Post by themriron2 on Aug 31, 2020 17:51:52 GMT
Morten Harket (14 September 1959 -)
Years Active: 1982 - present
Associated Acts: "a-ha" (1982 - 94, 1998 - 2010, 2015 -), Solo (1993 -), "Souldier Blue" (unknown period prior to "a-ha"; the band did not officially release any music)
Vocal Range: C2 - A5 (3 Octaves + 9 Semitones)
{Vocal Summary}With a distinctive, buoyant tone and naturally fluid and flexible voice right from the outset of his career, Morten Harket is well-remembered as one of the seminal vocalists of synth-pop. Although the general timbre of the young Harket's voice was bright, suggesting a reasonably high tessitura, even on a-ha's early material he sounded comfortable venturing down to G2 and had a firm and weighty tone to his lower register. Meanwhile, Harket also possessed a light and well-refined belting register, consistently displaying great control to vary his approach from a slightly more full and open-throated sound to a softer approach throughout the fourth octave. Possibly for stylistic reasons, Harket even in his prime didn't often choose to belt above B4 or so, but was more than capable of pushing himself when the occasion called for it, displaying both live and in studio the ability to sustain powerfully belted notes as high as D5.
Meanwhile, Harket has perhaps been best-known throughout his career for his falsetto register. Though he rarely opted to sing extended passages in this register, Harket has made flitting back and forth from his falsetto a trademark of his singing, as well as being able to sustain standalone notes as high as A5.
With the passage of time, Harket's voice has deepened somewhat, with the 2000s probably representing the strongest period for his lower register, even making it down to C2 on 'The One You Are' with E2s as recently as 2014. At the other end, Harket's upper register has become significantly headier, to the point of even making it a little challenging at times distinguishing the higher reaches of his belting from his falsetto, although he still sounded well up-to-scratch on a-ha's most recent studio effort, 2015's Cast in Steel. Unfortunately, the past few years have presented a greater challenge for Harket, particularly in a live setting. Whilst up until the late 2000s age only seemed to have enriched his lower register, he now often sounds breathy when venturing into the second octave, and navigating his upper register has likewise become more awkward, although given the general quality of his performances previously, this may be a blip from which he can return to form.
Overall, Harket is a talented and engaging vocalist; still an enjoyable performer today, and with his distinctive classic sound as indelibly associated with the 1980s as high interest rates and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Written by falsetokaiba .
Meanwhile, Harket has perhaps been best-known throughout his career for his falsetto register. Though he rarely opted to sing extended passages in this register, Harket has made flitting back and forth from his falsetto a trademark of his singing, as well as being able to sustain standalone notes as high as A5.
With the passage of time, Harket's voice has deepened somewhat, with the 2000s probably representing the strongest period for his lower register, even making it down to C2 on 'The One You Are' with E2s as recently as 2014. At the other end, Harket's upper register has become significantly headier, to the point of even making it a little challenging at times distinguishing the higher reaches of his belting from his falsetto, although he still sounded well up-to-scratch on a-ha's most recent studio effort, 2015's Cast in Steel. Unfortunately, the past few years have presented a greater challenge for Harket, particularly in a live setting. Whilst up until the late 2000s age only seemed to have enriched his lower register, he now often sounds breathy when venturing into the second octave, and navigating his upper register has likewise become more awkward, although given the general quality of his performances previously, this may be a blip from which he can return to form.
Overall, Harket is a talented and engaging vocalist; still an enjoyable performer today, and with his distinctive classic sound as indelibly associated with the 1980s as high interest rates and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Written by falsetokaiba .
