1999 - Savoy make mountains

January 1999       Hermetic

1       "Take On Me" is voted third best video of all times in the "VH-1" poll. There are nearly 100,000 votes.
21       The regular edition of Magne and Kjetil's soundtrack album "Hermetic" is released in Norway on the record label "Rune Grammofon". Magne has designed the sleeve and disc. The Norwegian pan-pipe player Roar Engelberg releases his album in Norway which includes a version of a-ha's song "Hunting High And Low".

February 1999      

Paul and Magne are working on some demos for the new a-ha album in New York (end of Feb. / beginning of March - TBC).

March 1999      

7       Morten performs at the "Smuget" club in Oslo, Norway. The concert features many Norwegian artists including Silje Nergaard, DiDerre, Babelfish, Claudia Scott, Bjørn Eidsvåg, Lava and Sigurd Køhn. The concert commemorates the founder of Smuget, Gunnar Simonsen. Morten performs just one song "A Change Is Gonna Come".
12       Morten appears at the the student Peace Prize Ceremony in Trondheim, Norway.

Paul and Magne return to Norway to play the new a-ha demos to Morten.

23       a-ha have a meeting with their Norwegian and English managers.

April 1999      

Jungle Of Beliefs 6?       The promo single "Jungle Of Beliefs" is released to Norwegian radio stations. It features vocals by Morten Harket; lyrics by Morten and Ole Sverre Olsen and music by Ragnar Bjerkreim. The single is taken from the forthcoming soundtrack album for the Swedish TV series "Cultures Span The World".
11       Morten appears on Norwegian charity TV show "Hjelp!" (TV2) supporting the refugees from Kosovo. He sings a duet of Leonard Cohen's song "Hallelujah" with Espen Lind. Espen also plays guitar.
22       Camilla Harket is on the Norwegian TV show "Komplottet" and a pratical joke is played on her.

Magne, Paul and Kjetil Bjerkestrand go to New York to work on some more a-ha demos.

Morten is working with a Swedish producer on a dance / techno EP.

May 1999      

4       Magne contributes the painting "Everything Happens to Me" to the art action in support of refugees at Rodhusgalleriet in Oslo.
5       Morten presents an award to best selling female Scandinavian artist "Meja" at the World Music Awards in Monaco.
10       Paul returns to Norway to go into the studio to record the new a-ha demos.
15       Morten is interviewed about receiving awards on the Norwegian TV show "Underholdningsmaskinen" (NRK1).
18       "Jungle Of Beliefs" enters the Norwegian "Hit 40" at number 33.
26       The World Music Awards are aired on ITV in the UK.

a-ha are working on the demos for their new album. They have around 10 demos. The musicians working with a-ha are Kjetil Bjerkestrand, Sven Lindvall (bass) and Per Lindvall (drums).

Lauren Savoy completes a commercial for a Norwegian chain of plummers "Varme og Bad". Lauren is also at the planning stages of the shooting of a film based on the novel "Eden Close" by Anita Schreve.

June 1999      

11       a-ha present 5-6 tracks from their forthcoming album to a major European record company.

July 1999      

3       Morten opens for the band "Dance With A Stranger" at this year's "Hallingmarken" festival in Neysbyen, Norway. He sings "Spanish Steps", "Back to the Scenes" ("Tilbake Til Livet" in English), "Seven Years" and "A Kind Of Christmas Card".

Star video strip

Star (I'm Not Stupid Baby) 7       Savoy's single "Star (I'm Not Stupid Baby)" is released as a promo single in Norway. Paul and Lauren are interviewed on the Norwegian radio station "Petre" (NRK).
9       a-ha and Brian Lane are in Oslo to sign a three-record deal with Warner Music, Germany.
10       Paul and Lauren are interviewed on radio "P3" (NRK) in Norway.
14?       Paul and Lauren are interviewed on NRK and the video for "Star" is shown.
28       Morten Harket is interviewed on radio "Petre" (NRK) in Norway. He is guest on the programme "Mamarazzi" and is the "barbecue chef of the week". Morten cooks the fish "steinbit".
29       Paul and Lauren are interviewed on the Norwegian radio show "Howard og HC" on radio "Petre" (NRK).

a-ha are working at Rainbow Studios in Grunerløkka, Oslo, Norway.

August 1999      

3       Star enters the Norwegian Hit 40 charts at number 28. Lauen Savoy gives birth to a baby boy "True August".
19       Paul and Lauren are interviewed on Norwegian radio "P1". Mountains Of Time
23       Savoy release their third album "Mountains Of Time" in Norway. Paul and Lauren are guests on TV2's morning show "God Morgen Norge".
26       Savoy take part in a web chat for the Norwegian newspaper "VG".

"Mountains Of Time" sells 11,000 copies in the first 5 days of its release.

Lauren Savoy is working on a new commercial.

September 1999      

1       "Mountains Of Time" enters the official Norwegian album chart at number 1.
6       "Star (I'm Not Stupid Baby)" is released to a limited number of Norwegian record stores, but isn't widely available.
7       Morten Harket appears on Norwegian TV's morning news to talk about the critical situation in East Timor.
10       Morten is on TV2's "God Morgen Norge" to talk about East Timor.
11       Morten is interviewed on TV2's "God Kveld Norge", he also sings a new song "To Let You Win" acoustically.
23       Camilla and Tomine appear on the Norwegian show "God Morgen Norge".
24       Per Sundes interviews Savoy on the Norwegian TV show "Midnight@nrk" (NRK1) and shows the band at work in their studio in Oslo.
25       Paul and Lauren (with Augie) are interviewed on the Norwegian TV show "Midt I Smørøyet" (NRK1) and they perform "Star" playback.
27       Savoy perform "Grind You Down" (playback) on the Norwegian TV show "I Kveld - med Thomas Giertsen" (TVNorge).

October 1999      

Morten does a speech for Amnesty International on "Innsamlingsaksjonen '99" (NRK).

1       Savoy perform "Star" (playback) on the Norwegian TV show "TV 2000" (TV2). Grind You Down
4?       Savoy's promo single " Grind You Down" is released to Norwegian radio stations.
9-24       Magne contributes to the "Norske Bilder '99" exhibition at Rådhusgalleriet in Oslo.
19       The video for Savoy's single "Grind You Down" premieres on "X2" (TV2) in Norway.
25       The first episode of the documentary series "Cultures Span The World" is broadcast on NRK1.

Magne is part of the outfit "Cubus" who are designing art for the main square in Stavanger.

November 1999      

14       Morten performs "Engelen", "Natten" and "All Of You Concerned" live on the Christian TV programme "Halleluja!" hosted by Kjell Erik Moen (NRK1).
20       Morten appears at the anniversary of United Nations convention on children's rights at Oslo's City Hall.
26       Morten appears on the Norwegian TV show "TV 2000" (TV2).

December 1999      

25       On Norway's "TV2" there is a documentary "Morten Harket: Min Jul" about East Timor and Burma which features Morten Harket. The documentary includes the video for "Natten", clip from a concert with Oslo Gospel Choir in Guatemala '97 and clips of Morten singing "Holy Ground".
31       A clip of Morten is broadcast on "2000 Totay" (BBC1).

Continue the story: 2000