"The Sun Always Shines on T.V." is a song by Norwegian band A-ha, released as the third single from their debut studio album, ''

Hunting High and Low ''Hunting High and Low'' is the debut studio album by Norwegian new wave band A-ha, released on 1 June 1985 in the United States and 28 October 1985 in the United Kingdom by Warner Bros. Records. The album was a huge commercial success, reachin ...

'' (1985). The song was written by guitarist

Pål Waaktaar Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (born Pål Gamst, 6 September 1961) is a Norwegian musician and songwriter. Waaktaar-Savoy is best known for his work as the main songwriter and guitarist in the Norwegian pop band A-ha, which has sold more than 50 million alb ...

. In some commercial markets the single was not as popular as their previous (debut) single "

Take On Me "Take On Me" is a song by the Norwegian synth-pop band A-ha. The original version, recorded in 1984 and released in October of that same year, was produced by Tony Mansfield and remixed by John Ratcliff. The 1985 international hit version was p ...

", which had achieved the top spot in the United States and several other countries around the world, but in the United Kingdom and Ireland it improved upon the number-two charting of "Take On Me", reaching number one on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

for two weeks in January 1986, having been released there on 16 December 1985. Its success secured for the band the prestige of having achieved number-one single status in both the primary Anglo-American popular music charts on either side of the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

. The song was re-released by the band as a live version in 2003 with some minor success in Eastern Europe. It has sold over five million copies worldwide.

Origin and recording

The band's

Paul Waaktaar-Savoy Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (born Pål Gamst, 6 September 1961) is a Norwegian musician and songwriter. Waaktaar-Savoy is best known for his work as the main songwriter and guitarist in the Norwegian pop band A-ha, which has sold more than 50 million al ...

said,

… we wrote "The Sun Always Shines On T.V.," that Andrew Wickham's secretary felt was a hit. She convinced him to make room for it. When we recorded it, we were really sick with influenza. Magne and Morten were lying in the studio on camping beds with high fevers.

The bass line for the song was performed using a

Yamaha DX7 The Yamaha DX7 is a synthesizer manufactured by the Yamaha Corporation from 1983 to 1989. It was the first successful digital synthesizer and is one of the best-selling synthesizers in history, selling more than 200,000 units. In the early 1980 ...

. Other synthesizers include

PPG Wave The PPG Wave is a series of synthesizers built by the German company Palm Products GmbH from 1981 to 1987. Background Until the early 1980s, the tonal palette of commercial synthesizers was limited to that which could be obtained by combining ...

Roland Juno-60 The Roland Juno-60 is an analog synthesizer manufactured by the Roland Corporation between 1982 and 1984. It followed the Juno-6, an almost identical synthesizer released months earlier. The Juno synthesizers introduced Roland's digitally contr ...

and

sampled Sample or samples may refer to: Base meaning * Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of so ...

instruments. The oboe during the song was played on a sampler.

Release and reception

"The Sun Always Shines on T.V." was released in autumn 1985, becoming the second successful single from ''Hunting High and Low'' and one of the band's most recognisable and popular songs. The song peaked at number 20 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. It also went Top 5 in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, as well as in the band's home country of Norway. The single reached number one in Ireland and on the

which was a higher chart position there than for "Take On Me". Tim DeGravine of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

later wrote of the song,

"The Sun Always Shines on T.V." is just as thrilling s "Take on Me" Starting as a sad ballad, it explodes into something much more, as chugging guitars and operatic synths keep pace with Harket's evocative vocal stylings. If ever a 1980s song qualified as
Wall of Sound The Wall of Sound (also called the Spector Sound) is a music production formula developed by American record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios, in the 1960s, with assistance from engineer Larry Levine and the conglomerate of session ...
, "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." would be it.

There are two versions of the extended mix. The first UK release is 7:09, it starts with a slow piano intro, while the second one is the commonly known remix by Steve Thompson.

Music video

The music video for "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." was directed by Steve Barron and was shot on location over three days early October 1985 at Udney Hall Gardens and the

Victorian Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

Church of Saint Alban the Martyr, both situated in

Teddington Teddington is a suburb in south-west London in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. In 2021, Teddington was named as the best place to live in London by ''The Sunday Times''. Historically in Middlesex, Teddington is situated on a long me ...

Richmond upon Thames The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames () in southwest London forms part of Outer London and is the only London borough on both sides of the River Thames. It was created in 1965 when three smaller council areas amalgamated under the London ...

, in England. The video opens with a short sequence which forms an epilogue to the video for "

", the band's previous single, continuing with the use of rotoscoped animation. The young lovers (played by

Morten Harket Morten Harket () (born September 14, 1959) is a Norwegian vocalist and songwriter, who is the lead singer of the synthpop/rock band A-ha. A-ha has released 10 studio albums to date, and topped the charts internationally after their breakthrough ...

and

Bunty Bailey Therese "Bunty" Bailey (born 23 May 1964) is an English former model, dancer and actress. Bunty started her career as a dancer in the dance group '' Hot Gossip'' in the early 1980s. She became known as the girl in the music videos of a-ha's singl ...

