Alan Tarney in the mid-1980s when he teamed up with Norwegian pop band A-ha. Producing the second version (after Tony Mansfield) of their first single "Take on Me" (1984), the song went on to become a worldwide hit. He worked on the band's biggest selling first three albums, being a co-Producer of "Hunting High and Low" (1985), and Producer of "Scoundrel Days" (1986) and "Stay on These Roads" (1988). He renewed his working relationship with the band in the production of their album release "Cast in Steel" (2015). He produced David Cassidy's comeback 1985 album "Romance," which included the top ten hit
Hunting High and Low drew inspiration from Patterson's animated film "Commuter" and the film "Altered States". The innovative video for "Take On Me" was first broadcast on local Boston music video station V-66, and soon after given heavy rotation on MTV. The single debuted in "Billboard" the week of 13 July 1985, and was heading into the U.S. top twenty when it was given an international release, including a second release in Norway and a third shot at the UK market. It hit number one on the "Billboard" Hot 100 in the United States, spending 27 weeks on the charts and becoming the tenth-biggest