List of A-ha band members - Misplaced Pages

The following is a list of musicians who have toured and or recorded with the Norwegian synth-pop band A-ha, which was founded in Oslo in 1982 by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars and vocals), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitars and vocals), and Morten Harket (lead vocals). Current touring musicians include drummer Karl-Oluf Wennerberg & programmer/keyboardist Erik Ljunggren (both of whom first joined in 2009) and bassist Even Ormestad (since 2015). Former members have included Leif Karsten Johansen, Mike Sturgis, Randy Hope-Taylor, Matthew Letley, Per Hillestad, Per Lindvall and Sven Lindvall.

Members

Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
Morten Harket	1982–1994 1998–2010 2011 2015–present	lead vocals occasional guitar	all releases
Magne Furuholmen		keyboards guitars bass backing and occasional lead vocals
Pål Waaktaar-Savoy		guitars drums percussion backing vocals keyboards bass

Touring musicians

Current

Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
Karl-Oluf Wennerberg	2009–2010 2011 2015–present	drums percussion	Foot of the Mountain (2009) Ending on a High Note: The Final Concert (2011) Cast in Steel (2015) MTV Unplugged: Summer Solstice (2017) True North (2022)
Erik Ljunggren	2009–2010 2011 2015–2016 2019–present	programming keyboards backing vocals bass	Foot of the Mountain (2009) Ending on a High Note: The Final Concert (2011) Cast in Steel (2015) True North (2022)
Even Ormestad	2015–present	bass keyboards	Cast in Steel (2015) MTV Unplugged: Summer Solstice (2017) True North (2022)
Kjetil Bjerkestrand	on occasion	keyboards orchestration	Minor Earth Major Sky (2000) Foot of the Mountain (2009) True North (2022)

Former touring/session musicians

Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
Lindsay Elliott	1985	drums	"Take on Me" music video, Top of the Pops, "The Sun Always Shines on TV" music video
Gina Schock	1986		US TV appearances on American Bandstand, Soul Train and Solid Gold.
Mike Sturgis	1986–1987		Scoundrel Days (1986)
Leif Karsten Johansen		bass backing vocals	Scoundrel Days (1986)
Dag Kolsrud [no]		keyboards	none
Ian Wherry	1988–1989	keyboards	none
Randy Hope-Taylor		bass	Stay on These Roads (1988)
Rafael Gayol (aka Danny Gayol)		percussion	none
Matthew Letley		drums	none
Per Hillestad	1990–1994	drums	Stay on These Roads (1988) East of the Sun, West of the Moon (1990) Memorial Beach (1993) Minor Earth Major Sky (2000) True North (2022)
Jørun Bøgeberg	1990–1994	bass backing vocals	Stay on These Roads (1988) East of the Sun, West of the Moon (1990) Memorial Beach (1993) Minor Earth Major Sky (2000) Lifelines (2002) Analogue (2005)
Sigurd Køhn	1991–1994	saxophone	none
Øivind Madsen	1994 (Africa leg of tour)	bass	none
Sven Lindvall	2000–2007	bass backing vocals	Minor Earth Major Sky (2000) Lifelines (2002) Analogue (2005) Live at Vallhall: Homecoming (2001) How Can I Sleep with Your Voice in My Head (2003)
Per Lindvall		drums	Minor Earth Major Sky (2000) Lifelines (2002) Analogue (2005) Cast in Steel (2015) Live at Vallhall: Homecoming (2001) How Can I Sleep with Your Voice in My Head (2003)
Christer Karlsson		keyboards backing vocals	Live at Vallhall: Homecoming (2001) How Can I Sleep with Your Voice in My Head (2003)
Anneli Drecker	2000–2002 (and selected concerts in 2010, 2016, & 2022)	backing vocals duet partner tambourine keyboards
May Kristin Kaspersen	2002 (Russian leg of tour)	backing vocals duet partner	none
Jonny Sjo [no]	2006 (substitute)	bass
Tini Flaat Mykland	2016 (selected concerts)	backing vocals
Lars Horntveth	2017–2018	guitars woodwinds	Cast in Steel (2015) MTV Unplugged: Summer Solstice (2017)
Morten Qvenild		keyboards	MTV Unplugged: Summer Solstice (2017) True North (2022)
Madeleine Ossum		violin backing vocals
Emilie Heldal Lidsheim		viola backing vocals	MTV Unplugged: Summer Solstice (2017)
Tove Margrethe Erikstad		cello backing vocals	MTV Unplugged: Summer Solstice (2017)

