus.
12"
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
pop band A-ha
A-ha
A-ha were a Norwegian pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. The band was founded by Morten Harket , Magne Furuholmen , and Pål Waaktaar...
. It was the third single from their Scoundrel Days
Scoundrel Days
Scoundrel Days is the second full-length album by the new wave pop/rock band A-ha. It was released on 6 October 1986 through Warner Bros. Records...
album, and reached #13 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
The song was co-written by keyboardist Magne Furuholmen
Magne Furuholmen
Magne 'Mags' Furuholmen is a Norwegian musician. He is best known as the guitarist and keyboardist of the pop band A-ha.-A-ha:Furuholmen has been the keyboardist with A-ha since their formation in 1982, though he also plays guitar...
and guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy is a Norwegian musician and songwriter. He is best known for his work as guitarist in the Norwegian pop band A-ha...
. The song starts with Furuholmen playing a Roland Juno synth 106 synth or Roland juno 60 ( both synths have the same sound used in this song )- in F major
F major
F major is a musical major scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat . It is by far the oldest key signature with an accidental, predating the others by hundreds of years...
, before kicking into a hard rock-style chorus with a guitar riff in D minor
D minor
D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. In the harmonic minor, the C is raised to C. Its key signature has one flat ....
. In the official A-ha biography, The Swing of Things, Furuholmen said it was "perhaps one of the most inspired cut and paste-projects that Paul and I did. I wrote the quiet part. Paul wrote the rock part."
The music video was directed by Steve Barron
Steve Barron
Steven "Steve" Barron is a director and producer, best known for directing the films Coneheads , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the innovative music videos for a-ha's "Take on Me" and Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean"....
and was inspired by newsprint, featuring a connect-the-dots animation of the band, a crossword puzzle, a printing press, and articles from newspapers from around the world.
The B-side, "We're Looking for the Whales", was recorded at a concert in London on 19 January 1987.
The Norwegian indie folk-pop duo Kings of Convenience
Kings of Convenience
Kings of Convenience are an indie folk-pop duo from Bergen, Norway. Consisting of Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe, the musical group is known for their delicate tunes, calming voices, and intricate and subtle guitar melodies...
released an acoustic cover version of "Manhattan Skyline" in 2001.
The single version omits the lyric "you see things in the depths of my eyes that my love's run dry" that is present twice on the album version during the song's main chorus.
Track listings
7"- "Manhattan Skyline" [Single Edit]
- "We're Looking for the Whales" [Live, faded out]
12"
- "Manhattan Skyline" [Extended Remix]
- "We're Looking for the Whales" [Live, full length]
- "Manhattan Skyline" [Album Version]
Chart positions
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart | 3 |
| German Singles Chart | 28 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 4 |
| UK Singles Chart | 13 |