Significant High Notes
A5 "Between Your Mama and Yourself", "The Sun Always Shines on T.V.", "Take On Me" live in Croydon 1986, "We're Looking for the Whales"
F♯5 "Maybe Maybe"
F5 "Cry Wolf", "Take On Me" live acoustic solo, "Waiting For Her"
E5 "I Call Your Name", "I’m The One", "Los Angeles", "Take On Me", "Tilbake Til Livet"
E♭5 "Angel in the Snow", "Maybe Maybe", "Rolling Thunder"
D5 "Between Your Mama and Yourself", "Cold River", "Forever Not Yours", "Living a Boy's Adventure Tale", "The Living Daylights" (Live Rock in Rio 1990), "Manhattan Skyline", "Minor Earth Major Sky", "Nothing is Keeping You Here" original version, "Oranges On Appletrees", "The Sun Always Shines on T.V.", "There's Never A Forever Thing", "Tell Me What You See", "Touchy!, "We're Looking for the Whales", "When I Reached The Moon", "You Are the One"
C♯5 "And You Tell Me", "I’m The One", "Keeper of the Flame", "Living a Boy's Adventure Tale", "Lord", "Out of My Hands", "Soft Rains of April", "Whispering Heart"
C5 "Analogue (All I Want)", "Cosy Prisons", "Cry Wolf", "Dark Is the Night For All", "The Fine Blue Line", "Forest Fire", "Halfway Through the Tour", "Hunting High and Low", "Hvor Krybben Stod", "Just Believe It, "Keep the Sun Away", "Lifelines", "Los Angeles", "Mary Ellen Makes the Moment Count", "Nothing is Keeping You Here", "Objects in the Mirror, "Out of Blue Comes Green", "Ready to Go Home", "Spanish Steps", "Stay On These Roads", "There's Never A Forever Thing", "Waiting For Her", "The Weight of the Wind", "You Are the One"
B4 "The Blood That Moves the Body", "Brodsky Tune", "Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)" Steve Osborne Mix, "Celice", "Cold As Stone", "Forest Fire, "Engelen", "Here I Stand and Face the Rain", "Holy Ground", "Hurry Home", "I Wish I Cared", "I Won't Forget Her", "I've Been Losing You", "Keep the Sun Away", "Lie Down in Darkness", "Minor Earth Major Sky", "Movies", "Out of Blue Comes Green", "Out Of My Hands", "Over the Treetops", "Safe With Me", "Scared of Heights", "Scoundrel Days", "Shadow Endeavours", "Slender Frame", "Summer Moved On", "This Alone is Love", "Thought That It Was You", "Vuggevise", "We'll Never Speak Again", "We're Looking for the Whales"
B♭4 "Analogue (All I Want)", "Angel in the Snow", "Can't Answer This", "The Company Man", "Cosy Prisons", "Dark Is the Night For All", "East Timor", "Holyground", "How Sweet it Was", "Hymne Til Josef", "Lay Me Down Tonight", "Love Is Reason", "Nothing is Keeping You Here", "Ready to Go Home", "Shadowside", "The Sun Never Shone That Day", "Tell Me What You See", "The Weight of the Wind", "When I Reached The Moon", "Wind of Change" live at Scorpions MTV Unplugged
A4 "And You Tell Me", "Anyone", "Between Your Mama and Yourself", "The Blood That Moves the Body", "The Blue Sky", "Brodsky Tune", "Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)", "Cold River", "Crying in the Rain", "Dark Is the Night For All", "Den Fremmede Taler Til Mennesket", "Differences", "Don't Do Me Any Favours", "Early Morning", "The End of the Affair", "Foot of the Mountain", "Forever Not Yours", "Fremmed Her", "Giving up the Ghost", "Half in Love Half in Hate", "Halfway Through the Tour", "Herre I Drømmen", "Himmelske Danser", "Hunting High and Low", "I Wish I Cared", "I've Been Losing You", "Jeg Kjenner Ingen Fremtid", "Kamilla Og Tyven", "Keeper of the Flame", "A Kind of Christmas Card", "Lamb to the Slaughter", "Letter from Egypt", "Living a Boy's Adventure Tale", "The Living Daylights", "Lord", "Los Angeles", "Make It Soon", "Manhattan Skyline", "Mary Ellen Makes the Moment Count", "Mythomania", "A Name Is a Name", "Out of Blue Comes Green", "Riding the Crest", "Rytteren", "Safe With Me", "Scared of Heights", "Scoundrel Days", "Send Me an Angel", "Shadow Endeavours", "Should the Rain Fall", "Slender Frame", "Solace", "Soft Rains of April", "Spanish Steps", "Stay On These Roads", "Stray", "Summer Moved On", "The Sun Always Shines on T.V.", "Sunny Mystery", "The Swing of Things", "Sycamore Leaves", "Take On Me", "Taksameteret Går", "This Alone is Love", "Thought That It Was You", "Train of Thought", "Turn the Lights Down", "Undecided", "What There Is", "White Canvas", "Whispering Heart", "Wild Seed", "You Wanted More"
