a-ha broke onto the scene in the ’80s with a run of five successful albums, but went on a seven-year hiatus in 1993 following the release of Memorial Beach.  In the interim, the Norwegian trio – Morten Harket, Magne Furuholmen and Pål Waaktaar-Savoy – explored different interests until they were invited to perform at the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo.   Their two-song set brought them international attention and they soon reconvened in New York to write what would become their 2000 comeback album Minor Earth | Major Sky.  After a world tour, the band returned with an instant #1 album, Lifelines, in 2002.  On October 18, Rhino will celebrate the albums that relaunched a-ha with deluxe, expanded 2-CD editions and slimmer remastered album-only 2-LP reissues of both titles .  Each CD set features remastered audio, early versions, demos, remixes, live cuts, and unreleased songs.

For its deluxe edition, Minor Earth | Major Sky will be supplemented with 16 additional demos, outtakes, alternate mixes, and live recordings.  As Rhino puts it in the press release, the second disc brings listeners “an entirely new take on the album.”  “Early versions of the title track ‘Minor Earth | Major Sky,’ ‘Velvet,’ ‘Summer Moved On,’ and the enormous powerful version of ‘The Sun Never Shone That Day’ as well as other takes that did not make it on the final cut, reveal the sparkles of songwriting and the process of an idea becoming a hit.”  Meanwhile, the remix of  “Summer Moved On,” the Alabaster Mix of “Velvet,” and the Milenia Nova Remix of “Minor Earth | Major Sky” present a further alternate look at key tracks.

On Lifelines, a-ha adopted a more segmented writing process, with each member presenting new compositions.  The recordings were helmed by six producers and Anneli Drecker provided vocals.  As a result of their new approaches to writing and production, Lifelines is considered one of a-ha’s most richly varied recordings.  The deluxe edition of the album will shed a light on how the album came to be so textured, with early mixes, alternate versions, demos, and songs that didn’t make it onto the album – among them “The Breakers” (later recorded by Pal’s band Savoy), “Sole Survivor,” and “To Show It Is to Blow It.”

Together, these upcoming deluxe editions give listeners an unprecedented look into a-ha’s fertile creative period during the turn of the millennium.  With a trove of unheard and rare recordings and promised sonic enhancements, fans will want to clear some room for Minor Earth | Major Sky and Lifelines.

a-ha, Minor Earth | Major Sky (Deluxe Edition) (Rhino, 2019)

2-CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2-LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

CD 1:

1. Minor Earth Major Sky (2019 Remaster)
2. Little Black Heart (2019 Remaster)
3. Velvet (Remaster 2019)
4. Summer Moved On (2019 Remaster)
5. The Sun Never Shone That Day (2019 Remaster)
6. To Let You Win (2019 Remaster)
7. The Company Man (2019 Remaster)
8. Thought That It Was You (2019 Remaster)
9. I Wish I Cared (2019 Remaster)
10. Barely Hanging On (2019 Remaster)
11. You’ll Never Get Over Me (2019 Remaster)
12. I Won’t Forget Her (2019 Remaster)
13. Mary Ellen Makes The Moment Count (2019 Remaster)
14. Summer Moved On (Remix)
15. Velvet (Alabaster Mix)
16. The Sun Never Shone That Day (Radio Edit)
17. Minor Earth Major Sky (Milenia Nova Remix)

CD 2:

1. Minor Earth Major Sky (Early Version)
2. Little Black Heart (Alternate Mix)
3. Velvet (Early Version)
4. Summer Moved On (Early Version)
5. The Sun Never Shone That Day (Early Version)
6. To Let You Win (Early Mix)
7. We Will Never Speak Again (Demo)
8. The Company Man (Early Version)
9. Life’s Not Fair (Early Version of “I Wish I Cared”)
10. Barely Hanging On (Early Version)
11. I Won’t Forget Her (Early Version)
12. Manhattan Skyline (Live Oslo 2001)
13. Thought That It Was You (Live Oslo 2001)
14. You’ll Never Get Over Me (Live Oslo 2001)
15. Mary Ellen Makes The Moment Count (Live Oslo 2001)
16. Summer Moved On (Demo)

a-ha, Lifelines (Deluxe Edition) (Rhino, 2019)

2-CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2-LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

CD 1:

1. Lifelines (2019 Remaster)
2. You Wanted More (2019 Remaster)
3. Forever Not Yours (2019 Remaster)
4. There’s A Reason For It (2019 Remaster)
5. Time And Again (2019 Remaster)
6. Did Anyone Approach You (2019 Remaster)
7. Afternoon High (2019 Remaster)
8. Oranges On Appletrees (2019 Remaster)
9. A Little Bit (2019 Remaster)
10. Less Than Pure (2019 Remaster)
11. Turn The Lights Down (2019 Remaster)
12. Cannot Hide (2019 Remaster)
13. White Canvas (2019 Remaster)
14. Dragonfly (2019 Remaster)
15. Solace (2019 Remaster)
16. Did Anyone Approach You (Tore Johanson Mix)
17. Time And Again (Langer & Wainstanley Version)
18. Lifelines (Apoptyma Berzerk Remix)

CD 2:
1. Lifelines (Demo)
2. You Wanted More (Demo)
3. Forever Not Yours (Demo)
4. There’s A Reason For It (Demo)
5. The Breakers
6. Time And Again (Demo)
7. Did Anyone Approach You (Demo)
8. Afternoon High (Demo)
9. Oranges On Appletrees (Early Mix)
10. Sole Survivor
11. Less Than Pure (Demo)
12. To Show It Is To Blow It
13. Turn The Lights Down (Demo)
14. Cannot Hide (Demo)
15. There’s A Reason For It (A Break In The Clouds)
16. One In A Million (Demo)
17. Dragonfly (Demo)
18. Solace (Early Version)
19. Differences (Demo)