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. The song starts with Furuholmen playing a Roland Juno-60 with Preset Number " 16 ", The Harpsichord - 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 1985-2010 by Jan Omdahl, Furuholmen said: "Manhattan Skyline" 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. I thought I was doing a classic when I worked on the opening riff. Well, okay, it is a classic, actually."^[1]

The B-side, "We're Looking for the Whales", was recorded at a concert at Fairfield Hall, Croydon in London on 19 January 1987.

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.

Video

On January 30, 1987 A-ha filmed the “Manhattan Skyline” video in a London studio. 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.^[1]

The newspaper at the end is one of Norway's largest papers, "Aftenposten."

Track listings

7": Warner Bros. / W 8405 United Kingdom (1984)

"Manhattan Skyline" (Single Edit) - 4:21
"We're Looking for the Whales" (Edit) (Live in Croydon) - 3:50

Track 2 recorded Live at Fairfield Hall, Croydon, January 19, 1987.

12": Warner Bros. / W 8405TW United Kingdom (1984)

"Manhattan Skyline" (Extended Remix) - 6:49
"We're Looking for the Whales" (Full) (Live in Croydon) - 6:44
"Manhattan Skyline" (Album Version) - 4:52

Track 1 remixed by Mags Furuholmen, Pål Waaktar and Gerry W.W. Kitchingham.
Track 2 recorded Live at Fairfield Hall, Croydon, January 19, 1987.

Chart positions

Chart (1987)	Peak position
Belgian Singles Chart	19
Dutch Top 75	53
German Singles Chart^[2]	28
Irish Singles Chart^[3]	3
Norwegian Singles Chart^[4]	4
UK Singles Chart^[5]	13

In popular culture

The Norwegian indie folk-pop duo Kings of Convenience released an acoustic cover version of "Manhattan Skyline" in 2001.
Scottish comedian Limmy featured the song in his popular sketch "Benny Harvey RIP". ^[6]

References

1 2 "The Official Community of A-ha".
↑ "German Singles Chart". Charts-Surfer. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
↑ "Irish Singles Chart". The Irish Chart. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
↑ "Norwegian Singles Chart". VG-lista. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
↑ "British Single Chart". UK Top 40. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
↑ deeboi70 (2010-02-11), Limmy's Show - Benny Harvey RIP, retrieved 2016-12-01

External links

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

A-ha

Magne Furuholmen Morten Harket Paul Waaktaar-Savoy

Studio albums	Hunting High and Low Scoundrel Days Stay on These Roads East of the Sun, West of the Moon Memorial Beach Minor Earth Major Sky Lifelines Analogue Foot of the Mountain Cast in Steel

Compilation albums	Headlines and Deadlines: The Hits of a-ha The Definitive Singles Collection 1984–2004 25 Time and Again: The Ultimate a-ha

Live albums	A-ha Live at Vallhall – Homecoming Grimstad Benefit Concert How Can I Sleep with Your Voice in My Head Ending on a High Note: The Final Concert

EPs	45 R.P.M. Club Twelve Inch Club Scoundrel Club Road Club

Box sets	Minor Earth Major Box

Tours	Ending on a High Note Tour

Related articles	Discography Awards Savoy List of tours Apparatjik

Book Category

A-ha singles

Hunting High and Low	"Take On Me" "Love Is Reason" "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." "Train of Thought" "Hunting High and Low"

Scoundrel Days	"I've Been Losing You" "Cry Wolf" "Maybe, Maybe" "Manhattan Skyline"

Stay on These Roads	"The Living Daylights" "Stay on These Roads" "The Blood That Moves the Body" "Touchy!" "You Are the One" "There's Never a Forever Thing"

East of the Sun, West of the Moon	"Crying in the Rain" "I Call Your Name" "Early Morning"

Headlines and Deadlines – The Hits of A-ha	"Move to Memphis" "The Blood That Moves the Body '92"

Memorial Beach	"Move to Memphis" "Dark Is the Night" "Angel in the Snow" "Lie Down in Darkness"

Minor Earth Major Sky	"Summer Moved On" "Minor Earth Major Sky" "Velvet" "The Sun Never Shone That Day" "I Wish I Cared"

Lifelines	"Forever Not Yours" "Lifelines" "Did Anyone Approach You?"

How Can I Sleep with Your Voice in My Head	"The Sun Always Shines on TV (Live)"

Analogue	"Celice" "Birthright" "Analogue (All I Want)" "Cosy Prisons"

Foot of the Mountain	"Foot of the Mountain" "Nothing Is Keeping You Here" "Shadowside"

25	"Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)"

Ending on a High Note	"Summer Moved On (Live)"

Non-album Singles	"Shapes That Go Together"

Book Category

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