G♯4 "Barely Hanging On", "Brother", "Cannot Hide", "Do You Remember Me?", "The End of the Affair", "End of the Line", "Holy Ground", "Kamilla Og Tyven", "Mother Nature Goes To Heaven", "Ready to Go Home", "Rolling Thunder", "Should the Rain Fall", "Start the Simulator", "Taksameteret Går", "There Is A Place", "Time and Again", "Wind of Change" live at Scorpions MTV Unplugged, "With You With Me"
G4 "The Bandstand", "Birthright", "The Blood That Moves the Body", "The Blue Sky", "Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)", "Can't Answer This", "Cast in Steel", "Celice", "Cold As Stone", "Cosy Prisons", "The Company Man", "Cry Wolf", "Darkspace", "Did Anyone Approach You", "Dragonfly", "Early Morning", "East of the Sun", "East Timor", "Foot of the Mountain", "Forest Fire", "Half in Love Half in Hate", "Heaven Cast", "Herre I Drømmen", "Hunting High and Low", "Hurry Home", "Hymne Til Josef", "I Call Your Name", "I Dream Myself Alive", "I Won't Forget Her", "I've Been Losing You", "Keep the Sun Away", "Lamb to the Slaughter", "Less Than Pure", "Lifelines", "A Little Bit", "Living At The End of The World", "The Living Daylights", "Love Is Reason", "Make It Soon", "Manhattan Skyline", "Mary Ellen Makes the Moment Count", "Memorial Beach", "Movies", "Mythomania", "A Name Is a Name", "Objects in the Mirror", "Oranges on Appletrees", "Over the Treetops", "Quiet", "Rytteren", "Send Me an Angel", "Shadow Endeavours", "Shadowside", "Slender Frame", "Spanish Steps", "Start the Simulator", "Stray", "The Summers of Our Youth", "The Sun Always Shines on T.V.", "The Sun Never Shone That Day", "Sunny Mystery", "Sycamore Leaves", "Tell Me What You See", "There's Never A Forever Thing", "Tilbake Til Livet", "Touchy!", "Velvet", "Waiting For Her", "We'll Never Speak Again", "We're Looking for the Whales", "The Weight of the Wind", "What There Is", "Wild Seed", "With You With Me"
F♯4 "And You Tell Me", "Brother", "Cold River", "Darkspace", "Differences", "Door Ajar", "East of the Sun", "Engelen", "Fremmed Her", "Giving Up The Ghost", "Here I Stand and Face the Rain", "Holy Ground", "Hvor Krybben Stod", "I Wish I Cared", "I Won't Forget Her", "Jeg Kjenner Ingen Fremtid", "Kamilla Og Tyven", "Keeper of the Flame", "The Killing Moon", "A Kind of Christmas Card", "Lay Me Down Tonight", "Lie Down in Darkness", "Living a Boy's Adventure Tale", "Living At The End of The World", "Lord", "Lyser Når Du Drar", "Maybe Maybe", "Minor Earth Major Sky", "Mother Nature Goes To Heaven", "Move to Memphis", "Out of My Hands", "Quiet", "Rolling Thunder", "She’s Humming a Tune", "Soft Rains of April", "Start the Simulator", "Stray", "Summer Moved On", "The Swing of Things", "There Are Many Ways to Die", "There's A Reason For It", "Thought That It Was You", "Tilbake Til Livet", "Time and Again", "Train of Thought", "Under The Makeup", "Vuggevise", "The Wake", "White Canvas", "White Dwarf", "Wind of Change" live at Scorpions MTV Unplugged, "You Are the One", "You'll End Up Crying", "You'll Never Get Over Me", "You Wanted More"
Significant Low Notes
D3 "Afternoon High", "Anyone", "Cast in Steel", "Cosy Prisons", "Darkspace", "Den Fremmede Taler Til Mennesket", "Elisabeth Synger Ved Johannes Døperens Død", "Engelen", "Fra Templet", "Here I Stand and Face the Rain", "Hunting High and Low", "I Won't Forget Her", "Jeg Kjenner Ingen Fremtid", "A Kind of Christmas Card", "Lightning", "Little Black Heart", "The Living Daylights", "Lord", "Lyser Når Du Drar", "Mary Ellen Makes the Moment Count", "Memorial Beach", "Minor Earth Major Sky", "Move to Memphis", "Movies", "Oh What A Night", "Out of My Hands", "Real Meaning", "Salome", "Slender Frame", "Soft Rains of April", "Spanish Steps", "Summer Moved On", "The Swing of Things", "Sycamore Leaves", "There Are Many Ways to Die", "There's A Reason For It", "This Alone is Love", "This Is Our Home", "Tilbake Til Livet", "Velvet", "The Wake", "We'll Never Speak Again", "We're Looking for the Whales", "White Canvas"