Guests

Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
Sondre Lerche	2002	vocals	Lerche performed with the band on "Locust" at the bands reunion concert in 2002.
Erin Hill	2008	harp	Opening act in 2008 in Europe and London and at Royal Albert Hall.
Kygo	2015	electronics synths	Kygo performed with the band at The 2015 Nobel Peace Prize Concert on a remixed version on "Take on Me"
Ian McCulloch	2017 2018	vocals	McCulloch sang on two songs, "The Killing Moon" (by his band, Echo & the Bunnymen) and "Scoundrel Days", with the band at both MTV Unplugged concerts at Øygardshallen (Giske Harbour Hall) on the island of Giske in 2017, as well as at the O2 Arena, London in February 2018 on the same songs.
Alison Moyet	2017		Moyet performed at the MTV Unplugged concert, on the second show, on "Summer Moved On".
Lissie			Lissie guested on “I’ve Been Losing You” at both MTV Unplugged concerts.
Ingrid Helene Håvik			Håvik guested on “The Sun Always Shines on TV” at both MTV Unplugged concerts.
Susanne Sundfør	2018		Sundfør performed on "I've Been Losing You" and on "The Sun Always Shines on TV" at the Oslo Spektrum in February 2018.

Timeline

Line-ups

Period	Members	Releases
1982 – 1985	Morten Harket – vocals Paul Waaktaar – guitar, drum programing, backing vocals Magne Furuholmen – keyboards, bass programming, backing vocals	Hunting High and Low (1985)
1985	Morten Harket – vocals Paul Waaktaar – guitar, backing vocals Magne Furuholmen – keyboards, bass programming, backing vocals Additional personnel Lindsey Elliot – drums	"Take On Me" (1985) music video
1986	Morten Harket – vocals Paul Waaktaar – guitar, backing vocals Magne Furuholmen – keyboards, bass programming, backing vocals Additional personnel Gina Schock – drums	US TV appearances on American Bandstand, Soul Train and Solid Gold.
1986 – 1987	Morten Harket – vocals Paul Waaktaar – guitar, drum programming, backing vocals Magne Furuholmen – keyboards, bass and drum programming, backing vocals Additional personnel Dag Kolsrud – keyboards Leif Karsten Johansen – bass, backing vocals Mike Sturgis – drums	Scoundrel Days (1986)
1988 – 1989	Morten Harket – vocals Paul Waaktaar – guitar, bass and drum programming, backing vocals Magne Furuholmen – keyboards, bass and drum programming, backing vocals Additional personnel Ian Wherry – keyboards Randy Hope-Taylor – bass Matthew Letley – drums Rafael Gayol – percussion	Stay on These Roads (1988)
1990 – 1991	Morten Harket – vocals Paul Waaktaar-Savoy – guitar, backing vocals, bass and piano (studio) Magne Furuholmen – keyboards, backing vocals Additional personnel Jørun Bøgeberg – bass, backing vocals Per Hillestad – drums	East of the Sun, West of the Moon (1990)
1991 – 1994	Morten Harket – vocals Paul Waaktaar-Savoy – guitar, drum programming, backing vocals Magne Furuholmen – keyboards, backing vocals Additional personnel Jørun Bøgeberg – bass, backing vocals Per Hillestad – drums Sigurd Køhn – saxophone	Memorial Beach (1993)
Band on hiatus from 1994 – 1998
1998 – 2000	Morten Harket – vocals Paul Waaktaar-Savoy – guitar, backing vocals Magne Furuholmen – keyboards, backing vocals Additional personnel Sven Lindvall – bass Per Lindvall – drums	Minor Earth Major Sky (2000)
