Attention a-ha fans: it turns out ‘Take On Me’ was originally a ditty by the name of ‘Miss Eerie’.
That’s right, one of the biggest hits of the 1980s started out as another song entirely.
As reported by The A.V. Club, a-ha’s Paul Waaktaar-Savoy and Magne Furuholmen recorded ‘Miss Eerie’ for their former band Bridges back in 1981.
Although the song included several elements of what later became ‘Take on Me’, including its central synth riff, it was an altogether more punky tune.
According to The A.V. Club, Waaktaar-Savoy and Magne Furuholmen felt the riff was too cheery for the rock-orientated Bridges, so they compensated by making the rest of the song sound rougher.
However, it seems they must have had a change of heart by the time they had formed a-ha in 1984, as they reworked ‘Miss Eerie’ into the banger of a pop song that we all now know and love.
Reportedly, it was the band’s motivation to show off lead singer Morten Harket’s vocal ability that led them to transform ‘Miss Eerie’ into something more anthemic.
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While there are many noticeable similarities between the two songs, it’s safe to say it’s easy to see why ‘Take On Me’ was ultimately the one that became a smash hit.
In other news, 2020 saw a-ha play their first Australian shows in 34 years.
Along with fellow ’80s icon Rick Astley, the band toured nationally throughout February and March.
It seems they made it down under just in the nick of time, given the coronavirus pandemic has put a halt to international touring.
Check out ‘Miss Eerie’, the song that ultimately became ‘Take On Me’:
