Spotlight on heart-throb Morten Harket
(courtesy of Teletext 06.06.02)
As the frontman of 80's hitmakers a-ha, Morten Harket set many hearts a-flutter.
Nearly 20 years on, he is poised to do it all over again as the band return with a new album, DVD and tour.
The years have been kind to Harket, now 42. He's still got razor sharp cheekbones and a shock of dark hair (but with less hairspary).
He is now a divorced father of 3 children, having separated from model and actress Camilla Malmquist in 1998.
a-ha's Morten Harket, Magne Furuholmen and Paul Waaktaar-Savoy went their separate ways for several years in the 1990's.
Now they are back together, they're dedicated to producing new material and not surviving on past glories.
"We would not consider coming back and just playing the old stuff. We like to be active," says Harket.
"Having said that, its natural when touring to include our repertoire from the beginning up until today."
a-ha's gig at the Royal Albert Hall on June 25th sold out almost immediately and they've added several new UK dates to their tour to appease the demand.
Asked how he feels about attracting new fans, Harket says: "That's great. I don't really think about the past. We enjoyed it and we paid for it."
Harket said he lost touch with his bandmates in the years they were apart.
"We just needed time away. It wasn't because we didn't get along," he said.
The a-ha re-union was sparked by a Nobel Peace Prize event in 1998, for which they were asked to perform.
"It was hard to turn down a request like that," says Harket.
Their new album "Lifelines" follows the success of their critacally - acclaimed offering "Minor Earth Major Sky" in 2000.
Harket says: "I think it's a lot more spirited, certainly than "Minor Earth". The energy we received from the crowd while touring is visable on the album."
The DVD - Homecoming - features a gig at Norway's Valhall Stadium, plus a documentary, backstage footage, promo videos, interviews and a biography.
"I haven't actually seen it," confesses Harket. "I don't like to watch things I've done. I don't really have any gold discs or awards around."
"I appreciate achieving things, but I don't need to see them."
He has a similar approach to music - saying that he doesn't listen to it a lot.
