Morten Harket | |
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 Harket performing in 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1959-09-14)14 September 1959 (age 66) Kongsberg, Norway |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1982–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | A-ha |
Morten Harket (Norwegian pronunciation:[mʊ̂ʈːn̩ˈhɑ̀rkət]; born 14 September 1959)[1] is a Norwegian singer who is the lead vocalist of thesynth-pop bandA-ha.
A-ha has released 11 studio albums as of 2024, and topped the charts internationally with their hit "Take On Me" in 1985.[2] Harket has also released six solo albums. Before joining A-ha in 1982, Harket appeared on theOslo club scene as the singer forblues outfit Souldier Blue.
Harket was named a Knight First Class of theOrder of St. Olav byKing Harald for his services to Norwegian music and his international success.
The son of Reidar, a chief physician at a hospital, and Henny, an economics teacher, and brother to Gunvald,Håkon, Ingunn and Kjetil, Morten grew up inAsker in southern Norway.[3] His early musical influences includedUriah Heep,[4]Jimi Hendrix,[4]Queen,Johnny Cash,Simon and Garfunkel,David Bowie, andJames Brown. Morten's father had contemplated becoming a classical pianist; Morten also took piano lessons for a while but lacked the discipline to practice.[3] At the age of 4, he started writing music and playing piano.[5]
The trio, comprising lead vocalist Harket, guitaristPaul Waaktaar-Savoy (Pål Waaktaar until his marriage in 1994), and keyboardistMagne Furuholmen, formed on 14 September 1982, and left Norway for London to make a career in the music business. They chose the studio of musician, producer, and soon-to-be-manager John Ratcliff, because it had aSpace Invaders machine. Ratcliff introduced the band to his manager, Terry Slater, and, after a few meetings, A-ha had two managers. Slater and Ratcliff together formed T.J. Management. Ratcliff dealt with all the technical and musical aspects; Slater was the international business manager and liaison to Warner Brothers' head office.[2] The band says the name "A-ha" comes from a title Paul contemplated giving to a song; he was dithering between the titles "A-ha" and "A-hem". Morten was looking through Paul's notebook, and came across the name, which he liked, and immediately decided that it was the right name.[6]
In 1984, A-ha released their first single, "Take On Me", which became a hit only on the third attempt in 1985, after it had been re-recorded and accompanied by a music video directed bySteve Barron. The single's international success helped A-ha's debut albumHunting High and Low to sell over 10 million copies worldwide. Their second studio album wasScoundrel Days, followed byStay on These Roads andEast of the Sun, West of the Moon. The band then issued the commercially disappointingMemorial Beach, after which the band went on hiatus.
Harket re-joined his colleagues in A-ha in 1998[7] to perform at theNobel Peace Prize concert. Since 1998, A-ha has released four studio albums and several compilations. Their eighth studio albumAnalogue was released in 2005, and became a big hit worldwide, achieving Platinum certification in the UK. The band's last studio album before their split,Foot of the Mountain, was released in the spring of 2009.
Harket held a note for 20.2 seconds in a-ha's 2000 song "Summer Moved On", believed to be the longest note in UK chart history.[8] The note held exceeds thechest voice note inBill Withers' song "Lovely Day" by 2.2 seconds. In October 2009, A-ha announced that they would disband after a farewell tour in 2010. Tickets for A-ha's final concert at theOslo Spektrum on 4 December 2010 sold out within two hours.[citation needed] On 27 September 2015, A-ha reunited for a huge crowd assembled at Rock in Rio 2015 festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which led to a reunion tour and theCast in Steel album.[citation needed]
In June 2017, the band performed forMTV Unplugged in their homeland. Subtitled asSummer Solstice, This live album was released that October, and the acoustic version of "Take On Me" was made part of the soundtrack of the Hollywood movieDeadpool 2.[9]
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy describes Harket as being "totally different from me." He recalls the band's first visit to London together, during which Harket burned all his clothes and re-fashioned his wardrobe. "He has given me self-confidence, encourages me to talk to people, not to be afraid and to use the abilities I have. Morten is actually the only one in Norway who had as much ambition as I did. I guess we both have big egos. In a way, we're each sitting in our own little world, while Mags is more down to earth. Mags often has to mediate between Morten and me... It's good that we're so different and still respect each other. The tension between us is creative."[10]
Magne Furuholmen describes Harket as "together". Furuholmen says Harket "believes strongly in everything he does. This goes for the band too, and it rubs off on us. He has the courage of his own convictions and cannot be shaken. He's an expert at always getting the last word, whether he's right or not. Morten is very loyal and he's fair when it comes to giving people a chance, letting them show who they are and what they're worth before judging them."[10]
On A-ha recordings, Morten has sung withGraham Nash,Lissie,Alison Moyet,Ian McCulloch,Ingrid Helene Håvik andAnneli Drecker.[citation needed]
The three members of A-ha, Morten Harket,Magne Furuholmen andPaul Waaktaar-Savoy, were appointed Knights of the First Class of the Royal NorwegianOrder of St. Olav for their contribution to Norwegian music. The Royal NorwegianOrder of St. Olav is granted as a reward for distinguished services to the country and humankind. The official ceremony took place on 6 November 2012.[11][12][13]
Before Morten joined Pål and Magne, he was the lead singer of asoul band, Soldier Blue.[14] In 1993, Harket performed a cover of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" by Crewe/Gaudio on theConeheads movie soundtrack in 1993.[15]
After A-ha went on a hiatus in 1994, Harket pursued a solo career. He has released six studio albums.[citation needed] Harket released his solo album,Letter from Egypt, on 28 May 2008 via Universal Records Germany.[16] In April 2012, Harket released his new solo album,Out of My Hands, in both Norway and Germany, and on 14 May in the UK. In April 2014, Harket released his sixth album,Brother. He also composed a song with his cousin's son, Blade Whitehead, for an annual music night.[17]
Harket has collaborated in live performances and in studio recordings with several artists, among themPakistani rock bandJunoon, on the songs "Piya" and "Pyar Hai Zindagi"; andHayley Westenra, on "Children First". He has also performed and worked with many other Scandinavian artists, such asBjørn Eidsvåg,Silje Nergaard,Oslo Gospel Choir,Espen Lind,Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz andCarola Häggkvist.