C♯3 "Angel in the Snow", "Barely Hanging On", "Cannot Hide", "Crying in the Rain", "Letter from Egypt", "Living a Boy's Adventure Tale", "Natten", "Ready to Go Home", "Safe With Me", "Shadow Endeavours", "Should the Rain Fall", "Sox of the Fox", "White Canvas", "With You With Me", "You'll Never Get Over Me", "You Wanted More"
C3 "Cast in Steel", "The Company Man", "Den Fremmede", "East of the Sun", "East Timor", "The Fine Blue Line", "Forest Fire", "Goodbye Thompson", "A Little Bit", "The Living Daylights", "October", "Oranges On Appletrees", "Slanted Floor", "Søndag Morgen", "Sox of the Fox", "The Summers of Our Youth", "The Sun Never Shone That Day", "Sviket", "Velvet", "What There Is", "Wild Seed", "You Are the One"
B2 "Anyone", "Brodsky Tune", "Brother", "Cold River", "Darkspace", "Den Fremmede Taler Til Mennesket", "End of the Line", "Fra Templet", "How Sweet it Was", "Hurry Home", "I've Been Losing You", "A Kind of Christmas Card", "Lyser Når Du Drar", "Make It Soon", "Out of My Hands", "Real Meaning", "Rolling Thunder", "Safe With Me", "Salome", "Scoundrel Days", "Should the Rain Fall", "Soft Rains of April", "The Swing of Things", "There Are Many Ways to Die", "Tilbake Til Livet", "To Let You Win", "Train of Thought", "What There Is", "White Dwarf"
B♭2 "Angel in the Snow", "Do You Remember Me?", "East Timor", "Oh What A Night", "Tell Me What You See", "With You With Me"
A2 "The Blue Sky", "Did Anyone Approach You", "East of the Sun", "First Man To the Grave", "Fremmed Her", "Heaven Cast", "Hurry Home", "I've Been Losing You", "Jeg Kjenner Ingen Fremtid", "Letter from Egypt", "Mythomania", "Natten", "October", "Oranges on Appletrees", "Scoundrel Days", "Sviket", "Take On Me", "To Let You Win", "Train of Thought", "What There Is", "When I Reached The Moon", "Wild Seed"
G♯2 "Brodsky Tune", "Brother", "Cannot Hide", "End of the Line", "The One You Are", "Riding the Crest"
G2 "Did Anyone Approach You", "Do You Remember Me?", "Giving Up The Ghost", "Heaven Cast", "Hurry Home", "I Call Your Name", "October", "Slanted Floor", "The Summers of Our Youth", "Tell Me What You See", "When I Reached The Moon"
F♯2 "Brother", "Cannot Hide", "Heaven Cast"
F2 "Tell Me What You See"
E2 "Heaven Cast", "Riding the Crest" live, "To Let You Win"
E♭2 "The One You Are"
C2 "The One You Are"
.......................................................
Blue marks clear falsetto notes.
Underlines mark notes that are obscured in the song mix.
Italics mark non-melodic notes.
Boldface marks notes that are considered to be particularly notable examples of this person's vocal capabilities.
{Questionable Notes}
C6 "The Sun Always Shines on TV" (Live) [1][3]
B5 "Hurry Home" [5], "Touchy!" [1]
G5 "Hurry Home" [4], "Love Is Reason" [3]
F♯5 "Under the Makeup"[2]
E5 "Sycamore Leaves" [5]
D5 "Don't Do Me Any Favours" [2][4], "Himmelske danser" [2]
D3 "Over the Treetops" [2]
A2 "Hvor Krybben Stod" [4], "A Little Bit" [1]
G2 "Søndag Morgen" [5]
F♯2 "Fremmed Her" [2][3][4], "Rolling Thunder" [1]
F2 "Cry Wolf" [3]
D2 "Over the Treetops" [3][4]
.......................................................
[1] marks yelps and short trills in high range or anacrusis and short dips in low range.
[2] marks notes of questionable identity that cannot be confirmed to be the singer in question.
[3] marks non-melodic notes that don't have a significant enough pitch to warrant inclusion.
[4] marks notes that possess uncertain pitch or have been pitch-shifted.
[5] marks notes that do not fit the previous criteria but are not of a substantial enough quality to warrant counting towards the singer's range.