2000 – 2002	Morten Harket – vocals Paul Waaktaar-Savoy – guitar, backing vocals Magne Furuholmen – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals Additional personnel Sven Lindvall – bass Per Lindvall – drums Christer Karlsson – keyboards, backing vocals Anneli Drecker – backing vocals	Live at Vallhall: Homecoming (2001) Lifelines (2002) How Can I Sleep with Your Voice in My Head (2003)
2002	Morten Harket – vocals Paul Waaktaar-Savoy – guitar, backing vocals Magne Furuholmen – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals Additional personnel Christer Karlsson – keyboards, backing vocals Sven Lindvall – bass Per Lindvall – drums May Kristin Kaspersen – backing vocals
2002 – 2007	Morten Harket – vocals Paul Waaktaar-Savoy – guitar, keyboards (studio), backing vocals Magne Furuholmen – keyboards, piano, guitar, backing vocals Additional personnel Christer Karlsson – keyboards, backing vocals Sven Lindvall – bass Per Lindvall – drums	Analogue (2005)
2008 (An evening with Morten Harket, Savoy and Magne F)	Magen Furuholmen – vocals, keyboards, guitar Karl Oluf Wennerberg – drums Dan Sunhordvik – guitar, backing vocals Jonny Sjo [no] – bass, backing vocals
	Paul Waaktaar-Savoy – vocals, guitar Lauren Savoy – guitar, vocals Frode Unneland – drums, backing vocals Jørun Bøgeberg – bass Preben Grieg-Halvorsen – keyboards Hågen Rørmark – guitar, backing vocals Erin Hill – harp, backing vocals
	Morten Harket – vocals Per Lindvall – drums Kjetil Bjerkestrand – keyboards Eivind Aarset – guitar Jonny Sjo – bass
2009 – 2010, 2011	Morten Harket – vocals Paul Waaktaar-Savoy – guitar, backing vocals Magne Furuholmen – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals Additional personnel Erik Ljunggren – keyboards, programming, bass, backing vocals Karl-Oluf Wennerberg – drums	Foot of the Mountain (2009) Ending on a High Note: The Final Concert (2011)
2015 – 2016	Morten Harket – vocals Paul Waaktaar-Savoy – guitar, backing vocals Magne Furuholmen – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals Additional personnel Erik Ljunggren – keyboards (live), backing vocals Karl-Oluf Wennerberg – drums Even Ormestad – bass	Cast in Steel (2015)
2017 – 2018	Morten Harket – vocals Paul Waaktaar-Savoy – guitar, backing vocals Magne Furuholmen – keyboards, piano, guitar, backing vocals, flute Additional personnel Karl-Oluf Wennerberg – drums, percussion Even Ormestad – bass Lars Horntveth – guitars, woodwind Morten Qvenild – piano, keyboards Madeleine Ossum – violin, backing vocals Emilie Heldal Lidsheim – viola, backing vocals Tove Margrethe Erikstad – cello, backing vocals	MTV Unplugged: Summer Solstice (2018)
2019 – present	Morten Harket – vocals Paul Waaktaar-Savoy – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards (studio) Magne Furuholmen – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals Additional personnel Karl-Oluf Wennerberg – drums, percussion Even Ormestad – bass Erik Ljunggren – keyboards (live), programming, backing vocals	True North (2022)

