Scoundrel Days
Encyclopedia
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
. A deluxe/expanded edition with additional tracks was released in 2010.
and Roland JUNO 60 / 106 synths used in the recording of this album—Roland Juno used on intro of the song "Manhattan Skyline " and Yamaha DX7 drum sound used on the intro of song called "October". "Scoundrel Days" and "Swing of Things" signature sounds are PPG. The drums and several other sounds are from the Fairlight.
" was the first single from the album. It reached #1 in Norway
, and #8 in the UK
. "I've Been Losing You" became the biggest hit from the album in Europe
.
"Cry Wolf
" was the second single from the album. It was the most successful single from the Scoundrel Days album in the U.S., where it peaked at #14 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts and went to #50 on the Hot 100. While it would be their last entry on that chart, the band would continue to have major pop hits from each album release throughout the rest of the world through to the present day. The single went Top 40 nearly everywhere else it was released, including Top 5 chartings in the UK, Poland and Ireland, going #2 in Norway and to the top spot in Japan. The lyrics "Night I left the city I dreamt of a Wolf..." are credited to Lauren Savoy whom Pål
later married.
"Maybe, Maybe" is the third single released from the album and was only released in Bolivia.
"Manhattan Skyline
" reached #13 in the UK charts. The song was co-written by keyboardist Magne Furuholmen
and guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy
. The song starts with a calm verse 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."
was 74. The album was another big hit by A-ha and sold over 6 million copies worldwide which gave the band international recognition. Scoundrel Days achieved Platinum status in the UK and Switzerland and Gold in Germany and Brazil.
Ned Raggett of AllMusic Guide said, "The opening two songs alone make for one of the best one-two opening punches around: the tense edge of the title track, featuring one of Morten Harket's soaring vocals during the chorus and a crisp, pristine punch in the music, and "The Swing of Things," a moody, elegant number with a beautiful synth/guitar arrangement (plus some fine drumming courtesy of studio pro Michael Sturgis) and utterly lovelorn lyrical sentiments that balance on the edge of being overheated without quite going over...The '80s may be long gone, but Scoundrel Days makes clear that not everything was bad back then."
Scoundrel Days included the singles "I've Been Losing You
", "Cry Wolf
", "Maybe, Maybe", and "Manhattan Skyline
". All the singles with the exception of "Maybe, Maybe" charted on the UK Singles Chart. "I've Been Losing You" and "Cry Wolf" were the most successful singles from the album, "Cry Wolf" became a minor hit in America and charted on the Billboard Hot 100
, peaking at #50, while "I've Been Losing You" was the most successful single in Europe
.
As part of a re-release of their first two albums, Scoundrel Days is due to be expanded and remastered in 2010.
On July 6, 2010 the albums Hunting High and Low
and Scoundrel Days was released as deluxe editions in the USA through Rhino Records and both albums debuted in the top 40 Billboard Top Internet Sales Chart. Hunting High and Low
at # 34 and Scoundrel Days at # 36.
Produced by Alan Tarney, except tracks 3, 9 and 10 produced by Furuholmen and Waaktaar.
Disc 2
Please Note:There are four bonus download-only tracks on each release, available in most countries:
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
/rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
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 released on 6 October 1986 through Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
. A deluxe/expanded edition with additional tracks was released in 2010.
Music
Yamaha DX7Yamaha DX7
The Yamaha DX7 is an FM Digital Synthesizer manufactured by the Yamaha Corporation from 1983 to 1986. It was the first commercially successful digital synthesizer. Its distinctive sound can be heard on many recordings, especially Pop music from the 1980s...
and Roland JUNO 60 / 106 synths used in the recording of this album—Roland Juno used on intro of the song "Manhattan Skyline " and Yamaha DX7 drum sound used on the intro of song called "October". "Scoundrel Days" and "Swing of Things" signature sounds are PPG. The drums and several other sounds are from the Fairlight.
Songs
"I've Been Losing YouI've Been Losing You
"I've Been Losing You" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha. It was the first single from their 1986 Scoundrel Days album. It reached number one in Norway, and number eight in the UK...
" was the first single from the album. It reached #1 in Norway
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...
, and #8 in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. "I've Been Losing You" became the biggest hit from the album in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
"Cry Wolf
Cry Wolf (song)
"Cry Wolf" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha. It was the second single from their 1986 Scoundrel Days album.The lyrics "Night I left the city I dreamt of a Wolf..." are credited to Lauren Savoy whom Pål later married....
" was the second single from the album. It was the most successful single from the Scoundrel Days album in the U.S., where it peaked at #14 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts and went to #50 on the Hot 100. While it would be their last entry on that chart, the band would continue to have major pop hits from each album release throughout the rest of the world through to the present day. The single went Top 40 nearly everywhere else it was released, including Top 5 chartings in the UK, Poland and Ireland, going #2 in Norway and to the top spot in Japan. The lyrics "Night I left the city I dreamt of a Wolf..." are credited to Lauren Savoy whom Pål
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...
later married.
"Maybe, Maybe" is the third single released from the album and was only released in Bolivia.
"Manhattan Skyline
Manhattan Skyline (song)
"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...
" reached #13 in the UK charts. 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 a calm verse 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."
Release and reception
Scoundrel Days was the band's second studio album. The albums peak on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
was 74. The album was another big hit by A-ha and sold over 6 million copies worldwide which gave the band international recognition. Scoundrel Days achieved Platinum status in the UK and Switzerland and Gold in Germany and Brazil.
Ned Raggett of AllMusic Guide said, "The opening two songs alone make for one of the best one-two opening punches around: the tense edge of the title track, featuring one of Morten Harket's soaring vocals during the chorus and a crisp, pristine punch in the music, and "The Swing of Things," a moody, elegant number with a beautiful synth/guitar arrangement (plus some fine drumming courtesy of studio pro Michael Sturgis) and utterly lovelorn lyrical sentiments that balance on the edge of being overheated without quite going over...The '80s may be long gone, but Scoundrel Days makes clear that not everything was bad back then."
Scoundrel Days included the singles "I've Been Losing You
I've Been Losing You
"I've Been Losing You" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha. It was the first single from their 1986 Scoundrel Days album. It reached number one in Norway, and number eight in the UK...
", "Cry Wolf
Cry Wolf (song)
"Cry Wolf" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha. It was the second single from their 1986 Scoundrel Days album.The lyrics "Night I left the city I dreamt of a Wolf..." are credited to Lauren Savoy whom Pål later married....
", "Maybe, Maybe", and "Manhattan Skyline
Manhattan Skyline (song)
"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...
". All the singles with the exception of "Maybe, Maybe" charted on the UK Singles Chart. "I've Been Losing You" and "Cry Wolf" were the most successful singles from the album, "Cry Wolf" became a minor hit in America and charted on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, peaking at #50, while "I've Been Losing You" was the most successful single in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
As part of a re-release of their first two albums, Scoundrel Days is due to be expanded and remastered in 2010.
On July 6, 2010 the albums Hunting High and Low
Hunting High and Low
Hunting High and Low is the debut album by Norwegian new wave band A-ha. Released on 1 June 1985 through Warner Bros. Records, the album was a huge commercial success selling more than 10 million units worldwide, peaking at #15 in the United States Billboard 200 and reaching high positions on...
and Scoundrel Days was released as deluxe editions in the USA through Rhino Records and both albums debuted in the top 40 Billboard Top Internet Sales Chart. Hunting High and Low
Hunting High and Low
Hunting High and Low is the debut album by Norwegian new wave band A-ha. Released on 1 June 1985 through Warner Bros. Records, the album was a huge commercial success selling more than 10 million units worldwide, peaking at #15 in the United States Billboard 200 and reaching high positions on...
at # 34 and Scoundrel Days at # 36.
Track listing
All songs written by Furuholmen/Waaktaar unless noted otherwise:- "Scoundrel Days" – 3:56
- "The Swing of Things" – 4:14 (Waaktaar)
- "I've Been Losing YouI've Been Losing You"I've Been Losing You" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha. It was the first single from their 1986 Scoundrel Days album. It reached number one in Norway, and number eight in the UK...
" – 4:24 (Waaktaar) - "October" – 3:48 (Waaktaar)
- "Manhattan SkylineManhattan Skyline (song)"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...
" – 4:52 - "Cry WolfCry Wolf (song)"Cry Wolf" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha. It was the second single from their 1986 Scoundrel Days album.The lyrics "Night I left the city I dreamt of a Wolf..." are credited to Lauren Savoy whom Pål later married....
" – 4:05 - "We're Looking for the Whales" – 3:39
- "The Weight of the Wind" – 3:57 (Waaktaar)
- "Maybe, Maybe" – 2:34 (Furuholmen)
- "Soft Rains of April" – 3:12
Produced by Alan Tarney, except tracks 3, 9 and 10 produced by Furuholmen and Waaktaar.
