A-ha recorded 'The living daylights' for the soundtrack of the 1987 James Bond movie of the same name. The single was a commercial success, peaking at number 11 in the Netherlands and number 5 in the UK. Critics were less friendly: they said that after 'A view to a kill' by Duran Duran, this was another 'desperate attempt to market James Bond to a young audience'.Desperate or not, it remains a good anthem. Personally I was more offended by A-ha's version of this song on their 1988 album 'Stay on these roads': the soul was taken out of the song and replaced by lots of hollow-sounding synths.
The single was released in a standard sleeve in Europe and the UK, but in the UK there was also a limited edition with a gatefold sleeve (pictured below). I own both editions, although it took me years to find the limited edition.My collection: 7" single no. 541 / no. 2788
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1987 / Record fair, Utrecht, November 9, 1996
Cost: 6 guilders / 10 guilders
Tracks: 'The living daylights' / 'The living daylights (instrumental)'
Personally I didn't like this song when I heard it back then (and I liked A-ha), not until I heard the album version which I liked so much better. The sound is so much richer and fuller than the 7", so are the harmonies. But that's just me and just shows how music speaks to us differently. And that's how it should be.
ReplyDeleteYeah , I have the sleev with the bullet holes. Great. Aha are a band that have consistently btought out good music for , what, 25 years?
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I agree with Kenneth. I do like the album version,
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