When Magne Furuholmen of Norwegian rockers A-ha looks back on the incredible success of the band that went from being a couple of friends making music in a small Scandanavian town to a huge act touring the world on the strength of their hit single “Take On Me,” in the mid-’80s, he’s a bit surprised himself.
“It’s not something that we imagined would be such a defining song when we wrote it. I mean, I wrote that riff when I was 15 years old. So it’s not something I imagined would be like, the story of my life,” said Furuholmen on a break while on tour in Brazil.
The wild success of A-ha, set to perform at the Oxbow River Stage in Napa on Friday night, was of course due in part to the catchy song that showcased the group’s mastery of synthesizers and singer Morten Harket’s wide vocal range, as well as the song’s iconic music video.
The MTV staple clip, with its unique rotoscoped animation and lovable ’80s kitsch, continues to break records. YouTube announced in 2020 that the video had surpassed 1 billion views, joining a select few to reach such a milestone.
“It seems that it just lives a life of its own, laughed Furuholmen. “I’m not on TikTok, but I was told there were like 900 million views a month ago for some sort of challenge to take. Certainly, it lives.”
While “Take On Me,” may remain the group’s best-known hit, there are also four decades of excellent music that fans have been listening to, including the James Bond theme “The Living Daylights,” and “The Sun Always Shines On T.V.”
Like most touring musicians, A-ha were stopped in their tracks by COVID lockdowns, and they are happy to be out playing in front of live audiences again.
“There’s been a definite sense of jubilation among the crowds, you know, they’ve been very happy to be together again, happy to have shared experiences,” said Furuholmen. “I think we all kind of missed that. From the stage it’s been a fantastic experience.”
With a new album coming out later this year, “True North,” a show at the Hollywood Bowl, and a full calendar of gigs to play later this year, A-ha will be very busy for the foreseeable future.
But first, Furuholmen wants to explore and enjoy a little bit of time off right here in the Bay Area.
“I had already planned a week with a couple of friends and my wife in Napa, perusing the wine country and now we get to do a show before, so I’ve never experienced that area, looking forward to that,” said Furuholmen.
Being able to take such time off and take advantage “Take on Me” and the band’s success is not something that is lost on Furuholmen.
“Paul and I have been in bands together for most of our lives, really. We thought that maybe it could be a catchy thing. And here we are almost 40 years later. It’s pretty much paid for all our houses.”
If You Go: A-ha, 7 p.m., Friday, July 29, Oxbow River Stage, 1268 McKinstry St., Napa. Tickets start at $45. For more information, visit oxbowriverstage.com.