2010 Deluxe Edition
Disc 1- "Scoundrel Days"
- "The Swing of Things"
- "I've Been Losing You"
- "October"
- "Manhattan Skyline"
- "Cry Wolf"
- "We're Looking for the Whales"
- "The Weight of the Wind"
- "Maybe, Maybe"
- "Soft Rains of April"
- "I've Been Losing You" - Extended Version
- "Cry Wolf" – Extended Version
- "Manhattan Skyline" – Extended Version
Disc 2
- "Scoundrel Days" – Demo
- "The Swing of Things" – Demo #3
- "I've Been Losing You" – Octogon Studios Demo
- "October" – Demo
- "Manhattan Skyline" – Demo
- "Cry Wolf" – Demo
- "We're Looking for the Whales" – 1984 Demo
- "The Weight of the Wind" – Demo
- "Maybe, Maybe" – Demo
- "Soft Rains of April" – Guitar Version
- "Scoundrel Days" – Octogon Studios Demo
- "This Alone is Love"
- "Days on End"
- "Train of Thought" (Live)
- "I’ve Been Losing You" (Live)
- "The Blue Sky" (Live)
- "We're Looking for the Whales" (Live)
- "Cry Wolf" (Live)
Please Note:There are four bonus download-only tracks on each release, available in most countries:
- "I’ve Been Losing You (Dub)"
- "Soft Rains of April (Piano Version)"
- "The Swing of Things (Demo #1)"
- "I’ve Been Losing You (Early Demo)"
Scoundrel Club EP
- "Cry Wolf" (Extended Version) – 8:13
- "We're Looking for the Whales" (live version) – 3:50
- "I've Been Losing You" (Dub Version) – 4:28
- "Manhattan Skyline" (Extended) – 6:49
- "Hunting High and Low" (Extended Version by Alan Tarney) – 6:02
Personnel
- Morten HarketMorten HarketMorten Harket is a Norwegian musician, best known as the lead singer of the Norwegian synthpop/rock band A-ha, which released nine studio albums and topped the charts in several countries after their breakthrough hit "Take on Me" in 1985. A-ha disbanded in 2010. Harket has also released four solo...
– vocals - Magne FuruholmenMagne FuruholmenMagne '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...
– keyboards, vocals - Pål WaaktaarPaul Waaktaar-SavoyPaul Waaktaar-Savoy is a Norwegian musician and songwriter. He is best known for his work as guitarist in the Norwegian pop band A-ha...
– guitars, vocals - Graham Prescott - strings on track 1
- Michael SturgisMike SturgisMike Sturgis is an American drummer, having played for the band 21 Guns and later with Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith in Psycho Motel, where he played on both State of Mind and Welcome to the World albums...
- drums on tracks 2, 3, 10 - Leif Karsten Johansen - bass on track 3
- Øystein JevanordØystein JevanordØystein Jevanord is a Norwegian drummer.He has played with the following bands:*Bridges*Poem*deLillos*a-ha*Dei Nye Kappelanane*Oslo Plektrum*Dog Age*Femi Gange*MT Hammed-References:...
- drums on track 6
Album
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
 Switzerland Swiss Album ChartsSwitzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
6 |
 Austria Austrian Album ChartsAustria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
9 |
 Sweden Swedish Albums ChartSweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
11 |
 Norwegian Album ChartNorway 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... |
1 |
 Billboard 200Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
74 |
| UK Album Charts | 2 |
 Germany German Album ChartGermany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
4 |
 Italy Italian Album ChartItaly Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
11 |
 Canada Canadian Album ChartRPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
33 |
Singles
| Year | Name | Chart | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | "I've Been Losing You I've Been Losing You "I've Been Losing You" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha. It was the first single from their 1986 Scoundrel Days album. It reached number one in Norway, and number eight in the UK... " |
Norwegian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 11 | ||
| Austrian Singles Chart | 20 | ||
| Swiss Singles Chart | 16 | ||
| British Singles Chart | 8 | ||
| Irish Singles Chart | 3 | ||
| French Singles Chart | 14 | ||
| German Singles Chart | 15 | ||
| Italian Singles Chart | 11 | ||
| "Cry Wolf Cry Wolf (song) "Cry Wolf" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha. It was the second single from their 1986 Scoundrel Days album.The lyrics "Night I left the city I dreamt of a Wolf..." are credited to Lauren Savoy whom Pål later married.... " |
US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
50 | |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 2 | ||
| Swiss Singles Chart | 27 | ||
| British Singles Chart | 5 | ||
| Irish Singles Chart | 4 | ||
| French Singles Chart | 35 | ||
| German Singles Chart | 20 | ||
| 1987 | "Manhattan Skyline Manhattan Skyline (song) "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... " |
British Singles Chart | 13 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 3 | ||
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 4 | ||
| German Singles Chart | 28 |
Cover versions
Here are some known existing cover versions from the album:- Scoundrel Days Thomas - Pihale's Rainstorm Project
- Manhattan SkylineManhattan Skyline (song)"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...
- Kings of Convenience - October - Sigurd KøhnSigurd KøhnSigurd Køhn , was a Norwegian jazz saxophonist and composer. He was, along with his 16 year old son, killed in Khao Lak, Thailand by the tsunami following the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake on December 26, 2004....
- October - SavoySavoy (band)Savoy are a Norwegian-American rock trio consisting of Paul Waaktaar-Savoy , Lauren Savoy and Frode Unneland...
(Waaktaar-Savoy's other band)