C6 "The Sun Always Shines on TV" (Live) [1][3]
B5 "Hurry Home" [5], "Touchy!" [1]
G5 "Hurry Home" [4], "Love Is Reason" [3]
F♯5 "Under the Makeup"[2]
E5 "Sycamore Leaves" [5]
D5 "Don't Do Me Any Favours" [2][4], "Himmelske danser" [2]
D3 "Over the Treetops" [2]
A2 "Hvor Krybben Stod" [4], "A Little Bit" [1]
G2 "Søndag Morgen" [5]
F♯2 "Fremmed Her" [2][3][4], "Rolling Thunder" [1]
F2 "Cry Wolf" [3]
D2 "Over the Treetops" [3][4]
.......................................................
[1] marks yelps and short trills in high range or anacrusis and short dips in low range.
[2] marks notes of questionable identity that cannot be confirmed to be the singer in question.
[3] marks non-melodic notes that don't have a significant enough pitch to warrant inclusion.
[4] marks notes that possess uncertain pitch or have been pitch-shifted.
[5] marks notes that do not fit the previous criteria but are not of a substantial enough quality to warrant counting towards the singer's range.
{Studio Album Ranges}
With "A-Ha":
Hunting High and Low (1985): A2 - C5 - E5 - A5
Scoundrel Days (1986): G2 - C5 - A5
Stay On These Roads (1988): G2 - D5
East of the Sun, West of the Moon (1990): G2 - B4 - F5
Memorial Beach (1993): B2-B♭4 - B4 - A5
Minor Earth Major Sky (2000): E2 - B4 - D5
Lifelines (2003): F♯2 - G2 - A4 - C5 - D5
Analogue (2005): G2 - B2 - C5 - C♯5
Foot of the Mountain (2009): G♯2 - C5
Cast in Steel (2015): G2 - C3 - D5 - F♯5
Solo:
Poetenes Evangelium (1993): A2 - G4 - C5
Wild Seed (1995): F2 - G♯2 - B4 - D5 - E5
Vogts Villa (1996): A2 - B4 - E5
Letter From Egypt (2008): C2 - B4
Out of My Hands (2012): G2 - B2 - D5 - E5
Brother (2014): E2 - F#2 - B4 - C♯5
With "A-Ha":
Hunting High and Low (1985): A2 - C5 - E5 - A5
Scoundrel Days (1986): G2 - C5 - A5
Stay On These Roads (1988): G2 - D5
East of the Sun, West of the Moon (1990): G2 - B4 - F5
Memorial Beach (1993): B2-B♭4 - B4 - A5
Minor Earth Major Sky (2000): E2 - B4 - D5
Lifelines (2003): F♯2 - G2 - A4 - C5 - D5
Analogue (2005): G2 - B2 - C5 - C♯5
Foot of the Mountain (2009): G♯2 - C5
Cast in Steel (2015): G2 - C3 - D5 - F♯5
Solo:
Poetenes Evangelium (1993): A2 - G4 - C5
Wild Seed (1995): F2 - G♯2 - B4 - D5 - E5
Vogts Villa (1996): A2 - B4 - E5
Letter From Egypt (2008): C2 - B4
Out of My Hands (2012): G2 - B2 - D5 - E5
Brother (2014): E2 - F#2 - B4 - C♯5
{Credits}Baronessa
Hunting High and Low (1985)
Scoundrel Days (1986)
Wild Seed (1995)
Minor Earth Major Sky (2000)
Letter From Egypt (2008)
themriron2
How Can I Sleep With Your Voice In My Head [Live] (2003)
Foot of the Mountain (2009)
Out of My Hands (2012)
Cast in Steel (2015)
Summer Solstice: MTV Unplugged [Live] (2017)
falsetokaiba
Stay On These Roads (1988)
East of the Sun, West of the Moon (1990)
Memorial Beach (1993)
Poetenes Evangelium (1993)
Vogts Villa (1996)
Lifelines (2003)
Analogue (2005)
Brother (2014)
Hunting High and Low (1985)
Scoundrel Days (1986)
Wild Seed (1995)
Minor Earth Major Sky (2000)
Letter From Egypt (2008)
themriron2
How Can I Sleep With Your Voice In My Head [Live] (2003)
Foot of the Mountain (2009)
Out of My Hands (2012)
Cast in Steel (2015)
Summer Solstice: MTV Unplugged [Live] (2017)
falsetokaiba
Stay On These Roads (1988)
East of the Sun, West of the Moon (1990)
Memorial Beach (1993)
Poetenes Evangelium (1993)
Vogts Villa (1996)
Lifelines (2003)
Analogue (2005)
Brother (2014)
Big thanks to Breakfast in D-sharp and falsetokaiba for hosting the previous threads across all old TRP forums.
