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
If I Should Fall from Grace with God for their previous album "Rum Sodomy & the Lash", released in August 1985, and had begun 1986 on a high note as they embarked upon a successful tour of the USA, their first in that country, and released the "Poguetry in Motion" EP which became their first top 40 hit in the UK. However, the relationship with their producer Elvis Costello was deteriorating, and tensions were further heightened by his romantic involvement with the band's bass player Cait O'Riordan. The group parted ways with Costello, and after increasingly erratic behaviour which included not turning up to play shows, O'Riordan also