The Living Daylights (song)

Infobox Single
Name = The Living Daylights

---

Artist = a-ha
from Album =
B-side = "The Living Daylights" (Instrumental)
Released = June 22, 1987
Format = 7", 12"
Recorded = 1987
Genre = Synthpop, New Wave, alternative rock
Length = 4:47
Label = Warner Bros
Writer = Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, John Barry
Producer = Jason Corsaro, Magne Furuholmen, Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, John Barry
Certification =
Chart position =
* #1 NORWAY;
* #1 JAPAN;
* #1 SPAIN;
* #3 ITALY;
* #3 SWEDEN;
* #3 POLAND;
* #5 UK;
* #8 GERMANY;
* #5 SOUTH AFRICA;
* #21 FRANCE;
* #29 AUSTRALIA;
* #35 CANADA;
Last single = "Manhattan Skyline"
(1987)
This single = "The Living Daylights"
(1987)
Next single = "Stay On These Roads"
(1988) Extra chronology
Artist = James Bond theme
Last single = "A View to a Kill (song)"
(1985)
This single = "The Living Daylights"
(1987)
Next single = "Licence to Kill"
(1989)

"The Living Daylights" was the song performed by a-ha for the James Bond film of the same name. It was co-written by guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy and Bond composer John Barry.

Origin and recording

Barry was listed on the credits as co-writer and producer, and the initial release of the song was his version. A second version of the song, re-worked by a-ha, later appeared on their third album, "Stay on These Roads". Not surprisingly, the band prefers their version of the song to Barry's.

When interviewed on a late-night show in 1987, Barry said that he found working with the band exhausting secondary to the band's insistence on using their own version of the song for release.cite web |url=http://www.a-ha.com/index.php?id=7566 |title=a-ha.com - the official a-ha site - The Living Daylights |accessdate=2007-11-26 |format= |work=a-ha.com - the official a-ha site ] In an interview with Hotrod Magazine, keyboardist Magne Furuholmen said that " [the band's] fight with Barry left a rather unpleasant aftertaste. Apparently he compared us to Hitlerjugend in a newspaper interview."cite web |url=http://magnef.org/bibliography/hotrod-interview.pdf |title=http://magnef.org/bibliography/hotrod-interview.pdf |accessdate=2007-11-26 |format= |work=magnef.org |format=PDF] Waaktaar-Savoy claims that Barry never contributed to the creative process, and should not have his name on the credits.cite web |url=http://www.a-ha.com/index.php?id=7566 |title=a-ha.com - the official a-ha site - The Living Daylights |accessdate=2007-11-26 |format= |work=a-ha.com - the official a-ha site ]

Release and reception

"The Living Daylights." was released in the summer of 1987 and has become one of the most successful singles ever to be released by a-ha on the rock charts. The song didn't chart on the "Billboard" Hot 100, but it charted in Britain where it's peak was number five. It also remains a favourite with Bond fans.

The song remains one of a-ha's most played songs in live concerts and has often been extended into a sing-along with the audience, as featured on the live album "How Can I Sleep with Your Voice in My Head".

Evan Cater of Allmusic said the song was "a strong sample of "Seven and the Ragged Tiger"-influenced Europop, enhanced by Morton [sic] Harket's powerhouse falsetto vocals." [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dpfyxqtgldde Allmusic] ]

Music video

The music video, which was directed by Steve Barron, was shot at the 007 Stage in London, which was built specifically for the Bond franchise.cite web |url=http://www.a-ha.com/index.php?id=7566 |title=a-ha.com - the official a-ha site - The Living Daylights |accessdate=2007-11-26 |format= |work=a-ha.com - the official a-ha site ]

Chart positions

[cite web
url=http://norwegiancharts.com/search.asp?cat=s&search=A-ha
title=Norwegian Singles Chart
publisher=VG-lista
accessdate=2008-03-07] [cite web
url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=Singles&model.vnuArtistId=3914&model.vnuAlbumId=749648
title=American Single Charts
publisher=VG-lista
accessdate=2008-03-07] [cite web
url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=344&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Bubbling+Under+Hot+100+Singles&ci=3014843&cdi=6733544&cid=07%2F24%2F1993
title=American Single Charts
publisher=Billboard
accessdate=2008-05-07] [cite web
url=http://www.everyhit.com/
title=British Single Chart
publisher=UK Top 40
accessdate=2008-03-07] [cite web
url=http://swedishcharts.com/search.asp?search=A-ha&cat=s
title=Swedish Singles Chart
publisher=Hitlista
accessdate=2008-03-07] [cite web
url=http://lescharts.com/search.asp?search=A-ha&cat=s
title=French Singles Chart
publisher=Palmares
accessdate=2008-03-07] [cite web
url=http://austriancharts.at/search.asp?search=A-ha&cat=s
title=Austrian Singles Chart
publisher=Austria Top 40
accessdate=2008-03-07] [cite web
url=http://hitparade.ch/search.asp?search=A-ha&cat=s
title=Swiss Singles Chart
publisher=Schweizer Hitparade
accessdate=2008-03-07] [cite web
url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/
title=Irish Singles Chart
publisher=The Irish Chart
accessdate=2008-03-07] [cite web
url=http://www.charts-surfer.de/musiksearch.php
title=German Singles Chart
publisher=Charts-Surfer
accessdate=2008-06-07] [cite web
url=http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/hp_yends/hpe1987.htm
title=Italian Singles Chart
publisher=hitparadeitalia
accessdate=2008-06-07]

References

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUGsSBaLrVw Music video for "The Living Daylights"]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvfRreGnL_8 Interview with a-ha and John Barry]