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TAKE ON ME
"Take on Me" is a song by the Norwegian band a-ha. The music video[1] for the song first aired in 1985 on local Boston music video station V66, and then subsequently on MTV. The song is a track from a-ha's first album, Hunting High and Low, released in 1985. The innovative video was an amalgamation of rotoscope-style animation and live-action. The video was inspired by the animated film "Commuter" created by Michael Patterson and the movie Altered States.
An extended mix of this song appears on the Japan-only 45 R.P.M. Club EP.
Video summary
The saga of the video begins as a blonde young woman (played by actress Bunty Bailey[2]) is in a coffee shop, reading a comic book about competitive motorcycle racing. After winning the race, Morten Harket (who plays the winner of the race) winks at the girl; she raises her eyebrows. He then reaches his black and white cartoon hand through the comic book pulling the girl into his animated world with his band in tow. Through a creative effect they both view each other through a comic frame which shows them (and the band members) alternately in live-action and animation. The waitress, coming back for the bill, angrily crumples up the comic book in retaliation for what appears as a stiffing and throws it in the trash. As this happens, two of Harket's competitors in the race come back for revenge. One, wielding a monkey wrench, smashes the comic frame. Harket punches one of the henchmen, and retreats with the girl down a maze created by the crumpling. Harket tears a hole for the girl to escape through, as he faces the two with his own monkey wrench. The entire coffeeshop peers over the counter at the heavily newspaper-print stained girl lying next to the waste-paper basket. The startled girl grabs the crumpled comic book and runs out of the coffeeshop to her room, where she tries to smooth out the creases. One of the panels shows Harket lying unconscious, and she begins to cry. Harket then comes back to life - appearing in the girl's room - smashing himself against the wall as he flashes back and forth between animated and live-action. Eventually, he becomes the latter, and the girl and Harket embrace.
Spoilers end here.
Awards and accomplishments
The single reached number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. It also hit number two in the UK and number one in a-ha's native Norway. The video was nominated for Best Video at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1986.
Trivia
- The very first version of "Take On Me" was called "The Juicyfruit Song", and was recorded during a rehearsal in 1981 by Bridges, Paul Waaktaar-Savoy and Magne Furuholmen's former band.
- In 1985 in Mexico the opening notes of "Take On Me" were used like a jingle for a TV campaign announcing stockings "Frescannon"
- Bunty Bailey was the name of the actress who played the girl reading the comic book in the video "Take on Me". She also dated Morten Harket for a brief period of time.
Covers
The following artists have covered the song
Homages, parodies and references
- The music video was parodied in the Family Guy episode "Breaking Out Is Hard to Do", in which Chris Griffin is pulled into Morten Harket's comic world during a trip to the supermarket. [3]
- Chris Kattan sings along to this song in Corky Romano.
- The song, and a variation of the music video, was featured in one of the first American arcade releases of the Korean dance simulation game Pump it Up.
- In the South Park episode "Asspen", the song can be heard in the background when the boys and their parents arrive in Aspen. It is also sung by Mr. Slave in the closing credits.
- The song is featured in The Simpsons episode "Future-Drama". It can be heard at Bart and Lisa's future prom.
- In a recent Weebl and Bob episode, Weebl sings a parody of the song ("Bake Me Three"). [4]
- Kanye West is known to do a small dancing bit to "Take on Me" during his live performances. video
- The webtoon Bonus Stage has an episode titled "Revenge of the Pathetic", in which Evil returns with his latest scheme, "THE HAT LASER!" When he is about to battle Phil and Joel, he says "Fine! Take me on! I'll be gone! In a day or two!" (Reference to the song's lyrics)
- The music video was also parodied as the intro to the Danish television show Zulu awards 2005, where Morten Harket and Magne Furuholmen is sitting and watching it on a hotel obviously swearing at the lack of competence, while they get provided for by the shows host, comedian and actor Jan Elhøj, in which he got dragged into the music video and make his entree for the show while breaking out in the end of the music video. [5]
External links
- ^ Music Video (YouTube)
- ^ Myspace webpage for actress Bunty Bailey (the female lead in the "Take on Me" music video)
- ^ Chris Griffin (YouTube)
- ^ Weebl and Bob parody
- ^ a-Ha in Zulu awards 2005 (YouTube)
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