), having survived the ordeal of the story in the first video, now face one another in the woods at night. Suddenly the young man begins physically reverting to his original animated state seen in the "Take on Me" video. The young woman, distressed, realizes that he cannot remain in her world. In pain, he flees the scene into the distance back to his comic-book world, and she is left behind. The camera rises away from her and

closing credits Closing credits or end credits are a list of the cast and crew of a particular motion picture, television program, or video game. Where opening credits appear at the beginning of a work, closing credits appear close to, or at the very end of a ...

roll in the style of the end of a Hollywood classic film, stating "The End / A Warner Bros. First National Picture", followed by an animated television graphic which reads "you are watching channel 3" and the A-ha logo. The main sequence of the video consists of A-ha performing "The Sun Always Shines on T.V.", supplemented by session drummer Lindsay Elliott, and a bass player, inside a Gothic church, filmed mainly in black-and-white with splashes of pastel coloring. Spectating at the performance is a dense crowd throughout the church of bare

mannequin A mannequin (also called a dummy, lay figure, or dress form) is a doll, often articulated, used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, window dressers and others, especially to display or fit clothing and show off different fabrics and textiles. P ...

s, some clothed in formal concert dress holding musical instruments to represent the song's classical instrumentation arrangement. The video ends with A-ha being cut out from the background and becoming a still frame. The music video for the band's next single, "

Train of Thought The train of thought or track of thought refers to the interconnection in the sequence of ideas expressed during a connected discourse or thought, as well as the sequence itself, especially in discussion how this sequence leads from one idea to ...

", would pick up from this cue shot, making a visual and story trilogy of "Take On Me", "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." and itself.

Awards

At the

1986 MTV Video Music Awards The 1986 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 5, 1986, honoring the best music videos from May 2, 1985, to May 1, 1986. The show was hosted by MTV VJs Downtown Julie Brown, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, Martha Quinn, and Dweezil Zappa, ...

, the video won in the categories Best Editing in a Video (editor: David Yardley) and Best Cinematography in a Video (director of photography:

Oliver Stapleton Oliver David Whiteside Stapleton (born 12 April 1948), BSC is an English cinematographer. Life and career He graduated from the University of Cape Town in 1970 with a degree in psychology and from the National Film and Television School (NF ...

). It also received a nomination for Best Art Direction in a Video (art director: Stefan Roman).

Notable live performances

A-ha performed this song at the

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolog ...

concert in 1998 alongside the new song " Summer Moved On". A live version of "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." was the only single released from the 2003 A-ha album ''

How Can I Sleep with Your Voice in My Head ''How Can I Sleep with Your Voice in My Head'' is a live album by Norwegian band A-ha, released on 25 March 2003 by WEA Records. Track listing #" Forever Not Yours" (Morten Harket, Ole Sverre-Olsen, Magne Furuholmen) – 4:33 #" Minor Earth Majo ...

'', the music video for it being directed by Pal Waaktaar's wife Lauren Savoy.

Influences

U2 stated that "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." heavily influenced the composition of their 2000 single release, "

Beautiful Day "Beautiful Day" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the first track on their tenth studio album, ''All That You Can't Leave Behind'' (2000), and was released as the album's lead single on 9 October 2000. The song was a commercial success, ...

". Bono paid tribute to it by combining the two songs together at a concert in Oslo, Norway, in 2005. The creators of ''

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' is an American sitcom created by Rob McElhenney and developed by McElhenney and Glenn Howerton that premiered on August 4, 2005 on FX and later FXX beginning with the ninth season in 2013. It stars Char ...

'' have stated that the name of their show is an indirect reference to this song. Co-creator

Glenn Howerton Glenn Franklin Howerton III (born April 13, 1976) is an American actor, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for the long-running dark satirical comedy ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' (2005–present) on FX/FXX, a show he co-created ...

came up with the title ''It's Always Sunny on T.V''. for their original home movie about three vain actors in Los Angeles after listening to ''

'' at the gym. The home movie later evolved into a television pilot with the now-familiar title when the characters were turned into pub owners in Philadelphia.

