"Scoundrel Days" was the second long-player release from "A-ha", which was highly anticipated after the success of their critically acclaimed first L.P., "Hunting High and Low" (1985), which had reached #2 in the United Kingdom's Album Chart, and #15 in the United States' Billboard 200 Chart in the previous year. "Scoundrel Days" was recorded in England in early 1986 at R.G. Jones Studio in Beulah Road in Wimbledon, South-West London. The record was produced by Alan Tarney, who had produced the band's big hit single releases "Take On Me" and "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." in the previous year, and it was engineered by Gerry Kitchingham.