Live performance / studio session with Orchestras

Name	Years active	live performance / studio session	Release contributions
Hollywood Bowl Orchestra	2022	Live performance	Live concert at the Hollywood Bowl
Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra	2022	Studio / Live session	Featured on the album True North
Macedonian Radio Symphony Orchestra	2015	Studio session	Featured on the album Cold As Stone
Norwegian Radio Orchestra	2011	Live performance	Memorial service
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra	2010	Live performance	Only one show at the Royal Albert Hall in London and one show at Oslo Konserthus in Oslo
Norwegian Radio Orchestra	1998, 2001 and 2015	Live performance	Nobel Peace Price concert
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and Norwegian Radio Orchestra	2001	Studio session	Used on recordings on the A-ha album Minor Earth Major Sky
London Philharmonic Orchestra	1986	Studio session	On the recording of the music video version of the song Hunting High and Low from the studio album of the same name

References

Creative, Sugar Rush (2023-08-06). "a-ha Band Members | Story". a-ha. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
"A Gretsch Abroad — Exclusive Interview with a-ha Drummer Karl Oluf Wennerberg | Gretsch Drums". www.gretschdrums.com. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
^ "Foot Of The Mountain Tour 2009 | a-ha live". a-ha-live.com. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
^ "a-ha perform at National Memorial Ceremony | a-ha live". a-ha-live.com. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
^ "Wennerberg, Ljunggren and Ormestad join a-ha on Cast In Steel tour | a-ha live". a-ha-live.com. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
Jazzist, Jaga (8 May 2015). "Jaga Jazzist - 🚅 | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2023-08-06. Kaoru You know that Even our bass player is touring and recording with a-ha? And that Lars has written strings for two songs on the forthcoming a-ha album?
Creative, Sugar Rush (2023-08-06). "The 'Hunting High and Low Live' tour is underway again!". a-ha. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
"a-ha diary 1985 - the big breakthrough". a-hadiary.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
^ "A-ha – Tours". Memorialbeach.com. Archived from the original on 12 June 2000. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
Creative, Sugar Rush (2023-08-06). "Scoundrel Days (1986)". a-ha. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
"World tour 1986 – 1987 | a-ha live". a-ha-live.com. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
Stokes, William (August 3, 2022). "Never-before-seen photo of A-ha's synth setup surfaces on Reddit: "my dad's keyboard setup while on tour with A-ha circa 1989"". MusicTech. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
^ "Stay On These Roads Tour 1988 – 1989 | a-ha live". a-ha-live.com. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
Thornton, Charlie (8 Jan 2019). "Randy Hope-taylor Interview | PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions". Retrieved 2023-08-07 – via PressReader.
"RAFAEL GAYOL – OLD IDEAS WORLD TOUR – The Official Leonard Cohen Site". www.leonardcohen.com. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
"A-ha-1988". matt letley. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
"Per Hillestad | Zildjian Drum Set Artist". Zildjian. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
"a-ha diary 1990 - a-ha go east...of the sun". a-hadiary.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
^ "East Of The Sun West Of The Moon Tour 1991 | a-ha live". a-ha-live.com. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
^ "Memorial Beach Tour 1993 – 1994 | a-ha live". a-ha-live.com. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
"Jørun Bøgeberg". www.jbbass.com. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
"a-ha diary 1994 - white nights". a-hadiary.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
^ "Minor Earth | Major Sky Tour 2000 – 2001 | a-ha live". a-ha-live.com. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
^ "Lifelines Tour 2002 – 2004 | a-ha live". a-ha-live.com. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
"Analogue Tour 2005 – 2007 | a-ha live". a-ha-live.com. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
"THE LAST HURRAH WITH A-HA - Anneli Drecker.com". 6 September 2010. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
"Analogue Tour 2005 – 2007 | a-ha live". a-ha-live.com. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
"MTV Unplugged Tour 2017 – 2018 | a-ha live". a-ha-live.com. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
Valebrokk, Erik (2022-02-14). "Inspirasjoner: Valentinsaktuelle Sondre Lerche velger a-ha • ballade.no". ballade.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2023-08-07.
"Erin Hill … Harpist & Singer in NYC, Louisville, Chicago & Worldwide". Retrieved 2023-08-07. Erin toured with and opened for a-ha in 2008 in Europe and London, where she played solo at the Royal Albert Hall.
^ McCulloch, Ian (2021-07-09). "Ian McCulloch - A-HA performing with Ian McCulloch MTV Unplugged". Retrieved 2023-08-07.
^ Creative, Sugar Rush (2023-08-06). "'MTV Unplugged - Summer Solstice' Out Now!". a-ha. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
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"Killing Moon, a-ha and Ian McCulloch - Live at the O2, London". YouTube. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
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External links

a-ha Band Members | Story | a-ha

v t e 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 True North
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	Live at Vallhall: Homecoming How Can I Sleep with Your Voice in My Head Ending on a High Note: The Final Concert MTV Unplugged: Summer Solstice
Extended plays	45 R.P.M. Club Twelve Inch Club Scoundrel Club Road Club
Box sets	Minor Earth Major Box
Singles	"Take On Me" "Love Is Reason" "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." "Train of Thought" "Hunting High and Low" "I've Been Losing You" "Cry Wolf" "Manhattan Skyline" "The Living Daylights" "Stay on These Roads" "The Blood That Moves the Body" "Touchy!" "You Are the One" "Crying in the Rain" "I Call Your Name" "Early Morning" "Move to Memphis" "Dark Is the Night" "Angel in the Snow" "Shapes That Go Together" "Summer Moved On" "Minor Earth Major Sky" "Velvet" "Forever Not Yours" "Lifelines" "Did Anyone Approach You?" "Celice" "Analogue (All I Want)" "Cosy Prisons" "Foot of the Mountain" "Nothing Is Keeping You Here" "Shadowside" "Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)" "You Have What It Takes"
Tours	Ending on a High Note Tour
Related articles	Discography Awards Bridges Savoy Apparatjik The Swing of Things / The Demo Tapes
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