Track listings

* 7-inch single: Warner Bros. / W 8846 United Kingdom # "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." (7'' Mix a.k.a. Video Version) – 4:45 # "Driftwood" – 3:04 * 12-inch single: Warner Bros. / W 8846T United Kingdom # "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." (U.S. Steve Thompson Dance Mix) – 8:25 # "Driftwood" – 3:04 * 12-inch single: Warner Bros. / W 8846(T) United Kingdom # "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." (Extended Version) – 7:09 # "Driftwood" – 3:04 * 7-inch single: Warner Bros. / 9 28846-7 United States # "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." (7'' Mix a.k.a. Video Version) – 4:45 # "Driftwood" – 3:04 * 12-inch single: Warner Bros. / 20410-0 United States # "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." (U.S. Steve Thompson Dance Mix) – 8:25 # "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." (Instrumental) – 6:38 # "Driftwood" – 3:04

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

''MTV Unplugged'' appearance

In 2017, A-ha appeared on the television series ''

MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...

'' and played and recorded acoustic versions of many of their popular songs for the album ''

MTV Unplugged – Summer Solstice ''MTV Unplugged: Summer Solstice'' is a live album by the Norwegian band a-ha, released on 6 October 2017 as part of the ''MTV Unplugged'' series. It was recorded live at the Harbour Hall at Ocean Sound Recordings in Giske, Norway, on 22 and ...

'' in

Giske Giske is an island municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The municipality lies north-northwest of the town of Ålesund in the traditional district of Sunnmøre. The municipal centre is Valderhaugstrand. Other population centres in ...

, Norway, including "The Sun Always Shines on TV" (featuring

Ingrid Helene Håvik Ingrid Helene Håvik (born 1987 in Ålesund, Norway) is a Norwegian songwriter and vocalist. She is best known as the lead singer of Highasakite but has also released a solo album under the artist name Ingrid. Biography Håvik is a former membe ...

Diva version

Norwegian Eurodance group

Diva Diva (; ) is the Latin word for a goddess. It has often been used to refer to a celebrated woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, theatre, cinema, fashion and popular music. If referring to an actress, the meaning of ''diva'' is cl ...

, consisting of singers Helene Sommer and Elene Nyborg, released their version of "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." in 1994 as their debut single. It reached number nine on the Norwegian singles chart

VG-lista VG-lista is a Norwegian record chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide chart ...

and number four on the Norwegian radio chart Ti i skuddet. In 1995, it peaked at number 53 on the

. A

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

was made to promote the song, directed by Lauren Savoy, wife of

of A-ha. It was banned by Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation

NRK NRK, an abbreviation of the Norwegian ''Norsk Rikskringkasting AS'', generally expressed in English as the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, is the Norwegian government-owned radio and television public broadcasting company, and the largest ...

; they found the video too controversial. A new video was made for the UK version. This version received remixes from the Perfecto crew ( Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne).

Critical reception

A reviewer from '' Music & Media'' commented, "What happened to Morton Harket's voice? Suddenly you notice it's a girlie cover of the A-ha hit. The vocal arrangements might be similar, but the duo/dance context makes the difference." British magazine ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

'' rated it three out of five, adding, "This clubby cover and remix of A-ha's 1985 hit (huge in the duo's native Norway) could well take off here. Pure and peachy

Europop Europop (also spelled Euro pop) is a style of pop music that originated in Europe during the mid-to-late 1960s and developed to today's form throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with revivals and ...

." Alan Jones wrote, " Perfecto continues its chart charge with an unlikely remake .. You could be forgiven for expecting a storming vocal, but Diva's sweet and soft vocal quality works very well with the muscular, bass-driven Perfecto mixes." James Hamilton from the magazine's ''RM'' Dance Update described it as a "breathily cooed and sighed remake". DJ Jon Pleased Wimmin reviewed the song for '' Muzik'' and gave it four out of five, declaring it as "a big pop smash for the summer."

Track listings

*CD maxi-single #"The Sun Always Shines on TV" (Radio Edit) – 4:58 #"The Sun Always Shines on TV" (Long Version) – 6:15 *CD maxi-single (remix) #"The Sun Always Shines on TV" (Remix) – 4:58 #"The Sun Always Shines on TV" (Club Mix) – 6:15 #"The Sun Always Shines on TV" (Original Mix) – 4:58

Charts

Other cover versions

* Interactive covered the track in a single released in 1996. *In 2003, Milk Inc. released a cover of the song which charted at No. 2 in the Belgian Dance Chart. *

In Strict Confidence In Strict Confidence is a German electro-industrial band. Formed in 1989, they were known as ''Seal of Secrecy'' until 1992. In Strict Confidence has been signed to several record labels, including Metropolis Records and WTII Records. History ...

covered the song in a single release in 2005. *Norwegian metal band Susperia included a cover on their 2005 EP ''Devil May Care''. *Danish metal band Meridian released a cover in June 2020 from their EP "Taking Cover"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sun Always Shines 1985 songs 1985 singles 1994 debut singles A-ha songs Animated music videos Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Music videos directed by Steve Barron Song recordings produced by Alan Tarney Songs about television Songs written by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy UK Singles Chart number-one singles PolyGram singles Warner Records singles