In 2009, Harket created and performed the main theme ofA Name is a Name, a film about Macedonia by Sigurjon Einarsson.[18]
In addition to numerousA-ha and solo concerts, Harket has also performed on various other shows and concerts both as a solo artist and with A-ha. Some notable ones:
Morten Harket is known for his vocal range, which some sources have claimed spans five octaves.[28][29] In regards to his "rumoured five-octave [vocal] range", Harket himself said in 2009: "I've never counted, quite honestly."[1]
His voice is capable of "the greatestfalsetto in the history of pop music EVER...", according toNME's Sylvia Patterson,[30] and of an "unyielding groan" as described inEntertainment Weekly.[31] Sound engineer Gerry Kitchingham, who worked with A-ha on "Take On Me", described Harket as "an excellent singer" with "this incredibly strong falsetto and almost choir-boyish clarity".[32]
Harket has three children with his former wife Camilla Malmquist Harket who he was married to from 1989 to 1998. He also has two daughters with former girlfriends Anne Mette Undlien and Inez Andersson.[1][33]
Harket's hobbies include drawing, painting, music and cars. Along with band memberMagne Furuholmen, he is a supporter ofStoke City, an English football team.[34] While maintaining his home in Norway, he also holds residence in London.
In 2025, Harket revealed that he suffers fromParkinson's disease.[35][36] According to Harket, "I've got no problem accepting the diagnosis. With time I've taken to heart my 94-year-old father's attitude to the way the organism gradually surrenders: 'I use whatever works'."[37] Harket stated that he underwent adeep brain stimulation treatment and asks people to refrain from sending him messages with advice: "I'm going to get so many messages about what to do and how to deal with it. Lots of suggestions for cures and whatnot, all from well-meaning people. I know there are many opinions and alternative theories, but I need to listen to the professionals I have available to me, who are taking care of this with me and for me, and who keep a close eye on developments in many areas of research taking place today. I won't be able to process anything else."[37] Harket's treatment, performed at aMayo Clinic center in the United States, had the side effect of hindering his voice.[35]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOR [38] | AUT [39] | GER [40] | NLD [41] | SWI [42] | UK [43][44] | ||
| Poetenes Evangelium |
| — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wild Seed |
| 1 | — | — | — | — | 89 |
| Vogts Villa |
| 21 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Letter from Egypt |
| 1 | — | 33 | — | — | |
| Out of My Hands[45] | 1 | 30 | 3 | 77 | 23 | 37 | |
| Brother[46] |
| 1 | — | 11 | — | 62 | 56 |
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOR [38] | GER [47] | UK [43][44] | |||||||
| "A Kind of Christmas Card" | 1995 | 1 | — | 53 | Wild Seed | ||||
| "Spanish Steps" | 1996 | 14 | — | — | |||||
| "Los Angeles" | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Heaven's Not for Saints (Let It Go)" | 9 | — | 114 | Non-album single | |||||
| "Tilbake Til Livet" | — | — | — | Vogts Villa | |||||
| "Herre I Drømmen" | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Jungle of Beliefs" | 1999 | — | — | — | Cultures Spans the World (soundtrack) | ||||
| "A Jester in Our Town" | — | — | — | Songs from Sophie's World – The Musical (soundtrack) | |||||
| "Kamilla og Sebastian" | 2002 | — | — | — | Kamilla og Tyven (soundtrack) | ||||
| "Gildas Prayer" (Earth Affair featuring Morten Harket) | 2004 | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||||
| "Kamilla og Tyven"(Remix) | 2005 | — | — | — | Kamilla og Tyven (soundtrack) | ||||
| "Movies" | 2007 | 3 | — | — | Letter from Egypt | ||||
| "Darkspace (You're with Me)" | 2008 | 5 | 73 | — | |||||
| "We'll Never Speak Again" | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Lightning" | 2012 | — | — | — | Out of My Hands | ||||
| "Scared of Heights" | 1 | 48 | 140 | ||||||
| "I'm the One" | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Burn Money Burn" | — | — | — | ||||||
| "There Is a Place" | 2013 | — | — | — | Brother | ||||
| "Brother" | 2014 | — | — | — | |||||
| "Do You Remember Me?" | — | — | — | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
| Preceded by | Eurovision Song Contest presenter (withIngvild Bryn) 1996 | Succeeded by |
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| Singles |
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| International | |
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| National | |
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| People | |
| Other | |
